The Invisible Half of the Psychedelic Renaissance

What happens when women’s bodies and voices are left out of the research?

This piece is part of a collaboration with the producers of Borealis Psychedelic Science Summit that took place in Stockholm in September. Subscribe for reflections and interviews!

This reflection has been translated from Spanish to English.

After lunch on day 2 of Borealis, I noticed that the conference room was thinner than it had been for other presentations. This series of talks was centered on gender and women’s experiences in psychedelics and I was disappointed in the lack of people present, but not surprised - a general energy I also felt coming from the speaker on the stage. Many of us are used to less resources, support, and interest.

“I want to say something before I get started because sometimes silence can be misread,” Tali Avron started from the corner of the stage. Identifying herself as Israeli, she quickly clarified to the audience that she condemns the actions of her government. The room erupted in applause.

Avron, a clinical research manager and psychedelic science consultant with more than a decade of experience in clinical trials and regulatory strategy, has helped steer MDMA-assisted therapy studies across Europe as part of MAPS. She has also led projects in medical cannabis research and founded the Psychedelic Women Network. Her current focus is women’s experiences with psychedelics and shaped the talk she brought to Stockholm, titled Women and Psychedelics: The Research Gap and Why It Matters.

As a woman who has undergone MDMA therapy for treatment-resistant depression and PTSD, I was especially looking forward to this series of talks featuring professional women in the field of psychedelic research.