MAPS Canada’s leadership, staff, and volunteers are dedicated to furthering the scientific understanding and practical application of psychedelic medicine to improve lives.
WHO WE ARE
Our organization is made up of a diverse group of scientists, researchers, students, advocates, and leaders from all sectors. We believe that to solve some of the biggest challenges in human mental health requires people from a diversity of backgrounds, identities, and experiences, who share a common vision: to improve lives through equitable access to legal and regulated psychedelic medicine.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rielle Capler
(she/her)
Chair
Rielle Capler (MHA, PhD) brings to her role as co-chair of MAPS Canada over 20 years of experience in the cannabis field, where she has engaged in research, knowledge translation, service provision, standards development, and community organizing. Rielle received the Governor General of Canada’s Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal acknowledging her contribution to Canadian society through her work with medical cannabis.
Rielle received a doctoral degree in Interdisciplinary Studies at University of British Columbia, and held a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the British Columbia Center on Substance Use. She is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Population and Public Health, in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. Rielle’s research relates predominantly to cannabis and psychedelics, with a focus on the instrumental uses of drugs, equitable access to health care, use of legal and illegal sources, harm reduction, and intergenerational trauma. Rielle is a research advisor to Ketamine Assisted Therapy Association of Canada.
Rielle’s policy and advocacy focus is on the inclusion of systemically marginalized voices and communities, the transition of illegal and stigmatized plant medicines and psychedelics to a legal context, equitable access and economic development. Rielle has consulted and advised on cannabis policy nationally and internationally and co-founded several long-standing non-profit organizations to represent patients, producers, and retailers.
Kayla Breelove Carter
Board Member
Kayla Breelove Carter (MACP, LCT, RCT, CCC, NuPsych., Clinical Traumatologist-TI, Psychedelic Assisted Therapist- IPI) works with individuals and organizations to increase their awareness and understanding of trauma, racial trauma, and adverse childhood experiences. Kayla helps bring reflection and profound change in one’s recovery journey, while guiding organizations in the reflection of how their privilege and own lens, can play out within their role in the workplace.
With over ten years of clinical experience, Kayla specializes as well in nutritional psychology and psychedelic assisted therapy. As a clinical supervisor for those seeking licensing in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Kayla also dedicates her time in supporting graduate students through Breelove’s weekly free counselling clinic and community counselling program, where individuals seeking counselling therapy can engage in one on one mental health counselling for free.
When she is not providing counselling therapy or consultation work, Kayla enjoys contributing to CBC Morning Moncton and PEI, as their mental health columnist, while also spending time with her two children under five and partner of fifteen years.
Rick Doblin
Board Member
Rick Doblin is the founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) USA. He received his doctorate in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where he wrote his dissertation on the regulation of the medical uses of psychedelics and marijuana, and his Master’s thesis on a survey of oncologists about smoked marijuana vs. the oral THC pill in nausea control for cancer patients.
His undergraduate thesis at New College of Florida was a 25-year follow-up to the classic Good Friday Experiment, which evaluated the potential of psychedelic drugs to catalyze religious experiences. He also conducted a thirty-four year follow-up study to Timothy Leary’s Concord Prison Experiment.
Peggy Van de Plassche
(she/her)
Board Member
Peggy Van de Plassche spent 20 years in the financial services and technology industries as an executive, venture capitalist, board member, advisor, entrepreneur and public speaker. After discovering the magic of mushrooms for her own mental wellness and performance, Peggy realized how powerful psilocybin could be for personal and professional transformation. She then developed a strategic and mindful 90-day protocol to help others reach their goals: “The Microdose Diet”. Peggy now focuses her time and energy on psychedelic-powered personal and professional development. She guides her clients through The Microdose Diet, a 12 week transformation program combining microdosing psilocybin and alternative therapies, such as tapping meditation, journaling and havening. She is the founder of The Brain Power Microdose, her own microdosing product tailor-made for The Microdose Diet protocol. Her book, MORE! The Microdose Diet – The 90 day plan for More Success, Passion, and Happiness has garnered rave reviews. Her 90 Day Online Course, The Microdose Diet, is now available on her website. An experienced public speaker, she participated in more than 50 global events. Peggy’s speaking engagements on “Microdosing for More Success, Passion and Happiness” has generated tremendous engagement. You can follow her work on Substack, Linkedin, Apple Podcast, YouTube and IG.
