Joost Breeksema

Joost J. Breeksema, PhD is a postdoctoral researcher at the UMCG, and executive director of the OPEN Foundation, its biannual ICPR conference and their comprehensive therapist training program ADEPT (launched in 2025). He is one of the central connectors in the (European) psychedelic space.

CV

Dr. Joost Breeksema holds a Master of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Groningen and a PhD in Psychiatry from the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). His thesis ‘Exploring inner depths‘ focused on understanding the phenomenology of experiences induced by ketamine and psilocybin for the treatment of treatment-refractory depression, and how patient experiences can inform better treatment and patient care.

But his interest in psychedelics research started much earlier. In 2007, he co-founded the OPEN Foundation (Stichting OPEN in Dutch), and he is currently the executive director:

“As director, I overview the activities and well-being of the foundation. Since its inception, OPEN has become a center of expertise for research into psychedelics in the Netherlands and Europe.”

The OPEN Foundation also organises Europe’s largest conference on psychedelic research and therapy – the Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research every two years under Joost’s leadership.

He also teaches about drug (policy) as a guest lecturer at the Transnational Institute, CIEE, and the University of Amsterdam.