SPEAKERS

Founder
Drug Science
Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology and Head of the Centre for Psychedelic Research in the Division of Psychiatry, Dept of Brain Sciences
Imperial College London

Prof. David Nutt is a psychopharmacologist who has held major leadership roles in UK and European scientific bodies, including presidencies of the British and European neuroscience and psychopharmacology associations, and chairing the UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. A Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Psychiatrists and the Academy of Medical Sciences, he has published over 600 research papers, numerous books, and served as editor of the Journal of Psychopharmacology for 25 years. Recognised with honors such as the John Maddox Prize and a Doctor of Laws from the University of Bath, he was ranked the world’s leading psychopharmacologist by Scholar GPS in 2024.

Co-chair
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform

Jeff Smith MP represents Manchester Withington and co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform, where he advocates for evidence-based and health-focused approaches to drug legislation. He has spoken in Parliament on improving patient access to medical cannabis and has championed measures such as drug safety testing at festivals to reduce harm and save lives. Alongside his parliamentary work, he serves as a trustee of Drug Science and is a prominent voice for reforming drug policy in the UK.

Co-director of the Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit
University College London

Prof. Sunjeev Kamboj is Professor of Translational Clinical Psychology and Co-director of the Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit at University College London, and an Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist with the North London NHS Foundation Trust. After completing his neuropharmacology studies and a DClinPsy at UCL, he held prestigious fellowships, including a Wellcome Trust International Travelling Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University and a Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCL, before joining the UCL faculty. His research focuses on human psychopharmacology, experimental psychopathology, addiction, traumatic stress, and anxiety disorders.

Clinical Senior Lecturer
Imperial College London

Dr. David Erritzoe is a Clinical Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry at Imperial College London’s Centres for Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychedelic Research, and Consultant Psychiatrist at St Charles Hospital, where he leads the NHS-based CIPPRes Clinic. Trained in brain imaging at Columbia University and Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, his research uses PET and MRI to study the neurobiology of addiction, depression, and psychedelic therapies. As Clinical Director and Deputy Head of the Centre for Psychedelic Research, he leads studies on serotonin, dopamine, and opioid systems, exploring the therapeutic potential of MDMA, ketamine, and classic psychedelics.

Chair of Psychopharmacology
University of Exeter

Professor Celia Morgan is Chair of Psychopharmacology at the University of Exeter and Honorary Reader at UCL. After completing her PhD at UCL, she held research fellowships at Yale and the University of Melbourne before returning to the UK. Her research explores the effects of drugs and alcohol on brain and behaviour, with a focus on both risks and therapeutic applications. She has led clinical trials investigating ketamine, MDMA, and classic psychedelics in the treatment of addiction and other mental health disorders, combining pharmacology with psychological therapies.

Assistant Professor
Imperial College London

Dr Louise Paterson is Assistant Professor in Psychopharmacology and Psychiatry at Imperial College London. Her research explores the neurobiological mechanisms underpinning addiction, with a focus on developing neuroscience-informed treatments through experimental medicine, advanced neuroimaging, and clinical trials. Her overarching goal is to deliver transformative interventions that improve outcomes for people affected by addiction. Much of her current work centres on opioid dependence, a critical area of unmet clinical need. She is leading studies investigating neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptor antagonism in reward and emotion-related brain processing, as well as a clinical trial assessing whether baclofen can support methadone detoxification in community-based drug and alcohol services. Dr Paterson’s broader interests include identifying and testing novel pharmacological targets in addiction, such as the GABA-B, D3, orexin-1, and GLP-1/GIP receptors. Her recent work expands into the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy, where she co-leads the NIHR-funded PsilOpioid trial - an innovative study conducted with the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College. This trial aims to evaluate whether psilocybin therapy can reduce relapse and support early abstinence in individuals recovering from opioid dependence.

Research Fellow
University College London

Dr. Christopher Timmermann is a neuroscientist and psychologist whose work examines psychedelics, meditation, and non-ordinary states of consciousness in relation to the brain and mental health. He completed his PhD at Imperial College London, where he led the DMT Research Group pioneering the first brain imaging studies of short-acting psychedelics. Now a Research Fellow at University College London, his research has been published in leading journals and featured by outlets including the BBC, The Guardian, and The New York Times. He is also co-founder and president of the ECOH Foundation, a nonprofit advancing psychedelic research and education in Latin America.

