Philadelphia-based Ekaterina Vlasova (26), a Russian immigrant and MD candidate at Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, wants to “bring new ideas drawn from the rich global philosophies of healing to spur movement towards intuitive, effective, and compassionate healing.” A writer, collaborative creator, and summa cum laude graduate of Bryn Mawr College, she is ready to bring positive change to medicine.

Ekaterina’s personal plant medicine work opened her eyes to the “profundity of consciousness” and guided her through difficult transitions. “Witnessing the power of these medicines to help save individuals from psychological suffering—sometimes even death—made the deepest impression on me,” she says.

As a Thomas J. Watson Fellow, Ekaterina explored cross-cultural practices of integrative medicine and the mind-body connection in healing in Germany, India, Thailand, Japan and Peru. She wants people to “freely access psychedelic plant medicines that can profoundly alter their lives for the better,” where “trauma-based roots of deep psychological suffering can be addressed, rather than just superficially masking symptoms.”

Ekaterina hopes to help people who have fallen through the cracks of conventional medicine, particularly those with chronic illness. “I want to see reductionist ways of thinking about health left behind to make way for a new model that harmonizes physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions,” she says.

The Cosmic Sister Emerging Voices Award (CS EVA) increases visibility for talented newcomers who demonstrate potential in the field of psychedelics. We are pleased to announce the very first CS EVA recipients, in partnership with The Sleeping Octopus Assembly on Psychedelics (@pittsburghsoap) in Pittsburgh, PA, Sep 27-29, 2019.