Psychedelic Support and Harm Reduction
March 28, 2022
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Our Purpose
Vision
A healthy and connected community that nurtures human wellbeing and ecological awareness. Supported by the careful use of psychedelics.
Perspective
We provide insight, expertise, and community support to the evolving landscape of medicinal psychedelic research in Australia
Mission
High-impact scientific research into the applications and mechanisms of medicinal psychedelics, and supporting technology.
Direction
Initiate and support medicinal psychedelic research and related technology to build a next-generation mental health system.
Our Values
Evidence-informed
Our approach is iterative and informed by research integrating emerging evidence to maximise benefits and mitigate risks.
Transparency
Our research honours Open Science principles. We value knowledge sharing, education and translation.
Innovation
We are committed to paradigmatic change through the process of evolving knowledge.
Integrity
We are honest, authentic, and accountable. We apply an ethical and considered approach in the pursuit of excellence.
Connection
We seek to enhance the wellbeing of the wider community while supporting an ecosystem of contributors, fellow researchers, and clinicians.
Inclusivity
We stand for equal rights and access. We are committed to research that benefit those from all socio-economic and aim to honour traditional indigenous perspectives.
Our Team
Dr Martin Williams
President
Martin Williams is a research fellow in pharmaceutical sciences at Monash University. His interests in psychology and pharmacology have led him towards the multidisciplinary study of psychoactive compounds and their roles in contemporary society. Martin is a founding member of Entheogenesis Australis (EGA, www.entheogenesis.org), an educational charity focused on the historical use and societal impacts of medicinal plants and chemicals, and founding President of Psychedelic Research in Science & Medicine. Martin is co-lead on the St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne Phase 2 trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression and anxiety associated with terminal illness, and co-investigator on the upcoming Melbourne multi-institutional psilocybin trial for treatment-resistant depression and Edith Cowan University MDMA trial for PTSD. Martin is a regular speaker and commentator on psychedelic science in Australia, and reviewer of psychedelic science submissions for several international journals. In his spare time, Martin has an avid interest as a pilot in aircraft.
Dr Stephen Bright
Vice President
Dr Stephen Bright is a clinically-trained psychologist who has worked in the field for more than 20 years. He has been the chief principal investigator of multisite clinical trials and has published research on psychedelics, microdosing, psychometrics and drug policy. Currently, Stephen is principal investigator on a trial investigating MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Stephen supervisors PhD and Masters students’ research at Edith Cowan University, where he teaches counselling skills and psychopharmacology. Dr Bright has given expert testimony to parliamentary inquest and court hearings. He was awarded Edith Cowan University’s Most Prolific Conversation Author in 2018 and 2019. In his spare time, Steve enjoys kite surfing along Perth’s beaches.
Steph Tzanetis
Director
Steph has close to a decade’s experience providing formalised psychedelic support at festivals in Australia and overseas, including in Portugal and North America, and she is the DanceWize Program Director at Harm Reduction Victoria. A focus for DanceWize has always been psychedelic support that is based on the trip sit principles taught by comparable international programs, like MAPS Zendo Project and Kosmicare. DanceWize has had a partnership with PRISM since 2013, which has allowed the exchange of training and other collaborations. Steph has qualifications in law, humanities, alcohol and other drugs, a Graduate Diploma in Health and Medical Law and is a volunteer community lawyer, with an interest in health-focused and evidence-based drug law reform; is on several boards, including as a member of Pill Testing Australia, having managed the service delivery of the trials in the ACT in 2018 and 2019. Health rights and human rights are topics close to her heart.
Steve McDonald
Director
Steve McDonald is a futurist and Executive Director of the non profit Aadii Mesh Foundation, a registered charity that supports change makers, healers, leaders and visionaries during this time of rapid global change. He is co-founder of PRISM and has been an active member of the Australian plant medicine community since 2006. Steve has a professional background in the military, civilian emergency services and change management consulting across the government, corporate and non profit sectors. His experiences as a war veteran and rescue helicopter pilot resulted in posttraumatic stress disorder, which led him to discover the healing benefits of psychedelic medicines. He has practiced Taoist martial and energy healing arts from the Wudang Shan tradition of central China since 1999 and has also trained in the western Hermetic mystery traditions. He is proudly Gooreng Gooreng Nation through his father’s line and is based in Byron Shire.
Jonathan Carmichael
Director
Jonathan Carmichael is an ethnobotanical activist who is interested in social justice and the environment. He is a co-founder, conference director and President of the charity Entheogenesis Australis (EGA), which is devoted to critical thinking and knowledge sharing around ethnobotanical plants, fungi, nature, and sustainability. Jonathan has been working as its primary driver in a volunteer capacity for almost two decades. He is also a founding member of the charity Psychedelic Research in Science & Medicine (PRISM) and is active on their committee. He is also an artistic and freelance photographer, and his photographic works have been published and shown in a number of galleries.
Melissa Warner
Secretary
Melissa is an advocate for innovative solutions for mental health and is on a mission to cultivate an evidence and experience-based understanding of consciousness. Melissa is Secretary of Psychedelic Research in Science and Medicine, Education and Communications Fellow at Mind Medicine Australia, co- founder of The Australian Psychedelic Society and a member of the UK-Australian Young Leaders Forum. Melissa supports the initiation and execution of Australian psychedelic research trials at PRISM and is a post-graduate psychology student at The University of Melbourne. Melissa is leading the development of a therapeutic virtual reality program to support psychedelic-assisted therapy through meditation training and immersive visuals. In her creative time, Melissa enjoys her yoga practice, poetry, dance and painting.
Building Australia's psychedelic research network
Current and future Australian research in this space will offer a crucial pathway for the provision of psychedelic-assisted therapy and to develop our understanding of consciousness itself. Notably, none of the current research into psychedelic-assisted treatments for mental illness in Australia is receiving government funding. With your support, our research paves the way for establishing evidence-informed psychedelic-assisted treatments