Who We Are Old

Founder and Executive Director

Bia Labate – Co-Founder and Executive Director

Dr. Beatriz Caiuby Labate (Bia Labate) is a queer Brazilian anthropologist based in San Francisco. She has a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil. Her main areas of interest are the study of plant medicines, drug policy, shamanism, ritual, religion, and social justice. She is Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and serves as Public Education and Culture Specialist at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). She is also Visiting Scholar at Naropa University’s Center for Psychedelic Studies and Advisor at the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition. Dr. Labate is a co-founder of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP) in Brazil and editor of its site. She is author, co-author, and co-editor of twenty-six books, two special-edition journals, and several peer-reviewed articles (https://bialabate.net).

Board of Directors

Clancy Cavnar – Co-Founder and Board Member

Clancy Cavnar has a doctorate in clinical psychology (Psy.D.) from John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, CA. She currently works in private practice in San Francisco, and is Co-Founder and a member of the Board of Directors of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. She is also a research associate of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP). She combines an eclectic array of interests and activities as clinical psychologist, artist, and researcher. She has a master of fine arts in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute, a master’s in counseling from San Francisco State University, and she completed the Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). She is author and co-author of articles in several peer-reviewed journals and co-editor, with Beatriz Caiuby Labate, of eleven books. For more information see: http://www.drclancycavnar.com

Sean McAllister – Chair of the Board of Directors

Sean T. McAllister is an attorney specializing in the intersection of regulatory and corporate law, and also is an experienced commercial litigator. He has been a leader in the emerging industries of cannabis, hemp, and psychedelic medicines. Sean is licensed to practice law in Colorado and California. His work in psychedelics has included: Advised clients on what is allowed in cities that have decriminalized psychedelics; Advised clients looking to obtain a religious exemption from criminal law for the use of psychedelics under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act; Seeking DEA licensure for companies to manufacture Schedule I drugs lawfully in the United States; Steering committee member on Colorado’s Natural Medicine Health Act; Executive Officer of the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel, 2020; Chair of the Board of Directors for the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants.

Erika Dyck – Secretary 

Erika Dyck is a Professor and a Canada Research Chair in the History of Health & Social Justice at the University of Saskatchewan. She is the author or co-author of several books, including: Psychedelic Psychiatry (2008); A Culture’s Catalyst: Historical Encounters with Peyote and the Native American Church in Canada (2016); Psychedelic Prophets: The Letters of Aldous Huxley and Humphry Osmond (2018);  Mujeres y Psicodélicos (2022) and co-author of The Acid Room: the psychedelic trials and tribulations of Hollywood Hospital (2022). She sits on the Board of Directors of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and is Associate Director of Chacruna in Canada.

Sean Carr – Treasurer

Sean Carr is a business and technology leader who currently lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has spent his career consulting for large enterprise companies across multiple industries, including technology, healthcare life sciences, and hospitality, to drive complex organizational transformations that align people with the processes and technology needed for success. Sean is also a lifelong student of both science and spirituality. He has a passion for the ceremonial use of sacred plants, and is committed to promoting equitable access to psychedelic medicines and reciprocity for the Indigenous communities that have held this knowledge for thousands of years. Sean is a member of Chacruna’s Board of Directors.

HarryMcIlroy – Board Member

Dr. Harry McIlroy has had a lifelong interest in herbal medicine and completed a Master’s in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine prior to earning his medical degree. This was his first introduction to the potency of plant medicine. His later studies of Ayurveda while living in India examined plants from a different perspective. As a family doctor practicing integrative and functional medicine, he regularly advises patients on safe and effective ways to integrate cannabis into their health care plans. He worked with the urban underserved for over a decade, focusing on equal access to physical and mental healthcare. More recently he completed a certificate in psychedelic studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies. He is currently involved with using MDMA for the treatment of PTSD as part of the Expanded Access program through the FDA. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and very enthusiastic about working towards Chacruna’s mission of furthering diversity, Indigenous rights, environmental protection, and equitable access to the healing power of plant medicines and psychedelics.

Anna (Anya) Ermakova – Board Member

Anna (Anya) Ermakova has a motley background and broad research interests combining nature conservation, ethnobotany, neuroscience and psychiatry, interweaving and connecting these diverse paths through psychedelic science. Anya worked at the forefront of psychedelic research as a science officer at the Beckley Foundation, and has provided psychedelic welfare and harm reduction services with PsycareUK and Zendo. Deep love for nature and wildlife has motivated Anya to study biology at the University of Edinburgh, while a quest to understand altered states of consciousness has prompted her to specialise in neuroscience and later continued during her PhD in psychiatry at Cambridge, where she investigated the origins of psychosis. She then worked for the NHS, developing and trialing a new psychosocial intervention for psychosis. After a brief stint as a clinical trial manager, she had decided to pursue her passion for nature, by studying Conservation Science at Imperial College London, where she researched peyote ecology in Texas, USA. Anya is working as a research consultant in London, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, and member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants. She is also board member of the Cactus Conservation Institute.

Daniela Peluso – Board Member

Daniela Peluso is a cultural anthropologist who has worked over the last two decades in Lowland South America, mostly with communities in Peru and Bolivia. She has been actively involved in various local efforts on issues relating to health, gender, indigenous urbanization and land-rights and works in close collaboration with indigenous and local organizations. Her publications focus mostly on indigenous ontologies, urbanization, violence and relatedness. She received her PhD in 2003 from Columbia University and is an Emeritus Fellow in social anthropology at the University of Kent. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines.

Dr. Sonya Faber – Board Member

Dr. Sonya Faber graduated with a Masters in Neurobiology from Brown University after completing her undergraduate work at the University of Pennsylvania. She continued her graduate studies at New York University earning a PhD in molecular genetics with a thesis concentration in signal transduction. Over the course of the last 15 years, she has had the opportunity and privilege to contribute equally to both academic research institutes and commercial pharmaceutical development. She has worked in clinical operations for companies including, IQVIA, Covance and Sanofi-Aventis. Her interests lie in creating innovative solutions for projects which could benefit both patients and the scientific community, in part by connecting with top scientists, industry and regulatory agencies.In her academic roles, she assessed novel ideas and supported scientists in making these commercially viable while contributing to several original grants and research papers and patents. Her interest in protocol design, medical writing and project management, which she utilized in both pharma and biotech firms, included pre-clinical and clinical activities for phase II and III trials across multiple indications. She has a special interest in training the next generation of clinical researchers and has designed courses to teach scientific writing and Good Clinical Practice. Dr. Faber is member of the Board Directors of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and serves on Chacruna’s Racial Equity and Access Committee. Her engagement on Chacruna is on a volunteer basis and is based on her personal interest in the science of psychedelics, which has long been an interest of hers before taking her current position at Angelini Pharma. In the past two years, she has started an international collaboration with researchers at the University of Ottawa in Canada on several projects in the area of mental health disparities and social justice. She also served on the steering committee for the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association.

