Our SPEAKERS

Dr David Luke is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Greenwich. His research focuses on transpersonal experiences, anomalous phenomena and altered states of consciousness, especially via psychedelics, having published more than 100 academic papers in this area, including ten books, most recently Otherworlds: Psychedelics and Exceptional Human Experience. When he is not running clinical drug trials with LSD, conducting DMT field experiments or observing apparent weather control with Mexican shamans he directs the Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness salon and is a cofounder and director of Breaking Convention: International Conference on Psychedelic Consciousness.

Dr Jane Sedgwick-Müller is a senior lecturer, researcher in adult ADHD and an advanced mental health nurse practitioner. She is also an ADHD psychosocial therapist/coach, executive board member of the UK Adult ADHD Network (UKAAN) and professional advisory committee member of ADDISS: The National Charity for ADHD Information & Support. Her PhD project with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, focused on the impact of ADHD on the educational outcomes of university students with ADHD and usefulness of disability support in promoting positive learning experiences. She has presented at conferences around the world and published some of her work. She has received the Royal College of Nursing 2020 Muriel Fleet Award for outstanding achievement in professional development, and the 2020 Genius Within Award for Neurodiverse Research of the Year, sponsored by Microsoft.

Dr Jonathan Iliff is a medical doctor in the NHS, with a background in neuroscience and mental health. Jonathan has been an associate researcher with the psychedelic research group attached to King's College, was the founder and chair of the UCL Society for the Application of Psychedelics and has worked with prominent figures in the field, including writing a comprehensive review with Professor David Nutt. His research focused on the use of psychedelic compounds, like LSD and psilocybin - the active ingredient in magic mushrooms - in the treatment of mental health disorders. Today his focus is clinical - focussing on helping with people, and their problems in the here and now.

Christopher Timmermann (PhD) is a neuroscientist and psychologist from Santiago, Chile and based at the Centre for Psychedelic Research in Imperial College London, where he conducted the first neuroimaging studies on the effects of the potent psychedelic, DMT. His work focuses on the neuroscience, psychology, beliefs and ethics of the psychedelic experience.

Dr James Brown is a biomedical scientist and science communicator. James was diagnosed with ADHD in 2021, and subsequently co-founded the registered UK charity ADHDadultUK, the evidence-based online ADHD magazine focusmag.uk and The ADHD Adults podcast. James also coaches adults with ADHD and provides institutional training on ADHD and neurodivergent conditions. Alongside this, James work as Communications Director for Psychiatry-UK, the countries leading adult ADHD service.

Darren Le Baron is an educator, researcher and event organizer based in the UK. Known around the world for his Shroomshop Master classes he is keen mushroom cultivator and teacher. He has been growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms for over ten years and has translated his home growing experiences into a social enterprise. He is an Organic Horticulturist and Permaculture tutor who supports schools, businesses and so called hard to reach communities around the world to create holistic and sustainable working systems.

Maria Balaet is a computational neuroscientist at Imperial College London who specialises in large scale cognitive testing. Her work focuses on understanding how cognitive processes such as memory, attention, problem solving and language differ in people who consume drugs (such as psychedelics) recreationally, or suffer from neurological and psychiatric disorders. She is currently running an online study where people can play brain games while they are under the influence of psychedelics to help scientists understand how their abilities are affected.

After completing a PhD in organic chemistry, David worked in R&D in the pharmaceutical industry developing drugs for cardiovascular disease and cancer. Inspired by the placebo effect and how some people's condition improved because they believed a placebo was a real drug, he left the industry to write and educate people on how to best harness their mind and emotions to improve their health and wellbeing. He is now a bestselling author of 11 books, including the Amazon bestseller, 'The Five Side Effects of Kindness'. He is a magazine columnist, a frequent podcast guest, and has been featured on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch Live. He's a much sought after speaker in both the public and corporate sectors and has delivered talks for Google, Bank of England, HSBC, 3M, Costa, the NHS, and many more. David is also honorary scientific advisor for the charity 52 Lives, which helps people in need through acts of kindness.

Dr Samantha Hiew is a storyteller with a medical science PhD, specialising in demystifying ADHD & neurodiversity. Sam founded ADHD Girls in 2020 before she was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 40, and identifies as an autistic, dyspraxic, and Touretter. She is passionate about reframing the medical labels given to neurodivergents, where we see each individual as more than their diagnosis. Sam has spoken at over 40 organisations to date and hosts the Utopia podcast where she uncovers hidden stories of neurodivergence across culture, race, high achievers, parenting, and learning disability. Her work received multiple nominations of Stereotype Buster and Community Choice Awards at the 2022 Celebrating Neurodiversity Awards.

Dr. Anna Machin is an evolutionary anthropologist, author of Why We Love: The New Science Behind Our Closest Relationships and broadcaster. She is fascinated by the science behind close human relationships; those between lovers, friends, parents and children. She is a visiting academic at the University of Oxford where she researches human social behaviour and is a regular contributor to TV, radio and print including two seasons of “Married at First Sight” (Channel 4) and the upcoming series “Meet the Humans” (BBC Earth).

Professor Vincent Walsh leads the Applied Cognitive Neuroscience group at UCL. His goal is to use neuroscience to improve high performance in sport, high pressure decision making and advancing human brain stimulation in cognition and health. His research has been used by elite performers, including Great Britain’s Rio olympic team!

Dr. Kathrine Bejanyan is a practicing therapist and relationship consultant in Central London. She works with individuals and couples on love, dating and relationship issues with a focus on building deeper intimacy, connection and authenticity in their love life. Outside of her private practice, Kathrine is a speaker, consultant, as well as a lecturer in psychology. She holds a PhD in Social Psychology and a Masters in Counselling Psychology. She is an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy with a license as a Marriage Family Therapist from the United States.

