The Most Influential People in Psychedelics
An integral part of our mission is to inform and inspire those curious about psychedelics. With that in mind, we celebrate the achievements of those who came before us, those who work alongside us, and those who are poised to bring psychedelics and psychedelic research into the future. While this list will never be truly “complete,” it is meant to reflect the foundational pillars in this space, and important emerging voices. While many people’s achievements would place them in multiple categories, we have attempted to place them in their area of greatest contribution. This list will continue to evolve and grow, and we welcome feedback and discussion. Have we missed someone? Contact us or reach out on Instagram to nominate an expert for inclusion. Browse and click individual submissions below to learn more.
Traditional Practitioners
Belinda Eriacho, MPHFounder, KAALOGII
Belinda Eriacho, MPH
Belinda Eriacho, who is of Zuni and Dine’ (Navajo) descent and was born and raised on the Dine’ reservation, in Crystal, New Mexico. Eriacho is a speaker, practitioner, healer, wisdom carrier, educator, author, and founder of Kaalogii, where she helps facilitate healing, inner awakening, self-discovery, and transformation. In addition to her degrees in Public Health, Health Sciences, and Technology, she is also trained in the MAPS MDMA-Assisted Therapy program and is currently going through Ketamine-Assisted Therapy training. She is a Native American Traditional Advisor for SoundMind Center for Psychedelic Healing, a treatment facility that provides psychedelic-assisted therapy. Further, she’s a contributing author to the book, Psychedelic Justice: Toward a Diverse and Equitable Psychedelic Culture.
Carlos Castaneda, Ph.D.Author, THE TEACHINGS OF DON JUAN: A YAQUI WAY OF KNOWLEDGE
Carlos Castaneda, Ph.D.
Carlos Castaneda was a Peruvian-born anthropologist and the author of many books, including The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, A Separate Reality, and Journey to Ixtlan, which he wrote as an anthropology student at UCLA. These books documented the teachings he received from Yaqui “Man of Knowledge,” Don Juan Matus, including how to use plants like psilocybin, datura, and peyote to gain insight into other states of reality. His books have sold millions of copies worldwide.
Dennis BanksACTIVIST, TEACHER, CO-FOUNDER, AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT
Dennis Banks
Dennis Banks, also known as Nowa Cumig, was born on Leech Lake Indian Reservation, and a member of the Turtle Clan. He was a long-time activist, co-founding the American Indian Movement (AIM) in Minneapolis to help protect the rights of urban Indigenous people who experienced systemic oppression, discrimination, and poverty. He founded and led Sacred Run in 2006, with the first run covering 500 miles, from Davis, CA, to Los Angeles, CA. Since then, the Sacred Run has expanded to an annual event held in the United States, Canada, Japan and Europe. Those who participated brought a message of “Land, Life, and Peace” to those they saw along the way. He was also the author of his autobiography, Ojibwa Warrior: Dennis Banks and the Rise of the American Indian Movement.
Elaine Elisabetsky, Ph.D.PROFESSOR OF PHARMACOLOGY, THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL
Elaine Elisabetsky, Ph.D.
Elaine Elisabetsky, a doctor, activist, researcher, and professor, is a member of the WHO Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine advisory panel. She also consults for several private companies and government agencies. Over the course of her career, she has published more than 150 scientific articles and book chapters about the medicinal properties of various plants and isolated compounds, which has contributed to advancing the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy. She is also a founding member of the International Society of Ethnobiology and the International Society of Ethnopharmacology.
James “Flaming Eagle” MooneyELDER SEMINOLE MEDICINE MAN EMERITUS, AND CO-FOUNDER, OKLEVUEHA NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH
James “Flaming Eagle” Mooney
James Warren “Flaming Eagle” Mooney is an Elder Medicine Man, or traditional healer, and co-founder of Oklevueha Native American Church. He has fought for the use of marijuana, peyote, and ayahuasca as sacred plants in the church. He also serves on the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable, where he represents Indigenous spirituality and cultures. Mooney served as a representative for the Indigenous Peoples of the World at the United Nations, and has been granted several awards, including the Volunteer Service Award, recognized by President Barack Obama, and the Citizens Award of Commendation from Governor Michael Leavitt.
Maria SabinaCURANDERA, SAINT MOTHER OF THE SACRED MUSHROOMS, HUAUTLA DE JIMÉNEZ
Maria Sabina
Maria Sabina was a Mazatec poet and curandero in Oaxaca, Mexico. She held veladas, or healing ceremonies, using psilocybin mushrooms, known as teonanacatl in the Nahuatl language, that were sacred to Mazatec communities. Though this wasn’t her intent, her veladas helped contribute to the popularity of magic mushroom use among people in the United States and Europe, as well as modern medicine. Making her the unofficial mother of the modern psychedelic movement. Sabina was the first contemporary healer to allow American and European travelers to participate in a velada ceremony. One of these was R. Gordon Wasson, who collected fungal spores in Mexico and brought them to Paris, where Albert Hofmann eventually isolated the psychoactive ingredient, psilocybin.
Marlena RobbinsDOCTORAL STUDENT, UC BERKELEY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, CENTER FOR THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHEDELICS FELLOW
Marlena Robbins
Marlena Robbins, who is Diné from the Yeii Dine’e Táchii’nii (Giant Red Running into Water) people, has a Master’s in American Indian Studies, Indigenous Rights and Social Justice from ASU. Her studies have focused on art as a means of healing and wellness within the Indigenous community. During her doctoral program at UC Berkeley School of Public Health, she is focusing on protocols of psychedelic-assisted therapy and public education regarding psychedelics, as well as traditional and heritage practices. Robbins is also an Indigenous science fellow at the Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, where her work will assist in the advancement of psychedelic-assisted therapy from an Indigenous perspective. She also serves as the Indigenous and Community Affairs Officer at the Chacruna Institute.
Quanah ParkerLEADER AND PRINCIPAL CHIEF, COMANCHE NATION
Quanah Parker
Quanah Parker, a war leader, and last chief of the Kwahadi band of the Comanche Nation. Parker was eventually appointed as Principal Chief of the Comanche Nation. He was one of the leaders of the Native American Church movement and a key figure in fighting for the legal use of peyote for Indigenous religious practices.
Sandor Iron RopeBOARD OF DIRECTOR, INDIGENOUS PEYOTE CONSERVATION INITIATIVE
Sandor Iron Rope
Sandor Iron Rope is the President of the Native American Church of South Dakota, the Executive Director of Tiognaka Tawowaka Otokahe, a Lakota family healing center, and an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Oyate. Iron Rope is a peyote practitioner, serving as a Board member of the Indigenous Peyote Conservation Initiative and advocating for its medicinal use in healing and wellness practices.
Sutton King, MPHCO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, URBAN INDIGENOUS COLLECTIVE
Sutton King, MPH
Sutton King, a descendant of the Oneida and Menominee Nations of Wisconsin, is a public speaker, activist, and researcher committed to improving Indigenous health equity. She is Co-founder and President of Urban Indigenous Collective, a public health nonprofit that improves Indigenous access to culturally-responsive health services. She is also the Program Manager of Engagement and Benefit Sharing at the Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund, which is committed to ensuring Indigenous people, who first used the sacred medicines of peyote, psilocybin, and ayahuasca, are respected and uplifted.
Ynes Sanchez GonzalesCURANDERA, THE TEMPLE OF THE WAY OF LIGHT
Ynes Sanchez Gonzales
Ynes Sanchez Gonzales has been working with medicinal plants like ayahuasca for over 50 years. She was one of the first Shipibo healers who joined the Temple of the Way of Light, a healing center in the Peruvian Amazon, where she facilitates ayahuasca retreats for guests from all around the world. As a Maestra with the Temple of the Way of Life, Gonzales was instrumental in the development of the plant-based dietas used in the lead up to sacred ayahuasca ceremonies. Gonzales is known for her vision, compassion, and incredible healing ability.
Science
Adam Safron, Ph.D.POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW, CENTER FOR PSYCHEDELIC & CONSCIOUSNESS RESEARCH
Adam Safron, Ph.D.
Dr. Adam Safron received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Northwestern University and is now a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research. As a researcher, he’s particularly interested in exploring how individual people can be free, creative, and adaptive in various parts of their lives. The majority of his work has focused on human motivation and preferences, though he’s also studied how brief mindfulness interventions can affect well-being and cognition. More recently, his work has expanded to include research into the many complex mechanisms behind psychedelics.
Albert Garcia-Romeu, Ph.D.ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Albert Garcia-Romeu, Ph.D.
Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu, who received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Sofia University, is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His research has focused on how psychedelics, especially psilocybin, affect humans and specifically how this psychedelic drug may help treat substance use disorders. His main research interests include mindfulness, consciousness, spirituality and its connection to addiction and mental health, clinical uses for psychedelics, and beyond.
Albert Hofmann, Ph.D.MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF ZÜRICH, CREATOR OF LSD
Albert Hofmann, Ph.D.
Dubbed the “Father of LSD,” Albert Hofmann was a Swiss chemist and the first to discover, synthesize, and use LSD—a groundbreaking discovery that changed the world and influenced countless psychiatrists. Despite it being criminalized by the U.S. Congress in 1966, Hofmann continued to advocate for the safe and therapeutic use of LSD for the remainder of his life.
Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin, Ph.D.CHEMIST, PHARMACOLOGIST, AND AUTHOR, PiHKAL and TiHKAL
Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin, Ph.D.
Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin, called the “godfather of psychedelics,” was a pharmacologist and chemist best known for introducing MDMA to psychologists for therapeutic use in the 1970s. Throughout his lifetime, he discovered, created, and used hundreds of novel psychedelic drugs. He and his wife, Ann Shulgin, authored two books, PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story, which described nearly 180 psychedelic compounds and included instructions on how to make them, and TiHKAL, the sequel. Their goal in publishing these books was to ensure that the public had access to these discoveries and would be able to engage in self-exploration via psychedelics.
