MAPS Staff: Who We Are

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	Rick Doblin, Ph.D., Executive Director Rick founded MAPS in 1986. His dissertation (Public Policy, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government) was on "The Regulation of the Medical Use of Psychedelics and Marijuana," and his master’s thesis (Harvard) focused on the attitudes and experiences of oncologists concerning the medical use of marijuana. His undergraduate thesis (New College of Florida) was a twenty-five year follow-up to the classic Good Friday Experiment, which evaluated the potential of psychedelic drugs to catalyze religious experiences. He has also conducted a thirty-four year follow-up study to Tim Leary’s Concord Prison Experiment. Rick studied with Stan Grof, M.D., and was in the first group to become certified as holotropic breathwork practitioners. His professional goal is to help develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana, primarily as prescription medicines but also for personal growth for otherwise "healthy" people, and to also become a legally licensed psychedelic therapist. He resides in Boston with his wife and three children.
	Valerie Mojeiko, Deputy Director Valerie Mojeiko has worked with MAPS since 2001. She earned her BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies, prior to which she attended New College of Florida. She has received 2 years of specialized training and mentorship in results-driven non-profit management from The Management Center of Washington, DC and has completed related courses with Interaction Associates of San Francisco and the Conflict Resolution Center of Santa Cruz. She has also completed coursework in clinical trials administration for pharmaceutical drug development. In her work leading MAPS’ psychedelic harm–reduction project, Valerie has prepared over 200 volunteers to provide peer–based psychedelic emergency services from Burning Man to Tel Aviv.
	Michael Mithoefer, M.D. Principal Investigator MDMA/PTSD Studies Michael Mithoefer, M.D., is a psychiatrist who practices in Charleston, SC, where he divides his time between clinical research and outpatient clinical practice specializing in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with an emphasis on experiential methods of psychotherapy. He is a Grof certified Holotropic Breathwork Facilitator and is trained in EMDR and Internal Family Systems Therapy. He and his wife, Annie Mithoefer, recently completed a MAPS-sponsored Phase II clinical trial testing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A paper about thier study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. They will soon begin a second trial with veterans who have PTSD resulting from service in the U.S. Armed Forces, and are conducting psychotherapy training programs for MAPS researchers. Dr. Mithoefer is the medical monitor for MAPS-sponsored clinical trials in Europe, the Middle East and Canada. Before going into psychiatry in 1995 he practiced emergency medicine for ten years, served as medical director of the Charleston County and Georgetown County Emergency Departments and has held clinical faculty positions at the Medical University of South Carolina. He is currently board certified in Psychiatry, Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine.
	Annie Mithoefer, BSN Co-Investigator MDMA/PTSD Studies Annie Mithoefer, BSN, is a Registered Nurse who lives in Charleston, SC where she divides her time between clinical research and outpatient clinical practice specializing in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with an emphasis on experiential methods of psychotherapy. She is a Grof certified Holotropic Breathwork Practitioner and is trained in Hakomi Therapy. Recently she and her husband, Michael Mithoefer, M.D., completed a MAPS- sponsored Phase II clinical trial testing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. A paper about thier study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. They will soon begin a second trial with veterans who have PTSD resulting from service in the US Armed Forces, and are conducting psychotherapy training programs for MAPS researchers.
	Randolph Hencken, M.A., B.S., Director of Communications and Marketing Randy earned his Master of Arts in Communication and his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from San Diego State University (SDSU). He focused all of his graduate studies on drug policy issues. His research about the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, and a portion of his thesis that investigated the importance of drug prohibition to non-drug users’ deterrence from drug use have been presented at the National Communication Association conferences. His thesis further investigated correlations between political attitudes and drug policy beliefs, and he tested the effectiveness of several arguments for drug policy reform. Randy formerly was the program coordinator at the Ibogaine Association in Mexico. He was the founder and president of SDSU’s chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, and he interned for the Drug Policy Alliance in San Diego.
	Josh Sonstroem, Accounting and IT Specialist Josh earned his BA in Philosophy and Religion from the New College of Florida in 2003. As a longtime believer in maybe-logic he has actively sought out and explored a multiplicity of consciousness expansion techniques, psychedelics notwithstanding. Like all MAPS Staffers, Josh's workload spans many different domains within the MAPS microcosm: From helping Rick to monitor and control MAPS funds (accounting), to administering the MAPS' website (webadmin), from managing most of the company's computer technology (IT), to traveling around with Valerie to MAPS' many different study sites to assist with data management (clinical research). And, if you have ever been to a MAPS fundraiser where food was served, you have probably sampled his experimental, cutting-edge cuisine as well (see DogStar Catering). Josh loves to read philosophy and science fiction; eat delicious, challenging food; create and listen to dark, glitchy music (hear it at auralox.com); write abstract, surrealist poetry; and think thought-at-its-limits. He will continue to seek out and enjoy both the chaotic depths [and the ethereal heights] of existential experience.
	Amy Emerson, Clinical Operations Amy earned her BS in genetics and cell biology from Washington State University. She has worked in clinical development and research for the last 15 years in the fields of immunology, oncology and most recently in vaccine development. Amy has worked with MAPS as a volunteer since 2003 facilitating the development of the MDMA clinical program. She is currently working as the clinical program manager and is involved with creating the structure needed to support the growing needs of the clinical operations group and MAPS clinical research studies.
	Berra Yazar-Klosinski, Ph.D., Clinical Research Associate Berra earned a Ph.D. in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology from University of California at Santa Cruz in March of 2010, where she served as treasurer and president of the Graduate Student Association. After attending Stanford University for a B.S. in Biology, she worked as a Research Associate with Geron Corporation on telomerase activation and with Millennium Pharmaceuticals on Phase I clinical trials for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Berra enjoys working with researchers and the clinical operations team at MAPS to design and facilitate clinical research studies. Read Berra's editorial: Financial Disclosure: Are Non-profits the Answer?
	Brian Wallace, Director of Field Development Brian studied neuroscience, philosophy, and medical sociology at a host of universities, the latest being UC Santa Cruz. As a longtime advocate for the dissemination of accurate, unbiased information with respect to psychoactive drugs and other medicines, Brian is right at home doing outreach and education on behalf of MAPS at music festivals and medical or policy conferences, and in the digital world through various Web 2.0 frameworks.
	L (Ilsa) Jerome Ph.D., Research and Information Specialist Ilsa earned a PhD in psychology from the University of Maryland. She helps MAPS and researchers design studies, gathers information on study drugs (as MDMA) through keeping abreast of the current literature and discussion with other researchers, creates and maintains documents related to some MAPS–supported studies, and helps support the MAPS psychedelic literature bibliography. She has written informational documents on psilocybin, LSD and MDMA. She is interested in using methods from behavioral science and neuroscience to learn how humans feel and think about themselves and each other.