Internship season-need help.

[panic_the_digital]

I am currently applying to various internships for this summer, including pharmacology (mostly neurobio related), physiology, and microbiology. I am interested in becoming a neuroscientist and getting my PhD. in one of these fields with the goal of advancing research into psychedelics. The problem is that the people who review applications for these internships don't take too kindly to research proposals concerning my favorite substances. I was wondering if any of you had any ideas as far as what subjects could be fair game, or if there are any areas of research into receptors, pathwats, etc. that wouldn't bring up any red flags or make me sound retarded. Thanks.

 

[Jamshyd]

Of course, it is the worst idea to tell people you are studying "psychedelics".

Actually, avoid ANY taboo words like "drug", "hallucinogen", "LSD/mescaline/anyotherpsych"...etc. You will want your area of interest to either come off as a necessity to something or as an accidental finding.

If you give me a topic of interest, I might be able to code it into socially acceptable language for you, since thats what I seem to do for a living .

 

[kidamnesiac]

at this stage of your "Career", you have NO say in what you are going to be studying. You have to learn the skills, the ropes, and the game before you can even think about doing what you really want. My advice would be to look for something related to the dopamine, cholergenic or serotonin system. At least you ahve some knowledge about those and they will be interesting to you, even if you're not synthesizing LSD analogues. You learn the tools of the trade and lots of skills otherwise that will help you and improve your chances for studying something like psychedelics in the future. The ladder is long, get used to climbing...
BTW, what the does microbiology have to do with psychedelics?
PS-if you're looking @ REU's, I know Purdue has a program. Nichols is not involved, but you would be there. UNC also has a program. good luck

 

[panic_the_digital]

Thanks, and please keep them coming.

Jamshyd, I am hoping to find a connection between carbogen and NDE's/ DMT, but this is obviously not an easy sell, especially since I am merely letting them know my research interests as part of the application process. One of the professors I may be working with is doing research on amphibian carbon dioxide receptors in the brainstem, so it seems as though there is real potential.

kidamnesiac,there is no reason that I am looking at the microbio internship as anything but a fallback in case the others don't pan out, but I figured someone might have some ideas.

Thanks again.

 

[Jamshyd]

You will then want to focus your research on CO2, with the only mention of DMT as being a control or something. But even then, it would be obvious, since OBEs are not a scientific phenomenon as of today (and they are still pseudo-taboo) and they would be your only basis of including DMT.

eeeh. Tough one.

Anyway to include N2O? I know its stupid. But I guess you're comparing gas composition to states of mind...etc.

 

[Dondante]

What you need to do is find a researcher that works in an area that you’re interested in. For me this consisted of looking up all the neuroscience, psychiatry, and neuropharmacology researchers at my university and contacting the ones that interested me. In my case it's an outside funded research internship, so it's a freebee for whatever lab I work for. Designing your own project is a rare privilege coming out of college (if that's where you are). I tried this, but couldn’t get anything that was feasible within the time constraints.

I ended up really lucking out though and found someone who does work with psychedelics to some extent, but it was pure luck. Although I won't be researching psychedelics directly, I'll be working with the serotonin system in a mouse model of a rare human disease. I'll get to do some head twitch experiments and some receptor binding assays.

As others have said, you need to learn the ropes first. Your focus should be on gaining some experience that may help you down the road. Getting your PhD would be a great road to take, but even then, chances are you wouldn’t be working with psychedelics until many, many years down the road.

So, my advice is to contact some researchers that are in areas that interest you and see if they will help you with your proposal. Many of them have loads of projects already designed that they would love for someone to work on. Good luck!

 

[melange]

say you are interested in neurotransmitters and potential agonist, antagonist, neurotoxicity, various diseases. i have no idea

 

[evlove]

First off, I agree with all of the statements about keeping your psychedelic interests to yourself.

You could try to find an entry level position as an RA doing research on drugs of abuse, psychiatry, or neuroscience and find some relavant overlap. I am sure that some of the people who dedicate their lives to studying neuropharmacology that you would find in such a situation may have some similar interests, but it will take time to figure that out. You do not need to broadcast. Also, you must have an interest in these subjects beyond psychedelics, because your work, your schooling, your ultimate job will be nothing like surfing Bluelight and Erowid.

Also, please be aware that if you begin to undertake research into taboo subjects before you have an advanced degree, it may hurt your ability to ultimately attain one. And even after you are established, researching such controversial topics is an unending uphill battle in most cases. (Unless you are trying to show the neurotoxicity of a substance).

Anyway, good luck to you and I hope this helps

 

[pokergooch]

My sister in law is getting her PhD in chemistry. You cant believe all the drugs they have available to them for study. were talking schedule one drugs. Its amazing the stories that she tells about how they use MDMA mixed with cocaine and give it to animals.. Stuff like that...

PG

 

[panic_the_digital]

^Yeah, I work in a Chem Lab that has a schedule I license, but it is not my department. The people who work on these kind of higher eschelon projects are kind of dicks though

 

[Jamshyd]

The people who work on these kind of higher eschelon projects are kind of dicks though

Unfortunately, that is the truth. Being an elitest asshole is part of the requirements of getting there. This is how the system works, it is designed to weed out anyone that deviates from the norms...

 

[panic_the_digital]

What do you think about studying lesser known psychs like Calea and Coleus?

 

[kidamnesiac]

^ the problem is funding; they are not drugs of abuse and do not have radical pharmacology like salvia (which is also somewhat a drug of abuse).