Penn Psychedelic Collaborative: An Interview with Victor Acero and Taylor Flatt

In this issue, we sit down with two leading figures in the evolving field of psychedelic research, Victor Pablo Acero and Taylor Andrews Flatt. Both are co-founders of the Penn Psychedelic Collaborative, a transdisciplinary research consortium at the University of Pennsylvania.

Victor began his PhD in bioengineering at UPenn in 2018, completing it in the spring of 2024. Taylor started her master’s degree as a pediatric psychiatric nurse practitioner in 2020, finishing in 2022. During their time at UPenn and continuing afterward, they co-founded the Penn Psychedelic Collaborative, a consortium of researchers, faculty, clinicians, and trainees at the university.

They developed and continue to organize Philadelic, a research conference on psychedelic medicine, which started in 2023. Due to its success, the conference has expanded from a 2-day to a 4-day event, now attracting researchers from across the field. I have had the pleasure of joining the development of this year’s Philadelic as an organizer, and I am delighted to provide you all with the following interview.

Philadelic and the Penn Psychedelic Collaborative: Breaking Boundaries

Philadelic and the Penn Psychedelic Collaborative (PPC) are ambitious, collaborative platforms that are redefining traditional boundaries by integrating diverse disciplines and fostering unexpected connections.

The PPC and Philadelic are monumental achievements, especially considering they were conceived by students, not professors. Fueled by passion and a keen awareness of the potential connections between seemingly disparate ideas, Victor Pablo Acero and Taylor Andrews Flatt brought together the faculty and students, forming a cohesive and innovative community.

The Genesis of Philadelic and the PPC

What inspired you to start Philadelic and the PPC?

Victor: “Things had been percolating at Penn for the past 10 years. Penn actually hosted the first psychedelic conference at an Ivy League institution back in 2012 with the original Psychademia conference. Then in 2022, Taylor and I saw the Psychedelic Revival series organized by the School of Medicine and realized how many internal faculty members were interested. We noticed a need for a group to coalesce individuals, creating a force greater than any individual could achieve alone.”

Taylor: “Yes, we realized there was interest and began following the leads to find out who was doing psychedelic work… Through a chain reaction of conversations, we discovered where the momentum was between different fields. We essentially became the conduits for the existing interest.”

Collaboration at the heart of Philadelic

How do you maintain that collaborative spirit in Philadelic?

Victor: “For the first conference, we knew we were undertaking an ambitious project. Even setting aside the psychedelic aspect, there was no center at Penn that included faculty from five different schools in leadership roles on an equal footing.”

“In Philadelic, we combined professors across disciplines like art, anthropology, neuroscience, and mindfulness. It became even more ambitious. As I mentioned in my opening remarks at last year’s conference, ‘This is like a psychedelic experience. We have our intention, our setting, our container,’ and it was incredible to bring together people from 12 different disciplines into the same space—something that wouldn’t have happened without Philadelic.”

Taylor: “The first year of Philadelic was a way to launch the PPC and formally announce to the university and the world what the PPC is. By covering 12 different disciplines and hosting four plenary talks, it emulated what we aimed to do with the PPC. This year’s Philadelic shares many of the same goals: to bring together people who don’t normally interact, fostering connections and conversations. Another goal is to take particular topics of interest and potential and give them the platform they deserve.”

Victor: “Philadelic is 80% of what we’ve done, and it has opened people up. If we’re going to convince others that we can do something as ambitious as the PPC, we need to lead with something truly amazing that gets people excited.”

Bianca: “That reminds me of something recently essentially: ‘If you gather a group of people with strong shared emotions, each with individual thoughts and ideas, that’s how you create a powerful force.’ It sounds like that’s what you’re creating with Philadelic and the PPC—a shared passion for psychedelics paired with individual and novel research approaches, all coming together in a safe space to share and grow.”

