The Human Experience · Episode

Episode 52 – Brad Burge

A conversation with Brad Burge

Brad Burge is the Director of Communications and Marketing for MAPS (Multidisplinary association for psychedelic studies). In this episode we go over the stages in which the phase trials are being conducted.…

Published
March 30, 2016
Runtime
20:19
Portrait or artwork for Episode 52 – Brad Burge
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Brad Burge is the Director of Communications and Marketing for MAPS (Multidisplinary association for psychedelic studies). In this episode we go over the stages in which the phase trials are being conducted. We also discuss global psychedelic dinners and the upcoming 30th anniversary dinner for MAPS itself and much more.

Brad Burge earned his B.A. in Communication and Psychology from Stanford University in 2005 and his M.A. in Communication from the University of California, San Diego in 2009. His graduate work focused on the political, scientific, and cultural changes required to make illicit drugs into legitimate medicines. He has also interned for the Drug Policy Alliance and has a longstanding interest in drug policy reform and activism. He began working with MAPS as an intern in 2009, joining the staff in January 2011. Brad is also a consultant, writer, and editor for organizations and individuals working in psychedelic and medical marijuana research, drug policy, and psychedelic therapy. He believes in the importance of communication for sharing knowledge and building community, and is committed to helping people develop honest and responsible relationships with themselves, each other, and their pharmacological tools.

This is Brad’s second appearance on HXP, to hear our first episode together click Visit thehumanxp.com. Brad is just one of the most friendly guys we’ve had on the show; the work he is involved in with MAPS is truly changing the world. If you don’t know about MAPS click Visit maps.org to get to their website and learn more. A huge thanks to Brad for making the time to be on the show, we’ll definitely be having him on again.

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Find Brad and MAPS here: www.maps.org

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Transcript

A full transcript has been published for this conversation.

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Ideas worth returning to

Quotes

Five substantial excerpts from the published transcript, lightly edited for clarity without changing their meaning.

  1. “Our early MDMA-assisted psychotherapy studies for PTSD were approaching completion, with about sixty participants across the phase-two trials. The next planned step was a much larger phase-three program intended to determine whether the treatment could meet regulatory standards. At that point, approval remained a future goal rather than an established outcome.”
    From the conversation
  2. “While a study is still being analyzed, researchers should not announce precise results before the data are ready. We could say that the early pattern appeared encouraging and that some participants had chosen to speak publicly about their experiences, but honest reporting required waiting for the full analysis.”
    From the conversation
  3. “The couples study was not limited to romantic partners. A person with PTSD could participate with a sibling, friend, family member, or another close support person. PTSD affects relationships and households as well as the diagnosed individual, so healing also involves the people whose lives have been shaped by the symptoms.”
    From the conversation
  4. “As a nonprofit, we relied heavily on private donations and crowdfunding for MDMA research. Public events gave people a way to support work that did not yet have conventional funding. Community financing was not only a fundraising tactic; it reflected how many people wanted research institutions to investigate treatments the existing system had neglected.”
    From the conversation
  5. “Public programs brought together the organization’s founder, researchers, and study participants. Hearing from a survivor of sexual assault and a Marine veteran placed human experience beside the scientific presentation. Their accounts did not replace controlled data, but they explained why the research mattered and what recovery could mean in a life.”
    From the conversation

About the guest

Brad Burge

Brad Burge is the Director of Communications and Marketing for MAPS (Multidisplinary association for psychedelic studies). In this episode we go over the stages in which the phase trials are being conducted. We also discuss global psychedelic dinners and the upcoming 30th anniversary dinner for MAPS itself and much more.

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