
Dr. Simon Ruffell
Chief Medical Officer
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.