Head of Research
Drug Science

Dr. Anne Katrin Schlag is a Chartered Psychologist and Head of Research at Drug Science, where she leads work on medical cannabis, as well as the Medical Psychedelics Working Group, aiming to advance evidence-based policy and practice. With a PhD in Psychology from the London School of Economics and previous lectureship at King’s College London, her expertise spans science-policy, risk communication, and stakeholder engagement. She holds honorary fellowships at Imperial and King’s College London, and is passionate about fostering inclusive dialogue across scientists, clinicians, policymakers, patients, and traditional knowledge holders in the psychedelic field.

Psychiatrist, Researcher & Lecturer, Student of Curanderismo
Onaya

Dr. Simon Ruffell is trained across three modalities: Western medicine (as a medical doctor specializing in psychiatry), research psychology (with a PhD in Amazonian ayahuasca and mental health), and traditional plant medicine (as a student of Shipibo curanderismo under Don Rono Lopez). He is the CEO of Onaya, which offers education and training rooted in Indigenous knowledge and scientific approaches, and co-founder of Onaya Science, a nonprofit researching the effects of ayahuasca in naturalistic Amazonian settings. Together, these projects work in collaboration with traditional healers, Indigenous-led think tanks, universities, and charities worldwide. Simon is also a Lecturer in Psychology and Psychedelics at the University of Exeter and the Chief Medical Officer of MINDS (Multidisciplinary Investigation into Novel Discoveries & Solutions), a nonprofit exploring the role of psychedelics and consciousness practices in addressing humanity’s greatest challenges. His work centres on understanding plant medicines like ayahuasca from both Indigenous and Western perspectives, supporting a more integrative and relational approach to healing.

Founder
Hystelica

Dr Grace Blest-Hopley is the founder of Hystelica, a research initiative addressing the lack of female-specific medical research by investigating women’s psychedelic use across clinical, recreational, and naturalistic settings. She earned her PhD on the neurochemical and neurofunctional effects of cannabinoids, following a Master’s in Neuroscience at King’s College London, and has since continued to study cannabinoids and mental health as a research associate, with a focus on neuroimaging. She also serves as Director of Research at Heroic Hearts Project.

CEO
Heroic Hearts Project UK

Keith Abraham is a former Parachute Regiment soldier who served in Iraq and Afghanistan before working in investment banking. Following years of living with anxiety and depression and limited benefit from conventional treatments, he turned to psychedelic therapies. His transformative experiences with ayahuasca and psilocybin shaped his advocacy for the role of plant medicines in treating PTSD, brain injuries, and mental ill-health.

Founder
Athletes Journey Home

Nige Netzband is a BPS-accredited psychologist with expertise in psychopharmacology and experimental design, whose work bridges Western science with traditional Amazonian medicine. Since 2016, he has focused on translating Shipibo traditions into scientific understanding, particularly around ayahuasca, drawing on both research and personal experience. Trained in integrative counselling, he aims to support clients with approaches from multiple modalities, while also volunteering with harm reduction charities such as PsyCare UK and the Zendo Project.

Clinical Trial Manager
Imperial College London

Dr Hannah Thurgur is a Clinical Trial Manager at Imperial College London, overseeing PsilOpioid, a trial investigating psilocybin therapy for opioid use disorder. Her research experience spans neuroinflammation, medical psychedelics, medical cannabis, addiction and Long COVID. She holds a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Manchester. Following her PhD, she was as an Executive Officer at the British Neuroscience Association before joining Drug Science, where she spent four years as a researcher focusing on medical cannabis and psychedelics. She continues to co-host the Drug Science podcast alongside Prof David Nutt and Prof Jo Neill.

