About Lowan
I am a physician and medical director specializing in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. I founded Scandinavia's first dedicated KAP clinics, helped establish the region's first public hospital ketamine unit, and co-founded the Norwegian network that is now implementing psychedelic treatment across the country's hospitals. Before ketamine, my path went through primate neuroscience, emergency medicine, and complexity theory. An unusual background that turned out to be surprisingly relevant.
How I got here
Anthropology, medical school, emergency rooms, ketamine clinics. Not the most linear path, but it got me here.
National reimbursement
Norway became the first country in the world to approve public reimbursement for ketamine in treatment-resistant depression. I co-lead NorRAD, the Norwegian Network for Rapid-Acting Antidepressants, and we designed a ten-hospital RCT that will implement ketamine treatment across every health region.
5,000 treatments
5,000+ ketamine treatments delivered and 1,000+ patients treated at Axonklinikken.
Trondheim clinic
Second clinic opened in Trondheim with Dr. Ingrid Castberg, expanding access to ketamine-assisted psychotherapy outside Oslo.
Europe's largest ketamine clinic
Opened Europe's largest dedicated ketamine clinic on Bogstadveien in Oslo. Six treatment rooms, 800 square metres, designed around the psychedelic therapy model.
First public KAP unit, Sykehuset Østfold
Helped establish Scandinavia's first public hospital ketamine unit at DPS Nordre Østfold. Built the protocols, trained the staff. Also lead three research studies at PsykForsk, including Norway's first MDMA-assisted psychotherapy trial.
Axonklinikken founded
Founded Scandinavia's first dedicated KAP clinic. IV ketamine paired with structured psychotherapy, with eighteen trained partner psychologists.
PsykForsk and Journal of Psychedelic Studies
Joined PsykForsk at Sykehuset Østfold as medical advisor. Became Associate Editor of the Journal of Psychedelic Studies.
Santa Fe Ketamine Clinic
Founded one of New Mexico's first ketamine clinics. Four years of treating depression, PTSD, chronic pain, and addiction. The protocols I developed here became the foundation for Axonklinikken.
Emergency medicine and global health
Emergency physician at Ahus (first job in Norway, 2013), Global Health Policy at LSHTM (2012), space medicine research at OHSU (2007), board certified in emergency medicine and Fellow of ACEP (2003). A decade in US emergency rooms before the pull toward consciousness research.
Medical school and early research
MD with research honors at UNM (2001), including a semester in Moscow studying space medicine. Complexity theory at the Santa Fe Institute (2000). Visiting researcher at Gaustad and Aker hospitals in Oslo (1998).
Physical anthropology, UT Austin
Honors thesis on the evolution of laughter in chimpanzees. The interest was never in bones. It was in behavior, consciousness, and why primates do what they do.
“Twenty years as an emergency physician taught me one thing. Somebody comes in, their heart stops, you restart it, and they go home. And that's good. But if you have a shitty life and your heart stops and it starts back up, you still have a shitty life. So I did a master's in public health and started focusing on what is the biggest global burden of suffering. And it's actually mental health disorders.”