NiCole T. Buchanan – Board Member

NiCole T. Buchanan, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University and Clinical Director and Founder of Alliance Psychological Associates, PLLC. She serves on the inaugural Board of Directors of the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association and the Board of Directors and the Racial Equity and Access Committee for the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicine. Dr. Buchanan has trained with MAPS’ MDMA-assisted therapy, the CIIS’ Certificate for Psychedelic Research and Therapy, and the Polaris Insight Center’s Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy training. She is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, four separate divisions of the American Psychological Association, and has received numerous national and international awards for her research, teaching, clinical work, and professional service. She is an accomplished speaker, writer, and scholar, with more than one hundred journal articles, book chapters, and research reports focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion, workplace behaviors and their impact on organizational climate, employee well-being, and professional development. Her work has been highlighted in hundreds of media outlets including CBS News, the Huffington Post, and Essence Magazine and she has been a featured speaker for several programs including TEDx and National Public Radio (NPR).

Staff

IRI Program Director

Indigenous and Community Affairs Officer

Marlena Robbins is Diné (Navajo) from the Yeii Dine’e Táchii’nii (Giant Red Running into Water People) clan. She holds a master’s in American Indian studies – Indigenous rights and social justice. Her thesis, titled Art as a Spiritual Expression for Indigenous Well-being, focused on advocating for art within the fields of Indigenous mental health and community wellness. She has developed and implemented expressive arts programming for Community Bridges, Inc., a substance abuse and behavioral health nonprofit. She has served as the assistant director and grant writer of Cultural Coalition, Inc., an arts and culture nonprofit. She is a doctoral student at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health – Interdisciplinary Studies, focusing on the advancement of sacred plant medicines in tribal nations. She is an Indigenous science student fellow of the Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics (BCSP). Her qualitative research title, Multigenerational Perspectives of Psilocybin Mushrooms in Tribal and Urban Indigenous Communities of the North and Southwest United States, will inform the protocols of psychedelic-assisted therapy from multigenerational Indigenous perspectives on psilocybin mushrooms. She is a graduate student researcher for the BCSP’s Certificate Program in Psychedelic Facilitation. She serves as Indigenous and Community Affairs Officer at the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines.

Research Coordinator

Nicholas Spiers is a queer anthropologist and documentary filmmaker. He has a Master’s degree in visual anthropology from the University of Barcelona and is interested in the sensory experience of audiovisual mediums. He has lived for several years in Mexico doing fieldwork in the Sierra Mazateca, and is currently based in Portugal. He is Chacruna’s research coordinator, creating content incorporating different cultural perspectives and disciplines to approach challenging discussions in the psychedelic community. He is the lead author on Chacruna’s upcoming Annotated Bibliography of Key Texts on the Indigenous and Historical Uses of Psilocybin. He also produces compelling videos and multimedia materials. With Bia Labate he co-directed the documentary web series The Peyote Files, and created the educational video Chacruna Debunks 6 Racist Myths from the Psychedelic Community. He has created an award-winning series about the psychoactive plant Salvia divinorum. He co-founded Agua de Rayo, a non-profit civil organization based in Mexico’s Sierra Mazateca, which is invested in visual ethnography and community projects and which also has an interest in Mazatec psychoactive plant use.

Program Coordinator

Alejandra Barajas received her BA in Studio Art and Journalism from Beloit College. As an undergrad, she explored many topics ranging from art to philosophy to anthropology to journalism. Professionally, she has combined these skills in order to build a portfolio of knowledge. She uses an ethnographic approach to understand existence by communicating with different types of people, documenting their life experiences, and sharing this wisdom with the world through different mediums. She began this practice by working with graffiti artists in Chicago and giving them a platform to share their voices in an effort to remove the stigma surrounding this underground culture. During that time, she was a journalist for UP Mag which is a NY based publication focused on street art and politics. She has since shifted her focus to psychedelic plant medicines and is primarily interested in the topics of accessibility for underrepresented communities and promoting indigenous voices. She is Chacruna’s Program Coordinator, producing research, and supporting work on books, chronicles, community forums, and with team’s speaking engagements. She is currently based in Washington, DC.

Project Coordinator

Horacio Guevara studied anthropology at Guadalajara University and has coordinated research teams for various projects focused on gangs and violence reduction within the College of Jalisco (COLJAL) in Guadalajara and Zapopan. He has implemented social intervention projects for government crime prevention programs. He has worked as Dr. Bia Labate’s research assistant at the Center for Research and Higher Studies in Social Anthropology (CIESAS) from 2015 to 2020. Since 2017 Horacio has been Chacruna’s Project Coordinator. He has helped organize all of Dr. Labate’s and Chacruna’s conferences since 2015, and oversees a range of administration and operations for many of Chacruna’s core programs.

Social Strategy and Communications Officer

Lorien Chavez is the Social Strategy and Communications Officer for the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. Currently based out of New Mexico, she received her bachelor’s in Neuropsychology and Biology and is passionate about the research and use of sacred plant medicines as a tool for generational epigenetic healing. She has been motivated to look deeper into how psychedelics may aid in the process of remapping our minds and nervous systems, and is eager to do it in a way that remains respectful and celebratory of the traditions these medicines are rooted in. Her priority as she steps into these spaces is to ensure that the voices of Indigenous and marginalized communities are heard and respected.