Michael Brooks, holds a PhD in quantum physics, is a journalist and broadcaster. He is physics consultant to New Scientist magazine, co-host of the award-winning podcast Science(ish), and the author of numerous books, including The Quantum Astrologer’s Handbook and the bestselling 13 Things That Don’t Make Sense.

Dr. John Biddulph works in the field of autism as a trainer, mentor, diagnostician and lecturer. He takes part in the diagnostic process for children and adults as an associate at ASDirections. For the past 20 years he has been a freelance autism consultant. John is also a visiting associate lecturer at University College London, Anna Freud Centre and works with many NHS Trusts. John has delivered training to many organisations and is in demand as a speaker at conferences on a wide range of autism-related subjects. John’s professional expertise in autism has the added benefit of being focused through the prism of his own diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition.

Fini is a qualified breathwork therapist and coach, originally training with the renowned Transformational Breath, and furthering her knowledge with the great teacher Alan Dolan, as well as Oxygen Advantage with Patrick McKeowen. Prior to this, she gained a BSc in Psychology as well as an MSc in Organisational Psychology, which complement her understanding of the mind-body connection to the breath. Fini spends her time working with individual clients in areas ranging from nervous system regulation to trauma release and integration. She also teaches at events and festivals across the country. Her passion is to help people optimise their physical and mental health, enabling them to find more clarity, connection, peace and joy in their lives.

Christopher Gill is a former Professor of Ancient Thought at the University of Exeter. His books include The Stuctured Self in Hellenistic and Roman Philosophy (2006), a translation and commentary of Books 1-6 of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations (2013), and (forthcoming) Learning to Live Naturally: Stoic Ethics and its Modern Significance, all with Oxford University Press. He has also written the introduction to the Oxford World’s Classics translations of Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. Since 2012 he has taken a leading role in ‘Modern Stoicism’, an organisation which aims to present Stoic ideas as a basis for modern living, runs an on-line course each year (Stoic Week) and holds regular conferences (‘Stoicon’).

Helen McCarthy is a writer, presenter and independent scholar who was introduced to anime in 1981 and has been studying it ever since. She has spoken at universities, cultural institutions and of course anime conventions across America, Asia and Europe, from the British Museum and the Smithsonian Institution to Akita International University and the Japan Foundation in London and Kuala Lumpur. Her works include The Anime Encyclopedia, widely recognised as a seminal text for the study of anime; Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation; The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga; and Leiji Matsumoto: Essays on the Manga and Anime Legend.

Alex Conner is a consultant in ADHD support and education. He was the Director of Taught Post-Graduate Education and a Reader in Biomedical Science Education at the University of Birmingham Medical School until last year when he became a full-time ADHD consultant and coach. He also has ADHD and was diagnosed as an adult. In 2021, Alex won a National Teaching Fellowship for a non-directive coaching approach to teaching technical, medical education and is the Chair of the charity “ADHDadultUK” advocating and supporting for adults with ADHD. He also co-hosts the most popular ADHD podcast in the UK, “The ADHD Adults” with Professor James Brown. Alex gives talks and writes articles on ADHD, including for the THES, The Independent and Medical News Today.

Dr Tomlinson is a Clinical Academic Psychiatry Fellow working at the University of Oxford. Having worked with and treated many adults with ADHD, she now focuses on targeted individualised treatment in mental health, particularly ADHD and mood disorders. Dr Tomlinson manages the Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab (OxPPL) with Professor Andrea Cipriani and has been published widely in the field of mental health. In addition, working alongside Professor Samuele Cortese (ADHD international expert) at the University of Southampton on a number of projects examining the side effect profiles of ADHD medication and identifying treatment predictors in patients with ADHD.

Prof. Amelie Saintonge is an Astrophysicist working at University College London. Originally from Canada, she did her PhD studies at Cornell University (USA) and held research positions in Switzerland and Germany before joining UCL. Amelie studies the formation and evolution of galaxies through cosmic time by using the world’s largest radio telescopes.

Dr Athanasios Hassoulas is the Director of the MSc Psychiatry programme at Cardiff University’s School of Medicine. He also teaches extensively on the undergraduate medical programme. His primary research focuses on anxiety disorders, specifically Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). His interest in this particular area of research was sparked by his own personal experience of the disorder, having been diagnosed with OCD at 16 years of age. He speaks openly about his early research as well as his own experience of living with the condition, having been interviewed by BBC Wales and other media outlets as a subject expert on OCD. He feels passionately about challenging the misconceptions and stigma around mental illness. He is equally passionate about understanding which factors lead to the onset of psychiatric conditions such as OCD, and how improving our scientific understanding of these conditions can lead to more tailored and targeted treatments.

Whether he’s taking the roof off a club with his unique selection of deep and tough house music, enchanting a backroom with a genre-bending set of disco, Balearic, rock and hip hop or playing chillout music in a bay in Croatia, Bill Brewster is the man for all occasions.In a former life, Bill was a punk rocker, a chef and also the co-editor of football magazine When Saturday Comes but has been a record nerd all of his life. He began DJing in the 1980s, but came into his own in the early 1990s, particularly during a two-year stint in New York running DMC’s office, where nights at the Sound Factory and hanging out with Danny Tenaglia gave him the musical grounding you can still hear in his music today. Bill was also one of the founding residents at Fabric in London, a position he held for five years. There are few still playing regularly today that have his dedication, eclecticism and encyclopaedic knowledge of music.His parallel life is as a writer and with his long-term partner-in-crime Frank Broughton they have written four books together, including the acclaimed Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (latest edition published last July), How To DJ (Properly) and The Record Players. The pair are also behind the legendary DJhistory.com and their party, Low Life, has been running for nearly 30 years. They now spend most of their time on a dinghy moored on the Rochdale Canal. He has been working in the industry’s fringes for over 40 years including the running of various labels from Twisted UK and Forensic in the ’90s to Disco Sucks and Anorak in the noughties. Occasionally Bill finds time to secrete himself away in a studio to make music or cook up edits. And when he’s not doing any of that he has a family and a dog called Mavis to tend to. He is currently working on a secret project involving badgers, GM crops and disco.

