A pathway toward ethical science, community resilience, and planetary health.
Global Scientific Impact:
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Ethical psychedelic research
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Case studies and publications
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Integration toolkits
Direct Community Impact:
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Language revitalization
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Biocultural Conservation
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Youth Leadership Development
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Our Leadership & Advisory Team
Our team brings together Indigenous leaders, scientists, and bridge-builders working side by side. Kamëntsá leaders guide the medicine and cultural direction; international researchers ensure scientific rigor; and advisors and coordinators strengthen reciprocity, partnerships, and sustainability.This balance of wisdom, research, and collaboration ensures that the program remains deeply rooted, academically strong, and globally connected.
Why This Program Matters
Psychedelic science is resurging worldwide, reshaping mental health, ecology, and education. Yet too often, research remains disconnected from the ancestral roots that have safeguarded these medicines for millennia.
This program offers the first Indigenous-academic Certificate in Indigenous-led Research & Experiential Studies in Plant Medicines. It is a pioneering model of situated science, where knowledge is co-created with the ancestral guardians of Yagé and allied plants, rooted in reciprocity, healing, and cultural survival.
At its heart, this initiative also strengthens reciprocity: supporting the Kamëntsá Language Revitalization Program and fostering an actual exchange between ancestral medicine and Western science. By uniting these worlds, the program not only safeguards cultural survival but also roots the future of psychedelic research in the living foundations of Indigenous health and wisdom.
Taita Juan Agreda
Renowned Kamëntsá leader and Yagé knowledge keeper with over 40 years of leadership in the Shanayoy Healing Center. Three times elected as Governor of his people, he is internationally recognized for representing the Ayahuasca tradition of the Colombian Amazon. As Director of OIOC, he guides the program’s spiritual and cultural integrity, ensuring that all medicine work, ceremonies, and thematic content remain rooted in Indigenous values while advancing sustainable and ethical collaboration with the global scientific community.
Mercedes Agreda
Kamëntsá youth leader and educator, Mercedes represents the next generation of Indigenous empowerment. As a master of the Madre Tierra educational system, she bridges ancestral teachings with community-based pedagogy. In this program, she brings the voice of Indigenous youth, ensuring that education, research, and leadership opportunities strengthen intergenerational continuity. Her role connects the program’s academic frameworks with lived community experience, highlighting how Indigenous Natural Science supports both ecological balance and cultural revitalization.
Andrés Juagibioy
A Kamëntsá knowledge holder and natural teacher with over 30 years dedicated to strengthening the Kamëntsá language. Andrés is a cultural leader, artisan, storyteller, and researcher who has served as a translator, radio communicator, and pedagogue of the Kamëntsá oral tradition. At OIOC, he leads the documentation of the living Kamëntsá language through ecological knowledge, storytelling, and artistic expression. His expertise ensures that the program remains deeply connected to ancestral memory and linguistic revitalization.
Antonia Narváez
Indigenous communicator and researcher committed to documenting ancestral ways of life. At OIOC, Antonia supports the Kamëntsá Language Revitalization Program by collecting oral histories, conducting cultural research, and engaging in community storytelling. Her work strengthens the living archive of Kamëntsá memory and ensures that elders’ voices, traditional practices, and daily life knowledge are preserved and transmitted to future generations.
Erika Salazar
Author, Co-founder, and program manager of OIOC, Erika has over 20 years of experience bridging Indigenous wisdom with global outreach. She coordinates local operations, cultural sensitivity training, and reciprocity efforts, ensuring that the Kamëntsá community benefits equitably from the program. Erika’s role as program co-coordinator links international partners with community priorities, guaranteeing that ethical, logistical, and educational dimensions remain in balance.
Dr. Anne Schlag
Head of Research at Drug Science (UK), Dr. Schlag brings global expertise in psychedelic science, ethics, and policy. She leads the scientific integration of the program, aligning it with international research standards, and ensures dissemination of findings through peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and academic partnerships. Her role guarantees that this program contributes directly to advancing ethical psychedelic science worldwide.
Arno Adelaars
Dutch author, researcher, and bridge-builder between Indigenous traditions and Western science. Based in Amsterdam, Arno has decades of experience writing about and documenting psychedelic culture and Ayahuasca traditions. Within the program, he facilitates dialogue between Indigenous leaders and international researchers, helping to design experiential learning activities that deepen mutual understanding between both worlds.
Celina De Leon
Celina De León is an international advisor and board member of the program, serving as the U.S. fiscal sponsor. She brings extensive experience in philanthropy, intercultural education, and reciprocity initiatives, ensuring resources flow ethically back to Indigenous communities. Her leadership strengthens the program’s global partnerships and amplifies Indigenous science on the international stage.