Amanda FeildingFOUNDER, BECKLEY FOUNDATION
Amanda Feilding
Amanda Feilding, a legendary advocate for LSD, founded the Beckley Foundation (originally the Foundation to Further Consciousness) in 1998, which is a non-profit organization devoted to researching drug policy reform and consciousness. She’s been involved in drug policy reform for more than 40 years, advocating for therapeutic psychedelic use, lobbying the United Nations, collaborating with policymakers and scientists to study the effects of psychedelics, and conducting research into their therapeutic benefits. Fielding has authored over 80 original scientific works and articles published in leading, peer-reviewed journals.
Ann ShulginAUTHOR, PiHKAL and TiHKAL
Ann Shulgin
Ann Shulgin, who was married to renowned chemist, Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin, was a legendary creator of designer novel psychedelic drugs. When MDMA and 2C-B were still legal, she worked as a lay therapist and used these substances in her therapy sessions. She was a lifelong advocate for the therapeutic use of psychedelics. In collaboration with her husband, she wrote two books, PiHKAL and TiHKAL, which made psychedelic synthesis accessible to laypeople who wanted to engage in self-exploration.
Bill Richards, M. Div, S.T.M., Ph.D.PSYCHOLOGIST, CENTER FOR PSYCHEDELIC AND CONSCIOUSNESS RESEARCH
Bill Richards, M. Div, S.T.M., Ph.D.
William “Bill” Richards is a psychologist at Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research and co-founder and chief therapist of Sunstone Therapies. He is one of the most influential modern researchers in the psychedelic field, having conducted research on psilocybin and its use in treating depression, anxiety, and addiction. Dr. Richards initiated some of the first, and most groundbreaking, research into LSD, DPT, MDA and psilocybin at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center from 1967 to 1977. His book, Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experience, explores the effects of psychedelics on consciousness, biological processes, and religious experiences.
Bob JesseADVISOR, CO-FOUNDER, JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, THE COUNCIL ON SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Bob Jesse
Robert “Bob” Jesse is a prominent researcher in the field of psychedelics research and therapy. Through his work at the Council on Spiritual Practices, a nonprofit centered on psychedelics research and spiritual development, he helped create the psilocybin research team at Johns Hopkins University. Jesse’s advocacy efforts have been instrumental in increasing public awareness related to psychedelic-assisted therapy. In 2017, he was awarded the Psychedelic Science Award by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).
Charles Raison, M.D.DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR COMPASSION STUDIES, COLLEGE OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH, USONA INSTITUTE
Charles Raison, M.D.
Dr. Charles Raison is a researcher and psychiatrist known for studying psychedelics as a potential treatment for major depressive disorder. He has received many teaching awards, as well as funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCIH), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). His contributions to psychedelic-assisted therapy for depression have paved the way for addressing treatment-resistant depression.
David Erritzoe, M.D., Ph.D., MRCPsychDEPUTY HEAD AND CLINICAL DIRECTOR, CENTRES FOR NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH, IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
David Erritzoe, M.D., Ph.D., MRCPsych
Dr. David Erritzoe is a researcher, psychiatrist, and clinical director for the Centres for Psychedelic Research (CPR) at Imperial College London. He has collaborated with Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris and Professor David Nutt at CPR to research the therapeutic potential of ketamine, MDMA, and classic psychedelics. In early 2021, he started a new NHS-based psychopharmacology and psychedelic research clinic, the CIPPRes Clinic, at St. Charles Hospital in London. Dr. Erritzoe is one of the leading scientists studying the effects of psychedelics like psilocybin for end-of-life anxiety and the efficacy of microdosing.
David Mathai, M.D.POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
David Mathai, M.D.
David Mathai is a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and works as a psychiatrist for Addiction Treatment Services and a guide for psilocybin-assisted therapy. He has studied the antidepressant effects of ketamine, and his current research focuses on the therapeutic use of psychedelics in facilitating change.
David Nichols, Ph.D.FOUNDER, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, HEFFTER RESEARCH INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
David Nichols, Ph.D.
David Nichols is a pharmacologist, medicinal chemist, and professor who has been researching psychedelics since 1969. In 1993, he founded the Heffter Research Institute, which promotes research related to classic hallucinogens and psychedelics, primarily psilocybin, exploring the therapeutic potential for addiction and easing cancer-related distress. This organization also supports studies surrounding the effects of psychedelics on behavior, cognition, and neurological activity. Nichols’ research and efforts have helped pave the way for profound healing through psychedelics.
David Nutt, M.D., D.M., FRCP, FRCPsych, FSB, FMedSciFOUNDER AND CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF BRAIN SCIENCES IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON, DRUGSCIENCE
David Nutt, M.D., D.M., FRCP, FRCPsych, FSB, FMedSci
Dr. David Nutt is a neuropsychopharmacologist from England specializing in researching psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin and their potential use in treating neurological and mental health disorders. He has also spent significant time advocating for evidence-based drug policy reform. His book, Drugs Without the Hot Air, which explores and interrogates drug policy and harms, won the Salon London Transmission Prize in 2014. Dr. Nutt is currently the Chair of DrugScience and President of the European Brain Council. He has published over 400 original research papers and 27 books.
David Yaden, Ph.D.ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
David Yaden, Ph.D.
Dr. David Yaden is an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and also works in the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, studying the psychopharmacology, cognitive neuroscience, and psychology of transformative psychedelic experiences. Dr. Yaden’s research interests lie in understanding how psychedelic experiences can lead to long-term transformations as well as the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs for addiction and mood disorders.
Dennis McKenna, Ph.D.FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, THE MCKENNA ACADEMY
Dennis McKenna, Ph.D.
Dennis McKenna is an ethnopharmacologist, author, lecturer, and advocate for psychedelics use who founded the McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy in 2018. This nonprofit is devoted to researching Amazonian ethnomedicines, psychedelics, consciousness, preserving Indigenous knowledge, and beyond. McKenna is also a founding board member of the Heffter Research Institute, an organization devoted to psychedelics research. He was also a researcher on the Hoasca Project, the first biomedical study of the long-term use of ayahuasca and its therapeutic potential.
Erika Dyck, Ph.D., M.A.PROFESSOR AND CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR, UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN
Erika Dyck, Ph.D., M.A.
Dr. Erika Dyck, Professor and Canada Research Chair in the History of Health & Social Justice Department at the University of Saskatchewan, has contributed significantly to the psychedelic research and educational space. Her research has focused on psychedelic drugs, including LSD, and the history of psychiatry, medicine, health, eugenics, and reproductive rights. She is the author of many books, including Psychedelic Psychiatry: LSD from Clinic to Campus.
Franz X. Vollenweider, M.D.CO-DIRECTOR, PROFESSOR, AND DIRECTOR, CENTRE FOR PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH
Franz X. Vollenweider, M.D.
At the University of Zurich, Franz X. Vollenweider is Professor of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine, Director of the Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging Unit, and Co-Director of the Center for Psychiatric Research. He founded the Heffter Research Center Zurich for Consciousness Studies in 1998 and currently serves as the Director. Vollenweider’s research into the short and long-term effects of LSD and psilocybin on social interaction, emotional regulation, brain function, and the sense of self has been groundbreaking.
Frederick S. Barrett, Ph.D.ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Frederick S. Barrett, Ph.D.
Frederick S. Barrett, a cognitive neuroscientist and a psychedelic trailblazer, is an Associate Center Director at the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. Since 2013, he’s been conducting research at Johns Hopkins University on the effects of psychedelic drugs in healthy patients and those with substance use and mood disorders. In 2017, he received an NIH grant to study the biological effects of psilocybin, the first federally funded research of its kind since the 1970s.
Gunther M. Weil, Ph.D.CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, VALUE MENTORS
Gunther M. Weil, Ph.D.
Gunter M. Weil is a psychologist, executive coach, organizational consultant, educator, and self-proclaimed student of consciousness. In graduate school, he was one of the main members of the Harvard Psilocybin Project between 1960 and 1962, working closely with legendary psychologist and psychedelic advocate Timothy Leary, as well as Ralph Metzner and Richard Alpert. His work on this project helped create awareness for the spiritual and therapeutic benefits of psilocybin.
Hamilton MorrisCONSULTANT, COMPASS PATHWAYS
Hamilton Morris
Hamilton Morris is a research scientist, filmmaker, and journalist known for creating and directing the series, Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia, which explores the cultural impact, chemistry, and history of various psychoactive drugs, especially psychedelics. In 2021, he became a consultant for COMPASS Pathways, where he advises on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics therapy for those with psychiatric disorders.
Harriet de Wit, Ph.D.PROFESSOR AND DIRECTOR, THE HUMAN BEHAVIORAL PHARMACOLOGY LABORATORY, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, COMMITTEE ON CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHARMACOGENOMICS
Harriet de Wit, Ph.D.
Harriet de Wit has been researching psychoactive drugs for more than four decades. She has conducted innovative and groundbreaking research in the field of psychedelics, including a project investigating the effects of LSD and MDMA on brain function and mood. Her research has been funded by the NIH, and she has trained countless students and post-doctoral fellows and published more than 300 scientific papers. In 2019, she received the Distinguished Investigator Award of the European Behavioral Pharmacology Society.
James Fadiman, Ph.D.CO-FOUNDER, AUTHOR, INSTITUTE OF TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY, THE PSYCHEDELIC EXPLORER’S GUIDE
James Fadiman, Ph.D.
