Indigenous communities have long utilized psychedelic plant medicines as part of their cultural and spiritual practices. However, these communities have often been left out of the discussions and profit-sharing surrounding the modern commercialization and intellectual property (IP) rights of these substances. Porta Sophia, through our Indigenous Awareness Initiative, is committed to creating an ethical patent landscape that honors and respects Indigenous traditions. This initiative seeks to explore mechanisms that support Indigenous practices, ensure their protection in the public domain, and maintain the integrity of the psychedelic patent space.
As part of our ongoing efforts, Porta Sophia is hosting a series of webinars to deepen the discourse on Indigenous awareness and its intersection with psychedelic IP. This mini-lecture series will focus on key issues, challenges, and case studies surrounding Indigenous knowledge and practices in the context of psychedelic patents.
The webinars will cover topics such as:
For inquiries, feel free to reach out to us at sisi.li@portasophia.org.
1:00 PM CT / 2:00 PM ET
David Casimir J.D., Ph.D.
Shareholder, Casimir Jones; Co-founder, Porta Sophia
Webinar Title: Porta Sophia: Preventing Improper Privatization of Nature and Ideas
Topic: Sovereign Immunity and Indigenous Rights
Duration: 1 hour
Additional speaker and organization information here.
David Casimir J.D., Ph.D.
Shareholder, Casimir Jones; Co-founder, Porta Sophia
David is an intellectual property attorney with over 20 years of experience focused on patent prosecution and litigation in the chemical, life sciences, and healthcare fields. David has a BS in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Michigan, an MS and PhD in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin, and a JD from Stanford University. In addition to his legal practice and his work with Porta Sophia, David is an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin law school and sits on the board of directors and advisory boards for a number of entrepreneurial and health care organizations.
11:00 AM CST / 12:00 PM ET
Vincent Wartenweiler, PharmD.
Data Curator, Porta Sophia
Webinar Title: Psychedelic Archival Spelunking: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Topic: Porta Sophia's Archival Prior Art Contributions
Duration: 45 minutes
Additional speaker and organization information here.
Vincent Wartenweiler, PharmD.
Data Curator, Porta Sophia
Vincent (he/she/they) is a PharmD graduate of the University of Wisconsin -Madison School of Pharmacy, independent community pharmacist, and Data Curator for Porta Sophia. Vincent earned a BS in Biochemistry with a minor in Medieval & Renaissance Studies from Carroll University in 2017. During his undergraduate training, Vincent participated in protein kinetics research at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and nanoparticle synthesis & functionalization initiatives at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. His PharmD education focused on exploring the role of the pharmacist in clinical research and deepening his interest in psychiatric pharmacy. Vincent also holds an MS in Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation from UW-Madison along with certificates in the Fundamentals of Clinical Research and Pharmacogenomics. During his time at UW, Vincent completed a survey-based research study with Dr. Cody Wenthur to assess the ethical, practical, and therapeutic concerns of licensed Wisconsin pharmacists regarding the implementation of novel, adjunctive medication- and behaviorally-based addiction treatments across treatment populations.
10:00 AM CST / 11:00 AM EST
Maria Fernanda Gebara Ph.D., M.Sc.
Anthropologist and Lawyer, Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute
Webinar Title: Indigenous Rights, Ethics and Psychedelics: Who Holds the Power, Who Reaps the Benefits?
Topic: How Indigenous rights intersect with the ethical use of psychedelics, highlighting issues of power, benefit-sharing, and the preservation of traditional knowledge.
Duration: 1 hour
Additional speaker and organization information:
Maria Fernanda Gebara Ph.D., M.Sc.
Anthropologist and Lawyer, Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute
Dr. Maria Fernanda Gebara is a lawyer and anthropologist with over a decade of experience working with traditional Amazonian communities. Her research centers on the intersection of Indigenous and scientific knowledge, with a decolonial approach to preserving biodiversity, traditional practices, and cosmologies. She analyzes how Indigenous rituals and wisdom can reshape Western perspectives on consciousness, nature, and relationality, particularly focusing on the role of other-than-human beings. In collaboration with the Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute, she works to safeguard Indigenous rights over traditional knowledge, medicines, and genetic resources, ensuring ethical use and proper recognition.
10:00 AM CST / 11:00 AM EST
Sven Doehner Ph.D., MFA.
Jungian Archetypal Psychoanalyst, Somatic Movement Educator, Instituto Macuil
Webinar Title: Psychedelics and Deep Lasting Transformation: A Proposal for a Therapeutic Ritual.
