Advisors

Dr. Mark A. Geyer Ph.D Scientific Advisor

Charles S. Grob, M.D. is Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the UCLA School of Medicine.  He previously held faculty positions at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the University of California at Irvine.  He has conducted approved  clinical research with psychedelics since the early 1990s.  From 2004-2008 he was the Principal Investigator of the first study in several decades to examine the use of a psilocybin treatment model for patients with advanced-cancer anxiety.  He has also conducted research into the range of effects of MDMA, in both normal volunteers and in a selected subject population of adult autistics with severe social anxiety.  And, he has conducted a series of ayahuasca research studies in Brazil.  Over the last thirty years Dr. Grob has published numerous articles on psychedelics in the medical and psychiatric literatures and he is the editor of Hallucinogens: A Reader (Putnam/Tarcher, 2002), co-editor (with Roger Walsh) of Higher Wisdom: Eminent Elders Explore the Continuing Impact of Psychedelics (SUNY Press, 2005) and co-editor (with James Grigsby) of the recently published Handbook of Medical Hallucinogens (Guilford Press, 2021).  He is a founding board member of the Heffter Research Institute.

Benjamin Kelmendi, MD Scientific Advisor

Benjamin is a psychiatrist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine. His primary clinical expertise is in PTSD, Depression, OCD, and the endocannabinoid system. He is the co-founder of the Yale Psychedelic Science Group. He leads a research program focused on the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicines, across a range of psychiatric diagnoses. He is currently investigating the effects of psilocybin on the neurocircuitry implicated in the development, maintenance, and treatment of patients with OCD. He is also exploring the effects of MDMA on brain activation and neural network organization in PTSD to understand the relationship between MDMA-induced neural changes and the acute cognitive and behavioral effects of the drug.

Ilan Hayman Advisor

Ilan has played a pivotal role in the General Management of healthcare businesses including a private cosmetic surgery chain and the commercialisation of a breakthrough skincare range. He successfully led the development of these products from concept through to production commercialisation. Most recently Ilan oversaw a group of national medical centers. His career into operations management was triggered by his valuable experience as part of the Risk and Controls Solutions practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Specifically, Ilan’s passion is assisting the medical fraternity in their practice management and business administration functions. Ilan’s ambition is to work in a role that utilises his analysis expertise enriched by his exposure to the commercial side of business. Ilan has a passion for assisting community organisations and sits on several boards of not for profit organisations. He also holds Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh awards and brings along a unique set of community and industry related experience.

Bart Oates Advisor

Bart Oates Esq. is a three-time Superbowl Champion, who graduated magna cum laude with a Juris Doctor degree from Seton Hall during his off season. Prior to his NFL career, he earned a BS in Accounting from the Marriott School of Business at BYU and was inducted into their athletic Hall of Fame in 1992. Bart was selected to five Pro Bowls during his NFL career and to the UPI All-NFC team three times. Bart is now the President of the NFL Alumni Association which offers former players a diverse package of medical, business, and legal services to help keep them and their families healthy, productive, and connected to their former teammates.