Queen’s researchers lead $5M national initiative to advance psychedelic therapy in cancer care.

News & Announcements | 19 Mar 2025

With $5 million in funding from the Canadian Cancer Society and Brain Canada, the national research collaboration will conduct clinical trials, train clinicians, and shape policies integrating psychedelic-assisted therapy into cancer care.

Queen's Health Sciences researchers are taking a groundbreaking step toward improving the mental health and well-being of people with advanced cancers. Backed by $5 million in funding over five years from the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) and Brain Canada, this comprehensive new research program will explore how psychedelic-assisted cancer therapy (PACT) can help alleviate anxiety, depression, and feelings of hopelessness for people with late-stage cancers.

The Canadian Network for Psychedelic-Assisted Cancer Therapy (CAN-PACT), co-led by Dr. Ronald Shore (Department of Psychiatry) and Dr. Harriet Richardson (Department of Public Health Sciences), alongside Dr. Linda Carlson at the University of Calgary, is a national initiative bringing together researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and people with lived experience of advanced cancer. CAN-PACT will explore the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy, including the use of psilocybin (the active compound in magic mushrooms) to treat anxiety, depression, and feelings of hopelessness that can affect people living with advanced cancer diagnoses.

"This grant gives us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a meaningful psychedelic cancer research collaborative," says Dr. Richardson. "It will help pave the way for evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapy to relieve suffering and improve quality of life for people with advanced cancer."

Small trials suggest PACT can offer quick and long-lasting help, but barriers prevent access for Canadians with advanced cancers. The collaborative research program is unique because of its comprehensive scope—typically psilocybin research in Canada has been limited to individual trials. CAN-PACT will train clinicians and practitioners, conduct pilot and multi-site clinical trials, and build a nationwide network of researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders working in psychedelics, cancer, and palliative care. The work will inform healthcare policies that could potentially support the integration of psychedelic-assisted cancer therapy into Canadian cancer care.

"This is a very exciting partnership that includes researchers, institutions, patients, and decision-makers from across Canada," says Dr. Shore. "It is going to live in perpetuity and will influence the whole evolution of psychedelic research in Canada, by far."

The Canadian Cancer Trials Group and Supportive Care Committee will play an essential role in this project alongside a number of additional Queen’s researchers working in cancer, mental health, palliative care, and psychedelic therapy.

This initiative is part of the CCS Breakthrough Team Grants program, which funds ambitious, multidisciplinary research to tackle the most pressing challenges in cancer care. The support from CCS and Brain Canada will enable the research team to break new ground in understanding how psychedelic-assisted therapy can contribute to compassionate, comprehensive cancer care.

To learn more about this project and the impact of the CCS Breakthrough Team Grants, visit cancer.ca.

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Queen’s researchers lead $5M national initiative to advance psychedelic therapy in cancer care.

With $5 million in funding from the Canadian Cancer Society and Brain Canada, the national research collaboration will conduct clinical trials, train clinicians, and shape policies integrating psychedelic-assisted therapy into cancer care.

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