James Fadiman has been a researcher and proponent for psychedelic microdosing for over 50 years. In the 1960s he was a member of the research team that conducted the “psychedelics in problem-solving” experiment at the International Foundation for Advanced Study. He co-founded the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, now known as Sofia University, in 1975, where he lectured on psychedelics. His book, The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys, discusses safe practices for psychedelic use and highlights the therapeutic, healing, and scientific potential of these substances. Dr. Fadiman also created the Fadiman protocol, an original technique for microdosing psychedelics.
James Rucker, Ph.D.CONSULTANT PSYCHIATRIST AND SENIOR CLINICAL LECTURER, KING’S COLLEGE LONDON
James Rucker, Ph.D.
Dr. James Rucker is currently a consultant psychiatrist and senior clinical lecturer at the Centre for Affective Disorders at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London. He currently pilots the Psychedelic Trials Group along with Professor Allan Young, where they run clinical trials with MDMA, DMT, and psilocybin. In 2017, he was awarded an NIHR Clinician Scientist Fellowship to study the efficacy and safety of psilocybin. His expertise and research interests include new psychopharmacological approaches to treating mood disorders and psychedelic-assisted therapy with ketamine, cannabinoids, MDMA, and other psychedelics.
Kim Kuypers, Ph.D.ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND RESEARCHER, MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY
Kim Kuypers, Ph.D.
Dr. Kim Kuypers is an Associate Professor at Maastricht University, at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. Her research interests lie in psychedelics like MDMA and how they impact neurological mechanisms, hormones, creativity, and social cognition. Dr. Kuypers is also an advisor and scientific collaborator for MindMed, a psychedelic drug research company, where she leads many of the clinical trials, including research about LSD for the treatment of ADHD.
Luis Eduardo Luna, Ph.D.DIRECTOR, WASIWASKA RESEARCH CENTER
Luis Eduardo Luna, Ph.D.
Dr. Luis Eduardo Luna, who is Guggenheim Fellow and Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, is an anthropologist, author, and ayahuasca researcher. Currently, he is the director of Wasiwaska Research Center, a research center in Brazil that studies consciousness, visionary art, Indigenous spirituality, and psychedelic plants. He received his Ph.D. from the Institute of Comparative Religion at Stockholm University and an honorary doctorate from St. Lawrence University. He has written, co-written, and edited several psychedelic-related books, including Ayahuasca Reader: Encounters with the Amazon’s Sacred Vine, Inner Paths to Outer Space: Journeys Through Psychedelics and Other Spiritual Technologies, and Vegetalismo: Shamanism Among the Mestizo Population of the Peruvian Amazon.
Margaret Ross, Psy.D.SENIOR CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, ST. VINCENT’S HOSPITAL
Margaret Ross, Psy.D.
Dr. Margaret Ross is the Clinical Lead and Chief Principal Investigator for the first psilocybin-assisted treatment study in Australia studying its use in treating anxiety and depression in terminally ill individuals. Her work is truly groundbreaking in the cancer and palliative care space. Prior to this work, she was a research psychologist and clinical trial coordinator for The University of Melbourne and Orygen Youth Health.
Mary Cosimano, LMSWDIRECTOR OF GUIDE/FACILITATOR SERVICES, JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER FOR PSYCHEDELIC AND CONSCIOUSNESS RESEARCH
Mary Cosimano, LMSW
Mary Cosimano serves as a Director of Guide/Facilitator Services at Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research where she supervises and trains Session Facilitators for psilocybin-assisted therapy. Previously, she was a Session Facilitator and was involved with over 475 psilocybin study sessions. She also teaches at California Institute to Integral Studies for their Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research program and trains therapists in psychedelic psychotherapy.
Matthew Johnson, Ph.D.SUSAN HILL WARD PROFESSOR IN PSYCHEDELICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES , JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
Matthew Johnson, Ph.D.
As one the most published scientists on psychedelics’ effects in humans, Matthew Johnson’s influence on the field of psychedelics has been profound. In 2014, he published the first research related to treating tobacco addiction with psychedelics, and in 2016, he and his colleagues published the biggest psilocybin study on treating cancer-related distress. He has also researched the therapeutic potential of psilocybin for opioid dependence and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Matthew Wall, M.D.SENIOR LECTURER, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF METABOLISM, DIGESTION AND REPRODUCTION, IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
Matthew Wall, M.D.
Dr. Matthew Wall is a cognitive neuroscientist whose current research focuses on the neurological effects of psychedelics, cannabis, and sex hormones. He has conducted studies on the therapeutic mechanisms of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, the neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis, the effects of LSD, MDMA on brain function, the impact of ecstasy on cooperativity, and more. His research is undoubtedly advancing scientific knowledge of psychedelics and expanding the possibilities for the future.
Natalie Gukasyan, M.D.ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AND MEDICAL DIRECTOR, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
Natalie Gukasyan, M.D.
Dr. Natalie Gukasyan, an Assistant Professor, Medical Director, and psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University, has conducted research on the efficacy of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for eating disorders, substance use disorders, and mood disorders. She has also published research related to menstrual changes and reversal of amenorrhea (resumption of menstruation after its absence) as induced by classic psychedelics. Her research is helping to expand our understanding of psychedelic medicine and its many clinical uses.
Nigel Strauss, M.D.MEDICAL DIRECTOR, MILLSWYN CLINIC
Nigel Strauss, M.D.
Nigel Strauss is an Australian psychiatrist, psychedelics researcher, advocate, and MAPS-accredited psychedelic-assisted psychotherapist, who has published considerable research on the therapeutic use of psychedelics. He’s currently leading a clinical trial in Melbourne on psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for people struggling with treatment-resistant depression. Within the Australian College of Psychiatrists, he is advocating for psychedelic use in psychiatric practices throughout the country.
Pamela Kryskow, M.D.CO-FOUNDER & SCIENTIFIC AND MEDICAL ADVISOR, MYCOMEDICA LIFE SCIENCES
Pamela Kryskow, M.D.
Dr. Pamela Kryskow is a founding member of the Psychedelic Association of Canada, and the co-founder and scientific and medical advisor for MycoMedica Life Sciences. As part of her practice, Dr. Kryskow focuses on furthering research and development of psychedelic medicine, including psilocybin and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Dr. Kryskow is a frequent public speaker, with a focus on research and the ethical implications of psychedelic medicine.
Paul StametsHONORARY DOCTORATE, FOUNDER, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF NATURAL MEDICINE, FUNGI PERFECTI
Paul Stamets
Paul Stamets is a renowned mycologist, author, and speaker who has lectured all over the world about the many benefits of mushrooms, including psilocybin, even naming several new species of psilocybin mushrooms. In 1980, he founded Fungi Perfecti, a business devoted to cultivating safe and high-quality mushrooms. Stamets is the author of six books, including Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World, Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, and Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World. He is also the creator of the Stamets Stack, a unique microdosing methodology utilizing psilocybin mushrooms.
Rachel Yehuda, Ph.D.PROFESSOR OF NEUROSCIENCE AND PSYCHIATRY, VICE CHAIR OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, CAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, MOUNT SINAI UNIVERSITY
Rachel Yehuda, Ph.D.
Dr. Rachel Yehuda is a professor of neuroscience and psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the director of the Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research at Mount Sinai. She is the author of over 500 papers on PTSD and the psychology of trauma, and she has investigated psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy approaches for PTSD and the biological influences that may affect treatment outcomes. Yehuda’s work could pave the way for groundbreaking treatment methods for people struggling with PTSD.
Rick Doblin, Ph.D.FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, MULTIDISCIPLINARY ASSOCIATION FOR PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES (MAPS)
Rick Doblin, Ph.D.
Rick Doblin is the founder and president of Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a nonprofit organization created to increase awareness and knowledge related to psychedelic drugs. MAPS has provided $20 million in funding toward medical cannabis and psychedelics research and education efforts, thanks to Doblin’s vision and advocacy. Doblin has made it his life’s work to help legalize the therapeutic use of marijuana and psychedelics.
Rick Strassman, M.D.AUTHOR, DMT: THE SPIRIT MOLECULE
Rick Strassman, M.D.
Rick Strassman is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. After a 20-year intermission, Strassman was the first person in the United States to conduct psychedelics research on humans, with his studies related to DMT. His research led to authoring the book, DMT: The Spirit Molecule, which discusses his research and conclusions. His book, which has sold over 100,000 copies and been translated into 12 languages, has been foundational in understanding the effects of DMT.
Robin Carhart-Harris, Ph.D.DIRECTOR PSYCHEDELICS DIVISION, NEUROSCAPE, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO
Robin Carhart-Harris, Ph.D.
In 2019, Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris founded and served as the Head of the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London, where he studied the therapeutic use of MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin. Some of his most significant contributions as a psychedelic researcher include the entropic brain hypothesis related to psychedelic substance use, research on using psilocybin to treat addiction, anxiety, and depression, and studies investigating the effects of LSD on the brain. Dr. Carhart-Harris is also the Scientific Director of Maya Health. He currently serves as the Director of the Psychedelics Division, Neuroscape, at UCSF.
Roland Griffiths, Ph.D.PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROSCIENCES, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Roland Griffiths, Ph.D.
Roland Griffiths is a professor and the founding Director of the Johns Hopkins Center on Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. As a psychedelic researcher and scientist, he has contributed significantly to the psychedelics field. In 1999, he created a research program exploring the effects of psilocybin on healthy volunteers, in mediators, and in religious leaders. His research has also investigated the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin for major depression, cancer-related distress, and quitting smoking.
Rosalind Watts, Ph.D.FOUNDER, ACER INTEGRATION
Rosalind Watts, Ph.D.
Rosalind Watts has contributed significantly to the advancement of psychedelics research. She has worked as the Clinical Lead for Imperial College London’s psilocybin for depression trial. Most recently, she created ACER Integration, which is a community that allows people to contextualize their experiences and complex emotions after using psychedelics.
Sandeep Nayak, M.D.ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER FOR PSYCHEDELIC & CONSCIOUSNESS RESEARCH
Sandeep Nayak, M.D.
