Q&A with Kuranda Morgan, BCSP Civic Science Fellow - UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics (2024)

Kuranda Morgan is the Civic Science Fellow at BCSP, where she’ll lead a research and engagement project that drives forward mutually-supportive collaborations between psychedelic science and civic actors. She has a decade of experience leading impactful and inclusive programs at the nexus of research, innovation, policy, and social change. With a passion for facilitating learning and systems transformation, her work focuses on strengthening capabilities for evidence use, research translation, and knowledge exchange.

At Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency for social good, she worked closely with UK government bodies, universities, and knowledge intermediaries to improve their ability to collaborate, innovate, and evidence their work. Previously, she cultivated global research networks that championed regional leadership in rigorous, policy-relevant research.

Kuranda Morgan

I’ve spent the last decade working to help improve the relationship between evidence and action, leading initiatives that aim to improve both the supply and demand of evidence for decision-making. Across this work, I’ve been really curious about the conditions and processes that help ensure research reflects and can respond to societal needs. There is so much exciting potential within psychedelic science to explore interdisciplinary questions of howpsychedelics work and the benefits they can bring to ourselves and to society at large. Yet alongside this boom in scientific inquiry sit the unique lived experiences, rich histories, and relationships that different diverse communities have with psychedelic substances. Through the fellowship, I’m really excited to explore how we can honor and connect these unique lived experiences and ways of knowing to the field of psychedelic science, and how we can ensure the benefits of psychedelic exploration are far-reaching and not only for a select few.

Kuranda Morgan

To me, civic science really embodies the principles of “nothing about us, without us” and “better, together.” Science, technology, and innovation should be shaped by and benefit all people. It is a highly political process to exercise power to determine who describes the world and its most important problems, and with what evidence. Civic science is grounded in a commitment to broadening who informs research, who participates in research, who decides about its use and applications, and who benefits from its power and promise. In a world of polarization, othering, and power imbalances, civic science is about championing and celebrating our interconnectedness. Civic science approaches often make space for “good” conflict and mutual-learning, and honoring different mindsets, values, and ways of building knowledge about the world. I see it as an important piece of a growing movement to ensure all voices are included in understanding how we make sense of the world, our place within it, and how we can collectively build a future we can all believe in and benefit from.

Kuranda Morgan

I think what’s been most surprising is the immense breadth, depth, and nuance in how psychedelics are being explored. The more I learn about psychedelic science, the less I think I know. There is so much to learn: about different psychedelic substances and their different effects on our brains and our minds, about public perceptions of psychedelics, about the legal and regulatory landscape, about historical and spiritual uses and practices, and about the complexity of conducting psychedelic research. I’m also really intrigued by the fact that while American voters want fewer barriers to psychedelic research and support regulated therapeutic access, a majority also do not perceive psychedelics as “good for society” nor perceive them as “something for people like me.” I’m curious about the “why” behind the discrepancy between personal comfort and support for psychedelic research and policy reform.

Kuranda Morgan

Many of the values and practices championed by civic science are integral to the co-design process I will implement as part of my fellowship project at BCSP. Co-design involves inclusive facilitation that embraces diverse ways of knowing, being, and doing, enabling partners from various backgrounds to learn from each other and collaboratively enhance outcomes. This process centers on mutual learning, relationship-building, and community engagement, fostering a shared understanding of problems and the development of solutions. In the first phase of the project, I hope to surface existing challenges and opportunities at the intersection of public engagement and psychedelic science, as experienced by those who stand to benefit from this work. These insights will shape the co-design of second-phase programming in a way that’s responsive to those needs. My starting hypothesis is that the use of co-design processes in research production and engagement can help ensure the society benefits from psychedelic science and vice versa, so I’m excited to see what emerges through this work.

Kuranda Morgan

My goal for the fellowship is to cultivate a deeper understanding of best practices for new collaborative models in the psychedelic science context. Just as mycelium spreads and connects different parts of an ecosystem, I hope to facilitate mutual learning and growth between psychedelic science and society. By cultivating dynamic exchanges of knowledge, insights, and experiences, I aim to help ensure that as the field of psychedelic science continues to grow, so does the reach and benefits of psychedelic exploration for all.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.