Education Program Associate

Lígia Duque Platero is Chacruna’s Education Program Associate. She is a queer, cisgender Brazilian woman. She has an interdisciplinary background in history, anthropology and Latin American studies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history (2005) and a history teacher training qualification (2006) from the University of São Paulo (USP), in Brazil. She has a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM – 2012) in Mexico City, addressing public policies in relation to Indigenous peoples and Indigenous education in Brazil and Mexico from the 1940s-1970s. She has a doctorate in humanities, with an emphasis on cultural anthropology (2018), from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), in Brazil. Her PhD looked at the cultural transformations and exchanges amid the alliance between the Yawanawá Indigenous people and an urban church of Santo Daime. Her main research focus areas are: ayahuasca, Santo Daime, sacred plants, shamanic tourism, Yawanawá (Pano) people, Indigenous policies and human rights in Brazil and Mexico. She is a research associate at the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP) and at the Laboratory for the History of Religious Experiences (UFRJ/IFCS) in Brazil.

Social Media Coordinator

Hena Malik is Social Media Coordinator of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. She received her B.S in Biology at the University of Florida and plans to further her education in the pharmaceutical research and drug development field. During her senior year in Florida, Hena volunteered for organizations including SSDP, Dancesafe, and Harmonia. While promoting harm reduction and learning about the power of these sacred medicines, Hena was inspired to take action in the psychedelic community and destigmatize the use of these substances by engaging in education. Hena is currently working on a bill to legalize the use of fentanyl test strips in Florida, and participates in other policy work on her free time including The Last Prisoners project, which was created to support the release of incarcerated cannabis prisoners. Hena also works in the medical field compounding medications which has allowed her to develop an understanding of the chemical compositions of psychedelic medicines.

Media Content Producer

Karina Alvarez is a Mexican graphic designer, illustrator, photographer, and cacao/chocolate aficionado. Having a deep interest on topics about de-stigmatization of drugs and their consumers, she has done graphic design work and volunteered for organizations such as Espolea, ReverdeSer, and the Program of Substance Analysis. She has also collaborated with video production and editing for Drug Reporter. She worked for 5 years in the area of communication for the Mexican Commission of Defense and Promotion of Human Rights, an organization that deals with subjects such as enforced disappearance, migration, femicide, and land and territory defense. Karina is Chacruna’s Media Content Producer.

Communications Associate of Chacruna Latinoamérica in Mexico

Ibrahim Gabriell is a communicologist and multidisciplinary researcher of the phenomenon of expanded states of consciousness. As a professor in the state of Chiapas (Mexico), he has taught both Communication studies at the Universidad de los Altos de Chiapas and Transpersonal Psychology at the Universidad Jose Vasconcelos. He is Communications Associate of Chacruna Latinoamérica in Mexico. He is also co-founder of Vía Synapsis, an academic society that organizes the National Congress on Psychoactive Substances at the National University of Mexico. He also served as an assistant editor for the publishing house Lunaria. Ibrahim is co-host of Mindsurf’s podcasts: MindSurf – Transformations of Consciousness and Psyche & Cosmos.

Associate Director of Chacruna Latinoamérica in Brazil

Glauber Loures de Assis has a Ph.D. in sociology from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil. He is Research Associate at the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP), coordinator of the communication department of the New Age Institute and technical coordinator of ICEFLU, the largest institution of the Santo Daime religion in the world. He has developed research on Santo Daime groups from Brazil and Europe and has also studied the sociology of religion from a wider perspective. His main interests include the ayahuasca religions, New Religious Movements (NRMs), the internationalization of the Brazilian religions, and drug use in contemporary society. He is also Associate Director of Chacruna Latinoamérica in Brazil. He is the author of numerous articles and book chapters, and the co-editor of the book Mujeres y Psicodélicos (Women and Psychedelics, Chacruna Institute/Lunaria, 2022).

Communications Associate of Chacruna Latinoamérica in Brazil

Communications Team

Adam Aronovich is a doctoral candidate in Anthropology and Communications at Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Catalonia, focusing on Medical Anthropology and Cultural Psychiatry. He is an active member of the Medical Anthropology Research Center (MARC) and has spent close to 5 years living and working in the Peruvian Amazon, conducting extensive fieldwork and qualitative research in collaboration with ICEERS, the Beckley Foundation, and, more recently, the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College. Beyond research, Adam has facilitated healing retreats and workshops in the Peruvian Amazon and, currently in Mexico. He is also a process facilitator and provides preparation and integration support in private practice and the co-founder and COO of Hidden Hand Media, a creative agency in the space of transformation and technology. Additionally, Adam is Media Associate for the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines.

Trey Brasher is a drug researcher and graphic artist from Denver, Colorado. He has a degree in pharmacology from Stockton University in New Jersey with minors in neuroscience and holistic health. His research and advocacy work touches psychopharmacology, drug policy, medicinal chemistry, and the nature of consciousness. He currently works at Unlimited Sciences, a psychedelic research non-profit, and is a graphic designer for the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. He also works in an art and design capacity for Grassroots California and other companies.

Mariom Luna is a motion graphic designer who also works with audio, music, and photography, based in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico. A travel and nature lover, from his very first psychedelic experience in 2009, he realized the importance of contributing to the de-stigmatization of the use of plant medicine. He has collaborated with drug policy organizations such as Espolea, Mind Surf, and La Drogoteca Library. He is a graphic designer for the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines.

Committees and Working Groups

Chacruna Chronicles

Clancy Cavnar has a doctorate in clinical psychology (Psy.D.) from John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, CA. She currently works in private practice in San Francisco, and is Co-Founder and a member of the Board of Directors of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. She is also a research associate of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP). She combines an eclectic array of interests and activities as clinical psychologist, artist, and researcher. She has a master of fine arts in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute, a master’s in counseling from San Francisco State University, and she completed the Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). She is author and co-author of articles in several peer-reviewed journals and co-editor, with Beatriz Caiuby Labate, of eleven books. For more information see: http://www.drclancycavnar.com

Jessica DeWitt is an environmental historian, editor, and digital communications strategist. She earned her PhD in History from the University of Saskatchewan in 2019. Jessica is part of the Chacruna Chronicles Editorial team, where she focuses on editing and optimizing Chacruna’s articles for readability and digital reach. She is an executive member of the Network in Canadian History and Environment (NiCHE), and a working board member of the Saskatchewan History and Folklore Society and Girls Rock Saskatoon. A passionate social justice advocate, she focuses on developing digital techniques and communications that bridge the divide between academia and the general public in order to democratize knowledge access. You can find out more about her and her freelance services at jessicamdewitt.com.