Dr. Sandeep Nayak received his MD from Brown University and completed his psychiatry residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he is now an Assistant Professor and psychedelics researcher at the Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research. He primarily studies the potential of psychedelics for the treatment of mood disorders and addiction, though he also researches psychedelic-belief changes and works as a psychiatrist at the Center for Addiction and Pregnancy and Addiction Treatment Services.
Stanislav Grof, M.D., Ph.D.PSYCHIATRIST, CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF INTEGRAL STUDIES
Stanislav Grof, M.D., Ph.D.
Stanislav Grof, who was born in Prague, is a psychiatrist and psychedelic pioneer with more than 60 years of experience studying non-typical states of consciousness. He is one of the founders of transpersonal psychology, also called spiritual psychology. Grof’s psychedelic research has helped to reveal the therapeutic potential of LSD, DMT, and other psychedelics. After LSD was made illegal, Grof continued his research without LSD and developed “holotropic breathwork,” a breathing technique intended to facilitate emotional healing and growth. Dr. Grof is also the Founder and Director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology, and has published over 150 papers and original scientific works as well as several books, such as Realms of the Human Unconscious, Beyond the Brain, and LSD Psychotherapy.
Vince Polito, Ph.D.SENIOR LECTURER AND SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW, SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY
Vince Polito, Ph.D.
Dr. Vince Polito is a cognitive scientist, senior lecturer, and senior research fellow at Macquarie University, Australia, in the School of Psychological Sciences, where he got his Ph.D. He has significant experience conducting research on psilocybin microdosing, having led one of the biggest systematic studies to date. His other research interests include altered states of consciousness, body representation in virtual reality, and how expectations and beliefs affect psychedelic journeys.
Pop culture
Alan Watts, M.A.THEOLOGY, SEABURY-WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, HONORARY DOCTORATE IN DIVINITY, UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
Alan Watts, M.A.
Alan Watts was a groundbreaking psychonaut and advocate for human psychedelic use who first began exploring psychedelics in the 1950s. As the author of The Joyous Cosmology: Adventures in the Chemistry of Consciousness, The Way of Zen, The Wisdom of Insecurity, and over 20 other books, Watts was a leading psychedelic philosopher. Despite passing away fifty years ago, his many talks and lectures on the nature of reality, psychedelics, and the human experience continue to profoundly impact the psychedelic community and pop culture today.
Alex GreyCO-FOUNDER, CHAPEL OF SACRED MIRRORS (COSM)
Alex Grey
Alex Grey is a famous and influential artist in the visionary art movement, creating psychedelic paintings with mystical and spiritual themes. His work has largely been inspired by the journeys he takes on LSD, which allowed him to get in touch with his divine spirit and create work that reflects the transcendency of mind, body, and spirit. Inspired by his psychedelic experiences, he also hosts lectures on psychedelic therapy and hosts full moon gatherings at his chapel, which involve art classes, psychedelic information, and guided meditations.
Bett WilliamsGUIDE, FACILITATOR, AUTHOR, THE WILD KINDNESS: A PSILOCYBIN ODYSSEY
Bett Williams
Bett Williams is a psychedelics pioneer, explorer, and author of The Wild Kindness: A Psilocybin Odyssey, a memoir about growing psilocybin mushrooms in New Mexico. She co-hosts a podcast with her partner, Beth Hill, called No Cures, Only Alchemy, which centers discussions about psychedelics. Her memoir and podcast make discussions about the benefits of psilocybin accessible to a new generation of readers and listeners.
Brian MurareskuAUTHOR, THE IMMORTALITY KEY: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE RELIGION WITH NO NAME
Brian Muraresku
Brian Muraresku is the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Immortality Key, a groundbreaking exploration of the history of psychedelics and how they have influenced the origins of Western civilization and religion. The book covers a 10-year investigation into the “lost, psychedelic sacrament of Greek religion to early Christianity,” exposing many buried truths and reinvigorating a 40-year-old claim that the original Christian Eucharist was psychedelic.
Deborah SnyderFOUNDER AND CEO, SYNERGETIC PRESS
Deborah Snyder
Deborah Snyder founded Synergetic Press in 1984, committed to publishing breakthrough books on psychedelics, consciousness, cultural anthropology, the environment, and ethnobotany. Some notable psychedelic books include Psychedelic Integration: Psychotherapy for Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness by Marc B. Aixalà, Psychedelic Justice: Toward a Diverse and Equitable Psychedelic Culture edited by Clancy Cavnar and Beatriz Caiuby Labate, The Way of the Psychonaut by Stanislav Grof, and The Nature of Drugs: History, Pharmacology, and Social Impact by Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin and Ann Shulgin.
Duncan TrussellPODCASTER, COMEDIAN AND ACTOR, THE MIDNIGHT GOSPEL
Duncan Trussell
Duncan Trussell is a comic and actor known for his podcast, The Duncan Trussell Family Hour, and his Netflix show, The Midnight Gospel. He is a huge proponent of psychedelics and has been very vocal about his positive experience with ketamine therapy for his depression and trauma, which has helped to destigmatize mental illness and the use of psychedelics for healing.
Gabor Maté, M.D., C.M.AUTHOR, IN THE REALM OF HUNGRY GHOSTS: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH ADDICTION
Gabor Maté, M.D., C.M.
Gabor Mate is a bestselling author, renowned speaker, and doctor with specializations in trauma, stress, developmental psychology, childhood development, cancer, addiction, ADHD, and many other conditions and areas of study. He is an advocate for the use of psychedelics in treating substance addiction, cancer, and PTSD, and has given countless speeches about the transformative healing power of psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Joe MooreCO-FOUNDER AND CEO, PSYCHEDELICS TODAY
Joe Moore
Joe Moore co-founded Psychedelics Today, an organization and media platform that centers on psychedelic media, education, and advocacy. He is the host of the associated podcast, in which he interviews industry leaders on various topics related to psychedelics, such as their therapeutic potential, legislation status, harm reduction, and more.
Joe RoganPODCASTER, THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE,
Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan is a famous podcaster, comic, and self-proclaimed “psychedelic adventurer.” He frequently discusses psychedelics like DMT, LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline on his podcast with various experts and psychedelic pioneers. With 12.8 million subscribers, Joe’s conversations and interviews about psychedelics are influential in the world of psychedelic use and self-exploration.
Julie Holland, M.D.PSYCHIATRIST, PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGIST, AUTHOR, GOOD CHEMISTRY: THE SCIENCE OF CONNECTION FROM SOUL TO PSYCHEDELICS
Julie Holland, M.D.
Julie Holland is a psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist who currently serves as a medical monitor to Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelics Studies (MAPS). She has worked on many clinical studies exploring the efficacy of cannabis and MDMA in the treatment of PTSD. She wrote the book, Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection from Soul to Psychedelics, which focuses on the importance of connection and how we can find it in community, meditation, and through psychedelics.
Michael PollanPROFESSOR, AUTHOR OF HOW TO CHANGE YOUR MIND, UC BERKELEY
Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan is a 2022-2023 Guggenheim Fellow and an accomplished author of eight books, including How to Change Your Mind, which was an instant New York Times bestseller. This book, which was a mixture of journalism, history, botany, and reporting, focused on new research into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD, and was key in moving forward psychedelic discourse. There is also a Netflix series of the same name.
Ram Dass, Ph.D.RESEARCHER, AUTHOR, HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Ram Dass, Ph.D.
Ram Dass (previously Dr. Richard Alpert) was a Harvard psychologist, spiritual leader, guru, and author. In the early 1960s, he conducted research with Timothy Leary on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and collaborated with graduate student, Walter Pahnke, on his “Good Friday Experiment” which studied psychedelic drugs and spiritual experiences. Dass had a life-changing experience when he traveled to India and met Hindu guru, Neem Karoli Baba, who gave him his new name, inspiring him to lead a dharmic life. After that, he authored Be Here Now, which heavily influenced the spiritual movement.
Sam Harris, Ph.D.NEUROSCIENTIST, AUTHOR OF WAKING UP: A GUIDE TO SPIRITUALITY WITHOUT RELIGION,
Sam Harris, Ph.D.
Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, author, podcast host, philosopher, public speaker, and creator of the meditation app, Waking Up. His work covers a wide variety of scientific and spiritual topics, including psychedelics. His meditation app, Waking Up, includes guided meditations, and conversations about psychedelics, psychology, and meditation. On his podcast, he frequently invites guests on to discuss the latest psychedelics research. His latest book, Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion, he discusses the use of psychedelics and their effect on consciousness.
Shelby HartmanCO-FOUNDER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, DOUBLEBLIND
Shelby Hartman
Shelby Hartman co-founded the biannual print magazine and media company, DoubleBlind, which covers the latest news and stories about global psychedelics use and research. Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, VICE, the Huffington Post, and beyond, and her features have covered topics like the cannabis industry, the psychedelic research boom, ayahuasca’s popularity, and PTSD among veterans.
Terence McKennaPHILOSOPHER, ETHNOBOTANIST, AUTHOR,
Terence McKenna
Commonly called the “Timothy Leary of the ‘90s,” Terence McKenna was a mystic, philosopher, ethnobotanist, public speaker, author, psychedelic pioneer, and advocate for the use of psychedelic plants. He wrote extensively about psychedelic drugs, shamanism, philosophy, environmentalism, human consciousness, and more. He and his brother, Dennis, developed a technique for growing psilocybin mushrooms using spores from the Amazon and published their findings in Psilocybin: Magic Mushroom Grower’s Guide.
Tim FerrissPODCAST HOST, THE TIM FERRISS SHOW
Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss is a bestselling author, investor, entrepreneur, and host of the podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has had over 900 million downloads and has introduced psychedelics information, including microdosing, scientific research, mind-enhancing methods, and legal information, to millions of people. He has had many notable psychedelic researchers as guests on his podcast. He has also donated over $2 million for clinical research related to psychedelic substances.
