CATALYST Presents Foundation announces collaboration with Queen's University's Faculty of Health Sciences to host first in-person CATALYST Summit in Kingston, Ontario
In partnership with the Canadian Psychedelic Association, CATALYST Summit 2022, Canada's leading Psychedelic Industry Conference, will highlight Canada's historical and modern influence in psychedelics, medical research, business innovation, and regulatory policy.
CALGARY, AB, Aug. 16, 2021 /CNW/ - After the COVID-19 pandemic forced its first two years online, the CATALYST Presents Foundation ("CATALYST"), an Alberta-based not-for-profit event organization focused on advancing the psychedelic medicine movement in Canada, announced today that an agreement is in place to host its third annual CATALYST Summit 2022 in Kingston, Ontario. The Summit will be held on May 20-22, 2022 and is expected to draw hundreds of top psychedelic medical and research experts, indigenous leaders, business innovators, and policy experts in Canada and across the world.
CATALYST Summit 2022 event founder, David Harder, saw the potential to work with the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen's University when the opportunity presented itself in the spring.
"Covid definitely set us back a little," says Harder. "However, when we learned that Queen's was in the early stages of developing a psychedelics research collaborative, we immediately reached out to express our interest in hosting the 2022 CATALYST Summit on campus," added Harder. "It fits with our initiative to present CATALYST as Canada's premiere, 'must attend' medical, research, and business psychedelics conference."
As CATALYST organizers explore a hybrid-event model that would offer in-person and online attendance, tickets for the influential event will go on sale in September at www.catalystpresents.ca. CATALYST expects tickets to be in strong demand as interest in Canadian research and developments in regulatory policy continue to dominate news headlines in Canada.
This summer, the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen's announced the launch of a psychedelics research collaborative, which will take a multi-pronged approach to supporting research and innovation in psychedelic-focused therapies, laying the foundation for the development of policy that is ethical and evidence-informed. The collaborative will support training, education, and knowledge translation for healthcare providers, and aid in the development of best practice standards to ensure the safety, quality, and effectiveness of therapies.
"Psychedelics are an important and emerging area of research and policy in Canada, and the 2022 CATALYST Summit is a great opportunity to highlight the role post-secondary institutions can play," says Dave Clements, the Executive Director of Psychedelic Research at Queen's Faculty of Health Sciences. "Bringing the summit to Kingston and Queen's University will underscore this foundational role and highlight the opportunities before us."
Canada has played an historical role in the evolution of psychedelic research and cultural lexicon since famed Canadian psychiatrist, Humphry Osmond, coined the term "psychedelics" in 1957. That historical connection, combined with the cutting-edge innovation and science now leading psychedelic medicines and therapies into the 21st century, led CATALYST organizers to focus on Canada's rich cultural and indigenous psychedelic history.
CATALYST Summit 2022 will showcase Canada's psychedelic medicine industry and feature a globally recognized lineup of speakers, researchers and personalities who will participate in the three-day event in May 2022. Organizers are also pleased to announce a new competition series entitled "Today's Ideas, Tomorrow's Medicine" where young Canadian researchers, PhD students, and tech entrepreneurs will pitch their ideas and innovations to a Dragon's Den-styled panel. Stay tuned for more details on this new and exciting component to CATALYST Summit 2022.
Some of the leading players in Canada's psychedelic movement are involved as sponsors, including ATMA Journey Centers, one of the event's presenting sponsors, and the Canadian Psychedelic Association, which partnered with CATALYST in 2021.
CATALYST Summit 2022 Speakers Confirmed to Date:
- Paul Stamets, internationally renowned authority on fungi and mushrooms. According to Linda Baker from Salon.com: "Once you've heard 'renaissance mycologist' Paul Stamets talk about mushrooms, you'll never look at the world – not to mention your backyard – in the same way again."
- Dr. Ben Sessa, Author and Chief Medical Officer at Awakn Life Sciences Inc.
- Dr. Anthony Bossis, Clinical psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine.
- Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH, Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Texas Tech Health Sciences Centre, School of Medicine, Midland, Texas.
- Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, University of Texas Austin, School of Nursing.
- Dr. Pamela Kryskow, Founding Board Member of the Canadian Psychedelic Association
- Dr. Erika Dyck, Professor and Canada Research Chair in the History of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
Confirmed new speakers and events will be updated on the CATALYST Summit 2022 website regularly.
Tickets and more information about CATALYST Summit 2022 is available on the official event website at www.CatalystPresents.ca
ABOUT CATALYST PRESENTS FOUNDATION
CATALYST Presents Foundation is a not-for-profit event management company based in Calgary, Alberta, that organizes premium, curated events designed to move the psychedelic medicine conversation forward in Canada. Proceeds from the company's events go to assist in paying for and subsidizing the cost of legal psychedelic-assisted therapy for palliative patients and military veterans in Canada. For more information, visit www.CatalystPresents.ca.
SOURCE CATALYST Presents Foundation
MEDIA CONTACT: Michael Kydd, Kydder Group Inc., CATALYST Committee Organizer, [email protected], (902) 880-6121; David Harder, Director and Founder, CATALYST Presents Foundation, [email protected]
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