Neuropsychopharmacologist and Postdoctoral Fellow
Imperial College London

Dr Rayyan Zafar PhD MRSB. Zafar is a neuropsychopharmacologist and a Wellcome postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Psychedelic Research and Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London and a senior researcher at Drug Science. His research focuses on understanding the brain mechanisms of addiction and the mechanisms of psychedelic therapy in clinical studies. Zafar is currently conducting the world’s first clinical and brain imaging study of psilocybin therapy in gambling addiction with Dr David Erritzoe, Dr Matt Wall and Prof David Nutt at Imperial. In addition to his work at Imperial College London, Zafar is a senior scientific officer at Drug Science, the lead research venture partner at psychedelic VC fund ITER investments and has acted on scientific advisory boards for companies developing therapeutics and clinical interventions in the medical psychedelic, cannabis space and the functional wellness space. Beyond his professional roles, Dr. Zafar engages with the public through media appearances and talks, sharing insights on topics related to drugs, mental health, and psychedelics. He aims to foster understanding and informed discussion within the wider community, including audiences of national and international news outlets, podcasts, and public forums. Zafar has also been nominated as a top 25 emerging leader in psychedelic science.

PhD Candidate
Imperial College London

Tommaso Barba is a PhD candidate at Imperial College London’s Centre for Psychedelic Research, supervised by Dr. David Erritzoe, Prof. David Nutt, Dr. Chris Timmermann, and Dr. Kate Godfrey. With a background in neuroscience and psychoanalysis, he researches the brain effects of short-acting psychedelics such as DMT and 5-MeO-DMT, leading the first neuroimaging trials of these compounds. His work has been published in journals including The Lancet EClinical Medicine and Nature Scientific Reports and featured in outlets such as Forbes, The Times, and CNN. Awarded prizes from Imperial, ECNP, and the British Journal of Psychiatry, Tommaso also explores the role of psychedelics and MDMA in enhancing couples’ intimacy and collaborates internationally with universities and startups.

Director
MIND Foundation
CEO
OVID

Dr. Henrik Jungaberle is Director of the MIND Foundation and CEO of OVID, as well as a researcher, science entrepreneur, and author in public health, psychedelics, and psychotherapy. He co-founded MIND in 2016 after nearly two decades at the Institute of Medical Psychology, University Hospital Heidelberg, and has led EU- and DFG-funded projects on salutogenesis and psychoactive substances. His work focuses on human development, drug education, and psychedelic integration, including initiatives such as Rebound, the European Prevention Curriculum, and Beyond Experience. He is also a faculty member of the APT psychedelic therapy training and a researcher in the psilocybin depression trial EPIsoDE at the Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim and Charité Universitätsmedizin.

Co-Founder
MIND Foundation
Chief Medical Officer
OVID Clinics

Dr. Andrea Jungaberle is Chief Medical Officer of OVID Clinics, co-founder of the MIND Foundation, and a clinical specialist in anaesthesia and emergency medicine with additional training in cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. A psychedelic therapist and faculty member of both APT and Beyond Experience, she also advises the MIND Board on medical and ethical issues. Her research and clinical interests focus on the therapeutic application of altered states of consciousness, integration, and end-of-life questions, and she is part of the psilocybin depression trial EPIsoDE at the Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim and Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Alongside her clinical work, she is a certified yoga teacher and has facilitated psychedelic integration workshops since 2015.

Psychedelic Research Therapist
Imperial College London

Sara Oke (formerly Reed) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist currently serving as lead Psychedelic Research Therapist at Imperial College London. In her current role, she designs and implements therapy models for psychedelic clinical trials, tailoring interventions for diverse populations. She also leads recruitment, onboarding, and training for study guides, aiming to advance best practices in psychedelic therapy. Sara teaches internationally on culturally responsible psychedelic therapy, drawing on research experience in both the USA and UK to promote safer and inclusive experiences for those most vulnerable. As a lifelong learner, she is committed to self-awareness and reflection, integrating wisdom from the medicines she works with, the lived experiences of those she serves, and diverse healing traditions.