Timothy LearyRESEARCHER, PROFESSOR, HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Timothy Leary
Perhaps one of the most famous and legendary figures in the psychedelics world and the counterculture of the 1960s, Timothy Leary was a Harvard professor, researcher, author, and strong advocate for psychedelic drug use. He founded and led the Harvard Psilocybin Project in which he studied the therapeutic effects of psilocybin and LSD. Throughout his life, he publicly spoke about the benefits of psychedelics, popularizing the phrase, “turn on, tune in, drop out.” There is no doubt that Timothy Leary’s work has had a profound and lasting effect on the psychedelic field as we know it.
Vincent MoonINDEPENDENT FILMMAKER, ARTIST, CO-FOUNDER, COLLECTION PETITES PLANÈTES
Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon is a filmmaker, artist, and photographer who, together with the artist, Priscilla Telmon, created the independent production company, Collection Petites Planètes. His work has included documenting religious rituals, sacred music, shamanic rituals, and collaborating on projects that explore trance and altered states of consciousness. He has given talks on psychedelics around the world and has given art performances at psychedelics conferences, such as the Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research.
Zach LearyPODCAST HOST, THE MAPS PODCAST
Zach Leary
Timothy Leary’s son, Zach Leary, is a yogi, writer, podcaster, wellness facilitator, guided session therapist, author, and psychedelic advocate who has learned extensively from Ram Dass. He works one-on-one with people to help them heal through the use of psychedelics, and he has also taught on a variety of topics, including the history of psychedelics, safe use, harm reduction, and how to be an effective practitioner. Leary is currently the host of the MAPS podcast, which covers all things psychedelics. He also facilitates psilocybin retreats in Jamaica.
Policy / Advocacy
Adriana KertzerFOUNDER, PLANT MEDICINE LAW GROUP
Adriana Kertzer
Adriana Kertzer is the founder of Plant Medicine Law Group, a cannabis and psychedelics law firm committed to increasing legal and equitable access to psychedelics and medicinal plants by helping businesses become leaders in the space. She is also a member of the Psychedelic Bar Association and on the board of Doctors for Cannabis Regulation. Kertzer’s commitment to psychedelics also expands to faith—she leads Faith+Psychedelics, a multi-religion community made up of people interested in using psychedelics to explore their religions.
Allison HootsATTORNEY, PLANT MEDICINE LAW GROUP
Allison Hoots
Allison Hoots is an attorney at Plant Medicine Law Group, a psychedelics and cannabis firm. She has significant experience advising churches on compliance related to the religious use of psychedelics and the right to these sacraments. In addition to founding Hoots Law Practice in 2019, she’s also the President and serving on the Board of Directors of Sacred Plant Alliance, an organization of spiritual practitioners devoted to the use of psychedelic sacraments within religious ceremonies.
Benjamin De LoenenFOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ICEERS
Benjamin De Loenen
Benjamin De Loenen directed and edited the documentary, Ibogaine-Rite of Passage, in 2004, which was about ibogaine (a dissociative psychedelic) as a promising treatment for addiction. Later, he became a public speaker and advocate for iboga, the psychedelic plant ibogaine is derived from. In 2009, De Loenen founded the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research & Service (ICEERS) in the Netherlands. ICEERS, a nonprofit organization, conducts scientific research on cannabis, iboga, and ayahuasca and offers education, harm reduction services, legal support, and more.
Bia Labate, Ph.D.EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CHACRUNA INSTITUTE FOR PSYCHEDELIC PLANT MEDICINES
Bia Labate, Ph.D.
Dr. Bia Labate, who has a Ph.D. in Anthropology, is extremely invested in the fields of religion and ritual, drug policy, and psychoactive substances, including psychedelics. She is the Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and the Public Education and Culture Specialist at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Dr. Labate has also written, co-authored, and co-edited seventeen books, including Psychedelic Justice: Toward a Diverse and Equitable Psychedelic Culture, Ayahuasca Healing and Science, Plant Medicines, Healing, and Psychedelic Science, and Peyote: History, Traditions, Politics, and Conservation. Dr. Labate is also a co-founder of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies.
Carl Hart, Ph.D.CHAIR OF PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Carl Hart, Ph.D.
Dr. Carl Hart is a neuropsychopharmacologist, activist, educator, and author. He serves as Chair of Columbia University’s Department of Psychology. His research focuses on the neurophysical and behavioral effects of psychedelics in human beings. He has discussed his work on The Joe Rogan Experience, The O’Reilly Factor, and Democracy Now! He wrote the book, Drug Use for Grown-Ups, which reframes how we view autonomous adults who use psychoactive substances, challenges harmful stereotypes about people who use drugs, and advocates for the right to use substances.
Deidra Somerville, Ph.D., MSWEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALCHEMY COMMUNITY THERAPY CENTER
Deidra Somerville, Ph.D., MSW
Dr. Deidra Somerville received her Ph.D. in Community Psychology from National Louis University and is a healer, scholar, activist, and Executive Director of Alchemy Community Therapy Center, a nonprofit which provides affordable psychedelic-assisted treatment to marginalized people like BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities and psychedelics training to diverse treatment providers. Her work has greatly increased access to life-changing psychedelic therapy that may have otherwise been inaccessible to those who need it.
Dustin RobinsonFOUNDER, MR. PSYCHEDELIC LAW
Dustin Robinson
Dustin Robinson, a CPA and attorney, founded the nonprofit, Mr. Psychedelic Law, whose mission is to use research to inspire psychedelic legal reform in Florida. He also founded Iter Investments, an investment fund for psychedelics, which is backed by scientists, doctors, lawyers, investors, and more, and supports companies in the psychedelic space to improve mental health and well-being.
Ethan Nadelmann, Ph.D.FOUNDER, DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE
Ethan Nadelmann, Ph.D.
Ethan Nadelmann, who received his Ph.D. from Harvard, is known as one of the leading advocates for drug policy reform in the United States and beyond. He founded the Drug Policy Alliance in 2000, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the War on Drugs and advocating for harm reduction. Nadelmann also co-founded the Open Society Institute’s International Harm Reduction Development (IHRD) program and has been on the advisory board of the Global Drug Policy Project (GDPP), where his efforts have been very impactful. In 2021, he started a podcast called Psychoactive, which focuses on drug research, drug use, and drug policy.
Henrik Jungaberle, Dr. sc. hum.FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MIND FOUNDATION
Henrik Jungaberle, Dr. sc. hum.
Henrik Jungaberle received his doctorate from the Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg; after that, he worked at the Institute of Medical Psychology, University Hospital Heidelberg, for eighteen years, where he researched psychoactive substances. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the MIND Foundation, a European nonprofit organization that engages in psychedelic research, works with policymakers, educates the public on psychedelic-assisted treatment, trains professionals, and more.
Ismail L. Ali, J.D.DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND ADVOCACY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY ASSOCIATION FOR PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES (MAPS)
Ismail L. Ali, J.D.
Ismail L. Ali, who earned his J.D. at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, is an educator, advocate, and attorney serving as the Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). His goal in this role is to increase access to psychedelic research and treatment, as well as implement policy strategies. Prior to MAPS, he worked for the ACLU of Northern California’s Criminal Justice & Drug Policy Project. Ali is a founding board member and co-chair of the Psychedelic Bar Association and has served in leadership roles for many organizations related to drug policy, including Chacruna Institute and the Ayahuasca Defense Fund, and the Sage Institute.
Jack BunceCO-FOUNDER AND COURSE DEVELOPER, HOW TO USE PSYCHEDELICS
Jack Bunce
Along with Louis Belleau, Jack Bunce, psychedelics advocate, personal growth facilitator, and community organizer, co-founded How to Use Psychedelics, a platform designed to provide accessible information and resources to people who want to safely use psychedelics for their own growth, healing, and self-discovery. He was inspired by his personal journey with psychedelics and healing, in which psychedelics helped him overcome PTSD, OCD, and anxiety.
Jon Dennis, J.D.EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VITAL OREGON
Jon Dennis, J.D.
Jon Dennis, who earned his J.D. from the Lewis & Clark Law School, is a consultant, psychedelic lawyer, and activist. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Vital Oregon, a new project by Psychedelics Today for psilocybin facilitator training. He is the co-host of Eyes on Oregon, the Psychedelics Today podcast, which discusses news related to Oregon’s psilocybin program. He is also a member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants and a founding member of the Entheogenic Practitioners Council of Oregon.
Joshua KappelFounding Partner, Vicente LLP
Joshua Kappel
Joshua Kappel, a founding partner of Vicente LLP, is renowned for aiding entrepreneurs in the cannabis and psychedelic sectors, and has made significant contributions to policy development, including co-authoring Colorado’s Proposition 122, the Natural Medicine Health Act. His expertise extends to assisting a wide range of companies with corporate structuring and regulatory compliance in the ever-evolving psychedelic landscape. An active figure in the emerging therapies community, Joshua is the founder and a board member of the Microdosing Collective, a pioneering nonprofit dedicated to legalizing microdosing.
Kilindi IyiMYCOLOGIST, TEACHER, PSYCHONAUT,
Kilindi Iyi
Kilindi Iyi was a traveler, mycologist, teacher, speaker, humanitarian, psychonaut, and psychedelic pioneer who was influential in the Black Liberation Movement. He first became interested in psychedelics through his African sciences and martial arts studies due to the history of integrating fungi and psychedelics plants into martial arts practices. He became a leader in the psychedelics world, focusing on high-dose psilocybin research and its ability to lead to consciousness evolution.
