Pursuing academia as a botanist

[ilikeonions]

Long time lurker here, it is time to make my first post it seems. I am about to finish my agricultural studies and get my diploma as a botanist so I am looking for my next step.

I'd love to get involved in the research around plants containing psychoactive substances so academia is a good option. The problem is; I do not know how to do that. What I have been doing so far is mailing random researchers whose papers / books I have read and asking them for guidance but so far none of them has replied to me unfortunately. The research in EU seems to be very limited or I do not know where to look. Are there even groups that run research related to Lophophora Williamsii and mescaline for example? If so, I haven't managed to find them lol



Any suggestions or ideas on how to approach this?

 

[Jivecat_the_Magnificent]

Sorry brother, no constructive thoughts on this whatsoever, but I wish you the best in your endeavours. I imagine sooner or later one of the people you've emailed will respond, even if you have to hound them. Congratulations on coming to the end of your agricultural studies.

 

[blig-blug]

You got an undergraduate diploma, right? If so, the next step would be a masters degree. I don't know what masters are available related to agricultural studies, but I suppose there has to be something about phytochemistry, pharmacognosy, etc. Once you are finishing your masters, you could then do a PhD thesis closer to your interests. You don't strictly need the research group to be researching psychoactive plants specifically as long as your PI would be willing to allow you to research that. For example, if a group does ethnobotanical research, you could likely research the use of some specific psychoactive plant.

 

[ilikeonions]

You got an undergraduate diploma, right? If so, the next step would be a masters degree. I don't know what masters are available related to agricultural studies, but I suppose there has to be something about phytochemistry, pharmacognosy, etc. Once you are finishing your masters, you could then do a PhD thesis closer to your interests. You don't strictly need the research group to be researching psychoactive plants specifically as long as your PI would be willing to allow you to research that. For example, if a group does ethnobotanical research, you could likely research the use of some specific psychoactive plant.

My diploma is an integrated master (300 ECTS) meaning I could go straight for a PhD. That’s a bit of a steep slope there though, what I feel like is the best option and smoother option now is an erasmus traineeship but it is really hard to figure out who could host such a traineeship within EU.

I have recently found out Wageningen University in the Netherlands is doing some related research but have not contacted them yet

 

[blig-blug]

What's the exact area that interests you? Psychoactive plants can be studied from many perspectives.

 

[CosmicRiver]

Hi!
I was waiting for someone else to chime in since i don't know how much i can be of help. My goal was/is the same as yours, even if i eventually sided to conservation (and then to agriculture ) because in my university they don't do that kind of studies.

I second what blig-blug said. I would first get information on the open research areas in universities, otherwise i doubt that research groups would move out of their usual scope. In university researchers are very specialized and not always open to new endeavors.

Ethnobotany would be the best for sure, i second that too.
Phytochemistry is more chemistry/pharma than botany and i don't know if it would be as interesting for a botanist like you, or if a chemistry degree would be more suited, but you could check.
While studies on psychedelics for therapeutic purposes are mostly done by pharma/med researchers and maybe require a neurobiology or at least general biology degree (i don't know if yours was just botany). But you could get a second degree if it interests you. Personally i find it very interesting but i suspect that the botanical part would be missing unfortunately.

The person that comes to my mind is Giorgio Samorini, you probably know him. Not very nice in person they told me but it's a prime example of psychoactive ethnobotany.
Wageningen is the best plant research institute in Europe at least, i didn't know they researched psychoactive plants too.

 

[Prima Materia]

I wish you all the best on your path and I wish that you come to research what truly interests you.

What I would propose to think about (a mental experiment so to speak) is that you keep the psychoactive stuff as a hoby/personal interest and find some other field of research that still interests you and gives you fulfilment, to focus on as your 'profesional' or 'paying the bills' topic.

Just to think about.

Best of Luck!

 

[Varallo]

My diploma is an integrated master (300 ECTS) meaning I could go straight for a PhD. That’s a bit of a steep slope there though, what I feel like is the best option and smoother option now is an erasmus traineeship but it is really hard to figure out who could host such a traineeship within EU.

I have recently found out Wageningen University in the Netherlands is doing some related research but have not contacted them yet

There are several ways into research and a PhD, and the path isn’t always straightforward. Sometimes you apply directly, sometimes it’s about knowing the right people, and in other cases you can build a proposal and try to secure your own funding. A good starting point is often your master’s supervisor or the person who guided your thesis. They may know people in the field and could open doors for you.