Medical Doctor (Core Psychiatry Trainee) and Clinical Research Fellow in Psychopharmacology
Imperial College London

Katie is a Clinical Research Fellow in Psychopharmacology at the centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, where she works as a medic and guide on pioneering studies, including PsiloGambling. Her primary background is as an NHS medical doctor specialising in psychiatry, with clinical experience across a wide range of settings, including general and older adult psychiatric wards and outpatient departments, child and adolescent mental health services, psychiatric liaison and early intervention in psychosis services. Alongside her work in the NHS, she has completed the Depth Relational Process training with the Institute of Psychedelic Therapy, and has supported people in expanded states of consciousness in research settings, retreat settings and recently in the CIM-KeT ketamine therapy for treatment-resistant depression pilot programme. This initiative taking place at St Charles Hospital in London is a collaboration between Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL), Imperial and McGill University in Montreal, and is the first time this model of treatment ("The Montreal Model") has been implemented into an NHS setting. With experience that bridges conventional psychiatric practice and psychedelic therapy, Katie is particularly interested in broadening access to psychedelic treatments for mental health conditions, delivered safely, ethically and with scientific and therapeutic integrity.

Research Fellow
University College London

Dr. Elisa Liberati is a research fellow at UCL’s Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit and a senior qualitative researcher specialising in ethnography and mental healthcare. She holds a PhD in Psychology and an MA in Work and Organisational Psychology from the Catholic University of Milan, and is a Chartered Psychologist as well as a qualified integrative therapist trained at The Minster Centre. Before joining UCL in 2024, Elisa spent eight years as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge, funded by the Wellcome Trust and Health Foundation, where she led studies on maternity care, secondary mental health services during COVID-19, and physical health diagnosis in people with mental illness.

Patrick Cox is a former celebrity shoe designer and current psychedelic facilitator and creative in Ibiza. After losing his company, battling depression, and experiencing a breakdown, he underwent a transformative journey through psychedelic therapy involving 5-MeO-DMT. That experience profoundly reshaped his life, inspiring him to hold space for others, guiding psychedelic sessions, and eventually launching the entheogenic apparel label Doors of Perception.

PhD student in Neuropsychopharmacology
Imperial College London

Joanna Vamvakopoulou is a third-year PhD student and artist from Greece. She is based in the Division of Psychiatry at Imperial College London, where she is supervised by Dr Martina Di Simplicio and Prof David Nutt. Her project focuses on a low dose of psilocybin and investigates the effects of a psycholytic-augmented mental imagery-based intervention for young people who self-harm. She holds a BSc degree in Neuroscience from the University of Bristol and an MSc degree in Translational Neuroscience from Imperial College London. She works at the intersection of addiction (opioids, cannabis, and alcohol) and self-harm clinical research. Joanna is a passionate mental health and drug harm reduction advocate. She has been an active volunteer for the Student Drug Science Network since 2019, helping organise events and talks regarding the application of mind-altering substances in the treatment of psychiatric disorders and drug policies. Her advocacy spans from academic to public engagement, through conferences, public talks, podcasts, volunteering, and art exhibitions across the United Kingdom and Greece. Since 2023, Joanna has also been one of the founding members and a scientific advisor for the Greek Psychedelic Society, whose mission is the dissemination of scientific information, education, and community building in Greece.

Project Officer
PAREA

A neuroscientist by training, Francisca now serves as Project Officer at PAREA (Psychedelic Access and Research European Alliance), where she works to advance psychedelic research and access across Europe. Before joining PAREA, Francisca worked on psychedelics-related initiatives at the European Medicines Agency, including the landmark 2024 Multi-Stakeholder Workshop on Psychedelics and related outputs, and the review of psychedelics trials in depression from a European regulatory lens. Her academic journey spans a dual MSc in Brain and Mind Sciences (UCL & Sorbonne Université) and a BSc from Maastricht Science Programme, with expertise in molecular biology, neuropsychopharmacology, clinical neurology, and neuropsychiatry. She is passionate about effective science communication and bridging the gap between research and patient care.

PhD candidate and Clinical Trial Manager
University Medical Center Groningen

Stephan Tap is a PhD candidate and Clinical Trial Manager at the Center of Psychiatry in the University Medical Center Groningen, where he leads the EU Horizon PsyPal project investigating psilocybin therapy for psychological distress in palliative care patients. He previously coordinated the phase-III COMP006 trial on psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and currently serves as coordinator of the 2025 Psychedelics Summer School in Groningen. His research focuses on the neurobiological and clinical mechanisms of psychedelics and their potential to alleviate psychological and existential distress in patients with severe and chronic illnesses.