Kwasi Adusei, DNP, PMHNP-BCCO-FOUNDER, THE PSYCHEDELIC SOCIETY OF WESTERN NEW YORK
Kwasi Adusei, DNP, PMHNP-BC
Kwasi Adusei is a community organizer, educator, and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at the Center for Psychedelic Therapy and Research. He also co-founded the Psychedelic Society of Western New York, where he created a harm reduction program for psychedelic use called the Sanctuary Project. He has also completed the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD Program.
Louis BelleauFOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, PSYGAIA AND HOW TO USE PSYCHEDELICS
Louis Belleau
Louis Belleau is a writer, psychedelics advocate, and founder and director of Psygaia and How to Use Psychedelics, both of which provide accessible education and support for the safe and therapeutic use of psychedelics. The information comes from various schools of thought, including Indigenous, Eastern, Western, ancestral, and modern. He is also currently developing Nectara, a program that provides psychedelic support services, such as finding a guide, creating meaning out of your journey, and processing and reflecting on your exploration.
Mark Plotkin, Ph.D.ETHNOBOTANIST, AUTHOR, PODCASTER, PLANTS OF THE GODS
Mark Plotkin, Ph.D.
Dr. Mark Plotkin is an ethnobotanist who, for the past three decades, has studied Indigenous psychedelic plant use in South and Central America. He’s the President of the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT), a nonprofit he founded with his wife, Liliana Madrigal. He wrote the book, Medicine Quest: In Search of Nature’s Healing Secrets, and also gave a TED Talk in 2014 called “What the people of the Amazon know that you don’t.” Plants of the Gods is his ongoing podcast where he discusses psychedelics, their healing potential, and their impact on religion and culture.
Mitchell Gomez, M.A.EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DANCESAFE
Mitchell Gomez, M.A.
Mitchell Gomez is a psychedelics advocate, educator, and activist. He currently serves as the Executive Director for DanceSafe, a harm reduction and education nonprofit based in Denver, Colorado. He is also a Harm Reduction Consultant at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and serves on the advisory council of PsychSems and Psymposia. As a subject matter expert on harm reduction, the war on drugs, prohibition, and compounds like MDMA, ketamine, and LSD, he has written for The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Houston Press, SF Gate, Rolling Stone Magazine, and more.
Richard Nixon37th President, The United States of America
Richard Nixon
Though we may not love this impact, it’s hard to deny how profound it was. Richard Nixon, who was the 37th President of the United States, is responsible for the Controlled Substances Act, which established federal U.S. drug policy and made possession of psychedelics like LSD a federal offense. He also started the War on Drugs, a global campaign focused on drug prohibition. The War on Drugs halted research into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy for several decades before it finally began again.
Robert “Roman” Haferd, J.D.RESTORATIVE JUSTICE COORDINATOR, OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Robert “Roman” Haferd, J.D.
Robert “Roman” Haferd, who received his Doctor of Law from Harvard University and is the Restorative Justice Coordinator for the Office of the Attorney General of the District of Columbia, is a founding board member at the Psychedelic Bar Association. Additionally, Haferd is the Director of Community Engagement for the Plant Medicine Coalition, which promotes equitable and safe access to plant medicines and psychedelics. Thanks to Haferd’s efforts, the Decriminalize Nature DC campaign passed Initiative 81, the Entheogenic Plant and Fungus Policy Act, which made psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD the lowest priorities among Washington DC law enforcement.
Sam ChapmanEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE HEALING ADVOCACY FUND
Sam Chapman
Sam Chapman is the executive director of the Healing Advocacy Fund, a nonprofit organization developing and providing regulated psilocybin-assisted therapy to people struggling with anxiety, depression, addiction, or end-of-life distress in Colorado and Oregon. Chapman brings over ten years of experience advocating for drug policy reforms at the national, state, and local level to his role, and in 2013, he co-wrote House Bill 3460, which was the law that legalized medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon. He also served as a campaign manager for Oregon’s Measure 109, which legalized psilocybin therapy in the state.
Spiro T. AgnewFormer Vice President, The United States of America
Spiro T. Agnew
Spiro T. Agnew was the Vice President of the United States under President Nixon and the second Vice President to resign. During his vice presidency, he helped Nixon establish the Controlled Substances Act and launch the War on Drugs, which targeted the counterculture and recreational use of psychedelics, making it illegal on the federal level to possess psychedelics like LSD. Like Nixon, Agnew’s impact is hard to deny.
Thomas B. Roberts, Ph.D.PROFESSOR EMERITUS, NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
Thomas B. Roberts, Ph.D.
Thomas B. Roberts, who is a professor emeritus at Northern Illinois University, wrote the book, Psychedelic Horizons and serves as the co-editor of Psychedelic Medicine. He is known for coining the term “Bicycle Day,” which celebrates the day Albert Hofmann biked home from the lab after taking 250 mcg of LSD. As an international speaker, he has given lectures on psychedelic science and consciousness.
Business
Amy EmersonCEO, MAPS PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION
Amy Emerson
Amy Emerson is the CEO of the MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC), a clinical-stage company that is a subsidiary of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and is dedicated to creating prescription psychedelics to treat mental illness. Since 2014, she has fundraised about $150 million for the company and piloted MAPS PBC through six Phase 2 studies and two Phase 3 studies. Prior to her work at MAPS PBC, Emerson led many pharmaceuticals from Phase 1 studies to FDA approval.
Andrew Chadeayne, Ph.D.FOUNDER AND CEO, CAAMTECH
Andrew Chadeayne, Ph.D.
Andrew Chadeayne, who received a JD from the George Washington University Law School and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Cornell, is the founder and CEO of CaaMTech, a company committed to engineering safe and therapeutic psychedelic substances. Through his leadership at CaaMTech, Chadeayne’s team has been able to make new psychoactive compounds like novel tryptamines that have the desired therapeutic effects while minimizing side effects.
Anne PhilippiFOUNDER AND CEO, THE NEW HEALTH CLUB
Anne Philippi
Anne Philippi is the founder and CEO of The New Health Club, a psychedelic community, podcast, newsletter, and space for therapists, scientists, investors, and other influential people in the psychedelic space to talk about the emerging psychedelic space.
Carey TurnbullFOUNDING DONOR AND CHAIR OF THE ADVISORY BOARD, NYU CENTER FOR PSYCHEDELIC MEDICINE
Carey Turnbull
Carey Turnbull is a prominent psychedelic medicine advocate. He is the founding donor and the Chair of the Advisory Board of the NYU Center for Psychedelic Medicine, which is focused on research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs and compounds. He is also a member of the board and President of the Heffter Research Institute, a nonprofit that researches psilocybin’s potential to treat addiction and cancer-related anxiety and depression. As a founder of Freedom to Operate, he has also helped protect psychedelic medicine research.
Cosmo Feilding MellenCEO, BECKLEY PSYTECH
Cosmo Feilding Mellen
Cosmo Feilding Mellen, CEO at Beckley Psytech, first contributed to the psychedelic space by directing several documentaries about psychedelics, counterculture, and the War on Drugs. He’s since become a drug development entrepreneur committed to uncovering the therapeutic potential of psychedelics to help people recover from various mental illnesses and trauma. In 2016, he co-founded Beckley Research & Innovations and served as Managing Director and co-founder of Beckley Canopy Therapeutics, a cannabis drug discovery company that was then acquired by Canopy Growth Corporation.
David ChampionFOUNDER AND CEO, MAYA HEALTH
David Champion
David Champion is the founder and CEO of Maya Health, a psychedelic tech platform that serves researchers, treatment providers, and participants. Maya Health allows these users to chart real-world evidence in order to help advance therapeutic psychedelic use. They aim to use this data to inform regulation, drug development, and clinical practices. He is also the co-founder and Director at Unlimited Sciences, a psychedelic research nonprofit.
Derek Du ChesneCo-Founder, CEO, Better U
Derek Du Chesne
Derek Du Chesne is the co-founder and CEO of Better U, a Las Vegas-based psychedelic therapy company. Derek helped found Better U after a life-saving and transformative experience with ketamine-assisted therapy that helped him overcome severe suicidal ideation and depression. Since then, he has worked with leaders from the Stanford Psychedelic Science Center and Depression Research Clinic to help grow and explore psychedelic medicine.
Dylan BeynonFOUNDER AND CEO, MINDBLOOM
Dylan Beynon
Dylan Beynon is the founder and CEO of Mindbloom, a mental health company that provides app-supported, at-home ketamine therapy. The company employs a team of remote clinicians and guides that has led over 220,000 ketamine therapy sessions to support a variety of mental health diagnoses.
Floris Wolswijk, M.Sc.FOUNDER, BLOSSOM
Floris Wolswijk, M.Sc.
Floris Wolswijk is a psychonaut, entrepreneur, writer and the founder of Blossom, a database of up-to-date psychedelic information including: events, reports, papers, and companies. Wolswijk’s contribution to psychedelic medicine allows stakeholders in the space to access vital knowledge to help aid the transition from clinical trials and research to medical practice.
Ingmar Gorman, Ph.D.CO-FOUNDER, FLUENCE
Ingmar Gorman, Ph.D.
Dr. Ingmar Gorman, who previously co-led an FDA-approved Phase 3 clinical trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, is the co-founder of Fluence, a company that provides professional training, including accredited courses and certificates, in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, psychedelic integration, and harm reduction. Dr. Gorman is also currently conducting a Phase III FDA-approved clinical trial studying the efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD and a study investigating psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression.
Jackie von Salm, Ph.D.CO-FOUNDER AND CSO, PSILERA BIOSCIENCE
Jackie von Salm, Ph.D.
Dr. Jackie von Salm, who received her Ph.D. at the University of South Florida, is a biochemist who co-founded and serves as CSO of Psilera Bioscience, a biotech research company that focuses on non-hallucinogenic psychedelic drug discovery and development. Her focus is on isolating medicinal plant compounds to treat neurological conditions.