Patrick Farrell is part of the Chacruna Chronicles editorial team, where he supports the series on the history of women in psychedelics. He graduated from the University of Alberta (Canada) with an MA in the History & Philosophy of Science. Currently, Patrick works as an editor based in Toronto. With fellow Chacruna member Erika Dyck, he helped co-edit Psychedelic Prophets: The Letters of Aldous Huxley and Humphry Osmond (2018). He has also contributed to several other publishing projects, including The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity (Viking Press, 2015), A Culture’s Catalyst: Historical Encounters with Peyote (University of Manitoba Press, 2016), and Yiddish in Israel: A History (Indiana University Press, 2020). In addition to his editing work, Patrick teaches courses in the history of philosophy at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. He is a proud volunteer at Toronto’s acclaimed Hospital for Sick Children.

Osiris Sinuhé González Romero earned his PhD at Leiden University, in the Faculty of Archaeology-Heritage ofIndigenous Peoples. His dissertation “Tlamatiliztli: the wisdom of the Nahua people. Intercultural philosophy and right to land”, has been published by Leiden University Press. He was awarded the Coimbra Group Scholarship for Young Professors and Researchers from Latin American Universities in 2015. He has been involved in psychedelic research since 2008. He is part of the Chacruna Chronicles editorial team. He is also founder member of Via Synapsis, and academic society focused on the organization of the University Congress of Psychoactive Substances hosted by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Faculty of Philosophy since 2014. Currently he is a Postdoctoral researcher on cognitive freedom and psychedelic humanities at the University of Saskatchewan. He has been working on the book, New Essays on History and Philosophy of Psychedelics. His research interests include: philosophy of psychedelics, history of medicine, indigenous knowledge, decolonial theory, political philosophy, heritage studies, and aesthetics.

Kelan Thomas, PharmD, MS, is an associate professor and psychiatric pharmacist with outpatient behavioral health practice sites in San Francisco and Oakland. He completed undergraduate chemistry/pharmacology at Duke University, a PharmD at UC San Francisco, and a Clinical Research MS at University of Michigan. He has completed clinical pharmacy residencies at University of Michigan and University of Southern California. His research is related to psychopharmacology, adverse drug reactions and pharmacogenomics with the goal of optimizing mental health pharmacotherapy for psychiatric clients. More recently he completed the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research training program and started collaborating with psychedelic-assisted therapy clinical trials at UC San Francisco. He is also part of the Chacruna Chronicles editorial team, and curates the “Science Sunday” social media series with a psychedelic science publication posted weekly.

Racial Equity and Access Committee

NiCole T. Buchanan, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University and Clinical Director and Founder of Alliance Psychological Associates, PLLC. She serves on the inaugural Board of Directors of the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association and the Board of Directors and the Racial Equity and Access Committee for the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicine. Dr. Buchanan has trained with MAPS’ MDMA-assisted therapy, the CIIS’ Certificate for Psychedelic Research and Therapy, and the Polaris Insight Center’s Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy training. She is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, four separate divisions of the American Psychological Association, and has received numerous national and international awards for her research, teaching, clinical work, and professional service. She is an accomplished speaker, writer, and scholar, with more than one hundred journal articles, book chapters, and research reports focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion, workplace behaviors and their impact on organizational climate, employee well-being, and professional development. Her work has been highlighted in hundreds of media outlets including CBS News, the Huffington Post, and Essence Magazine and she has been a featured speaker for several programs including TEDx and National Public Radio (NPR).

Dr. Sonya Faber graduated with a Masters in Neurobiology from Brown University after completing her undergraduate work at the University of Pennsylvania. She continued her graduate studies at New York University earning a PhD in molecular genetics with a thesis concentration in signal transduction. Over the course of the last 15 years, she has had the opportunity and privilege to contribute equally to both academic research institutes and commercial pharmaceutical development. She has worked in clinical operations for companies including, IQVIA, Covance and Sanofi-Aventis. Her interests lie in creating innovative solutions for projects which could benefit both patients and the scientific community, in part by connecting with top scientists, industry and regulatory agencies.In her academic roles, she assessed novel ideas and supported scientists in making these commercially viable while contributing to several original grants and research papers and patents. Her interest in protocol design, medical writing and project management, which she utilized in both pharma and biotech firms, included pre-clinical and clinical activities for phase II and III trials across multiple indications. She has a special interest in training the next generation of clinical researchers and has designed courses to teach scientific writing and Good Clinical Practice. Dr. Faber is member of the Board Directors of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and serves on Chacruna’s Racial Equity and Access Committee. Her engagement on Chacruna is on a volunteer basis and is based on her personal interest in the science of psychedelics, which has long been an interest of hers before taking her current position at Angelini Pharma. In the past two years, she has started an international collaboration with researchers at the University of Ottawa in Canada on several projects in the area of mental health disparities and social justice. She also served on the steering committee for the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association.

Jamilah R. George, M.Div., a Detroit native, singer, dancer, and actress, obtained her Bachelor’s from the University of Michigan, her Master’s from Yale University, and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Connecticut. Jamilah serves as a MAPS-sponsored phase 3 MDMA-assisted psychotherapy co-therapist whose site focuses on treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress among people of color. She is also a member of Chacruna’s Racial Equity and Access committee. Her research interests include obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, the psychological effects of discrimination and racial trauma on people of color, and the neurological underpinnings of these disorders. Jamilah’s passion for social justice and equality issues fuels her work as she advocates for the mental and holistic wellbeing of socially disenfranchised groups, including women, people of color, impoverished domestic and international communities, and the intersections therein.

