February 3, 2018
From the event website:
Join us for this world-bridging event on the gorgeous beaches of Tulum. The CryptoPsychedelic Summit will bring together leaders in blockchain and psychedelic science to discuss new possibilities in research, innovation, and community building.
MAPS Participants
Ismail L. Ali, J.D., Policy & Advocacy Counsel
Ismail is Policy & Advocacy Counsel for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), where he advocates to eliminate barriers to psychedelic therapy and research, develops and implements legal and policy strategy, and coordinates support for clinical research in Latin America. Ismail is licensed to practice law in the state of California and also serves as Vice-Chair of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy Board of Directors.
Ismail earned his J.D. at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2016, after receiving his Bachelor’s in Philosophy from California State University, Fresno, in 2012 where he also studied writing and Spanish-language literature. As a law student, Ismail served as co-lead of Berkeley Law’s chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy and worked for the ACLU of Northern California’s Criminal Justice and Drug Policy Project, and the International Human Rights Law Clinic at Berkeley Law. To first support his work at MAPS, Ismail received Berkeley Law’s Public Interest Fellowship.
Merete Christiansen, Executive Manager and Assistant to Rick Doblin, Ph.D.
Merete received her B.S. in Biology at the State University of New York at Geneseo in 2012, where she cultivated her passion for community organizing and education. She furthered these interests as an instructor at High Trails Outdoor Science School and by earning her RYT-200 yoga teacher certification following her undergraduate studies. Since joining the MAPS team in 2014, Merete provides administrative support for MAPS Executive Director, Rick Doblin, acts as a MAPS Ambassador at education and outreach events, and collaborates with MAPS’ fundraising, communications, and operations teams. When not wrangling Rick, Merete enjoys reading, yoga, puzzles, and watching British murder mysteries.
Natalie Lyla Ginsberg, M.S.W., Policy & Advocacy Director
Natalie earned her Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University in 2014, and her Bachelor’s in History from Yale University in 2011. At Columbia, Natalie served as a Policy Fellow at the Drug Policy Alliance, where she helped legalize medical marijuana in her home state of New York, and worked to end New York’s racist marijuana arrests. Natalie has also worked as a court-mandated therapist for individuals arrested for prostitution and drug-related offenses, and as a middle school guidance counselor at an NYC public school. Natalie’s clinical work with trauma survivors spurred her interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy, which she believes can ease a wide variety of both mental and physical ailments by addressing the root cause of individuals’ difficulties, rather than their symptoms. Through her work at MAPS, Natalie advocates for research to provide evidence-based alternatives to both the war on drugs and the current mental health paradigm.
For more information, visit the event website.