Cate Mackenzie is an Accredited Sex and Relationship Therapist and works with individuals, couples and groups. She is trained in Emotionally Focussed Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Sensorimotor Therapy, Rosen Bodywork Therapy and Clean Language. She was the Dating Coach on Channel 4’s “The Undateables”, The Flirting Coach on Channel 5’s “The Jeremy Vine Show”, and Sex Therapist on Channel 4’s “Kinky Britain”. She has run workshops in six countries and is regularly on the radio and in the press. She has two podcasts, performed comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe and paints hearts which were sold in 80 countries through IKEA.

Dr Deba Choudhury-Peters is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years of clinical experience. She is the founder of DCP Therapy an independent psychological therapy practice established for almost 10 years based in the City of London and Surrey. Dr Deba takes a tailor-made holistic approach to all cases and uses a range of clinical models including Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Experiential Dynamic Therapies and Schema Therapy. Dr Deba works with a wide range of complex psychological problems and specialises in trauma therapy. She offers treatment for both childhood and adulthood traumas including psychological and physical traumas. In her former NHS position, her specialist role was at the Institute of Psychotrauma and The Royal London Hospital working on an innovative psychological service in the Maxillo-facial Trauma Surgery Team. She has published in this area and presented at both national and international conferences on facial trauma and psychology. Dr Deba has also published articles for the general public and presented on a radio show during the Covid-19 pandemic. She offers training to services/teams to inform management of psychological difficulties as well as clinical supervision to other Clinical Psychologists.

Diana is a Senior Lecturer in Counselling and Mental Health at Leeds Beckett University. As a dual qualified Social Worker and Solution Focused Psychotherapist, Diana has extensive experience in supporting children and adults in both statutory services and private practice. Diana’s current PhD research is on trauma informed practice, meaning she looks at attachment, childhood developmental trauma and adult adversity – and how services and organisations can better recognise and care for people who suffer from traumatic stress.

Harry Cliff is a particle physicist based at the University of Cambridge and carries out research with the LHCb experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. He was a curator at the Science Museum, London for seven years. His 2015 TED talk "Have We Reached the End of Physics?" has been viewed more than 3 million times.

Dr Helen Nuttall is a passionate science communicator and Lecturer in Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology at Lancaster University UK, where she leads the Neuroscience of Speech and Action (NoSA) Laboratory. The NoSA Lab investigate research questions surrounding how speech, action, and cognition are represented in the brain, our neuroplastic ability, and how our brains are affected by ageing and disease. She uses a variety of methods including brain imaging and brain stimulation to understand the links between the brain and our behaviour.

Joseph Pack is a founder with ADHD. He’s also co-founder of drugfreeadhd.org, where he is exploring the possibilities for drug-free ADHD. Joseph was diagnosed ADHD at 27 after suffering 5 seizures from years of self-medication and workaholism. Since then, he’s been on a 6 year journey of self-experimentation to see if he can manage ADHD without medication. He’s tried almost everything. Sticking with what works and ditching the rest. He shares his unique insights on LinkedIn, his weekly newsletter and on his podcast, Quick Start Founder. Joseph has given lectures at Manchester Metropolitan University, Nottingham University and General Assembly. And speaks at events and conferences across the UK.

Dr Judith Mohring is a consultant psychiatrist with over 25 years' experience as a medical doctor, coach, therapist and trainer. She now works as an organisational and lifestyle psychiatrist leading a team delivering lifestyle prescriptions to individuals and organisations. Lifestyle prescribing uses evidence-based techniques to inform behaviour change through the science of wellbeing. It can be applied on an individual or organisational level: as prevention, treatment and to build resilience.

Keith Abraham was a paratrooper who experienced great trauma in combat situations. After switching careers to JP Morgan, Keith found traditional methods of dealing with this trauma weren’t working. This left him hopeless, and he flew to Peru to experience Ayahuasca. You will hear Keith’s incredible story of transformation and how he now helps other veterans through their struggles by using Ayahuasca, through Heroic Hearts UK.

Laura Hanbury is a clinician and PhD research student at Royal Holloway University. Laura’s overall work is centred around the study of how behaviours develop in the context of experienced attachment trauma and how behaviours adapt and change over the course of a lifetime. Having worked in the field of child protection for over 16 years, she also works as an independent lecturer, author and trainer, specialising in the analysis of family dynamics and behavioural responses.

Laura Elin Pigott is a Clinical Neuroscientist; She is the youngest person in the U.K to become a lecturer and at the age of 22 started teaching Neurosciences and Neurorehabilitation at LSBU. Laura strives to share her passion for neuroscience and health care with everyone. After all, there is so much of the human brain we know nothing about, which to her just means there is so much left to discover. We can all take part in these discoveries. She started her career in Physiotherapy but quickly sought out the underlying processes of neurological disease and rehabilitation. Her research focuses on neural mechanisms, circuitry and electrophysiology of neurological disease at the Neurophysiology Unit, UCL and Cancer surveillance and progression in the brain at the Queen Square Institute of Neurology, NHNN.