Reverdi Darda
(she/her)
Board Member
Reverdi Darda (RN, BScN, CHE) is the President and CEO of Cena Life Inc,. an Alberta-based mental health services company. She has over 30 years of experience as a Registered Nurse. Her professional career includes Executive leadership roles in the public, government, and non-profit sectors. Her experience and expertise in the areas of community engagement, planning, project and change management have significantly impacted outcomes of numerous projects that she has been involved in. Reverdi is Metis and a direct descendant of Damase Carriere who fought against Canadian Colonialism beside Louis Riel in the heroic Metis North-West Resistance of 1885. Her passion to engage communities and work together for the equity and inclusion of all is reflective in her family’s legacy.
Francine Douglas
(she/her)
Board Member
Stó:lō from Sts’ailes Nation and Tsimshian from Metlakatla Nation, Francine values and upholds the cultural teachings she has learned from her Indigenous family. Francine’s desire to support First Nation families and communities through the impacts of colonialism, assimilation and displacement from their traditional territory has brought her to a diverse career in mental health, traditional medicine, business and cultural tourism.
Francine currently works with the Thálé:ylexw awtxw Foundation, The House of the Life Givers, a grassroots Stó:lō womxn’s group with a purpose to support the growth and empowerment of Indigenous womxn in S’ólh Téméxw, the Stó:lō traditional territory. This foundation strives to create opportunities for Indigenous womxn to share their knowledge and experiences, re-connect to land-based healing and build relationships with one another. Francine also works with Sacred Circle, supporting their vision for a healthcare system that honors Indigenous knowledge and ancestral traditional medicine. As an advocate for the rights of Indigenous people, Francine’s considers her work with Sacred Circle one of the most powerful ways to support First Nations people in preserving their traditional knowledge, promoting cultural healing practices and reconnecting to their traditional territories.
Defining moments in her career over the years include volunteering with the suicide crisis line, owning and managing several businesses in the Stó:lō territory, managing a traditional Stó:lō group that shared cultural stories, song and dance, supporting First Nation community business development with Indigenous Tourism BC, and supporting children and families at the Stehiyaq Wellness Centre, a residential facility for at-risk Indigenous youth. Francine was recently featured in Lllahee: Water, a video sharing about the power of water as a healing medicine. Francine holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and anthropology from the University of British Columbia and was the valedictorian of the Ch’nook Indigenous Business Program from the Sauder School of Business.
VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE LEADS
Luc Briedé-Cooper
(he/him)
YouTube Committee Lead
Luc Briedé-Cooper graduated with a Bachelor of Science, Major in Physics from the University of British Colombia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. Since then, he has been on a journey of personal growth culminating in working as a coach, speaker and creator on Youtube.
He makes content on spirituality, self development and technologies of the sacred that can facilitate such growth. This eventually brought Luc to lead the Youtube Committee at MAPS Canada.
His interests include studying the consequences of psychedelics for the meaning crisis in the western society and helping other people on their journey of personal growth.
Sonia Brodie
(she/her)
Research Committee Lead
Sonia is a self-identified research nerd, with a MSc in Neuroscience and over 10 years’ experience working in the clinical research industry.
Sonia has experience in protocol development, regulatory applications, efficient study start-up processes, clinical trial management and monitoring, establishing quality management systems and standard operating procedures, implementing secure and compliant electronic data capture systems, data analysis, manuscript writing, and knowledge translation across a wide range of study types and interventions.
As VP Clinical Research with the Centre for Neurology Studies (CNS), Sonia specializes in building high performing teams and resilient processes to make awesome things happen in a variety of different contexts. Sonia is passionate about finding efficient ways to bridge the gap between research and reality in clinically meaningful ways.
Sonia has consulted and advised on a variety of psychedelic research initiatives, including development of the world’s largest microdosing study in collaboration with Paul Stamets and Quantified Citizen, and spinning up a new dosing site for a global, Phase III randomized controlled trial using psilocybin-assisted therapy for treatment resistant depression.