Topic: Re–Imagine how psychedelics can complement therapeutic practices, explored from a bio-psycho-spiritual and cultural perspective. How the psychedelic field can ethically incorporate ancestral knowledge while maintaining respect for its cultural and spiritual origins.
Duration: 1 hour
Additional speaker and organization information:
Sven Doehner Ph.D., MFA.
Jungian Archetypal Psychoanalyst, Somatic Movement Educator, Instituto Macuil
Sven Doehner is a 76 year-old Mexican man with German Ancestry, trained as a Jungian Archetypal Psychoanalyst and as a Somatic Movement Educator (BodyMindMovement and Somatic Experience). In addition to more than 40 years of clinical experience, and many years teaching and guiding workshops and training programs in different parts of the world, he has long been initiated into Ancestral Wisdom Traditions still alive in the healing and spiritual practices of native healers around the globe. He continues to teach, and is now focused mostly on working creatively with IMAGES, from dreams and from life itself, and with the transformative powers inherent in the human VOICE, at the service of Alchemical transformations (both personal and transpersonal).
12:00 PM CST / 1:00 PM EST
María Islas
Director of Studies, Teacher and Facilitator at Instituto Macuil
Webinar Title: The Problem of “Indigenous” Knowledge
Topic: In this introductory talk, María will discuss some of the difficulties in approaching Indigenous knowledge from western and capitalist positions. We will briefly review the concept of “Indigenous wisdom” and highlight some bridges to begin to link ourselves in ethical and constructive ways with the human, medical and philosophical legacy that the original inhabitants of the American continent have left us. The approach of the conversation arises from the knowledge experienced in Mexican cultural groups that still preserve their customs and traditions and who continue to be exploited and marginalized by the dominant society.
Duration: 1 hour
Additional speaker and organization information: https://institutomacuil.com/nosotros/
María Islas
Director of Studies, Teacher and Facilitator at Instituto Macuil
María is a Mexican woman dedicated to the weaving of millenary sciences and arts with contemporary psychologies. In 2015 she founded the Macuil Institute, a community of professional studies in transpersonal psychology that integrates the teachings of master craftsmen, traditional doctors and native Mexican language teachers in the redefinition of Western notions of health and disease. As a transpersonal psychologist, she has professional experience in psychoanalysis and existential psychotherapy, in addition to being a certified Somatic Movement Therapist and Educator. Her journey extends beyond the confines of conventional Western psychology, as she was born and raised within the mosaic of cultures of ancient Mexico, especially my Zapotec culture. She has delved into the possibilities of professional application of the ancient cosmic sciences in modern educational and healing contexts. Her personal studies also encompass sacred healing modalities, such as temaskalli ceremonies, traditional dances and eco-psycho-spiritual ceremonies.
12:00 PM CST / 1:00 PM EST
Shahin Shams Ph.D.
Data and Patent Analyst, Porta Sophia
Juliet Meccia M.Sc.
Data and Patent Analyst, Porta Sophia
Jeremy Rolquin M.Sc.
Chemistry Data and Patent Analyst, Porta Sophia
Webinar Title: Bridging Innovation and Tradition: The Intersection of Indigenous Knowledge and Modern Patents
Topic: Patents Covering Indigenous Knowledge & Natural Compounds in Psychedelics
Duration: 1 hour
Additional speaker and organization information:
Shahin Shams, Ph.D.
Data & Patent Analyst
Shahin is a Data & Patent Analyst at Porta Sophia who focuses on third-party preissuance submissions, post-grant intervention analysis, and prior art services. She earned her doctorate in Biomedical Engineering with a designated emphasis in biotechnology from UC Davis – her research focusing on novel biopharmaceutical delivery systems. She is currently pursuing her J.D. at Berkeley Law with the goal of becoming a patent attorney.
Juliet Meccia, M.Sc.
Data & Patent Analyst
Juliet is a Data & Patent Analyst with Porta Sophia and focuses on 3rd party submission efforts and prior art curation. She has a background in neuropharmacology and received her M.Sc. in Neuroscience from McGill University where she investigated the effects of psilocybin in preclinical models of depression.
Jeremy Rolquin, M.Sc.
Data & Patent Analyst
Jeremy is a Data & Patent Analyst with Porta Sophia. He received a M.Sc. in Medicinal Chemistry from Virginia Commonwealth University, where his research focused on the potential antidepressant effects of ayahuasca and DMT analogues.