Joseph McCowan, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, currently working in Los Angeles as a Co-therapist and Supervisor in the MAPS sponsored Phase 3 clinical trials of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD. Additionally, Joseph supports the MAPS Therapy Training Program as a training assistant, and supports efforts toward increasing the diversity of therapists and participants in the MAPS clinical studies as part of the MAPS Diversity Working Group. Outside of his work with MAPS, Joseph practices at the California Center for Psychedelic Therapy where he provides Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) and Psychedelic Integration Therapy. Along with his training in MDMA Assisted-Therapy and Ketamine Assisted-Therapy, Joseph is trained in multiple other psychedelic assisted therapy approaches including Psilocybin Assisted-Therapy for Depression (COMPASS Pathways) and 5-MEO-DMT Assisted-Therapy for Depression (Beckley PsyTech). Joseph is deeply passionate about furthering education and awareness of the healing benefits of psychedelics for communities of color and in working to improve mental health outcomes for historically underserved communities and is a member of Chacruna’s Racial Equity and Access Committee. Joseph received his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his doctorate in clinical psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Darron T. Smith is a faculty member in the Department of Sociology at the University of Memphis. He is a physician assistant and US army veteran with over twenty years of healthcare-related experience as a PA educator and mental health treatment provider in psychiatry. Dr. Smith has trained with MAPS’ MDMA-assisted therapy. His research and scholarship examine US-based systems of racial oppression and systemic inequality found in all societal domains, including healthcare, the family (transracial adoption), healthcare disparities, religion, sport, culture, and politics. Dr. Smith’s current research and practice intertwine the study of applied neuroscience, race-based trauma, and mental illness by looking at the impact of EEG biofeedback versus MDMA-assisted psychotherapy on brainwave activity in individuals with racial trauma (PTSD) using EEG technology. He is featured in the CBS Sports Documentary, The Black 14: Wyoming Football 1969, and the Loki Mulholland film on transracial adoption, Black, White & Us: Love is Not Enough. He is the author of When Race, Religion & Sports Collide: Black Athletes at BYU and Beyond. Dr. Smith is a board member of the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association. He also serves as a curriculum advisor for the Alma Institute, an Oregon-based Psilocybin training facility. He also serves on Chacruna’s Racial Equity and Access Committee.

Monnica T. Williams is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa, in the School of Psychology, where she is the Canada Research Chair in Mental Health Disparities. She is also Clinical Director of the Behavioral Wellness Clinic. Her research focuses on African American mental health, culture, and psychopathology, and she has published over 100 scientific articles on these topics. Current projects include the assessment of race-based trauma, unacceptable thoughts in OCD, improving cultural competence in the delivery of mental health care services, and interventions to reduce racism. She gives diversity trainings nationally for clinical psychology programs, scientific conferences, and community organizations. She currently is Chair of their Academic Training & Education Standards (ATES). She is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation, and co-founded their Diversity Council. Dr. Williams is a member of Chacruna’s Racial Equity and Access Committee.

Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants 

Chris Byrnes is a registered patent attorney at Calyx Law with particular interests in ethical IP licensing and IP commoning. After graduating with degrees in Physics and Religion from Denison University, he worked with academic institutions and human rights initiatives in South India and began doing art-based interfaith dialogues in the United States. He then earned a Master’s of Theological Studies in Religion, Ethics, and Politics from Harvard Divinity School, and began organizing interfaith communities to improve access to medicines and environmental sustainability. Through this work, he developed a deep interest in the politics and power of intellectual property and earned a JD from Georgetown University. After years in private practice doing patent litigation and IP risk management, Chris co-founded Corporate Accountability Lab and Performing Pro Arts Commons to conduct experiments with IP to protect human rights and the environment across global supply chains, working with artists and activists from around the world. He is an adjunct professor at IE University and a member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants. He is based in La Pedriza, Spain.

Jon Dennis is a lawyer and activist in the psychedelics ecosystem and a consultant at the firm Psychedelics Now. He is the co-host of “Eyes on Oregon,” a Psychedelics Today podcast exploring the developments in Oregon’s psilocybin program Measure 109. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar Practice Section on Cannabis and Psychedelics and is a co-chair of its Psychedelics Subcommittee. He is a member of the Psychedelics Bar Association and sits on its Religious Use Committee. He is a founding member of the Entheogenic Practitioners Council of Oregon and a member of the Chacruna Institute’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants. Jon is the chief architect of the proposed regulatory framework for protecting community and religious use under Measure 109. Previous, Jon worked as a civil litigator and managed a nonprofit law office giving free legal assistance to people living in poverty. Jon has a BA in Religious Studies and practices law in Ontario, Oregon.

Celina De Leon, M.Div, has extensive experience in the field of psychedelics and contemplative practice with particular experience working with indigenous and spiritual lineages. She received an M.Div from the Graduate Theological Union- Starr King School for the Ministry and is broadly interested in the application of psychedelic plant medicines from the lens of spiritual care. Her long-standing relationship with the Kamentsa indigenous community of the Putumayo of Colombia informs her perspective on valuing how indigenous knowledge contributes to our understanding of the spiritual and therapeutic uses of psychedelics. She is the founder and director of Circle of Sacred Nature Church, member of Chacruna Institute’s Council’s for the Protection of Sacred Plants, and the program director of Posada Natura retreat center in Costa Rica. She also consults on indigenous reciprocity and DEI.

Anna (Anya) Ermakova has a motley background and broad research interests combining nature conservation, ethnobotany, neuroscience and psychiatry, interweaving and connecting these diverse paths through psychedelic science. Anya worked at the forefront of psychedelic research as a science officer at the Beckley Foundation, and has provided psychedelic welfare and harm reduction services with PsycareUK and Zendo. Deep love for nature and wildlife has motivated Anya to study biology at the University of Edinburgh, while a quest to understand altered states of consciousness has prompted her to specialise in neuroscience and later continued during her PhD in psychiatry at Cambridge, where she investigated the origins of psychosis. She then worked for the NHS, developing and trialing a new psychosocial intervention for psychosis. After a brief stint as a clinical trial manager, she had decided to pursue her passion for nature, by studying Conservation Science at Imperial College London, where she researched peyote ecology in Texas, USA. Anya is working as a research consultant in London, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, and member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants. She is also board member of the Cactus Conservation Institute.

Kevin Feeney, PhD, JD, is a cultural anthropologist and lawyer currently working as a Program Director and Senior Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Studies – Social Sciences at Central Washington University. His primary research interests include examining legal and regulatory issues surrounding the religious and cultural use of psychoactive substances, with an emphasis on peyote and ayahuasca, and exploring modern and traditional uses of Amanita muscaria, with a specific focus on medicinal use and preparation practices. His research has been published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, Journalof Psychoactive Drugs, Human Organization, and Curare, among other books and journals. He is a current member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants, and recently joined the Board of Advisors for Psyched Wellness, a Canadian health supplements company emphasizing medicinal mushrooms.

