Matthias Liechti is a professor for clinical pharmacology and internal medicine at the University Hospital Basel. With his psychopharmacology research group at the Departments of Biomedicine and Clinical Research, Matthias Liechti investigates the pharmacology of psychoactive substances both in vitro and in humans. The group is best known for the work on the acute effects of MDMA (ecstasy) and LSD in humans. The team characterizes the pharmacology of the constantly emerging novel psychoactive substances (designer drugs) using in vitro methods. In experimental clinical studies Matthias Liechti investigates the clinical pharmacology of psychostimulants, MDMA, LSD, psilocybin and mescaline. The team also conducts Pharmaco-fMRI studies in collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry. Further, the group has initiated phase 2 studies with LSD in patients with cluster headache, major depression, and anxiety disorder in collaboration with the respective disease specialists.