Managing Director
PsyEdu

Sam is managing Director of PsyEdu and lead on Ethics and Safety. He is also an experienced lead retreat facilitator, psychedelic preparation and integration practitioner. A Creative Arts Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor, he is also founding director of Natural Genius, providing psychotherapists and supervisors to schools and care homes. Sam is an experienced teacher and facilitator, qualified in adult education, he promotes mind-body health through relationship, creativity and nature connection. Sam loves to explore depth of therapeutic connection, self-awareness and creativity. He has been teaching, working in therapeutic education and holistic wellbeing for over 30 years. A published poet and dance facilitator, he brings mind and body together to explore the nature of reality and consciousness. In his spare time he loves being with his five children and wild swimming whatever the weather.

Psychedelic Ethicist
University of Oxford

Eddie Jacobs recently completed his PhD in Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, where his Wellcome Trust-funded research explored ethical challenges in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. His doctoral work, supervised by Prof Ilina Singh and Dr Jonathan Pugh, focused on adverse event conceptualisation and reporting; social-environmental factors in therapeutic trajectory, and ethical trial design. Jacobs led the drafting of the Hopkins-Oxford Psychedelic Ethics (HOPE) Consensus Statement, an interdisciplinary position statement developed with 30 international practitioners and scholars. His current work addresses ethical guardrails for psychedelic use in vulnerable populations, with publications in The American Journal of Bioethics, Neuroethics, The Lancet: Child and Adolescent Health, and other leading journals. His applied experience includes consulting on scientific and regulatory matters for organisations and philanthropists entering the psychedelic space, and serving as Scientific Assistant to the Director of the Beckley Foundation, where he supported international psychedelic research collaborations. With Drug Science, he has led research into the British public’s attitudes toward psilocybin treatments, and contributes to their Medical Psychedelics Ethics Consortium.

Director of Translational MRI
Perceptive Inc.

Matt Wall is a psychologist, neuroscientist, and specialist in neuroimaging, particularly functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the human brain. He completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge, post-doctoral positions at Royal Holloway and University College London, and is currently Director of Translational MRI at Perceptive London, plus an honorary Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London. He has authored more than 90 scientific publications, and his research currently focuses on psychedelics, cannabis, sex hormones, and methods-development for (f)MRI.

PhD Student
Imperial College London

Patrick is a PhD Student in the Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London. With a background in neuroscience, his research focuses on the application of neuroimaging modalities such as EEG to investigate the neural mechanisms of psychedelics in healthy and clinical populations. A major component of his work focuses on addiction, aiming to understand its neurobiological processes, explore how psychedelic interventions could be used for individuals with addiction, and investigate how neuroimaging measures can guide and inform treatment.

Postdoctoral Research Associate
University College London

Rosalind completed her BA in Experimental Psychology at Oxford University, followed by an MRes in Developmental Neuroscience at UCL/Yale. She recently completed her PhD in Mental Health Science at UCL, where her research focuses on the neural and subjective effects of various psychedelic substances (5-MeO-DMT, psilocybin) in both research and retreat settings. Her particular interest lies in "psychedelic preparedness" and the intersection between psychedelic science and contemplative practice.

Consultant Psychiatrist and Aff Assistant Professor
CPFT NHS Trust/University of Cambridge. Cambridge Psychedelic Research Group

Liliana Galindo, MD, PhD is an Affiliated Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge and a Consultant Psychiatrist, Medical Leader in psychosis at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT). Over the past decade, her research has focused on understanding and integrating altered mental states, with a particular interest in early early psychosis, psychedelic-assisted therapy, and the neurobiological and clinical effects of psychoactive substances.

Lili’s work explores how these substances influence perception, cognition, and emotional regulation, examining both their therapeutic potential and their role in the development of psychopathology.

Lili is the founder and principal investigator of the Cambridge Psychedelics Research Group, a multidisciplinary team dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge on psychedelic-assisted therapy for mental health conditions. The group’s work spans clinical trials, mechanistic studies, and translational research, with the goal of developing safe and effective interventions for individuals with complex psychiatric conditions