Ismail Lourido Ali is Policy & Advocacy Counsel for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), where he supports the development and implementation of strategies to create legal access to psychedelic substances in medical, sacramental, and personal contexts. Ismail presently sits on the Board of Directors for Sage Institute and on the Advisory Committee of the Ayahuasca Defense Fund. Previously Ismail has served as Chair of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) Board of Directors, and has worked for the ACLU of Northern California’s Criminal Justice & Drug Policy Project, as well as for the International Human Rights Law Clinic at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, where he received his J.D. Ismail is a member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants.

Martha J. Hartney is a private practice attorney in Colorado. She has a J.D. from the University of Denver College of Law. Her firm, Hartney Law, is a Boulder favorite, receiving the “Best of the West/Law Firm” award six years in a row. She was named a SuperLawyers Rising Star in 2020 and has published and presented on the art and science of death and dying for more than a decade. Martha is a certified death doula and the first attorney to be admitted to and graduate from the CIIS Certificate in Psychedelic Therapies and Research program. Martha is also a mediator and has served as a guardian ad litem. She found plant medicines later in life—becoming a drug policy reform advocate after experiencing profound spiritual healing through our plant teachers. She champions the religious use of ayahuasca; and advocates for excellent standards of care, best practices, integration work, and weaving of modern trauma science with the powerful indigenous practices being stewarded into the western world. Martha lives with her partner and has two grown sons. She is a member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants and the first steward of the Religious Use Subcommittee of the Psychedelic Bar Association.

Rob Heffernan is a member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants. He is an independent researcher and activist who has participated in the vegetalismo, Santo Daime and other syncretic traditions since 2000. He has been active in organizing and legal efforts for the Santo Daime, ayahuasca and the broader psychedelic community since 2005. He’s also a certified Shamanic Breathwork facilitator, a certified Integrative Sound and Music Practitioner (sound healing) and a long-term Buddhist Dharma practitioner. He is co-founder of the Sacred Plant Alliance and sit’s on its board of directors. He is in Cybin’s EMBARK training for psychedelic assisted therapy facilitation. Rob has a deep commitment to integrating and building connections between Buddhist Dharma, sacred medicine work and the eco-climate/social justice crisis.

Allison Hoots is an attorney who has been working with religious communities using sacred plant medicines for over five years, advising churches on incorporation, operation, and legal compliance in the religious use of plant medicines and consistent with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. She is a Of Counsel with Plant Medicine Law Group LLP; a member of Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines’ Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants and is the lead author of Chacruna’s Guide to RFRA and Best Practices for Psychedelic Plant Medicine Churches; she on the Board of Directors of the Sacred Plant Alliance; and she is on the Board of Trustees and officer of a nonprofit church that uses plant medicine in prayer.

Sean T. McAllister is an attorney specializing in the intersection of regulatory and corporate law, and also is an experienced commercial litigator. He has been a leader in the emerging industries of cannabis, hemp, and psychedelic medicines. Sean is licensed to practice law in Colorado and California. His work in psychedelics has included: Advised clients on what is allowed in cities that have decriminalized psychedelics; Advised clients looking to obtain a religious exemption from criminal law for the use of psychedelics under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act; Seeking DEA licensure for companies to manufacture Schedule I drugs lawfully in the United States; Steering committee member on Colorado’s Natural Medicine Health Act; Executive Officer of the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel, 2020; Chair of the Board of Directors for the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants.

Joseph Rhea is an attorney in Palm Springs, California.  Joseph grew up in eastern North Carolina and received his Ph.D. in sociology from Harvard. He taught in the areas of inequality and social movement organization at Harvard and Arizona State University.  He is author of Race Pride and the American Identity (2001). As a lawyer, Joseph first represented indigent defendants and then became very involved in cannabis legalization in California. Joseph is a member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants. Joseph is always eager to help with legal issues regarding safe access and he is particularly interested in those projects that address inequalities of access.

Graham Pechenik is a registered patent attorney, and the founder of Calyx Law. He has a BS from UC San Diego, where he chose his Cognitive Neuroscience and Biochemistry majors after his first psychedelic experiences inspired deep curiosity about the bases for changes in consciousness, and a JD from NYU, where he initially pursued interests in bioethics and cognitive liberty. After a decade at large law firms representing companies in the agricultural, chemical, pharmaceutical, biotech, and technology industries, including litigating patents at trial and on appeal, Graham started Calyx Law to work with cannabis and psychedelics ventures. Graham is also editor-at-large of Psilocybin Alpha, where he writes about psychedelics IP, provides data for patent trackers, and helps maintain a psychedelics legalization and decriminalization tracker, and he is a member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants. He was raised in Oakland, CA, and currently lives in San Francisco.

Jordan Sloshower, MD, MSc is a psychiatrist, researcher, and educator whose work focuses on therapeutic applications of psychedelic medicines, and in particular, how these novel treatments can be delivered in a manner that promotes holistic healing and social justice. He is a faculty member in the Yale Department of Psychiatry, where he served as an investigator and therapist in several clinical trials of psilocybin-assisted therapy. Jordan is a clinical investigator in MAPS’ Expanded Access Program for MDMA-assisted therapy of PTSD and a lead trainer with Usona Institute’s psilocybin facilitator training program. Reflecting his commitment to ethical stewardship of psychedelic medicines, Jordan was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association and serves as a member of Chacruna Institute’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants. His interdisciplinary perspective is informed by prior training in medical anthropology and global health, and deep interests in ceremonial uses of plant medicines, Buddhist philosophy, and integrative approaches to wellness.

Women, Gender Diversity, and Sexual Minorities Working Group

Clancy Cavnar has a doctorate in clinical psychology (Psy.D.) from John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, CA. She currently works in private practice in San Francisco, and is Co-Founder and a member of the Board of Directors of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. She is also a research associate of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP). She combines an eclectic array of interests and activities as clinical psychologist, artist, and researcher. She has a master of fine arts in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute, a master’s in counseling from San Francisco State University, and she completed the Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). She is author and co-author of articles in several peer-reviewed journals and co-editor, with Beatriz Caiuby Labate, of eleven books. For more information see: http://www.drclancycavnar.com

