Team
Principal Investigator
Prof. Dr. med. Gregor Hasler
Swiss psychiatrist Gregor Hasler, born in Basel in 1968, earned his medical degree from the University of Zurich in 1997. He later specialized in psychiatry and psychotherapy, conducting research on stress’s impact on mental and physical health at the National Institute of Mental Health.
Hasler has been involved with the University Hospital Zurich and the University Psychiatric Services Bern since 2006. He became a full professor at the University of Fribourg in 2019. His research explores the interplay of social, psychological, and biological factors in mental disorder prevention and treatment, earning him national and international recognition.
Hasler authored several notable books, “Resilienz: Der Wir-Faktor” (2017), “Darm-Hirn-Connection” (2019), and “Higher Self: Psychedelika in der Psychotherapie” (2022). He actively contributes to professional societies, serving as President of the Swiss Society for Bipolar Disorders in 2015, gaining full membership in the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology in 2016, and becoming a scientific advisor to the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology in 2017.
Secretary
Claudia Kolly
claudia.kolly@unifr.ch
Postdoctoral researchers
Dr. Abigail Calder, Ph.D.
Abigail Calder joined the research group in January 2021 as a doctoral candidate after earning an M.Sc. in neuroscience from the University of Bonn, Germany. In January 2026, she completed her Ph.D. on the effects of psychedelics, particularly LSD, on markers of neuroplasticity and learning in human subjects. As a post-doctoral researcher, she continues to explore the effects of psychedelics on neuroplasticity and learning in healthy humans using both neurophysiological markers and motor learning tasks. Her other major research interest involves the possible adverse effects of psychedelics and how to prevent, prepare for and manage them. She also studies psychedelics’ long-term effects on people’s values and well-being and is the research coordinator of the ALPS Foundation.
abigail.calder@unifr.ch
Dr. Jason K. Day, Ph.D.
Jason K. Day is a postdoctoral researcher who specialises in the phenomenology of psychedelic experiences, phenomenological scholarship, and philosophy of attention. They joined the lab in January 2026 to work on a project concerning challenging memories in psychedelic-assisted therapy, having completed their doctorate in philosophy in 2025 at the University of Fribourg. Their other research interests include socio-political issues surrounding the recreational use of psychedelics and Buddhist philosophy. They are a committee member of the Psychedelic Research Organisation of Fribourg (PROOF) and the Swiss Psychedelic Student Network (SPSN).
jason.day@unifr.ch
Ph.D. candidates
Morten Lietz, M.Sc.
Morten Lietz is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Medical Science, focusing on the effects of LSD on neuroplasticity across the lifespan. Further, he serves as speaker- and backstage-coordinator for ALPS (Awareness Lectures On Psychedelic Science), a Swiss non-profit, which organizes scientific conferences. Next to his thesis project, his research interests are on the effects of psychedelics on autobiographical and associative memory, how (epi)genetics influence the psychedelic experience, and the effects of microdosing on safety & cognition.
Before coming to Switzerland, he played a key role in initiating a research program at the University of Groningen (NL), which investigated the combination of neuroplasticity enhancing agents and neuromodulatory treatments for improved cognitive outcomes. Additionally, he co-organized the first two editions of the Summer School on Psychedelic Research with Dr. Joost Breeksema and OPEN Foundation (NL).
morten.lietz@unifr.ch
Vincent Diehl, M.Sc.
Vincent Diehl is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Fribourg and the Lake Lucerne Institute in Vitznau, Switzerland. Here, Vincent developed skills in conducting clinical interviews, scientific writing, and managing data, including working on LSD experience sessions. He has also contributed as an Organizing Member for the Summer School on Psychedelic Research in Groningen, helping to manage research projects and evaluate research posters.
At the ALPS Foundation in Geneva, as a Research Associate Fellow and Student Advisory Board Coordinator, Vincent engaged in extensive data collection, literature research, and report writing for various projects. His collaboration with Vrije University Amsterdam on a Meta-Analysis of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy further exhibits his commitment to psychedelic research.
vincent.diehl@unifr.ch
Parsa Yousefi, M.Sc.
Parsa Yousefi completed his Bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a specialization in neuropsychology, followed by a master’s in cognitive neuroscience. Currently, he is a Ph.D. candidate investigating the effects of psychedelics and breathwork on the brain and cognition. His fascination with psychedelics stems from a broader interest in consciousness.
parsa.yousefi@unifr.ch
Charlotte Kohler, M.Sc.
Charlotte completed her Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, following a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and Technology at ETH Zurich. During her training, she developed strong interests in neurology, neuroimaging, and computational approaches to brain research. Through research internships at leading clinical and academic institutions, including the University Hospital Zurich, CHUV, Balgrist, and the University of Oxford, Charlotte gained hands-on experience with neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques such as MRI, fMRI, and EEG, applied to both healthy and clinical populations. She is currently conducting research on L-serine and its effects on healthy aging, investigating its potential to mitigate age-related cognitive decline using multimodal neuroimaging approaches. Through her interdisciplinary background and research-driven mindset, Charlotte is committed to advancing translational neuroscience and developing evidence-based strategies to support cognitive health across the lifespan.
charlotte.kohler@unifr.ch
Students & research interns
Antonin Rouaud
M.Sc. thesis student
Zain Salamor
Research intern
Zain Salamor is a research intern holding a BSc in chemistry with a minor in neuroscience from the University of Groningen. Zain is supporting the LINES study (LSD-Induced Neuroplasticity in Elderly Subjects) led by Ph.D. candidate Morten Lietz.
Recent alumni
Dr. Adrian Hase, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral researcher
Adrian Hase was a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Hasler’s research group from August 2020 until December 2025. He coordinated a follow-up survey of an ongoing cohort study that monitored the development and course of depressive disorders. The project examined risk factors for depressive disorders and other stress-related psychopathology with the aim of finding psychological, biological, behavioral and sociodemographic variables that may predict resilience to or vulnerability to depression. He also contributed to lab projects related to the side effects of psychedelic substances and the effects of psychedelic substances on neuroplasticity.
Adrian completed his doctorate in 2019 and has experience in social and organizational psychology, sport psychology, psychophysiology, psychiatry research, and bioinformatics.
adrian.hase@unifr.ch
David Elmiger, M.Sc.
Student research assistant
David recently completed his Master’s degree in social neuroscience and social psychology. He is not only involved in psychedelic research, but also in various organizations dedicated to raising awareness as well as working to reduce harm associated with psychedelics. Besides his occupation in Prof. Hasler’s research group, he co-founded the Psychedelic Research Organization of Bern (PROBe), served as a graphic design coordinator and researcher team member at the ALPS Foundation, and co-coordinated the Swiss Psychedelic Student Network (SPSN).
After completing an internship in our lab, David was a part-time research assistant working on projects related to psychedelics, neuroplasticity and website design.