Lindsay Dukes is a Clinical Sexologist / Sex & Relationship Therapist specialising in Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diversity (GSRD) including Kink, BDSM & Consensual Non-Monogamy. Lindsay has been working with, and within kink communities across the UK, Europe and Asia as a writer, performer and educator since 2015. Her therapeutic work focuses on re-centring consent, communication and pleasure as radical components for human connectivity.

Dr Lori Beth Bisbey is a psychologist, accredited advanced GSRD (gender, sex, relationship diversity) therapist, sex & intimacy coach, author, podcast host speaker and resident specialist therapist on Open House: The Great Sex Experiment (channel 4). She has been working with people for the past 35 years to help them create and maintain incredible relationships that contain exciting sex and are without shame. She specialises in GSRD - which is gender, sex, and relationship diversity (which includes non-monogamy, kink and BDSM) and the treatment of trauma.

Dr Lucy Thompson is a research psychologist interested in early child development, neurodiversity, and parenting support. Her research work is driven by a passion for ensuring that all children and families can access the right services for recognising, understanding, and supporting mental wellbeing and functional difficulties associated with ADHD and related conditions. She is a chartered psychologist with a PhD in psychology and a master’s in public health. She currently works as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen Institute of Applied Health Science, is affiliated with the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre at Gothenburg University, Sweden, and has an honorary research fellow position at the University of Glasgow School of Health and Wellbeing. She has recently begun training as an ADHD coach.

Moudou Baqui is a Detroit native and visionary community organizer. He served as the spokesperson and principle organizer of Prop E Decriminalization of Entheogens in Detroit, which successfully passed in 2021. Under the tutelage of Kilindi Iyi, he has studied African combative martial arts and sacred plants use and culture for over 20 years. He was exposed to the knowledge and application, cultivation and cultural history of entheogens. He has further continued his studies of ancient human history, metacognition, and entheogens via travel on several continents. He currently sits on the National Decriminalize Nature Board. He is the founder of H.U.U.D Noetics (Healing Urban Communities Through Unleashed Divinity) an organization dedicated to educating the public on the major benefits of psychedelics as a therapeutic tool for addiction and depression. He works as a psychedelic coach for mental health professionals in a nationally recognized Psychedelic Therapy training program. His work has been featured in 2022 Psychedelia magazine series.

Mourad is a senior registrar in psychiatry, currently working with the Regional Affective Disorder team in Newcastle (part of the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust (CNTW)). Being of Egyptian origin, Mourad came to the UK nine years ago to work in Psychiatry with a special interest in mood disorders, substance misuse, and psychedelic assisted psychotherapy, and has dedicated his career to combining his passions. . He is the lead for the psychedelic service in Newcastle which is currently in development after taking part in its first project investigating psilocybin for treatment resistant depression. The service aims to facilitate the delivery of psychedelic therapy within the region, both through hosting further research trials and raising awareness to clinicians and the general public.

Dr Peter Sloane is Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Literature and Film at the University of Buckingham. He has published widely on film and fiction, including the monographs David Foster Wallace and the Body (Routledge, 2019), Kazuo Ishiguro’s Gestural Poetics (Bloomsbury, 2021), and edited collections Kazuo Ishiguro: 21 st Century Perspectives (Manchester University Press, 2023) and ReFocus: The Films of Claire Denis (Edinburgh University Press, 2023). He works closely on the intersections of film and text, and on the postmodern.

Rayna Denison is Professor of Film and Digital Arts at the University of Bristol. Her books Anime: A Critical Introduction (2015) and Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History (2023) explore the histories and cultures of Japanese animation. Rayna is widely published on anime, popular animation and popular cinema topics, and her work can be found everywhere from academic journals like Cinema Journal through to popular sites like The Conversation. Rayna’s current projects include work on representations of disability in anime, as well as animation’s transformative cultural potential.

Rebecca Harding is a neuropsychopharmacologist at University College London. She has a varied experience of working within the psychedelic field. She previously worked in the psychedelic pharmaceutical industry as a Research Scientist for Clerkenwell Health. She completed her Master's thesis at the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London, which used brain imaging to look at the difference between antidepressants and psilocybin for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder. Her current work focuses on how and why psychedelics can be used to treat addiction.

Rob is co-founder of Inwardbound psilocybin retreats in the Netherlands (www.inwardbound.nl), where for the past five years he has facilitated hundreds of people through a psilocybin retreat process for healing and personal transformation. Rob is a university lecturer, has a Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Integrative Psychotherapy (Dublin City University), is an accredited psychotherapist (MIACP) and is a professional member of MIND- the European Foundation for Psychedelic Science. He is also a qualified Shamanic Counsellor at the Irish Centre for Shamanic and Transpersonal Studies (Dunderry Park), and has finished an 8 year training as a Transpersonal Therapist in the tradition of Dr. Stan Grof. He passionately believes that the only way to create change in the world is through inner psychological work, and his work has been around reconnecting people to themselves, to each other and to nature.

Rosie Wilby is an award-winning comedian, author, speaker and broadcaster who has appeared many times on BBC Radio 4 programmes including Woman's Hour, Saturday Live and Four Thought and at major festivals around the world. The creator of global hit podcast and book The Breakup Monologues, she has spent the last decade interviewing scientists, sociologists and psychotherapists to investigate the psychology of human relationships. Known for an immersive and very personal style of storytelling that has earned her the nickname ‘the lesbian Louis Theroux’, Rosie has performed comedy at a sex party, participated in a ‘sex lab’ and conducted surveys asking ‘what counts as cheating?’ - all in the name of ‘research’. She uses humour to accessibly unpack the broader life lessons about improving the quality of our human relationships that she has unearthed in these unusual situations.