Justin Natoli, JD, LMFT (he/she/they) is a psychotherapist, hakomi practitioner, ketamine therapist, and retreat facilitator. In their private practice in Los Angeles, Justin specializes in depth and somatic psychotherapies, trauma, addiction, psychedelic integration, and working within kink, poly, and LGBTQIA+ communities. Justin also serves on the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines’ Women, Gender Diversity, and Sexual Minorities Working Group. They are honored to be a contributing author for Chacruna’s latest book, “Queering Psychedelics.” Justin received a JD with honors from the UCLA School of Law and a Master’s in Depth psychology from the Pacifica Graduate Institute. They have a certificate in psychedelic therapy and research from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and are working towards a Ph.D. in Psychedelic Studies from the Awe Foundation and Ubiquity University. For more information, see: http://www.justinnatoli.com

Ayahuasca Community Committee

Dr. Henrique Fernandes Antunes is a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre d’Étude des Mouvements Sociaux (CEMS) of the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS). He has Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of São Paulo (2019), with a research internship as a visiting scholar at the University of California Berkeley. He holds a M.A. degree in Anthropology from the University of São Paulo (2012) and a B.A. in Social Sciences (2006) and Anthropology (2008) from the Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP-FFC). He is a member of the research group Religion in the Contemporary World of the Brazilian Center of Analysis and Planning (CEBRAP). He is also a member of the Ayahuasca Community Committee of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, and a researcher at the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP). He specialized in the fields of urban anthropology, anthropology of religion, anthropology of secularism, and sociology of public problems.

Adam Aronovich is a doctoral candidate in Anthropology and Communications at Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Catalonia, focusing on Medical Anthropology and Cultural Psychiatry. He is an active member of the Medical Anthropology Research Center (MARC) and has spent close to 5 years living and working in the Peruvian Amazon, conducting extensive fieldwork and qualitative research in collaboration with ICEERS, the Beckley Foundation, and, more recently, the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College. Beyond research, Adam has facilitated healing retreats and workshops in the Peruvian Amazon and, currently in Mexico. He is also a process facilitator and provides preparation and integration support in private practice and the co-founder and COO of Hidden Hand Media, a creative agency in the space of transformation and technology. Additionally, Adam is Communications Associate for the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines.

Clancy Cavnar has a doctorate in clinical psychology (Psy.D.) from John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, CA. She currently works in private practice in San Francisco, and is Co-Founder and a member of the Board of Directors of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. She is also a research associate of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP). She combines an eclectic array of interests and activities as clinical psychologist, artist, and researcher. She has a master of fine arts in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute, a master’s in counseling from San Francisco State University, and she completed the Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). She is author and co-author of articles in several peer-reviewed journals and co-editor, with Beatriz Caiuby Labate, of eleven books. For more information see: http://www.drclancycavnar.com

Glauber Loures de Assis is a postdoctoral fellow at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where he also earned a Ph.D. in sociology. He is also Research Associate at the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP) and co-founder of the Center of Sociology Studies Antônio Augusto Pereira Prates (CESAP). He has developed research on Santo Daime groups from Brazil and Europe and has also studied the sociology of religion from a wider perspective. His main interests include the ayahuasca religions, New Religious Movements (NRMs), the internationalization of the Brazilian religions, and drug use in contemporary society. He is Associate Director of Chacruna Latinoamérica in Brazil.

Bruno Ramos Gomes is a Brazilian psychologist, with Master’s degree in Public Health at the School of Public Health-USP, and a PhD in Public Health at University of Campinas, Brazil. In his masters, he researched the use of ayahuasca in the recovery of homeless people and drug users. In his PhD, he did a 12 month qualitative follow-up of patients treating drug dependence and depression. He has been helping patients integrate ibogaine and ayahuasca in their therapeutic processes for the last 12 years. He is a member of the ICARO (Interdisciplinary Cooperation for Ayahuasca Research and Outreach)-UNICAMP and Chacruna’s Ayahuasca Community Committee.

Emily Sinclair is a social anthropology PhD. candidate with Durham University, UK. Her research focuses on the globalization of ayahuasca in the context of the Iquitos region in Peru. Before beginning anthropological fieldwork, Emily lived and worked with a local healer and his family with whom she ran an ayahuasca healing center for over two years. She has also worked as a facilitator in other centers in the Iquitos region. Her interests include the contemporary revival of shamanic practice, the use of plant medicines for spiritual exploration and healing, and the study of human potentials and evolution. Emily is a member of Chacruna’s Ayahuasca Community Committee and is involved in Chacruna’s initiative on raising awareness around sexual abuse. She currently lives in Iquitos, Peru.

Advisory Board

Brian T. Anderson is a psychiatrist at the University of California San Francisco where he studies psychedelic medicines. Brian has also been a member of the Núcleo de Estudos Interdisciplinares sobre Psicoativos (NEIP) since 2006 and sits in the Advisory Board of the Chacruna Institute’ for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. Over the past decade he has conducted ethnographic research with ayahuasca religions, 12-Step recovery groups, and other communities of substance users in North America, South America and Europe.

 

 

Jamie Beachy PhD , MDiv, is Assistant Core Faculty for Wisdom Traditions, Naropa University. Jamie is a professional chaplain, spiritual care educator, and ethics consultant with experience in end-of-life and trauma care. She is a therapist with the MAPS MDMA-AT study in Boulder, where she develops degree program offerings and curricula related to psilocybin care as Director of Education for Naropa’s Center for Psychedelic Studies. She sits on the Advisory Board of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. Jamie lives in the mountains above Boulder with her husband Wael, an integrative physician, and their two dogs Leo and Silas.

 

Kat Conour is a psychotherapist, facilitator, and experiential educator currently being trained in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy and with MAPS to become an MDMA for PTSD therapy provider through Sage Integrative. With a background in non-profits, philanthropy, corporate consulting, and community organizing, Kat is passionate about supporting individuals and organizations in the psychedelic community turn their values and vision into aligned action. An Emergent Strategy fangirl, Kat recognizes that a movement is only as strong as the relationships upon which they are built. She currently serves as an Advisor to Auryn Fund which recently launched We Will Call It Pala, and focuses on ensuring that equity, ethics, and accessibility are embedded in practice within the scaling of psychedelic medicines. She also sits on the Advisory Board of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines.

