People

Abigail Calder, Ph.D. cand. is a doctoral researcher in medical neuroscience at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Her research focuses on the effects of LSD and other psychedelics on neuroplasticity, as well as the study of adverse effects from psychedelics. She is also the research coordinator of the ALPS Foundation. 

I am a psychotherapist, hypnotherapist and clinical trainer interested in understanding the connection between mind and body. At Maastricht University I work in research projects that explore the potential of psychedelic therapies in the treatment of chronic pain and breathwork-assisted psychothrapy in the treatment of mental health conditions. 

Mauro D’Alonzo: BAHons in Media Arts (RHUL, UK), MD Psichiatra (UNIBA, ITA), Psychedelic Integration Therapist (CIIS, USA), MDMA Training Therapist (MAPS, USA), fondatore del progetto di riabilitazione sociale Uniti alla Meta (Atipici Rugby Bari) e della Rete Nazionale di Rugby Integrato, fondatore di EUTOPIA (servizi integrati di cura di bassa soglia), co-fondatore e Presidente della Società Italiana di Medicina Psichedelica (SIMEPSI), da un decennio in servizio presso il Dipartimento di Salute Mentale della ASL di Bari. Il suo interesse principale si concentra nello studio e nell’applicazione dell’uso terapeutico delle sostanze psichedeliche ed in particolare sull’impatto dei nuovi modelli di medicina integrata sulla vita delle persone, in una prospettiva transculturale ed eco-sociale.

Jason K. Day is a PhD candidate in Philosophy at the University of Fribourg where they are now concluding their research on the phenomenology of psychedelic experiences. They further write on the philosophy of attention and socio-political issues surrounding the recreational use of psychedelics, with additional research interests including anarchist thought and Buddhist philosophy. They are a member of the Aesthetics & Critique research group, the Psychedelic Research Organisation of Fribourg, and a committee member of the Swiss Psychedelic Student Network.

Alessandro De Cesaris is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Fribourg, where he collaborates with the chair of Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art. He is also an associate researcher at the Department of Digital Humanism of the Collège des Bernardins, in Paris. His research interests focus on Classic German Philosophy, Media Theory and Anthropology of Technology. He’s currently writing a book on the notion of play from a mediological standpoint.

Alessandro Gelao è, insieme a Matteo Buonarroti e a Mauro D’Alonzo, co-fondatore di SIMEPSI (2024), società scientifica del terzo settore dedicata alla ricerca clinica e all’indagine epistemologica sulla psichedelia. È divulgatore scientifico, lecturer e ricercatore indipendente. Nel 2021 si laurea in Filosofia presso l’Università degli Studi di Torino e nello stesso anno avvia la collaborazione con l’associazione Eutopia, offrendo servizi di bassa soglia, terapie di gruppo e interventi di riduzione del danno nel territorio barese. Dal 2022 è collaboratore e contributor per la realtà editoriale INACUTAL.

Vanessa Ossino studied European Ethnology and Philosophy at Humboldt University of Berlin as well as at Freie Universität Berlin. She is a doctoral fellow at the a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School for the Humanities Cologne and is pursuing her PhD in a cotutelle program at the University of Cologne and the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Her dissertation is titled: Phenomenology as a Critical Theory of Experience: On the Mediality of Experience in its Social Situation. The project is funded by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and the University of Cologne. Her research focuses on phenomenology, critical social philosophy, affect theory, and feminism. Her most recent publication, Expressivity as Passive Productivity: On the Mediality of Expressive Processes, appeared in May 2024 with transcript, and her article Entanglements of Knowledge: Theory in its Historical Situation is expected to be published this year with VSA-Verlag.

Francesco Parisi is Professor of Cinema, Photography, Radio, Television, and Digital Media at the Department of Cognitive Sciences of the University of Messina. His research focuses on media theory and visual culture, approached through the lens of cognitive science. In particular, he explores how media engagement transforms the cognitive possibilities of embodied and extended agents, with an emphasis on the enactive approach to media theory.

Andrea Piva (Salerno, 1971) è scrittore e sceneggiatore. Ha pubblicato i romanzi Apocalisse da Camera (Einaudi Stile Libero Big), L’Animale Notturno (Giunti) e La Ragazza Eterna (Bompiani). Ha scritto i film LaCapaGira e Mio Cognato di Alessandro Piva, Galantuomini di Edoardo Winspeare, Universalove e Million Dollar Bet di Thomas Woschitz. I suoi film hanno ricevuto il David di Donatello, il Ciak D’Oro, il Nastro D’Argento in Italia e il Premio Max Ophuls in Germania per la migliore regia esordiente, oltre ad avere partecipato a più di 50 festival cinematografici internazionali (tra cui la Berlinale, il Miami Film Festival, la Festa del Cinema di Roma e il Festival di Valencia).
Tra il 2005 e il 2013 ha giocato professionalmente a poker, nella squadra della Sisal.

DM Tripson is an Italian author and researcher specialising in psilocybin mushrooms and altered states of consciousness. He wrote The Magic Mushroom User’s Guide, the first manual in Italian on the safe use of psychedelic mushrooms, followed by The Psychedelic Experience: Preparation and Integration and The Psychonaut’s Breviary, a practical guide answering common questions on the subject. His books, translated into several languages, combine practical information and spiritual reflections, addressing both beginners and experts. With a background in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Ericksonian Hypnosis, Tripson’s professional experience includes advertising, entrepreneurship, and consulting. His personal experience with psychedelic mushrooms led him to found ShroomCircle.com, a platform dedicated to freely sharing knowledge about psychedelics. Through his writings and online community, Tripson promotes a responsible approach to personal growth and the exploration of consciousness.