Bia Labate, Ph.D

PLANT MEDICINE LEADER

Anthropologist, educator, author, speaker, and activist, committed to the protection of sacred plants while amplifying the voices of marginalized communities in the psychedelic science field.

Co-Founder and Executive Director

The Chacruna Institute promotes reciprocity in the psychedelic community and supports the preservation of sacred plants and cultural traditions. It advances psychedelic justice by curating critical conversations and uplifting the voices of women, queer individuals, Indigenous peoples, people of colour, and those from the Global South in psychedelic science.

Public Education &
Cultural Specialist

Visiting Scholar

+15 Advisory Roles

Work with Dr. Bia

PUBLIC
SPEAKING

CONSULTING &
ADVISORY

LECTURES &
TRAININGS

  • 30+

    YEARS IN THE PSYCHEDELIC ECOSYSTEM

  • 30+

    YEARS PARTICIPATING IN CEREMONIES IN BRAZIL, MEXICO, PERU, COLOMBIA, USA AND ELSEWHERE

  • 30+

    BOOKS AND SPECIAL JOURNAL EDITIONS

A story of dedication

Bia Labate’s journey is one of passion and purpose. As an anthropologist, author, and advocate, she has dedicated her life to exploring the intersections of psychedelics, healing, and culture. Co-Founder of the Chacruna Institute, Bia amplifies Indigenous voices and wisdom, promotes equity, justice, and diversity, and fosters critical thinking and harm reduction in the psychedelic space. Her work promotes a bridge between the ceremonial world of plant medicines and the emergent field of psychedelic science, between languages, continents, and disciplines. She supports the emergence of global conversations and a more holistic, inclusive, and ethical understanding of psychedelics. Bia’s story is one of commitment to learning about diverse cultural traditions, exploring the invisible spiritual world, uplifting minorities, teaching and mentoring people, combating the ignorance around sacred plants, and fighting the drug war. She is deeply engaged in social justice and creating cultural understanding and legitimacy around psychedelics so that they can be appropriately integrated into societies. Her inspirational thought leadership has helped launch ideas, leaders, careers, and organizations, and has significantly influenced the field of psychedelics as a whole.

BIA LABATE, Ph.D

As seen in

Recent Books by Bia Labate, Ph.D

  • Women and Psychedelics: Uncovering Invisible Voices

  • Power, Discrimination, and Privilege in Individuals and Institutions

  • Queering Psychedelics: From Oppression to Liberation in Psychedelic Medicine

  • Religious Freedom and the Global Regulation of Ayahuasca

  • Psychedelic Justice: Toward a Diverse and Equitable Psychedelic Culture

  • Ayahuasca Healing and Science

  • Diversity, Equity, and Access in Psychedelic Medicine

  • Plant Medicines, Healing and Psychedelic Science: Cultural Perspectives

  • The Expanding World Ayahuasca Diaspora: Appropriation, Integration and Legislation

  • Drug Policies and the Politics of Drugs in the Americas

  • The world ayahuasca diaspora: Reinventions and controversies

  • Peyote: History, Traditions, Politics, and Conservation

  • Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond

  • Prohibition, Religious Freedom and Human Rights: Regulating Traditional Drug Use

  • The Therapeutic Use of Ayahuasca

  • The Internationalization of Ayahuasca

  • Opening the Portals of Heaven: Brazilian Ayahuasca Music

  • Ayahuasca, Ritual and Religion in Brazil

  • Ayahuasca Religions: A Comprehensive Bibliography and Critical Essays

  • The Light from the Forest: The Ritual Use of Ayahuasca in Brazil

Protecting Sacred Plants, Advancing Psychedelic Justice