Liana Sananda Gillooly is a lifelong advocate for social justice, drug policy reform, ending war, and environmental protection. Liana has worked as a gallerist, art curator, event producer, and held management positions at Greenpeace and Essential Living Foods. Before joining MAPS, she worked as Outreach & Partnerships Manager for a prominent cannabis investment and market research firm, The Arcview Group, where she helped grow the accredited investor network, advocated for legalization, and supported the work of Marijuana Policy Project. It was through her experience witnessing the exponential growth of the cannabis industry that she became inspired to co-found the non-profit North Star, working to integrate psychedelic wisdom into emerging industry surrounding the field of psychedelics, and Auryn Project, non-profit incubator for organizations building equitable, affordable, and accessible psychedelic medicine for all. Liana is a member of Chacruna’s Advisory Board. She is a movement builder deeply committed to collective liberation, and works to build “the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible” by intersecting with movements in humane tech, regenerative ecology, indigenous protection, and purpose driven economics. She enjoys building connection with change-makers, and wrangling the resources needed to transform our world. She has been a featured speaker at numerous events, lobbied Congress, lectured MBA students, given a TedX talk, and is a member of the Summit and TED communities. She a trained death midwife, vipassana meditator, and immersive artist.

Julie Holland, MD is a psychiatrist specializing in psychopharmacology with a private practice in New York City since 1995. Her book Weekends at Bellevue chronicles her nine years as an attending at the psychiatric emergency room on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine. Frequently featured on the Today show and CNN’s docuseries “Weed,” Holland is the editor of The Pot Book and Ecstasy: The Complete Guide.  (Both books are non-profit projects that help to fund clinical therapeutic research.) Dr. Holland is the medical monitor for several MAPS PTSD studies utilizing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy or testing strains of cannabis with varying CBD/THC ratios. She has worked for decades on US drug policy reform based on harm reduction principles. Her 2016 book, MoodyBitches: The Truth About The Drugs You’re Taking, the Sleep You’re Missing, the Sex You’re Not Having, and What’s Really Making You Crazy has been translated into eleven languages. Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection, From Soul to Psychedelics (2020, HarperWave) discusses the physiological benefits of experiencing oneness. Dr. Holland sits on the Advisory Board of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines.

Diana Negrín Diana Negrín is a geographer, writer and curator based in the Bay Area and Guadalajara. She is the author of Racial Alterity, Wixarika Youth Activism and the Right to the Mexican City (University of Arizona Press 2019) and Grandes maestros del arte wixárika (Secretaría de Cultura Jalisco; Wixarika Research Center 2019). Currently, Negrín is a professor in Geography at UC Berkeley. She is part of the Board of Directors and she helps run the Wixarika Research Center, a non-profit that supports archival, cultural and ecological projects with Wixarika communities. She sits in the Advisory Board of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. Since 2018, Negrín has actively participated in discussions surrounding psychedelics, Indigenous territorial rights and cultural extraction.

Sidarta Ribeiro is Full Professor of Neuroscience and Vice-Director of the Brain Institute at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Universidade de Brasília (1993), a Master’s degree in Biophysics from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (1994) and a Ph.D. in Animal Behavior from the Rockefeller University (2000), with post-doctoral studies in Neurophysiology at Duke University (2005). Has experience in neuroethology, molecular neurobiology, and systems neurophysiology, with an interest in the following subjects: memory, sleep, and dreams; neuronal plasticity; vocal communication; symbolic competence in non-human animals; computational psychiatry; neuroeducation; psychedelics and drug policy. Director of the Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science in the biennium 2018/2019. From 2009-2011, served as Secretary of the Brazilian Society for Neuroscience and Behavior. From 2011-2015 he served as Chair of the Brazilian Regional Committee of the Pew Latin American Fellows Program in the Biomedical Sciences, and since 2011 he is a member of the Steering Committee of the Latin American School for Education, Cognitive and Neural Sciences (LA School). Senior research associate of the FAPESP Research Centre for Innovation and Diffusion in Neuromathematics. Scientific Coordinator and Member of the Advisory Board of the Brazilian Platform for Drug Policy and the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. Sidarta Ribeiro is greatly interested in the study of the neural bases of consciousness and its alteration, including investigation of the ayahuasca experience. He is also involved in the public debate on the medicinal uses and the legalization of cannabis in Brazil.

Glenn H. Shepard Jr. is an ethnobotanist, medical anthropologist and filmmaker who has worked with diverse indigenous peoples of Latin America, especially in Amazonia. He earned his undergraduate degree at Princeton University and completed his doctorate in Medical Anthropology at the University of California at Berkeley in 1999. His research interests include ethnobotany, medical anthropology, shamanism, sustainable resource management, visual anthropology and the territorial rights of isolated peoples. Publications include research articles, commentary and reviews in Nature (1998, 2009), Science (2003), Science Advances (2016), American Anthropologist (2004, 2012), Economic Botany (2008, 2011), Conservation Biology (2007), PLoS One (2015, 2015) and the New York Review of Books (2014, 2015, 2019). His work in the Amazon has been featured in news stories in National Geographic (2016) The New Yorker (2016, 2019) and the Financial Times (2019). He has participated in the production of several films, including the Emmy-Award-winning documentary, Spirits of the Rainforest, as well as Zapatista Memories, which debuted in 2016 at the Margaret Mead Film Festival. He is a tenured staff researcher in the Human Sciences Division at the Goeldi Museum in Belém, Brazil, where he curated the ethnographic collections from 2009-2013 and co-chaired the Division from 2014-2016, and currently sits on the Advisory Board of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. He blogs at Notes from the Ethnoground (http://ethnoground.blogspot.com/).

Leopardo Yawa Bane is the son of a traditional chief of the Huni Kuin (an indigenous group also known as the Cashinahua). Leopard Yawa Bane is an international and national advocate of the preserving the ecological heritage of the native lands of his people. Born in the Cashinahua Reserve of the Jordan River in the State of Acre, Brazil, Bane and his brother Fabiano were sent from the villages to Brazilian cities at a young age by their father and chief, in order to learn new knowledge of the world outside the forest and to represent their people in tradition, heritage, and politics. Since then, Bane has completed his university studies, learning to speak Portuguese fluently, and has begun to represent his people nationally and internationally as an ambassador and healer. Bane and his people see the mystical and natural duality of the plants and how the spiritual world can be accessed through the plants found in their native areas. As is common with indigenous tribes around the world, and particularly in the Amazon, the Huni Kuin have a unique worldview, from creation to the beyond, derived from the wisdom of plants and their shared history. Bane grew up using and being trained in the use of medicinal plants by his grandfather. Fifteen years ago, he started using different medicinal plants with non-indigenous people. Bane brings the knowledge of his ancestors, of his people, and of the forest.