James Rucker

James Rucker is a Senior Clinical Lecturer at The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience in King’s College London. After attaining membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2007 he was awarded a research training fellowship by the Wellcome Trust, completing a Ph.D. in psychiatric genetics in 2012 under emeritus Professor Peter McGuffin. He was awarded an NIHR Clinician Scientist Fellowship in 2017 to investigate the safety and efficacy of the active component of magic mushrooms (psilocybin) in a randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London. Here, he leads the Psychedelic Trials Group at the Centre for Affective Disorders with Professor Allan Young.

His research interests include investigating mood disorders across the lifespan, novel psychopharmacological approaches, and clinical trials combining psychotherapy with psychedelics, MDMA, cannabinoids, and ketamine to treat mental health conditions.