Explore the cutting-edge convergence of psychedelics, business, and policy in our upcoming webinar, co-sponsored by the Hopkins Business of Health Initiative and the Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy. Delve into the evolving world of psychedelics as a transformative treatment method, understand the burgeoning business landscape surrounding this innovative therapy, and unravel the complex future of policy shaping this field. Leading experts navigated the intricacies of psychedelic treatment, its economic implications, and the policy frontier that will define its role in mental health care. This was a must-attend event for anyone interested in the forefront of mental health treatment and policy innovation.
Panelists:
Fred Barrett, PhD
Fred Barrett, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Frederick Barrett, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and is the Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. Dr. Barrett has been conducting psychedelic research at Johns Hopkins University since 2013. His research in heathy participants and in patients with mood and substance use disorders focuses on the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms underlying the acute subjective and enduring therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs. Dr. Barrett has developed scientific instruments and published foundational papers on the psychometric evaluation of both mystical and challenging experiences evoked by psychedelic drugs. He published first-in-human studies of the acute effects of the atypical hallucinogen salvinorin A on the brain, and the persisting effects of the classic psychedelic drug psilocybin on cognition and brain function for weeks and months after a single administration. He has also published first-in-human studies of the effects of psilocybin on a brain structure called the claustrum, which was hypothesized by Francis Crick and Christoph Koch to be the conductor of consciousness. Dr. Barrett has been featured on the TEDMED stage and PBS NOVA, and he has appeared on NPR, CNN, The Associated Press, The Telegraph, The Hill, Scientific American, Discover Magazine, Business Insider, Vogue, Wired, VICE, Nature Outlook, Scripps Research, and local public radio stations throughout the United States and abroad.
Melissa Lavasani
Melissa Lavasani
Founder and CEO
Psychedelic Medicine Coalition
Melissa Lavasani is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Washington, DC-based Psychedelic Medicine Coalition, a national association committed to creating access to and advancing the science and research of psychedelic medicines through advocacy and education on a federal level. Melissa is also President of Psychedelic Medicine Advocacy and its Political Action Committee which is dedicated to ensuring Americans are educated and empowered to elect lawmakers that support safe, equitable access to these life-changing treatments. Prior to that, Melissa proposed Initiative 81, the Entheogenic Plant and Fungus Policy Act of 2020, the largest ballot initiative win in Washington DC's history with 76% approval. Inspired by her own experience as a professional, working mother using psychedelic medicines to overcome severe postpartum depression when the healthcare system failed her, Melissa is one of the leading voices for policy, politics, and advocacy in the psychedelic space. She is also a Founding Board Member of the Psychedelics and Healing Initiative at the Global Wellness Institute, and on the Advisory Boards of Drugs over Dinner and Universal Ibogaine. Melissa has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Macalester College, a Masters degree in Management from the University of Denver, and a Masters in Public Policy from George Mason University. Born in Washington, DC to Iranian immigrants, Melissa currently lives in Northeast DC with her husband Daniel, daughter Lola (9), son Ramsey (6), and their two rescue dogs, Gus and Daisy.
Lia Mix, LMFT
Lia Mix, LMFT
CEO
Delphi
Lia Mix, LMFT, CEO, is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in multicultural populations. She earned her Certificate in Psychedelic Therapies and Research (CPTR) from the California Institute for Integral Studies (CIIS) in 2016. Lia is a systems-thinker who has helped establish the core infrastructure for psychedelic-assisted therapy to be implemented into the US healthcare system on a trajectory towards achieving health insurance coverage post-FDA approval. These projects include the Board of Psychedelic Medicines and Therapies, the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association and Enthea, a health insurance company offering psychedelic healthcare benefits. Lia collaborates directly with federal and state regulators, such as the Department of Health and Human Service, and leadership in the psychedelic ecosystem to help ensure psychedelics are made available safely and affordably for all who can benefit from them. She is currently the CEO of Delphi, a consulting firm focused on this core mission. Lia is dedicated to a path of inner healing in service to the collective consciousness.
Co-Moderators:
Michael Darden, PhD
Associate Professor
Johns Hopkins Carey Business School
Matthew Eisenberg, PhD
Matthew Eisenberg, PhD
Associate Professor & Associate Chair for Faculty
Department of Health Policy & Management
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Co-Sponsor: Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy
Conversations on the Business of Health
Webinar Series
This event is part of a larger series on 'Conversations on the Business of Health,' which will be one-hour webinars that will engage leaders in business and academia. We will explore questions such as:
- Should companies invest in their employees’ health?
- Are companies responsible for the health consequences of their products?
- Will artificial intelligence actually advance health?
- How can business offer healthcare in novel settings?
Moderated by faculty members and jointly hosted by the Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Carey Business School, the School of Nursing, and the School of Medicine, the series is open to all. Indeed, we invite you to spread the word as we seek participants both inside and outside of Johns Hopkins, including the business world.
Seminars will be on a Friday from noon to 1 p.m. unless otherwise noted.