Carl A. P. Ruck is Professor of Classical Studies at Boston University, where he has taught for decades and currently leads a course on mythology and ritual practice in the ancient world. He received his B.A. from Yale University, his M.A. from the University of Michigan, and his Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Ruck is one of the founding scholars of the academic study of entheogens in classical antiquity. His most consequential contribution to the field came through The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries (1978), co-authored with ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson and chemist Albert Hofmann — the paper that first advanced a rigorous pharmacological hypothesis for the psychoactive nature of the kykeon, the ritual drink at the center of the Eleusinian Mysteries. The book introduced the term entheogen as a precise scholarly alternative to the clinically vague or culturally freighted language of "psychedelic" or "hallucinogen."

His subsequent scholarship has examined the role of psychoactive plants and fungi across Greek religious practice, Dionysiac ritual, and the broader pharmaco-ritual traditions of the ancient Mediterranean. His publications include Persephone's Quest: Entheogens and the Origins of Religion (with Wasson, Kramrisch, and Ott), The Apples of Apollo, Sacred Mushrooms of the Goddess: Secrets of Eleusis, and Entheogens, Myth and Human Consciousness, among many others.

For EPOPTEIA Ruck represents the scholarly foundation on which this center's archaeopharmacological inquiry builds.

Isis Rita Anzel Koutrouli is a preclinical researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health (NUDZ) and a PhD candidate at the 3rd Medical Faculty of Charles University in Prague, working under the supervision of Dr. Tomáš Páleníček at the Psychedelic Research Center. Her research investigates the therapeutic potential of psychedelics in drug addiction through multi-level approaches.

She studied Biology and earned an MSc in Neurosciences in Athens, Greece, building a solid scientific foundation in cellular signalling and molecular pharmacology. Her previous work as a Medical Advisor for leading pharmaceutical companies gave her firsthand experience at the intersection of science, medicine, and industry. Drawing from this background, she is exploring how basic research can inform clinical perspectives. Particularly interested in the intersection of neuropharmacology, altered states of consciousness, and the molecular signatures of psychedelics, she aims to help bridge these areas through her research.

She has been co-organizing psychedelic conferences and workshops and is an active member of uniMIND in Prague. As a participant in both local and international psychedelic communities, she contributes to discussions that bridge neuroscience research with emerging topics in the psychedelic field. Isis is committed to fostering dialogue between the Greek scientific community and the global psychedelic movement. Through her work and public engagement, she hopes to contribute to reclaiming Greece’s intellectual heritage while supporting the development of a rigorous, ethical paradigm for psychedelic science.

PhD Candidate in Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London

Joanna Artemis Vamvakopoulou is a Greek clinical researcher and PhD candidate in neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London. She holds a BSc in Neuroscience from the University of Bristol and an MSc in Translational Neuroscience from Imperial, where she focused on emotional processing and the role of dopamine D3 receptors in cocaine and alcohol addiction.

Her early research career included clinical placements at the University of Cambridge, where she investigated habit formation in chronic users of cannabis and alcohol. She later worked with methadone-maintained individuals with opioid use disorder before shifting her focus to youth mental health. Joanna went on to design and lead a study on a novel cognitive-behavioral therapy approach for young people who self-harm—an experience that ultimately led her to her current doctoral research on psychedelic-assisted therapy for self-injuring youth.

Alongside her academic work, Joanna has been an active public educator and harm reduction advocate. She has volunteered with Drug Science in the UK, supporting student-led efforts to promote evidence-based approaches to psychoactive substances and to educate the public about psychedelic-assisted treatments for depression, anxiety, anorexia, and OCD.

As an Affiliated Researcher with EPOPTEIA, Joanna contributes her expertise in clinical research design, youth mental health, and science communication. She supports the center’s efforts to promote harm reduction, public education, and the development of a rigorous research ecosystem in Greece.

Prokopios Magiatis, PhD, MSc, is associate professor of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry in the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Athens.

He graduated from the same Faculty in 1994 and defended his PhD in 2000. In 2001, he did his postdoctoral research at the Curie Institute in Paris, France.

He has worked as a visiting professor at the University of California, Davis. In 2009, he was awarded the Egon-Stahl silver medal as the top scientist under 40 years old in the field of natural-products chemistry and pharmacology.

His research is focused on the isolation, chemical synthesis, and bioactivity of natural products, especially those reported in ancient medical texts. He was honored as Inventor of the Year 2016 in Greece for his invention ARISTOLEO.

