Dr Simon Ruffell is a psychiatrist, ayahuasca researcher, and student of curanderismo.
Since 2015 Dr Ruffell has been working closely with Indigenous communities in the Amazon basin, exploring ayahuasca’s effects and the role of ceremony and spirit in healing.
His work encompasses two paradigms: the spiritual and the scientific. He is committed to working alongside the Shipibo-Konibo people to bridge knowledge of Amazonian plant medicines with scientific frameworks, while ensuring traditions are respected.
Dr Simon Ruffell’s Background
Dr Ruffell is a Lecturer in Psychology and Psychedelics at the University of Exeter, where his research explores the intersection of traditional Amazonian medicine and modern psychological science. He completed his PhD on Amazonian Ayahuasca and Mental Health Outcomes and continues to train in Shipibo curanderismo (shamanism) under Keyo Sui Rono and Don Rono Lopez.
He is also CEO of Onaya and co-founder of the not-for-profit Onaya Science, which researches the effects of ayahuasca in naturalistic Amazonian settings in collaboration with universities, charities, and think tanks worldwide.
After qualifying as a medical doctor, Dr Ruffell completed his core psychiatric training at The Maudsley Hospital in London. He has worked on several major psychedelic trials, including King’s College London’s psilocybin study for treatment resistant depression and as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Research Fellow at the Psychae Institute (and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne) investigating the potential application of botanical ayahuasca analogues.
“We can recognise the knowledge systems of Indigenous peoples as well as that of biomedical science. By valuing diversity in our ways of understanding the world we can move away from comparing paradigms and toward their equal consideration and regard.”