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Lauren Okano (LO) believes non-dominant ways of thinking, being, and relating offer powerful healing opportunities to individuals and societies alike. As a fellow human and Associate Associate Director of Research and Development, this belief guides her commitment to the ethical, intentional study of psychedelic-assisted therapies (PA-T). In her role, Lauren partners with drug developers and psychotherapists to leverage cutting edge science and clinical wisdom for the advancement of PA-T research and training.

Lauren is a former National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) trainee and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine post-doctoral fellow who earned her Ph.D from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and M.S. from the Johns Hopkins School of Education. Throughout her career she’s cultivated a sense of stubborn optimism across diverse experiences and settings -including her leadership of seminal publications, measurement and evaluation strategies, adherence criteria development, and adult training programs.

Outside of this very meaningful part of her life, Lauren can be found frolicking about the mountains, reeling in fish, swimming in creative writing, disappearing into beautiful prose, and narrating (/possibly projecting) her rescue pup’s inner dialogue. She is grateful for her family – especially Mochi, Auntie Arti, and Patty Pops – for their support and grace in all the above and more.