Sam is a PhD ecologist and independent researcher. He has varied experience of working within the psychedelic field, including as a past scientific assistant to the director of the Beckley Foundation and as a research assistant with the Synthesis Institute. His work has also involved science communication, including a past role as a senior science writer for Wavepaths. A lifelong nature lover, he has a research interest in the capacity of psychedelics to influence human relationships with nature, and is a collaborator with the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London. His main work focus is within the ecological field, working as Innovation Team Leader with environmental consultancy Ecosulis.

Professor Sophie Scott CBE is Director of the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London. She studies the neurobiology of human vocal communication, from speech and sound to social interactions and non verbal emotional expressions, such as laughter. Sophie has appeared on The One Show (BBC1) and Sunday Brunch (C4) multiple times among a slew of other TV appearances. Her TED talk ‘Why We Laugh’ has over 5 million views! Sophie is a Fellow of the British Academy and the Academy of Medical Science and has published over 130 scientific papers. Her first book ‘The Brain: ten things you need to know’ is coming out this autumn.

Tim LeBon is a founder member of the non-profit organisation Modern Stoicism, for which he is Director of Research. Tim is an accredited CBT therapist working in the NHS and private practice in the UK. His latest book is 365 Ways to be More Stoic (John Murray, 2022).He is the author of two previous books, Wise Therapy and Achieve Your Potential with Positive Psychology and lectures on Positive Psychology and Stoicism on the short-course programme at City University, London.

Tom is a lecturer of mental health nursing and a speaker, trainer, and advocate for neurodiversity and ADHD. Tom's PhD project explores the lived experiences of parents whose children are undergoing ADHD assessment, listening to, and retelling their changing stories over a period of two years: From waiting list, to diagnosis, to living with a diagnosis. Tom is a registered mental health nurse with experience working within the neurodevelopmental assessment service within the Children and Young People's service. Diagnosed with ADHD in childhood, Tom uses his personal lived experience of ADHD alongside his clinical and academic background to give a multitude of perspectives to his work.

Dr Veronica Lamarche is a social-personality psychologist and relationship researcher at the University of Essex. Veronica's work stems from the big question "What makes some couples more resilient in the face of uncertainty?" She is particularly interested in understanding how people maintain relationships by balancing trust and dependence, and how feelings of vulnerability and uncertainty can upend these efforts.

Will Sherwood is a PhD candidate researching J.R.R Tolkien and British Romanticism. The Education Secretary for The Tolkien Society, Will runs the Society's academic events and has edited several books including Adapting Tolkien (2021), Tolkien and Diversity (2023), and Tolkien and the Gothic (2024). Most recently he co-edited The Romantic Spirit in the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien (2024) with Dr. Julian Eilmann. You can find out more about Will and his work at http://will-sherwood.com and on X at @MrWillSherwood.

Dr. Zara Brodie is a developmental psychologist whose research focuses on the impact of childhood adversity on attachment security and interpersonal functioning in adulthood, with a particular interest in the role of emotions and maladaptive behaviours in romantic relationships. She has worked with domestic abuse charities to examine the impact of COVID-19 on domestic abuse.

Dr Tabitha Stanmore is a postdoctoral researcher on the Leverhulme-funded Seven County Witch Hunt Project at the University of Exeter, and is specialist in medieval and early modern English magic and witchcraft. Her monograph, Love Spells and Lost Treasure: Service Magic in England from the Later Middle Ages to the Early Modern Era, was published with Cambridge University Press in 2022. Her first book for general readers, Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic, was published in 2024 with the Bodley Head. She has written for TIME, The Conversation and The Telegraph, among others, and featured on Radio 3’s Free Thinking and BBC 4’s Plague Fiction. Website: tabithastanmore.co.uk

Tommaso Barba is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London. Tommaso's research is focused on understanding the brain effects of short-acting psychedelics, like 5-MeO-DMT, and the potential role of psychedelic drugs for wellbeing. Tommaso is particularly interested in the effects of psychedelics and MDMA on romantic love and couples’ intimacy, believing that these drugs hold potential for improving couples' connection when administered in the right settings, like couples therapy. He has a background in neuroscience and psychoanalysis.

Dr Peter Sloane is Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Buckingham. He is the author of From Rupture to Refuge: The Coordinates of Contemporary Refugee Narratives (Liverpool UP 2025), Kazuo Ishiguro’s Gestural Poetics (Bloomsbury 2021), and David Foster Wallace and the Body (Routledge 2019). He is the editor of ReFocus: The Films of Claire Denis (Edinburgh UP 2023), and co-editor with Kristian Shaw of Kazuo Ishiguro: 21st Century Perspectives (Manchester UP 2023).

Ruth Williams is a Training and Supervising Analyst of the Association of Jungian Analysts, as well as an Integrative Psychotherapist.  She practises, teaches, and supervises in a variety of settings nationally and internationally.  She is the author of Jung: The Basics (Routledge 2019) and Exploring Spirituality from a Post-Jungian Perspective: Clinical and Personal Reflections (Routledge 2023).  Her practice is based in London where she meets with people from all over the world online. See www.ruthwilliams.org.uk for more information. 

Dr. Mathew Mather is a lecturer at Limerick School of Art and Design (Technological University of the Shannon), course director of the Certificate in Jungian Psychology with Art Therapy, and programme director of the MA in Art, Psyche and the Creative Imagination. Mathew regularly presents at international conferences, is a guest lecturer at ISAP Zurich, and has run workshops with his wife Lyn for the Jung in Ireland programme. His interests include dream interpretation, synchronicity, art, alchemy, astrology, the environment, as well as personal and cultural mythologies. He is author of The Alchemical Mercurius: esoteric symbol of Jung’s life and works (Routledge 2014), and a number of articles and book chapters.