He worked with Dr. Melliou to create the first university lab to offer analysis of olive oil’s health protecting ingredients using NMR

Chiara Baldini is a scholar, author, speaker, and freelance curator from Florence, Italy. For over two decades, she has dedicated her research to Mystery Religions and in particular, to the Mysteries of Eleusis, a journey that will be at the heart of her upcoming PhD dissertation. Her work had contributed to anthologies, psychedelic conferences, and festivals.

A long-standing figure in the global psychedelic and transformational culture scene, she was a member of the Boom Festival team since 2010 and served as the curator of Boom's cultural area, Liminal Village, from 2014 to 2023. She has co-curated the anthology Psychedelic Mysteries of the Feminine, bringing together voices at the intersection of gender, spirituality, and altered states of consciousness. She is currently a PhD candidate at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), where her twenty years of independent research on the Eleusinian Mysteries find their scholarly culmination.

Miroslav Kolařík is a Czech mycologist and Associate Professor at the Charles University in Prague and Insitute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. His research spans fungal taxonomy, evolution, ecology, and secondary metabolism of fungi. He is internationally recognized as a leading authority on ergot fungi (the genus Claviceps). Kolařík’s team has described 26 new Claviceps species and fundamentally reshaped the understanding of ergot evolution. His taxonomic revision of C. purpurea revealed that the presumed single species actually comprises four distinct European lineages, each with its own ecology, host range, and chemical profile. He also investigates the biosynthesis and biological function of ergot alkaloids and ergochromes, including their potential biotechnological applications in pharmacology and agriculture. Beyond ergot fungi, he has advanced knowledge of insect–fungal symbioses—especially the bark‑beetle‑associated genus Geosmithia—and contributed to the discovery of numerous clinical and environmentally important fungal taxa.

Nikos Katsaounis is a Greek-born media entrepreneur, systems thinker, and documentary filmmaker whose work explores the intersection of ritual, psychedelics, and cultural transformation. With academic foundations in philosophy and anthropology, Nikos has spent the past two decades documenting sacred ceremonies, indigenous knowledge systems, and emergent spiritual movements across Latin America, Africa, and Europe.

Through storytelling and immersive media, he investigates how altered states, myth, and collective rites can reawaken shared meaning and ecological awareness in a fragmented world. His films and projects illuminate the timeless role of dance, drumming, and plant medicines as technologies of wholeness — tools to restore memory, purpose, and connection.

Beyond his artistic work, Nikos advises early-stage ventures at the intersection of culture, technology, and consciousness. He draws on experience as a creative strategist and investor to help mission-driven teams build initiatives that are regenerative by design. A graduate of Tulane University and The New School, he bridges narrative craft with system innovation to support personal and collective evolution.

Advisor | Neuropharmacologist & Integrative Health Strategist

Stephanie Karzon Abrams is Greek-Egyptian clinical neuropharmacologist. She is the founder of Beyond Consulting she leads scientific strategy and operational development for organizations working at the intersection of psychedelic medicine, integrative care, and cultural transformation. She brings a unique blend of clinical expertise, systems thinking, and narrative design to emerging health ecosystems.

With a background in neurology, intensive care, and medical device development at Johnson & Johnson, Stephanie has contributed to some of the most forward-thinking models of healing across sectors. She holds multiple certifications in psychedelic-assisted therapy, including prescriber status for MDMA and psilocybin under Canada’s Special Access Program, and currently serves as Research Director at the Microdosing Collective.

Her work bridges neuroscience, women’s health, plant medicine, and the therapeutic power of music. A writer, musician, and public speaker, she curates spaces that bring together community, meaning, and innovation.

At EPOPTEIA, Stephanie advises on clinical neuropharmacology, care systems design, and translational research strategy, helping ground the organization’s scientific vision in practical, ethical, and regenerative frameworks.

Mark A. Hoffman is an independent researcher and author whose work sits at the intersection of religious studies, philosophy, and the history of psychoactive sacraments in ancient and traditional cultures. He holds degrees in Religious Studies and Philosophy, and has academic training and professional experience in Museum Studies, having worked as a curator and collection manager.

Over more than two decades, Hoffman has co-authored seven books with Carl A. P. Ruck on entheogens and ancient religion, making him one of the most sustained scholarly collaborators in this field. Their joint publications include Mushrooms, Myth and Mithras; The Effluents of Deity: Alchemy and Psychoactive Sacraments in Medieval and Renaissance Art; and Entheogens, Myth and Human Consciousness, among others. He has also written independently on the role of visionary substances in Native American, Hawaiian, and Mesoamerican traditions, early Christianity, and the ancient Mystery religions of the Mediterranean.

Hoffman is the editor of Entheos, a journal dedicated to the scholarly study of psychedelic spirituality and entheogenic traditions.