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. Simon Ruffell is trained across three modalities: Western medicine (as a medical doctor specializing in psychiatry), research psychology (with a PhD in Amazonian ayahuasca and mental health), and traditional plant medicine (as a student of Shipibo curanderismo). He is the founder and Executive Director of Onaya Science, a nonprofit researching the effects of ayahuasca in naturalistic Amazonian settings as well as education and training rooted in Indigenous knowledge and scientific approaches. He collaborates with traditional healers, Indigenous-led think tanks, universities, and charities worldwide.
Simon is also a Lecturer in Psychology and Psychedelics at the University of Exeter and Executive Director of the Center for MINDS (Multidisciplinary Investigation into Novel Discoveries & Solutions), a nonprofit exploring the role of psychedelics and consciousness practices in addressing humanity’s greatest challenges. His work centres on understanding plant medicines like ayahuasca from both Indigenous and Western perspectives, supporting a more integrative and relational approach to healing.
“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.”