Jason is a Professor of Sleep Science and Director of the Northumbria Centre for Sleep Research in the United Kingdom. He is a qualified Somnologist - Expert in Behavioural Sleep Medicine from the European Sleep Research Society and a Practicing Psychologist under the HCPC. He splits his time between his basic research interests: the pathophysiology of sleep disorders (Insomnia, Nightmare Disorder, Sleepwalking, and Circadian Rhythm Disorders) and his applied work on the management of disorders of sleep and dreaming. Within the latter framework he examines the impact of novel adjunct therapies, the influence of social factors on adherence, and the effective delivery of sleep and dreaming interventions in complex cases and environments.

Lora O’Brien is a modern Draoí (practitioner of Irish magic) and a dedicated priest of the Irish Goddess Mórrígan since 2004. With over 30 years of experience exploring and teaching Irish spirituality, mythology, and witchcraft, Lora has authored seven books, including works on Irish history, folklore, and Pagan practice. Their eighth book, The Mórrígan: Ireland's Goddess, will be published by Llewellyn in 2025.

Marcus is Reader in Cognitive Science at Queen Mary University of London, where he leads the Music Cognition Laboratory, and honorary Professor of Neuroscience at Aarhus University, Denmark, where he is part of the Centre for Music in the Brain. His research aims to understand the cognitive and brain mechanisms that underlie perception and appreciation of complex auditory phenomena such as music. He has given presentations at the Wellcome Collection and Royal Institution, run a Live Science residency at the Science Museum, and collaborated with the London Sinfonietta to produce a free iOS app for developing rhythm skills called Steve Reich's Clapping Music, described by the New York Times as "maddeningly addictive".

Dr Lalitaa Suglani is an award-winning psychologist specialising in helping high-achieving professionals manage stress, burnout, and high-functioning anxiety. As the author of High Functioning Anxiety: How to Manage Inner Panic and Thrive, she offers actionable tools to help individuals live authentically while resisting the pressures of overwork. With a wealth of experience speaking at international events and appearing on multiple podcasts, Dr. Suglani is committed to empowering individuals to balance ambition with well-being and resilience.

Lauren is Professor of Psychology at the University of Roehampton. She has published widely on topics including learning and plasticity, congenital amusia, earworms and therapeutic aspects of music. She has been engaged in several citizen science and public engagement projects, including a Silent Disco earworm experiment at Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry, a live experiment on musical plagiarism at the Science Museum’s Dana Centre and an in depth discussion on the ‘Tingle Factor’ in music as part of Radio 3’s Wellcome Collection residency. She is currently leading a large global health initiative called CHIME Project, which explores how culturally embedded musical practices can support women’s mental health during pregnancy.

Jon Bowen is a veterinary surgeon who has been working with dogs and cats with behaviour problems for more than 25 years. He runs the behavioural medicine referral service at the Royal Veterinary College, where he also lectures on behaviour, and he has published research papers and book chapters on a diverse range of subjects including normal and problematic cat and dog behaviour, the social support people get from their pets, and the welfare of pets. He is a regular speaker at international meetings.

Dr. Kathy Ruddy is a neuroscientist specialising in brain stimulation and Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) to enhance neurophysiological functions. She earned her PhD in Motor Neuroscience from Queen’s University Belfast and conducted postdoctoral research at ETH Zürich and Trinity College Dublin, where she founded a translational brain health lab. Her accolades include being named Irish Researcher of the Year by the Irish Research Council and winning early career awards from both Neuroscience Ireland and the Psychological Society of Ireland. Currently, Dr. Ruddy is a Senior Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast, where she teaches Neuropsychology and continues her research on brain health.

Dr Felicity Sedgewick is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology of Education at the University of Bristol. She has worked with autistic and neurodivergent people for over a decade, particularly with autistic women and girls. Her research has focused on gender differences in autism, relationships, and mental health, as well as experiences in higher education. Her work is strongly participatory in design and aims to always reflect community priorities. She is the lead author of the book Autism and Masking: how and why people do it, and the impact it can have.

John Garth is a journalist and author of the acclaimed biographical Tolkien and the Great War, winner of the Mythopoeic Award for Scholarship 2004, and was Fellow in Humanistic Studies for 2015–16 at the Black Mountain Institute, University of Las Vegas, Nevada. Other writings include the definitive study of Tolkien's undergraduate life, Tolkien at Exeter College, nominated for the same award in 2015. He speaks regularly on Tolkien and related topics, in person and on air. John has also taught full-length and short courses on Tolkien for Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education, for UNLV, and online for the Mythgard Institute at Signum University.

Simon studied medicine before specialising in psychiatry. He completed his core psychiatric training at The Maudsley Hospital in London and worked at King’s College London as a Senior Research Associate investigating the use of psilocybin for treatment resistant depression. Since 2016 he has conducted research into the traditional psychedelic brew ayahuasca and co-founded the not-for-profit research organisation Icaro Science. Simon completed his PhD entitled Amazonian Ayahuasca and Mental Health Outcomes at Goldsmiths, University of London. He now works for the Psychae Institute as Senior Research Fellow and Chief Medical Officer, running randomised controlled trials investigating the potential therapeutic application of ayahuasca as well as acting as Chief Medical Officer for Heroic Hearts UK, a charity supporting veterans with psychedelic plant medicine. In his spare time Simon volunteers for the charity Psycare, which offers support to individuals undergoing challenging drug experiences at music festivals.