Josh HardmanFOUNDER AND EDITOR, PSYCHEDELIC ALPHA
Josh Hardman
Josh Hardman is a writer, editor, and the founder of Psychedelic Alpha, a community and newsletter providing organizations and individual readers with interviews, news, research, and information related to psychedelic medicine. Users can learn everything from psychedelic patent and legalization information to drug development updates. Hardman’s community has the potential to empower countless medical professionals, providers, patients, researchers, and psychedelic-curious individuals.
JR RahnCO-FOUNDER, MINDMED
JR Rahn
After spending two years investing in psychedelic research, JR Rahn co-founded and (previously) served as CEO of MindMed, a psychedelic biotech company engineering psychedelic compounds and therapies to treat mental health disorders and substance use disorders.
Lucia Huang, MBACO-FOUNDER AND CEO, OSMIND
Lucia Huang, MBA
Lucia Huang, who has been named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 for her healthcare innovations, is the co-founder and CEO of Osmind. Osmind is a Public Benefit Corporation and tech platform for breakthrough mental health treatments like ketamine, psilocybin, and MDMA therapy. Previously, she was the Director of Operations and Finance at Verge Genomics, a biotech and drug discovery company.
Marik Hazan, MBAFOUNDING PARTNER, TABULA RASA VENTURES
Marik Hazan, MBA
Marik Hazan is an investor, entrepreneur, psychedelic advocate, and engineer who runs an international and renowned psychedelics conference, Psyched. As the founding partner of Tabula Rasa Ventures, a venture capitalist firm for startup psychedelic companies, he has helped support drug development and medicinal psychedelics research. Hazan is also the CEO of Energia Holdings Inc., which is revolutionizing healthcare by prioritizing the underfunded areas of the industry, including psychedelics.
Mendel Kaelen, Ph.D.FOUNDER AND CEO, WAVEPATHS
Mendel Kaelen, Ph.D.
Mendel Kaelen is a neuroscientist, psychedelics researcher, and entrepreneur who founded Wavepaths, focused on a custom-built app and tool which facilitates personalized music experiences for deep listening and psychedelic therapy. Kaelen has done considerable research into the neurological effects of music during LSD-assisted therapy. Prior to founding Wavepaths, he was a postdoctoral neuroscientist at Imperial College London, where he studied the role of music in psychedelic-assisted treatment.
Molly Maloof, M.D.FOUNDER AND CEO, ADAMO BIOSCIENCE
Molly Maloof, M.D.
Molly Maloof is a doctor, educator, author, speaker, medical advisor, CEO, and founder of Adamo Bioscience, a biotech company researching and developing psychedelic compounds to treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) for people in romantic relationships. She previously founded Adaptive, a wellness and health brand that was acquired in 2021. She also served as a lecturer at Stanford University within the Wellness Department of the School of Medicine.
Paul F. AustinFOUNDER AND CEO, THIRD WAVE
Paul F. Austin
Paul F. Austin is a psychedelic microdosing coach, author, and entrepreneur who believes in the power of psychedelics. He is the founder and CEO of Third Wave, which educates people on how to use psychedelics for professional development and personal transformation. He is also the author of Microdosing Psychedelics: A Practical Guide to Upgrade Your Life.
Payton NyquvestFOUNDER, CHAIR, AND CEO, NUMINUS
Payton Nyquvest
Payton Nyquvest, who says his life was saved by psychedelics, is the founder, chair, and CEO of Numinus, an integrated and multidisciplinary mental health company that provides people with access to safe psychedelic-assisted therapies, such as ketamine, psychedelic integration, trauma-informed psychotherapy, and more.
Richard SkaifeFOUNDER, THE CONSCIOUS FUND
Richard Skaife
Richard Skaife is an investor and founder of The Conscious Fund, which invests in early-stage psychedelic companies looking to improve treatment for pain, addiction, and mental illness. He is also Chair of Microdose, an educational platform for the business of psychedelics, and on the board at Hive, which offers ketamine-assisted therapy retreats in Europe.
Ronan Levy, J.D.CO-FOUNDER, FIELD TRIP HEALTH
Ronan Levy, J.D.
Ronan Levy is a psychedelics pioneer, visionary, and entrepreneur who co-founded Field Trip Health, a company offering medically-supervised, psychedelic-assisted treatment in various clinics throughout Europe and North America. He has since exited Field Trip Health. Levy is a partner at Grassfed Ventures, which invests in biotech and cannabis companies, and co-founded Canadian Cannabis Clinics and CanvasRx Inc.
Simeon SchnapperMANAGING PARTNER, JLS FUND
Simeon Schnapper
Simeon Schnapper is an investor and psychedelic advocate who serves as a managing partner at JLS Fund, a venture capitalist firm that invests in psychedelics and technology, enhancing access to plant medicine therapies. A longtime psychonaut, he studied with Jean Houston, Ph.D. and Dr. Robert E.L. Masters, who co-authored The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience: The Classic Guide to the Effects of LSD on the Human Psyche and learned from various traditional practitioners and ayahuasqueros in the Amazon.
Yaron ConfortiCO-FOUNDER, DIRECTOR, CEO, NOVAMIND
Yaron Conforti
Yaron Conforti, who has more than 20 years of venture capital investing experience, is the principal of EmmCap Corp, which has invested in psychedelic companies like IM Cannabis, Enveric Biosciences, and Abacus Health Products. He is also the co-founder, director, and CEO of Novamind, a tool that can aid in organizing and mapping out thoughts and ideas.
Rising Stars
Alan K. Davis, Ph.D.ADJUNCT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DIRECTOR CENTER FOR DRUG RESEARCH, JOHNS HOPKINS PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH UNIT
Alan K. Davis, Ph.D.
Dr. Alan K. Davis received their Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Bowling Green and was a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins. They now serve as an Assistant Professor of Social Work at the Ohio State University and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins Psychedelic Research Unit. Dr. Davis has worked with patients with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and substance addiction, providing various types of therapy like CBT as well as psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. Their research has focused on the therapeutic potential of psilocybin for those with depression as well as how psilocybin can improve mental functioning and health, and upcoming psychedelic research will explore the use of psychedelics in vulnerable populations such as people of color who have experienced racial trauma.
Alex K. Gearin, Ph.D.ANTHROPOLOGIST, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Alex K. Gearin, Ph.D.
Dr. Alex K. Gearin is a medical and cultural anthropologist at the University of Hong Kong researching globalization, religiosity, meditation, and psychedelics, particularly ayahuasca in Australian, Chinese, and Peruvian communities. He has published scientific articles on traditional plant medicine practices, purging and ayahuasca use, the roles of rituals, the ethics of ayahuasca tourism, spirituality, and individualism within psychedelic ritual groups, and more. Dr. Gearin is currently writing a book about the therapeutic benefits of ayahuasca in different areas of the world.
Andrés Gómez Emilsson, M.A.PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH, QUALIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Andrés Gómez Emilsson, M.A.
Andrés Gómez Emilsson, who has a Master’s in Psychology from Stanford, is the President and Director of Research at Qualia Research Institute (QRI), a nonprofit organization devoted to mapping out the mathematical structure of subjective experience and consciousness. The work he and his team are doing at QRI could aid in the development of psychedelic-assisted therapy, especially if “trips” and psychedelic experiences can be mathematically recorded. Emilsson is also the co-founder of the Stanford Transhumanist Association.
Andrew Gallimore, M.D.NEUROBIOLOGIST, CHEMIST, PHARMACOLOGIST, THE OKINAWA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Andrew Gallimore, M.D.
Dr. Andrew Gallimore is a chemist, pharmacologist, computational neurobiologist, and writer based at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. He is deeply interested in psychedelics, particularly DMT. He has given many talks and published several research papers on the effects of DMT on the brain and consciousness. Gallimore is also the author of the books, Alien Information Theory and Reality Switch Technologies, both of which discuss psychedelics and their many possibilities and uses. He has also teamed up with Dr. Rick Strassman, psychedelics pioneer, to develop a model of controlled, intravenous DMT use for extended experiences. His published works include Restructuring Consciousness – the Psychedelic State in Light of Integrated Information Theory and A Model for the Application of Target-Controlled Intravenous Infusion for a Prolonged Immersive DMT Psychedelic Experience.
Anna BeckerPH.D. CANDIDATE, UNIVERSITY OF BASEL
Anna Becker
Anna Becker is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Basel, where she studied Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology. In the past, she assisted with research into decision-making and judgment in individuals with schizophrenia. Now, she investigates the role of the 5-HT2A receptor, part of the serotonin receptor family, in LSD and psilocybin use. She’s interested in both how psychedelics work and their potential clinical uses. Dr. Becker has helped guide over 80 individual psychedelic experiences with healthy study participants.
Anthony P. Bossis, Ph.D.CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY , NYU GROSSMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Anthony P. Bossis, Ph.D.
Dr. Anthony P. Bossis is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor at the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine where he has conducted FDA-approved psilocybin studies for over a decade. He’s also studied how a single psilocybin experience can significantly decrease cancer-related distress, such as hopelessness, anxiety, and depression, as well as improve well-being. Further, Dr. Bossis is on the faculty of The Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research at the California Institute of Integral Studies and has conducted extensive research into psychedelics and palliative care.
Balazs Szigeti, Ph.D.NEUROSCIENTIST, IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
Balazs Szigeti, Ph.D.
Dr. Balazs Szigeti, who received his Ph.D. in computational neuroscience from the University of Edinburgh, invented the methodology of “self-blinding,” which allows self-experimenters in the psychedelics space to use placebo controls without monitoring. He is currently conducting self-blinding research at Imperial College London on psychedelic microdosing and the placebo effect. In 2016, in collaboration with the Global Drug Survey, he conducted research on the effects of MDMA on the brain and revealed the harm of recreational use is often overestimated. He is also one of the architects of the OpenWorm project, an open science project that aims to simulate nervous systems.
