Recent years have seen a rapid resurgence of research focused on the use of psychedelics in the treatment of mental and substance use disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and alcohol and nicotine addiction.

Research programs in many countries are now studying the clinical benefits of psychedelics, but there are not a lot of channels to allow for knowledge sharing and collaboration. In addition, there are policy barriers that limit access to psychedelics for study. Finally, matters of equity, diversity and inclusion issues prevail in the field.

From Research to Reality (R2R) was created to address these issues. The goals of the conference are to stimulate knowledge exchange among researchers; help researchers and policymakers engage and address policy barriers and opportunities; and foster a culture of anti-oppression and inclusivity in the psychedelic space. That is, we want to shift the action from the research lab to the real-world clinical application, and start making a difference in the lives of those living with mental health and substance use disorders.

To this end, researchers, clinicians, policy-makers and people with lived experience will gather at the 2022 international conference in Toronto to break down barriers to progress, share original research, and build a network of knowledge-exchange opportunities.