Advisory Board

Brad Burge is Founder of Integration Communications and the former Director of Strategic Communications for MAPS. He worked with MAPS from 2009 to 2020, where he engaged daily with journalists and media producers around the world to enhance public k…

Brad Burge is Founder of Integration Communications and the former Director of Strategic Communications for MAPS. He worked with MAPS from 2009 to 2020, where he engaged daily with journalists and media producers around the world to enhance public knowledge about psychedelic research, produced the largest psychedelic conference in history (Psychedelic Science 2017), while also helping develop and evolve MAPS' international brand and outreach strategy.

Brad earned his B.A. in Communication and Psychology from Stanford University in 2005 and his M.A. in Communication from the University of California, San Diego in 2009.

Brad Burge

Dr. Monnica T. Williams is a board-certified licensed 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 the Clinical Director of the Behavioral Wellness Clinic in Connecticut, where she provides supervision and training to clinicians for empirically-supported treatments. Prior to her move to Canada, Dr. Williams was on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania Medical School (2007-2011), the University of Louisville in Psychological and Brain Sciences (2011-2016), where she served as the Director of the Center for Mental Health Disparities, and the University of Connecticut (2016-2019) where she had appointments in both Psychological Science and Psychiatry. Dr. Williams' research focuses on BIPOC mental health, culture, and psychopathology, and she has published over 150 scientific articles on these topics. Current projects include the assessment of race-based trauma, barriers to treatment in OCD, improving cultural competence in the delivery of mental health care services, and interventions to reduce racism. This includes her work as a PI in a multisite study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD for people of color. She also gives diversity trainings nationally for clinical psychology programs, scientific conferences, and community organizations. She has served as the African American SIG leader for Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), and currently is Chair of their Academic Training & Education Standards (ATES). She serves as an Associate Editor of Behavior Therapy. She also serves on the editorial board of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Canadian Psychology, International Journal of Mental Health, Journal of Psychedelic Studies, the Journal of Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders and the Cognitive Behavioural Therapist. She is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation, and co-founded their Diversity Council. Her work has been featured in several major media outlets, including NPR, CBS, Huffington Post, and the New York Times.

Dr. Monnica T. Williams

Dr. Kwasi Adusei is a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. He is Co-founder of the Psychedelic Society of Western New York, and Co-founder of the Sanctuary Project, a psychedelic harm red…

Dr. Kwasi Adusei is a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. He is Co-founder of the Psychedelic Society of Western New York, and Co-founder of the Sanctuary Project, a psychedelic harm reduction project. Dr. Adusei is a trainee of the MAPS-sponsored MDMA-assisted psychotherapy-for-PTSD program, where he was part of the first ever therapists-of-color cohort. He is an active member of the Global Psychedelic Network and a Founding Board Member of Reconsider @ Lundy Farm.

Dr. Kwasi Adusei

Robin L. Carhart-Harris is the Ralph Metzner Distinguished Professor in Neurology and Psychiatry at UCSF, where he serves as Director of the new Psychedelics Division within the translational neuroscience Centre, Neuroscape. Robin moved to Imperial …

Robin L. Carhart-Harris is the Ralph Metzner Distinguished Professor in Neurology and Psychiatry at UCSF, where he serves as Director of the new Psychedelics Division within the translational neuroscience Centre, Neuroscape. Robin moved to Imperial College London in 2008 after obtaining a PhD in Psychopharmacology from the University of Bristol, focused on the serotonin system, and an MA in Psychoanalysis from Brunel University, 2005. Robin has designed human brain imaging studies with LSD, psilocybin, MDMA and DMT, a clinical trial of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, a double-blind randomized controlled trial comparing psilocybin with the SSRI, escitalopram, for depression, and a multimodal imaging study in first time users of psilocybin. Robin has published over 100 scientific papers. He founded the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London in April 2019, the first of its kind. In 2021, he was listed in TIME magazine’s ‘100 Next’, a list of 100 rising stars shaping the future.

Dr. Robin L. Carhart-Harris

Sutton King, Nāēqtaw-Pianakiw, is the President and Executive Director of Urban Indigenous Collective and the Co-Founder of ShockTalk. She is Afro-Indigenous, and a descendant of the Menominee and Oneida Nations of Wisconsin. She is an Indigenous He…

Sutton King, Nāēqtaw-Pianakiw, is the President and Executive Director of Urban Indigenous Collective and the Co-Founder of ShockTalk. She is Afro-Indigenous, and a descendant of the Menominee and Oneida Nations of Wisconsin. She is an Indigenous Health Advocate, Researcher and Social Entrepreneur dedicated to developing and scaling innovative solutions to improve Indigenous health equity across sectors. Her focuses center on decolonial approaches and culturally appropriate methodologies within technology, healthcare and business. She is the Chief Impact Officer for Journey Colab, a biotech company decolonizing their approach to drug development. Sutton holds a Master’s in Public Health from NYU.