Dr Mo Tabib is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a researcher, and a midwifery lecturer at Robert Gordon University in Scotland. She is passionate about improving the wellbeing of expectant parents and health professionals through educational interventions. Mo and her team have designed and delivered childbirth preparation classes to over 4,000 families, achieving overwhelmingly positive results. In her PhD, she explored the influence of antenatal relaxation classes on maternal psychological wellbeing and childbirth experiences. Mo’s work has won several awards, including the Education Trailblazer Award and Innovation Award from the Scotland Maternity & Midwifery Festival (2022, 2019), the Iolanthe Midwifery Award (2020), and was shortlisted for the Royal College of Midwives Innovation Award (2020).

Dr. Shane Cassidy is the clinical director and founder of Neurolinks, a music therapy service based in Ireland. He leads a team of music therapists dedicated to supporting individuals living with neurological conditions. Shane's journey into music therapy began after studying music and working as a primary school teacher, where he became fascinated by the impact of music on learning, memory and emotional regulation. This curiosity led him to pursue both a Master’s and PhD in Music Therapy. His research and clinical interests focus on the effects of music on neurological conditions and mental health.

Dr Sharon Jagger is Associate Professor of Religion at York St. John University and specialises in the relationship between gender and religion. She has a background in feminist theory, having completed her PhD at the Centre for Women’s Studies at the University of York. She has published widely on women and the Church, and on ritual.  Her first book, on women priests and symbolic violence, is due out in Spring 2025.

Dr Rachel Moseley completed her PhD in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, UK, and is now Principle Academic in Psychology at Bournemouth University. Her research centres on issues facing autistic adults, most notably mental ill-health and suicidality. Dr Moseley is herself autistic, and is passionate about the power of self-understanding that comes with realizing a neurodivergent identity, about positive representation of neurodivergent people, and public engagement to increase acceptance and kindness. 

Dr Rachel Newsome is a Jungian-based writer and teacher. She holds a doctorate in applying Jungian psychoanalysis to creative writing and is the founder of Depth Writing With Dr Rachel, a holistic creative learning programme aimed at supporting transformational growth. Dr Rachel has a background in the media and academia as a former editor of arts & culture magazine Dazed & Confused and a lecturer with twenty years’ experience, respectively. She is an Associate of the Higher Education Association and an Editorial Board Member of the London Arts-Based Research Centre. Her research has been published in international academic journals and she is Co-Editor of the forthcoming Routledge publication The Creative Psyche: Between Spirit and Matter. Her monthly Depth Writing With Dr Rachel dispatches on travels between worlds via the arts, culture and all things Jungian can be found on Substack.

Dr Kostas Papageorgiou is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast and Director of the MSc in Applied Developmental Psychology. His current research interests include the study of the Dark Tetrad (Psychopathy, Narcissism, Machiavellianism and Sadism), exploring its structure and the developmental factors that contribute to variation, and its outcomes such as resilience and performance. Kostas holds a PhD in Psychology specialising in Developmental Neuroscience and Genetics from Birkbeck and a MSc degree in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience from Goldsmiths. He lectures as an Associate Professor and a Visiting Professor worldwide. BBC World Service, CNN, Times, and Forbes frequently cover his research. Kostas publishes his work in peer-reviewed academic journals and serves as Associate Editor of Special Issues and Associate Editor in the journals Personality and Individual Differences and Acta Psychologica.

Laura Kounine is an Associate Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Sussex, where she specialises in witch-hunting, feminism, emotions, gender, and selfhood. She holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge. Her 2018 book, Imagining the Witch: Emotions, Gender and Selfhood in Early Modern Germany, was published by Oxford University Press, and she is co-editor of the upcoming Cambridge Companion to the Witch. Kounine also writes reviews for the Times Literary Supplement and has contributed to the BBC Sounds ‘Witch’ podcast and the Channel 4 documentary Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials. She has spoken at the Brighton Festival and the British Library’s ‘Festival of the Accused’. With fellowships at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin and the ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions in Melbourne, she was also awarded a British Academy ‘Rising Stars’ grant.

Dr Joanne Riordan is a consultant educational psychologist, founder of the popular Differently Parenting Programme™, guest university lecturer, mentor at The University of Cambridge, and previous school teacher.  Joanne is a member of the Autistic Burnout Network, which seeks to improve knowledge of autistic burnout amongst professionals. Joanne’s company, Dr Joanne Ltd., is passionate about supporting neurodivergent young people to thrive within neuro-affirming environments. Joanne achieves this through parent workshops and courses, CPD for schools, workplaces, and Local Authorities, guest speaking, and workshops for young people.  In addition to her professional expertise, Joanne is neurodivergent herself and the parent to a neurodivergent child, so she has lived experience on this Seed Talk topic from every angle.  Joanne was nominated for the National Diversity Award 2022 and 2023, for her work in the field of Neurodiversity.  

Dr Julia Phillips is Hon Senior Research Associate and lecturer at the University of Bristol. She received her PhD for her research examining how witches and witchcraft were featured in newspapers in Victorian Britain. Her work has been published in books, academic journals, and popular magazines, and she is a regular presenter at conferences and events. Her primary research interests are the study of witchcraft in the 19th century and the development of modern Pagan Witchcraft in the 20th/21st centuries. 

Jane Mulcahy PhD is researcher and activist, with extensive research experience on prison, Probation, law, human rights and trauma. She has worked as a researcher in the area of criminal justice, penal policy and social justice since 2005 and is currently a Research Fellow with the Research Evidence into the Policy, Programmes and Practice (REPPP) team at the University of Limerick. Jane has also spoken before the UN Committee against Torture on human rights issues in prison, the Justice Sub-Committee on Penal Reform on proposed bail reform, at the Fair Trials’ Expert Seminar on Pre-trial Detention in London and the Bail and Jail event at Harvard Law. Her podcast ‘Law and Justice’ won a Justice Media Award for her documentary series on ‘Humanising Human Rights’ in 2017.