Brandon Weiss, Ph.D.CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER, CENTRE FOR PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH
Brandon Weiss, Ph.D.
Dr. Brandon Weiss is a post-doctoral research associate and clinical psychologist exploring how psychedelics can affect post-traumatic stress, health and well-being, Dr. Weiss’ research areas also include the medicinal benefits of ibogaine and ayahuasca for the special forces’ veteran population. He currently leads the self-blinding microdosing study at Imperial College London along with Balazs Szigeti and others.
Christopher B. Timmermann Slater, Ph.D., B.Sc.RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, CENTRE FOR PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH
Christopher B. Timmermann Slater, Ph.D., B.Sc.
Dr. Christopher Timmermann’s research and work focuses on the psychology, pharmacology, psychiatry, neuroscience, and the ethics of psychedelic use. Currently a Research Associate at Imperial College London at the Centre for Psychedelic Research, he previously led the very first DMT brain imaging study on consciousness and potential therapeutic uses. He is also a columnist for Psychology Today, where he writes about psychedelics.
Danielle M. Herrera, M.A., LMFT, AMFTPSYCHOTHERAPIST, SAGE INTEGRATIVE HEALTH
Danielle M. Herrera, M.A., LMFT, AMFT
Danielle M. Herrera is a psychotherapist who provides ketamine-assisted therapy, harm reduction therapy, and psychedelic integration at Sage Integrative Health and at the California Center for Change. Although she works with many types of patients, her focus is on historically marginalized people, such as people of color, LGBTQ+ patients, individuals with substance use disorder, have a history of trauma, or are undergoing end-of-life care.
Edward JacobsDPHIL STUDENT AND RESEARCH FELLOW, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Edward Jacobs
Edward Jacobs, M.Sc. in Philosophy of Mind, Cognitive Neuroscience and Buddhist Studies, is currently a DPhil student and research fellow at the University of Oxford, within the NEUROSEC team at the Department of Psychiatry and the Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities. His psychedelic research began in 2018 when he was a Science Officer at the Beckley Foundation, and his work has continued to contribute to ethical and scientific advancements in the cannabis and psychedelic space.
Ellen WongPSYCHEDELIC FACILITATOR, DOUBLEBLIND MAGAZINE AND THE ANCESTOR PROJECT
Ellen Wong
Ellen Wong is a psychedelic advocate, breathwork and medicine journey guide, and psychedelic facilitator who co-created We Are All Daughters, a medicine healing experience and retreat, and its associated podcast, Woo Knew, which focuses on transformation, healing, and uplifting people of color. She has studied shamanic practices with the shamanic practitioner, Mimi Young, and completed a Psychedelic Sitters program. Currently, Wong is a facilitator for The Ancestor Project and DoubleBlind Magazine, both of which integrate psychedelic medicine into healing journeys.
Emma EckernäsPH.D. STUDENT IN CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN
Emma Eckernäs
Emma Eckernäs has an M.Sc. in Pharmacy from the University of Gothenburg and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Gothenburg in the Unit for Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism. Her psychedelic research focuses on DMT and its mechanism of action, effects on the body, and how the drugs move throughout the body, all of which can help guide dosing for future research and clinical applications.
Friederike Holze, Ph.D.POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER, UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL BASEL AND UNIVERSITY OF BASEL
Friederike Holze, Ph.D.
Dr. Friederike Holze, who is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University Hospital Basel, where she studies the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of psychedelics, such as LSD and MDMA. She has also assisted with research on the therapeutic use of LSD as a treatment for various anxiety disorders, which could potentially help countless people recover. Currently, she is involved in Phase II investigations of the medical potential of LSD.
Giuliana FurciFOUNDER AND CEO, FUNDACIÓN FUNGI (FUNGI FOUNDATION)
Giuliana Furci
Giuliana Furci is a mycologist and the founder and CEO of the Fundación Fungi (Fungi Foundation), a non-profit research and education group dedicated to learning more about the wonderous world of fungi. In addition to being the first NGO in the world dedicated to the protection of fungi, the foundation also explores potential new uses for fungi, makes recommendations for the conservation of fungal species, and furthers awareness and education regarding all things fungus. Furci is also a co-chair of the IUCN Fungal Conservation Committee, and co-author of several publications including Biodiversidad de Chile: Patrimonio y Desafíos.
Hannah DouglassPH.D. CANDIDATE, M.SC. TRANSLATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE, CENTRE FOR PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH
Hannah Douglass
Hannah Douglass, who is the recipient of the President’s Ph.D. Scholarship to research the efficacy of psilocybin as a treatment for anorexia, is currently a Ph.D. student at Imperial College London’s Centre for Psychedelic Research. She is focused on studying how psychedelics can help improve interoceptive awareness, and cognitive flexibility.
Isabel WiessnerPH.D. CANDIDATE, POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW, EDERAL UNIVERSITY OF RIO GRANDE DO NORTE, NATAL, BRAZIL
Isabel Wiessner
Isabel Wießner received her Ph.D. from the University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. During her time in her doctoral program, she facilitated Brazil’s very first double-blind placebo-controlled human research on LSD and how it affects creativity, thinking, and consciousness. The study also investigated how LSD impacts therapeutic and psychotic experiences. Now, Wiessner works as a postdoctoral fellow at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil, where she researches how DMT and ayahuasca affect brain activity.
Jeeshan Chowdhury, M.D., Ph.D.FOUNDER AND CEO, JOURNEY COLAB
Jeeshan Chowdhury, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Jeeshan Chowdhury received his M.D. at University of Alberta and his doctorate at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy, he is the founder and CEO of Journey Colab, a biopharmaceutical company committed to engineering psychedelic medicines, including mescaline, to treat addiction and mental health conditions. Journey doesn’t just develop drugs, it also creates a comprehensive model of addiction care that combines community support, psychotherapy, and psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Jordan Sloshower, M.D., M.Sc.CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR OF PSYCHIATRY, YALE UNIVERSITY
Jordan Sloshower, M.D., M.Sc.
Dr. Jordan Sloshower is a psychiatrist, psychedelics researcher, and professor at Yale University, where he also received his M.D. He primarily studies the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances and how they can be combined with psychotherapy and other treatment modalities to offer integrated and comprehensive care. At Yale, he also co-founded the Psychedelic Science Group, where he investigates psilocybin-assisted treatment.
Justin Strickland, Ph.D.ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Justin Strickland, Ph.D.
Dr. Justin Strickland is a behavioral pharmacologist and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. His expertise and research interests include evaluating psychoactive drugs, including psychedelics, decision-making, public health, sexual health, and addiction. Dr. Strickland also researches psychedelic effects and therapeutic efficacy at the Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research.
Kirran Ahmad, M.D.CLINICAL RESEARCH FELLOW, CENTRE FOR PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH
Kirran Ahmad, M.D.
Dr. Kirran Ahmad received her medical degree from the University of Nottingham. She is now a clinical trial doctor and clinical research fellow at the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London, where she is collaborating with Professor David Nutt and Dr. David Erritzoe on studies related to the efficacy of psilocybin for chronic pain management and ketamine PET imaging. Previously, she was a senior anesthetic registrar at the NHS Barts and Royal London Hospital where she specialized in pain management and anesthesia, particularly in relation to addiction.
Leor Roseman, Ph.D.RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, CENTRE FOR PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
Leor Roseman, Ph.D.
Dr. Leor Roseman is a post-doctoral Research Associate at Imperial College London’s Centre for Psychedelic Research, where he studies the psychosocial, therapeutic, phenomenological, and neuroscientific aspects of psychedelic experiences. His current research is focused on how psychedelic rituals and psychedelic use can contribute to peacebuilding. He’s had several scientific articles published, including those on psilocybin therapy, the connectedness of psychedelics, and LSD.
Matthew Baggott, Ph.D.CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, TACTOGEN
Matthew Baggott, Ph.D.
Matthew Baggott is a data scientist and neuroscientist with more than three decades of psychedelics research. He is the co-founder and CEO of Tactogen, a biopharma research company devoted to developing empathogens, or drugs that promote connectedness and emotional openness, similar to MDMA. Tactogen’s mission is to ensure that these psychedelic medicines are accessible, effective, and safe.
Merlin SheldrakeAUTHOR, Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures,
Merlin Sheldrake
Merlin Sheldrake is a biologist and author holding a Ph.D. in tropical ecology from the University of Cambridge. Sheldrake has authored several books including, Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures, for which he was awarded the Royal Society Science Book Prize. Currently, Sheldrake is an associate researcher with Vrije University Amsterdam. He also actively works with the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN), and is a member of the advisory board for the Fungi Foundation.
Peter Sjostedt-Hughes, Ph.D.PHILOSOPHER, RESEARCH FELLOW, LECTURER, THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Peter Sjostedt-Hughes, Ph.D.
Dr. Peter Sjostedt-Hughes is currently a lecturer and research fellow at the University of Exeter and a philosopher with specialties in Spinoza, Nietzsche, and Whitehead. He also studies altered consciousness and panpsychism, or the idea that everything has a mind. At the University of Exeter, he lectures on Philosophy and Psychedelics, and he has given a TEDx Talk on “Psychedelics and Consciousness”.
Zeus TipadoMPHIL, PH.D. CANDIDATE, MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY
Zeus Tipado
Zeus Tipado, who previously received his MPhil from the University of South Wales, is currently a Ph.D. neuroscience and psychopharmacology candidate at Maastricht University, and his research is centered on the visual cortex changes and variations under the influence of DMT. His writing has appeared in Psychedelics Today, Psychedelic Support, Healing Maps, DoubleBlind Magazine, and High Times Magazine.