Sutton King, Nāēqtaw-Pianakiw

Kelly Abundo is the Assistant Director of Major Gifts at the Lucille Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. Kelly has over 10 years of major gift fundraising experience at national and international organizations including Planned Parenthood, the…

Kelly Abundo is the Assistant Director of Major Gifts at the Lucille Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. Kelly has over 10 years of major gift fundraising experience at national and international organizations including Planned Parenthood, the American Red Cross, and the Museum of Science and Industry. Kelly has fundraised and worked on board development with the Arthritis Foundation, the San Francisco Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Kelly holds a B.A. in art history and a museum studies certificate from the University of Iowa.

Kelly Abundo

Brian Bosschart is the founder of an ecommerce platform that has served domestic and international clients since 2004. He advises internet startups and is an active angel investor in Silicon Valley. Brian holds a BS in Business Administration from t…

Brian Bosschart is the founder of an ecommerce platform that has served domestic and international clients since 2004. He advises internet startups and is an active angel investor in Silicon Valley. Brian holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of the Pacific and sits on the Board of Directors of San Francisco based EngSkell Company. Brian is also a producer of documentary films.

Brian Bosschart

Anita Moran is a registered nurse with a mental health concentration whose career focused on assisting at-risk parents and families within both community mental health and non profit social service agencies. In addition to group work and individual …

Anita Moran is a registered nurse with a mental health concentration whose career focused on assisting at-risk parents and families within both community mental health and non profit social service agencies. In addition to group work and individual case management, she served as the Program Director of the TALKLine (Telephone Aide in Living with Kids), an all volunteer, 24-hour crisis and counseling line for stressed parents. Within that role she developed a training program, oversaw public and private contracts, and provided weekly supervision for volunteer counselors. She currently provides consultation as an independent contractor and is a volunteer for Hospice by the Bay.

Anita Moran

Alleged to have produced 90% of the world's LSD, Leonard Pickard is a former drug policy fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, research associate in neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, and deputy director of the Drug Policy Analysis Program at UCLA. With two life sentences without parole, he served 20 years in maximum security federal prisons, and was released in 2020.

His book "The Rose of Paracelsus" - written in pencil while imprisoned - will be published in Italian in 2022 by Mondadori (Milan) and by Synergetic Press (US). His 1996 prediction of the fentanyl epidemic, and recommendations for prevention, was confirmed by RAND. Currently he is a senior advisor and on the scientific advisory board of JLS Fund LP.

William Leonard Pickard

Dr. Mayanthi Fernando is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center for Cultural Studies at UC Santa Cruz. She teaches and writes on multispecies futures, bodies and the senses, religion and secularism, and law and religious plur…

Dr. Mayanthi Fernando is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center for Cultural Studies at UC Santa Cruz. She teaches and writes on multispecies futures, bodies and the senses, religion and secularism, and law and religious pluralism.

Dr. Fernando earned her B.A. from Harvard University and her Ph.D. from University of Chicago.

Dr. Mayanthi Fernando

Chelsea Rose Pires is the Operations Manager at the MAPS Zendo Project. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles Honors College with a B.A. in psychology in 2007, and received her master’s degree in Integral Counseling Psychology…

Chelsea Rose Pires is the Operations Manager at the MAPS Zendo Project. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles Honors College with a B.A. in psychology in 2007, and received her master’s degree in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in 2012. She has a passion for harm reduction as a therapeutic and practical approach to drug use and abuse prevention. Chelsea also works with DanceSafe, a public health organization, as manager for the reagent testing kit program. Additionally, she supervises the Crisis Response Team in Nevada County, supporting clients who come into the emergency room in psychiatric crisis. She lives in the Sierra foothills of California with her husband Alexandre, who is also involved in harm reduction work, their three children, and their chickens, fish, and kitties.

Chelsea Rose Pires

Dr. Joseph Zamaria is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the UCSF School of Medicine. He has participated as a researcher and clinician in studies of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy at UCSF, including an open-label pilot trial of psilocybin-assisted group therapy for demoralization in long-term HIV survivors, and is a lead facilitator in the Usona-sponsored Phase 2 study of psilocybin-assisted therapy for major depression. In addition to his research interests, Dr. Zamaria serves as the Director of Psychotherapy Training for the UCSF Psychiatry Residency, and teaches to medical students, residents and fellows. Finally, Dr. Zamaria serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs and is a Founding Member of the American Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African Psychological Association (AMENA-Psy)..