At a place like Wageningen, personal introductions can make a big difference. If you can show genuine enthusiasm and a willingness to work on funding opportunities, many researchers will appreciate that and might be open to creating space for you.

Beyond academia, there are also more adventurous options. 20 years ago, I met someone in Sumatran jungle who was actively searching for plants for research on chemical composition, something I had thought was just a myth. I’m not sure how common that still is today, but it shows that there are unusual paths out there if you’re open to them.

I also recently watched part of a documentary by Hamilton Morris about the discovery of psychoactive mushrooms in Africa and their indigenous use. I found it really inspiring, because it shows that there’s still a kind of final frontier for this kind of research. While many compounds are already well described in the literature, there are still niches to explore. It might help to define one of those niches for yourself and then connect with someone who shares that specific interest.

Finally, while practical the Netherlands is not the only place, to find a place for your passion and such specific interest might be very difficult.
Anyway good luck

 

[Transform]

Check out the Ethnobotany course at the University of Hamburg*. You may come across some interesting stuff there. You'd love the botanical garden, I suspect.

*Former academic home of the noted ethnobotanist, the late Christian Rätsch.

 

[ilikeonions]

What's the exact area that interests you? Psychoactive plants can be studied from many perspectives.

Psychedelics ideally but I would be down to get involved in any kind of psychoactive plant research, from deliriants to semi synthetic products.

Hi!
I was waiting for someone else to chime in since i don't know how much i can be of help. My goal was/is the same as yours, even if i eventually sided to conservation (and then to agriculture ) because in my university they don't do that kind of studies.

I second what blig-blug said. I would first get information on the open research areas in universities, otherwise i doubt that research groups would move out of their usual scope. In university researchers are very specialized and not always open to new endeavors.

Ethnobotany would be the best for sure, i second that too.
Phytochemistry is more chemistry/pharma than botany and i don't know if it would be as interesting for a botanist like you, or if a chemistry degree would be more suited, but you could check.
While studies on psychedelics for therapeutic purposes are mostly done by pharma/med researchers and maybe require a neurobiology or at least general biology degree (i don't know if yours was just botany). But you could get a second degree if it interests you. Personally i find it very interesting but i suspect that the botanical part would be missing unfortunately.

The person that comes to my mind is Giorgio Samorini, you probably know him. Not very nice in person they told me but it's a prime example of psychoactive ethnobotany.
Wageningen is the best plant research institute in Europe at least, i didn't know they researched psychoactive plants too.

I like phytochemistry as well tbh. My degree is an integrated master in agricultural sciences so i've had a couple of chemistry courses in the first two years of uni.

It seems that botanical approach research is lacking in EU and it's mostly taking place in areas like Australia and South America

 

[Transform]

It seems that botanical approach research is lacking in EU and it's mostly taking place in areas like Australia and South America

Can you qualify this statement a little more? I think the phytochemical side may be hindered by cotrolled substance laws if you're looking at things like peyote or maybe phalaris grasses, but at the same time there's enormous potential with, say, mesembrine-containing plants or atypical phytocannabinoids.

For an excellent overview of psychoactive natural products, I can't recommend Rätsch' Encyclopedia of Psychoctive Plants highly enough, especial in combination with the second volume co-authored by Markus Berger. You may do well to contact this latter chap if you're in search of some suggestions for areas of opportunity. He also has a website which should at least make it a bit easier in finding him.

 

[Prima Materia]

For an excellent overview of psychoactive natural products, I can't recommend Rätsch' Encyclopedia of Psychoctive Plants highly enough.

I've had the book at home for some years and studied it many times, looking through it just to find something interesting or actually searching for relevant information (for example localy growing nightshades). I like the historical aspects that are included as well as some of the recipes for example in the Peganum harmala section. Overall a great book and great that you had mentioned it, as I wholeheartedly agree.

 

[ilikeonions]

Can you qualify this statement a little more? I think the phytochemical side may be hindered by cotrolled substance laws if you're looking at things like peyote or maybe phalaris grasses, but at the same time there's enormous potential with, say, mesembrine-containing plants or atypical phytocannabinoids.

For an excellent overview of psychoactive natural products, I can't recommend Rätsch' Encyclopedia of Psychoctive Plants highly enough, especial in combination with the second volume co-authored by Markus Berger. You may do well to contact this latter chap if you're in search of some suggestions for areas of opportunity. He also has a website which should at least make it a bit easier in finding him.

Yeah, that's what I meant. Laws make it difficult here to study these plants.

I am aware of the book you mentioned, it has been under my radar for some time now.