Dr. Bia Labate: A Leading Voice in Psychedelic Science and Social Justice

Dr. Beatriz Caiuby Labate (Bia Labate) is a renowned anthropologist, educator, author, speaker, mentor, and activist deeply committed to the protection of sacred plants and amplifying marginalized voices in the field of psychedelic science. Bia grew up in São Paulo, Brazil and lived there until she was 38 years old. From the age of 10 to 26 she participated in an international youth organization promoting peace and cultural dialogues. Intrepid backpacker and traveler since young age, she always enjoyed learning about other cultures, languages, and traditions, which lead her to study social sciences with a focus on anthropology. She first encountered mushrooms and peyote in 1990, while backpacking Mexico, and ayahuasca in the Amazon in 1996. A queer Brazilian anthropologist based in San Francisco, her academic and professional journey has been profoundly shaped by her experiences with ayahuasca.

Dr. Labate holds a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil. Her research focuses on psychedelic plant medicines, Indigenous shamanism, ceremony, religion, drug policy, and social justice. She is Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, an organization dedicated to promoting reciprocity in the psychedelic community and supporting the protection of sacred plants and cultural traditions. She also serves as Public Education and Culture Specialist at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), advocating for public education, harm reduction, and policy reform in the field of psychedelic-assisted therapies.

Beyond her research, education, and advocacy work, Dr. Labate is Visiting Scholar at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and an advisor for the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition, supporting initiatives aimed at integrating psychedelics into mental health treatment for veterans. In 2000, she co-founded the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP) in Brazil and has served as the editor of its site since, supporting a large online library focusing on scientific scholarship about psychoactive substances. For several years, she has been curating working groups on the use of psychoactive substances at the Brazilian Anthropological Association’s (ABA) biannual conference in Brazil.

From 2012 to 2015, she was Visiting Professor at the Drug Policy Program of the Center for Economic Research and Education (CIDE) in Aguascalientes, Mexico where she joined a dynamic interdisciplinary research program about the impacts of the drug war in Mexico; and from 2016 to 2019, as Visiting Professor at the Center for Research and Postgraduate Studies in Social Anthropology (CIESAS) in Guadalajara, Mexico, she focused on the traditional and contemporary uses of plant medicines. Earlier, from 2009 to 2011, she was a member of the Collaborative Research Center (SFB 619) “Ritual Dynamics Socio-Cultural Processes from a Historical and Culturally Comparative Perspective,” and Research Associate at the Institute of Medical Psychology at Heidelberg University in Germany, where she joined an interdisciplinary program focusing on the ritual use of drugs in Europe.

As a prolific author and thought leader, Dr. Labate has authored, co-authored, and co-edited 28 books, three special-edition journals, and numerous peer-reviewed articles and online publications in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Her writing, public speaking, and conference organizing have significantly shaped global understanding of psychedelics, advancing scientific discourse and contributing to cultural sensitivity, policy reform, harm-reduction, ethics, and the inclusion of the voices of women, queer people, Indigenous peoples, people of color, and the Global South in the psychedelic field.

In 2010, Bia met her wife, Dr. Clancy Cavnar, an American clinical psychologist, at MAPS’s Psychedelic Science conference in San Jose, and they have been together since. After dating long distance for seven years, Bia moved to California in 2017 and co-founded the Chacruna Institute; later, she became an American citizen. Bia and Clancy currently reside in San Francisco with their maltipoo dog, Duggi, and enjoy drinking ayahuasca together, traveling the world, attending conferences, co-editing books and filming comic short videos.

Bia appreciates challenges and learning new things, embracing a second career as Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute and developing new business, entrepreneur, administrative, and team management skills. The Chacruna Institute was envisioned and developed from scratch, and continues to grow as dynamic, progressive, and globally influential non-profit, entirely self-sustaining with a combination of creative strategies.

Having lived in four countries and speaking (at different levels) six languages, Bia considers herself a global citizen. As a queer Latina immigrant, married to a lesbian American psychologist, daughter of two Brazilian psychologists, and as an ayahuasca practitioner with three decades of ceremonies, Bia brings a unique cultural and social perspective to the field. Bia is known to be a charismatic speaker, a good storyteller with a great sense of humor, a hard-working team player, a loyal friend, and someone who deeply enjoys adventure, team trips, and challenging visionary initiatives. Through her academic expertise, advocacy, and leadership, Dr. Bia Labate continues to be a transformative force in psychedelic studies, ensuring that cultural sensitivity, equity, Indigenous knowledge, and scientific rigor remain at the heart of this growing field.