Dr. Joseph Zamaria is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the UCSF School of Medicine. He has participated as a researcher and clinician in studies of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy at UCSF, including an open-label pilot trial of psilocybin-assisted group therapy for demoralization in long-term HIV survivors, and is a lead facilitator in the Usona-sponsored Phase 2 study of psilocybin-assisted therapy for major depression. In addition to his research interests, Dr. Zamaria serves as the Director of Psychotherapy Training for the UCSF Psychiatry Residency, and teaches to medical students, residents and fellows. Finally, Dr. Zamaria serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs and is a Founding Member of the American Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African Psychological Association (AMENA-Psy)..

Dr. Joseph Zamaria

Dr. Jordan Sloshower, MD, MSc is a psychiatrist and researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University. His research and clinical interests focus on therapeutic applications of psychedelic substances and in particular, how psychedelics ca…

Dr. Jordan Sloshower, MD, MSc is a psychiatrist and researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University. His research and clinical interests focus on therapeutic applications of psychedelic substances and in particular, how psychedelics can be combined optimally with psychotherapy and other healing modalities to treat a variety of conditions. Jordan is a co-founder of the Yale Psychedelic Science Group and is currently an investigator and therapist in two clinical trials of psilocybin-assisted therapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder. This research investigates potential neurobiological and psychological mechanisms of action, namely induction of neuroplasticity and psychological flexibility. He is also a clinical investigator in MAPS’ Expanded Access Program for MDMA-assisted therapy of PTSD. His perspective is informed by prior training in medical anthropology and global health, and deep interests in ethnobotany, Buddhist philosophy, yoga, meditation, and integrative approaches to wellness.

Dr. Jordan Sloshower

Viv Li is a passionate urbanist with a community health focus. Currently Viv is a project manager in Global Operations at Facebook, and prior to that she was the program manager for the TALK Line, a 24/7 child abuse prevention crisis line at Safe an…

Viv Li is a passionate urbanist with a community health focus. Currently Viv is a project manager in Global Operations at Facebook, and prior to that she was the program manager for the TALK Line, a 24/7 child abuse prevention crisis line at Safe and Sound. In a past life she was a public, project, and infrastructure finance analyst specializing in water-sewer systems in California. Among her civic interests include serving as treasurer for Golden Gate Park Community Gardens and Friend of Sharon Art Studios.

Viv Li

Ryan Beauregard is the Harm Reduction Programs Manager at the MAPS Zendo Project. Ryan received his B.A. in Psychology from Claremont McKenna College, and spent 10 years mentoring at-risk teens and families through wilderness survival skills and nat…

Ryan Beauregard is the Harm Reduction Programs Manager at the MAPS Zendo Project. Ryan received his B.A. in Psychology from Claremont McKenna College, and spent 10 years mentoring at-risk teens and families through wilderness survival skills and nature connection. His passion for community connection, the environment, and intrapersonal healing continued with his involvement in permaculture, natural building, and ancestral grief rituals. As a volunteer with the Zendo Project since 2013, Ryan has had the opportunity to connect and expand the scope of psychedelic harm reduction in communities and festivals all over the globe.

Ryan Beauregard

Daniel Sapoznick, LCSW, is a former program director of the TALK Line. Daniel's current roles include the development of a hybrid model of psychotherapy (YourPacePsychotherapy); Part-time Field Instructor for a non-profit in the South Bay; and paren…

Daniel Sapoznick, LCSW, is a former program director of the TALK Line. Daniel's current roles include the development of a hybrid model of psychotherapy (YourPacePsychotherapy); Part-time Field Instructor for a non-profit in the South Bay; and parenting two young children.

Daniel Sapoznick,

Jason Eftink brings a mix of organizational development expertise and a passion for expanding the safe support of psychedelic voyageurs. Early in his career, he co-founded an IT business focused on regulatory compliance in the finance industry and established 20+ years of executive experience. He later developed debilitating nerve pain as a secondary condition to a spinal cord injury sustained in his youth. Before one of his surgeries, an anesthesiologist suggested he consider ketamine therapy. Jason credits ketamine and psychedelics as a whole with playing a pivotal role in his recovery. He now sits on multiple boards and committees and intends to leverage his experience to help facilitate access to and support surrounding these potentially life-altering medications.

Jason Eftink

Dr. Julie Holland is a Board-certified psychiatrist specializing in psychopharmacology. Dr. Holland received her medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine, where she performed research on auditory hallucinations, extensively interview…

Dr. Julie Holland is a psychiatrist specializing in psychopharmacology. Dr. Holland received her medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine, where she performed research on auditory hallucinations, extensively interviewing nearly one hundred psychotic patients. As Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine, Dr. Holland spent her weekends running psychiatric emergency room at Bellevue Hospital for nine years. Her book, Weekends at Bellevue: Lessons from the Psychiatric ER, comes from that experience. She is considered a worldwide expert on street drugs, and has been quoted in Time, Harper’s, Slate, the Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal.

