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.
