Imagine a rooftop garden with views of Beverly Hills and the Pacific Ocean. Now imagine that space being used not just for its beauty, but as a crucial part of mental health therapy. This is the vision of Helena Hansen, MD, PhD, director of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, at UCLA. The top deck of this institute is set to become a living lab for studying Ecological Medicine and psychedelic therapies.

An Audacious Vision

Dr. Hansen describes the project as “an audacious vision that many of us have for reinventing biomedicine”. She, along with Landon Pollack, co-founder and executive director of Project ReConnect, is passionate about the healing power of nature and human connection.

“If we take these two modalities [Ecological Medicine and psychedelic medicine] that share a lot in common and put them together, does that enhance their impact? That’s an open question, and that’s what we’re gearing up to study. That’s what the living laboratory will help us to study,” Dr. Hansen explains.

What is Ecological Medicine?

Ecological Medicine looks at how our connection with nature can boost our physical and mental health. It aims to teach us how to foster connections with plants and animals, which might just hold the key to better well-being.

Dr. Hansen’s interest in Ecological Medicine began in New York at Bellevue Hospital. There, a garden created by staff and patients showed her how meaningful connections with nature could impact well-being.

Psychedelic Studies at UCLA

Meanwhile, Charles Grob, MD, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, has spent over 30 years researching psychedelics. He oversees multiple clinical trials at UCLA Health, with many showing promising results in treating mental health conditions like depression and PTSD.

“Many of these investigations have reported very encouraging outcomes, with degrees of clinical improvement often exceeding expected responses to long-established conventional treatment models,” says Dr. Grob.

Gardens Galore

Efforts to fund the rooftop garden are ongoing. Additionally, a lower-level deck will feature a community garden where patients and families can engage in activities like gardening, yoga, and mindfulness meditation.

“Planning and fundraising efforts are underway for both the public-access community garden and the rooftop living laboratory,” Dr. Hansen mentions. The UCLA Ecological Medicine & Psychedelic Studies Initiative is set to hold a public symposium in November 2024 to discuss these projects further.

Helena Hansen's dream is ambitious, yet incredibly promising. By blending the benefits of Ecological Medicine and psychedelic therapy, UCLA aims to open new doors in mental health treatment.