Starting off with a word of caution concerning therapy and psychedelics, especially when self administered, the conversation touches on the disturbingly persistent blandness that seems to characterise the clinical environment

So what about psychedelics? Sean gives a brief overview of the psilocybin studies they are currently conducting, while emphasising the need for accompanying therapy and finely tuned dosage

The GLAD group get our PI Sean to elaborate on the academic and practical niceties of Psychologist versus Psychiatrist... (Perth)

Sean draws a highly informative and amusing sketch of his route to psychiatry and illustrates it with a broad spectrum analysis of the candidates that can constitute this particular branch of the medical sciences... (Perth)

PLEX-RP Fiona Perman, as thoughtful as ever, brings up an often overlooked aspect concerning questionnaires aimed at the Australian PLEX community. What happens if they speak a language other than English? (Perth)

Before Sean and his research team can submit a proposal for the study to the ethics board, he opens up the paperwork to the PLEX-RPs, with a view to having their input on a questionnaire aimed at informing and recruiting PLEX to participate in the study.

PI Sean Hood takes advantage of a 'free' session to explain how the imperative to fulfill the demands of ethics committees can have a négative impact on the objectives of mental health research...

As our GLAD group go deeper into the question of ethics, Sean explains some of the difficult and sometimes intractable dilemmas that researchers face when dealing with ethics boards.

In this opening episode, after a spin through the funding landscape, PI Sean reveals the groundbreaking impetus behind the GLAD project - PLEX POWERED RESEARCH…

Genetic “profiling" to optimise medication choice (Pharmacogenomics) has historically been priced out of the mainstream. Sean explains why this SYNERGIES programme could radically alter that situation...

In a world where everyone starts off as "the norm”, when it comes to prescribing drugs, and then experiences the inevitable "suck it and see” effect, pharmacogenetics can identify more readily and accurately which direction to go in when looking for a more “effective” regime.

Asked if psychogenetic profiling could alleviate the “rollercoaster” effect frequently associated with current medication regimes, Sean points out one of the universal truths hindering treatment using prescribed drugs - you gotta go the distance...

Sean takes time to recount the story of Cindy Black, an early enrolee in multi-gene testing for molecular matching. After many years of living with debilitating depression, Cindy went for broke, took the test and changed her life... Read the story on the ABC NEWS website here - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-1...

Does the test help to establish the optimal dosage of an existing drug regime or is it designed to indicate which molecule to use in the first place? Sean explains the way the body processes drugs to clarify the situation...

What's the difference between a mental disease and a mental disorder? Sean takes the GLAD group through the convoluted process of defining the whys and wherefores of these two rather distinct yet easily confused definitions...

Now the preliminary discussions are over, Sean and the GLAD PLEX-RPs begin to address the prerequisites for the research project - first up is filling the PhD candidate for the PI position...

Dotting the ethical t's and I's - Sean raises the all-important question of adhering to the ethics board's stipulations and suggests that PLEX involvement could be considered an extra level of compliance...

SYNOPSIS - The GLAD team evoke the power of disclosure when collaborating with PLEX RPs

SYNOPSIS - The GLAD team tiptoe thought the thorny issue of do we or don’t we mention the pills and the stigmatising effect of how the association of mental illness with medication can be detrimental to self perception...

In this longer than usual episode, Sean gives an in-depth explanation of what constitutes 'resistance' and how the GLAD projects addresses this problem...