Amy Demone
(she/her)
Special Access Program - Community of Practice Committee Lead
Amy Demone is an integrative counselling therapist specializing in trauma reconciliation through bottom-up approaches such as somatic work and plant-assisted therapies. With a robust foundation in therapeutic practices, she is dedicated to fostering deep-rooted communities in the psychedelic space, both virtually and online. Amy serves on the board of directors for the Nova Scotia Psychedelic Society and is trained by Therapsil in their foundations of psilocybin. Since February 2024, she has been actively volunteering with MAPS Canada as SAP-COP committee lead, underscoring her commitment to the integration of innovative therapeutic approaches in clinical settings. Before her current role, Amy dedicated five years to managing online communities in the wellness industry. This experience in digital community management has greatly informed her therapeutic practice, reflecting her deep appreciation for community-oriented spaces. Her transition to therapeutic work highlights her ability to nurture environments that are healing, informative, and change-making.
Laszlo Nap
(he/him)
Social Media Manager
Laszlo Nap is MAPS Canada’s Social Media Manager. He has a background in marketing and a passion for mental health, and is currently pursuing a career in psychotherapy: his goal is to help others access psychedelics in a therapeutic setting.
Laszlo is an avid learner and believes that by helping others we can create a more balanced future. He hopes that by working with psychedelics he will be able to create positive change in the world and make a difference in the lives of others.
Shel Scott
(she/her)
Policy + Advocacy Committee Lead
Michelle (aka Shel) Scott (she/her) is an occupational therapist working in mental health in Toronto Ontario. She also leads the Toronto-based Policy and Advocacy group for MAPS Canada.
Her goal is to expand access to above-ground psychedelic medicines in a way that’s ethical, sustainable, and responsible. Her interests include mental health, cognitive science, philosophy, neuroscience, Indigenous ontologies and worldviews, meditative and contemplative practices, dialectics, and the intersection between science and spirituality.
In her free time she can be found going to concerts, dancing, playing music (alone or with friends), spending time outdoors, reading science fiction, watching hockey, and enjoying amazing food.
Nicole Stone
(she/her)
Newsletter Committee & Administrative Assistant
Nicole is a freelancer in event planning, administration, and project coordination. She also creates content on YouTube, focusing on sound healing music and binaural beats. Her interests span across neuroscience, philosophy, nutrition, breathwork, and demystifying the mystical, all while living her life wholeheartedly. She believes in the profound impact that psychedelics can have on our lives and is delighted to support MAPS in raising awareness on the subject. She contributes to the organization by assisting with the weekly MAPS newsletters and administration.
Celia Bildfell
(she/her)
Website Committee Lead
Celia is the current website committee lead with MAPS Canada. She started volunteering with MAPS in May 2023, after completing her undergraduate Honours degree in Journalism and Law at Carleton University.
She also helps out with the weekly MAPS newsletters as well as on the webinar series with the policy and advocacy committee. Celia has a background in website editing and building particularly with WordPress.
Her interest in psychedelics peaked when she wrote an article in her undergraduate degree which discussed the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy as a new form of treatment for varying mental disorders. Celia hopes to continue her studies and hopefully work in the field of drug policy and advocacy in the future.
Alkyoni Athanasiou-Fragkouli
(she/they)
Research Room Committee Lead
Alkyoni (she/they) holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Neuroscience and has over 5 years of clinical research experience. She currently coordinates monthly academic webinars through the MAPS Canada Research Room to improve the accessibility of Canadian psychedelic research.
She joined Drug Science in 2021 where she works as a research officer under the supervision of Prof David Nutt. Alkyoni manages the biggest observational medical cannabis study in the UK, T21. She often publishes scientific reports as part of the Medical Cannabis Working Group (MCWG) and the Medical Psychedelics Working Group (MPWG). Alkyoni advocates for the importance of real-world data (RWD) in the study of psychedelics and cannabis. She is a strong proponent of open science and the open sharing of scientific findings. Before joining Drug Science she worked in project management and in clinical research in the departments of cognitive and clinical neuroscience at UCL.
Alkyoni is a co-founder of the Greek Psychedelic Society which aims to facilitate the dissemination of scientific information, to educate the public and foster the development of the psychedelic community in Greece. She volunteers as a psychedelic peer supporter for PsyCare UK which provides welfare services at festivals.