Health Advocacy Training Webinar - "Equity in Ibogaine Research for Opioid Use Disorder"

Doctors for Drug Policy Reform presents:

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

7-8 pm ET

“Equity in Ibogaine Research for Opioid Use Disorder"

Can an investment of opioid settlement funds generate evidence on emerging OUD treatments while strengthening the harm reduction services communities already rely on?

In this webinar, Richard Harris, PhD, will explore how small-scale, community-based pilot studies can help answer this question. Using ibogaine as an example, Dr. Harris will discuss a research approach that reflects the people clinicians actually treat, doesn't disrupt existing harm reduction services, and generates real-world evidence alongside care delivery.

This session will also touch on the equity implications of this approach—how grounding research in community settings and partnering with people who use drugs may produce evidence that is more representative, cost-effective, and actionable than traditionally funded research.

The webinar will be moderated by Dr. Kristel Carrington, a Board Certified psychiatrist certified in psychedelic-assisted therapy, including ketamine treatment for chronic and severe depression.

The webinar will conclude with a Q&A session for participants.

About our Speaker:

Richard Harris, PhD, is a Susan Samueli Endowed Chair in the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute and Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care in the School of Medicine at the University of California at Irvine. His background is in basic science and clinical research in alternative medicine. He received his B.S. degree in Genetics from Purdue University in 1992 and his Ph. D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley in 1997. Following his graduate work, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at NIH. He is a graduate of the Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and has received an MS degree in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis at the University of Michigan. Dr. Harris is currently investigating mechanisms of chronic pain and its treatment with acupuncture, psychedelics, energy healing, and shamanism. His recent investigations have focused on the role of brain neurotransmitters and brain network behavior in chronic pain. He was a member of the National Advisory Council for NIH/NCCIH and is a past co-President for the Society for Acupuncture Research.

This webinar is open to all learners and will be recorded and posted on the Health Advocacy Network Portal and Physicians for Opioid Settlement Equity Portal.

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NOTE: Zoom details will be sent with your ticket receipt. Please contact lisa.capitani@d4dpr.org if you do not have an email from info@d4dpr.org or doctors@d4dpr.org.

D4DPR webinars and events are supported by our members and donors, and may be supported with funding from the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), the Open Society Foundations (OSF), and an unrestricted grant from the Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART). Support does not influence D4DPR’s policy positions or educational content.