Gabrielle Michon
Gabrielle’s bio
Project Manager and Newsletter
I have always had a keen interest in medical sciences and human relations. Passionate about the complexity of human behavior and the understanding of the cognitive and psychic functioning of the individual, from normal to pathological, I realized a licence of psychology in Paris. During this one I quickly became interested in the different states of consciousness. In particular, I carried out research projects questioning the potential benefits of regular mindfulness and yoga practice on attention and memory, in healthy subjects with neurodevelopmental disorders. Moreover, I was interested in hypnosis and its biological functioning still little understood. I realized that the level of study of psychology was not enough for me. I aspired to obtain a better understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying cognitive functions and neurological and psychiatric disorders. And this in order to participate in a better management of patients and the renewal of a medication dated, with multiple side effects. So I joined the Master of Neurosciences at the University of Bordeaux. There, my professor of pharmacology clearly contributed to broaden my vision by addressing the use of ketamine in the treatment of severe resistant depression. It was while conducting my research that I discovered the works of Hugo Bottemanne, Lucie Berkovitch and Luc Mallet, members of the French psychedelic society, still in its infancy. It was during my research internship at the University of Geneva that I discovered the Geneva association ARP and ALPS and became aware of the renaissance of research on psychedelics in Switzerland and in the world (not in France).
I then decided to enroll as a volunteer during the Swiss academic conference on psychedelic research organized by ALPS foundation. I found such fulfillment in contributing to this movement that I opted to enroll in the ALPS team. I am enthusiastic in participating in the upcoming conference edition organization and to coordinate the newsletter. I have the will to participate in extending people's knowledge about the field, notably in France, which is refractory to psychedelics.
I am now currently conducting my Master's thesis at the brain institute in Paris within the NERB lab questioning the effects of different doses of LSD on neural activity and behaviors in mice.