Dr. Holland is also the official medical monitor for MAPS’ MDMA-assisted psychotherapy studies. She is the author of Ecstasy: The Complete Guide, The Pot Book, and Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection, from Soul to Psychedelics.


Dr. Julie Holland

Annie Oak is a founding editor of Lucid News, a news service that covers psychedelic research, healing, and activism. She is also a founder of the event production company Take 3 Presents, and a founder of the Women's Visionary Council, a nonprofit …

Annie Oak is a founding editor of Lucid News, a news service that covers psychedelic research, healing, and activism. She is also a founder of the event production company Take 3 Presents, and a founder of the Women's Visionary Council, a nonprofit organization which produces the Women's Visionary Congress and community risk reduction workshops. Co-editor of the Manual of Psychedelic Support, Annie works with other developers of peer support services to help develop and share best practices. She created the Full Circle Tea House as a refuge for rest, hydration and integration at psychedelic events.

Annie Oak

Dr. Nick Walker is an Associate Professor of Psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies, a leading thinker in the emerging field of Neurodiversity Studies, Managing Editor of the independent publishing house Autonomous Press, and author of the book Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities (2021). Dr. Walker worked with MAPS and the LA Biomedical Research Institute on their study of the use of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to treat social anxiety in autistic adults (published in the journal Psychopharmacology in 2018).

Dr. Nick Walker

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 State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil. Her main areas of interest are the study of plant medi…

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 State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil. Her main areas of interest are the study of plant medicines, drug policy, shamanism, ritual, and religion. She is Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. She is Public Education and Culture Specialist at MAPS and Adjunct Faculty at the East West Psychology Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She is also founder of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP) in Brazil. She is author, coauthor, and co-editor of twenty-one books, two special-edition journals, and several peer-reviewed articles.

Dr. Beatriz Caiuby Labate (Bia Labate)

Dr. Katrina Michelle received her Ph.D. in Psychology with a Transpersonal specialization from Sofia University at The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in 2017 after completing her dissertation on “Exploring Resistance to Spiritual Emergence.” …

Dr. Katrina Michelle received her Ph.D. in Psychology with a Transpersonal specialization from Sofia University at The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in 2017 after completing her dissertation on “Exploring Resistance to Spiritual Emergence.” She served for three years as Executive Director on the board of The American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences (ACISTE). Katrina graduated from Stony Brook University with her Masters in Social Work and a specialization in student community development and has maintained an integrative psychotherapy practice, The Curious Spirit, in New York City since 2008. Katrina serves as faculty at Columbia University School of Social Work and The Institute for the Development of Human Arts (IDHA) and is currently working on producing her first documentary film, “When Lightning Strikes,” with the intention to educate the mainstream about spiritual emergence.

Dr. Katrina Michelle

Dr. Miranda Dunlop is a Primary Care Physician and a Professor of Internal Medicine at UCSF. She also serves as an Associate Medical Director of the General Internal Medicine Clinic at UCSF Mount Zion and Educational Site Director for the Categorica…

Dr. Miranda Dunlop is a Primary Care Physician and a Professor of Internal Medicine at UCSF. She also serves as an Associate Medical Director of the General Internal Medicine Clinic at UCSF Mount Zion and Educational Site Director for the Categorical Residency Program. Dr. Dunlop earned her medical degree and completed a residency in Internal Medicine at UCSF. Prior to medical school, Dr. Dunlop served as a volunteer in the Peace Corps, working in primary health care in Cameroon.

Dr. Miranda Dunlop

Meena Thiagaraj is an independent Pharmaceutical Consultant currently based in London. Having lived in several other countries, including Kuwait, The Philippines, Slovakia and Germany, Meena brings an international perspective to peer support and ha…

Meena Thiagaraj is an independent Pharmaceutical Consultant currently based in London. Having lived in several other countries, including Kuwait, The Philippines, Slovakia and Germany, Meena brings an international perspective to peer support and harm reduction.

Meena Thiagara

Nicolai Lassen is a software engineer who focuses on creating solutions for improving mental health and wellness. Along with Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris at Imperial College of London's Centre for Psychedelic Research, Nicolai co-founded Psychedelic Survey, a collaborative platform powering today's psychedelic renaissance by giving people around the world the ability to help psychedelic science by sharing their own meaningful experiences. Nicolai is also the founder of a company that is currently working with the government of Denmark to develop a deep learning system to study anonymized data from Denmark's national mental health care system.

Nicolai Lassen