Dr Jennifer Farrell is a lecturer in medieval history at the University of Exeter, specialising in the intersection of gender and the supernatural in medieval culture. Her research focuses on the cultural and socio-political transformations of Western Europe during the High and Late Middle Ages (c.1000-1500). She has published on topics such as medieval prophecy, fairies in both history and romance, and how supernatural figures intersect with gender and literature. Dr. Farrell is currently writing a book on Geoffrey of Monmouth and the origins of Arthurian Legends.

Dr Emily Prpa is an award-winning nutritionist, with a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from King’s College London. Her research has focused on the therapeutic effects of plant-based foods and on advancing our understanding of how the gut microbiome influences various aspects of health and wellbeing. Her research has been presented internationally, published in high-impact journals and helped inform UK Food Policy. Today she is a Visiting Lecturer at King’s College London and known as The Nutrition Reporter on Instagram where she is recognised as a trusted voice in wellbeing. Emily is considered one of the leading experts in her field and is frequently featured in the media, including Sky News and the BBC.

Dr Gemma Williams is an autistic academic, researcher, and author. Originally trained as a linguist, Gemma’s research has since expanded into social justice topics, particularly around neurodiversity. Her work explores autistic people's experiences of loneliness, barriers to healthcare for neurodivergent individuals, and the sensory challenges of public spaces. She serves on the Westminster Commission on Autism and is an Associate with the National Development Team for Inclusion. 

Dr Angela Kennedy is an eminent Clinical Psychologist and former NHS director and regional mental health lead with decades of experience working with the consequences of abuse and trauma. She spearheaded the UK's movement towards trauma-informed approaches and compassionate leadership. She also set up a region's staff support service during covid and was a trustee of the Covid Healthcare Support Appeal. In recent years she has brought her artistic lens closer to her work, which includes producing a documentary on recovery from suicide. 

Dr Christopher Holliday is Senior Lecturer in Liberal Arts and Visual Cultures Education at King’s College London. He has published widely on Hollywood cinema and animation history, and is the author of The Computer-Animated Film: Industry, Style and Genre (2018) and co-editor of Fantasy/Animation: Connections Between Media, Mediums and Genres (2018) and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: New Perspectives on Production, Reception, Legacy (2021). He has written multiple book chapters and articles on animation and contemporary media culture for academic publications, as well as for Total Film, The Independent, and The Conversation, and spoken on animation around the world, including at the British Film Institute and Cinema Museum in London and recently at the Annecy Film Festival in France. He can also be found as the curator and creator of the website, blog, and podcast Fantasy/Animation. 

Dee Anand is a Chartered Forensic Psychologist and has been practising in the field for over 20 years. He has led Forensic Psychology with an unprecedented 2 terms as Chair of the National Division of Forensic Psychology, and has held the position of Chair of every professional board in Forensic Psychology at the British Psychological Society. He is currently Head of Qualification in Forensic Psychology at the British Psychological Society. His research on psychopathy was conducted at Broadmoor Hospital, a high-security psychiatric institution, where he investigated the PCL-R model of psychopathy. As a practitioner, Dee has worked extensively with violent offenders and other complex offenders in creating and leading intervention and reform programmes.  In academia, he was the Programme Director for the Professional Doctorate in Forensic Psychology at the University of Portsmouth.

Dr Angela Cotter is a Jungian analyst integrating constellations work, energy psychotherapy and shamanic approaches into her practice. Her doctorate explored the “wounded healer” (in nursing) - a concept Jung is credited with introducing. This led to action research projects in a range of contexts with staff, users and carers in health and social care focusing on how to facilitate communication and connection across the “wounded”- “healer” divide.  For example, one project was about the use of creative arts to enhance communication between people with dementia and staff who work with them. She has presented papers about Jung in a range of different contexts and is a Visiting Lecturer at Regent’s University where she teaches a Jungian module.  

Darragh Stewart PHD is the Co-founder of InwardBound Psychedelic Retreats in the Netherlands, a pioneering venture at the forefront of the emerging field of Psilocybin retreats. As one of Ireland's prominent men's work facilitators and the Co-founder of Psychedelic Brothers Ireland, he brings a wealth of experience to the intersection of personal transformation, shamanism, and spirituality. With a Ph.D. in Molecular Plant Genetics from Trinity College Dublin, Darragh is driven by a profound interest in bridging the gap between science and spirituality, recognising their inherent interconnectedness. His grounded approach to exploring spirituality creates a nurturing space for individuals to connect with their inner selves, free from the constraints of dogma or judgment. Currently, Darragh is enthusiastic about the advancements in psychedelic science. He is also committed to reclaiming Ireland's indigenous use of Magic Mushrooms, championing best practices—both holistically and medically—in navigating altered states of consciousness for the purpose of self-healing and community well-being.

Dr Debora Moretti is a historian and archaeologist, and a researcher at the University of Hertfordshire and the Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies at the University of York. After a career in both academic and commercial archaeology, focusing on the material evidence of magic and witchcraft in archaeological contexts, Debora completed her PhD in History at the University of Bristol (UK). Her research, which formed part of the Leverhulme Trust-funded project "The Figure of the Witch," supervised by Professor Ronald Hutton, was dedicated to the image of witches and witchcraft in late medieval and early modern Italy. 

Alice Chau-Ginguene is a Clinical Animal Behaviourist with 15 years of experience specialising in cat behaviour. Passionate about making animal science accessible and engaging, she is dedicated to enhancing the enjoyment between cats and humans, and improving feline mental health. Through her private practice Alice supports cat lovers worldwide. Her expertise and insights have made her a regular feature in media across Ireland, the U.S., and beyond, where she continues to advocate for better understanding and care of our feline companions.