Taylor: “Exactly. That’s a great way to put it. Within Penn and beyond, Philadelic and the PPC have fostered a shared desire to explore.”

Standing Out in the Psychedelic Research Landscape

What sets the PPC apart from other university psychedelic centers?

Victor: “I believe we’re the most transdisciplinary center out there, without diminishing the great work at other centers like Berkeley which we are inspired by and Johns Hopkins. But what makes us unique is that our leadership team includes five co-directors from diverse fields—design, veterinary medicine, nursing, medicine, and science. No other center has such a varied leadership board. In the future, I hope we can expand to include fields like social work and business.”

“We’re also a young consortium, and what we need to reach the next level are additional financial resources and a track record. Unlike other centers, we’re building this from the ground up, with a focus on collaboration rather than relying on the accomplishments of a few faculty members.”

“That’s what’s unique about us but again there is a lot of really cool research happening elsewhere and we seek to be inspired by”.

Looking Back and Moving Forward

Is there something from last year’s conference you’d like to replicate?

Taylor: “We had an intimate community feel, and the conference ended up being bigger than we anticipated. This year, my goal is to maintain that high level of attendance while keeping the intimate, inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels they belong.”

How have you resisted the draw toward commercialization in Philadelic?

Taylor: “Everyone involved has a strong commitment to maintaining the integrity of our work and the purpose of Philadelic and the PPC.”

Victor: “Being a completely volunteer team, we’re driven by passion. We’re not paid, which, while not ideal, ensures that only those who genuinely care are involved… I  would love be able to give everyone a stipend for a certain level of involvement, I don’t want to romanticize not being paid, but I think the fact that we don’t drives a certain level of passion because you’ll only be able to get out of it what you put in.”

Future Goals and Aspirations

What are your short- and long-term goals for Philadelic and the PPC?

Victor: “Long-term, I want the PPC to be formally recognized as a center at the University of Pennsylvania. With that comes institutional recognition and more doors open.

“I want to see an undergraduate training program similar to the undergraduate research training program that the National Science Foundation provides grants for because it’s a great diversity initiative. It is one of the most effective things for increasing diversity in STEM and thus in psychedelics. Additionally, we’re excited about launching a course, Psychedelic Paradigms and Perspectives, in Spring 2025—the first for-credit class on psychedelics at UPenn.”

“For Philadelic, I want it to remain an intimate conference, never exceeding 100 attendees, to preserve the quality of connections. I’d also like to see the conference’s growth reflected in the number of scholarships we can offer to students who might not otherwise attend.”

“I’m also interested in establishing a drug-testing program at the university, similar to what NYC’s Department of Health and Hygiene does. Where they were able to find the increases in xylazine in the drug supply before it was evident through unintentional deaths. Philadelphia has a lot of drug use, I think we are well poised with our resources to have a very effective drug testing program that not only makes the community of drug users in Philadelphia safer but also empowers us as academics to research to understand how adulteration in the drug supply happens in real-time.

Taylor: “We’re planning various public lectures and continuing education workshops, aiming to connect people across different professional and academic settings. We’re also working with local clinics to offer internships and education opportunities for students in nursing, psychology, and other fields.”

“I’d love for Penn to continue prioritizing psychedelic education for nurses, as they are one of the first nursing schools in the country to prioritize psychedelics and education…nurses have been involved in transformational medicine and experiential healing for millennia, so I hope this area continues to grow.”

“For Philadelic, I want to create a rich, diverse experience again, with engaging content and conversations. Bringing in people from all over and presenting ideas that have never been heard before—that’s what excites me.”

Looking Ahead and Beyond

What excites you most about the upcoming event?

Victor: “As someone interested in traumatic brain injury, I’m most excited about the neurotrauma and neurodegeneration panel, which will include the first TBI-focused observational study on the effects of psychedelics [ibogaine].”

Taylor: “I’m excited about two panels in particular. One, tentatively titled Ecological Systems in Psychedelics, will feature a conservation ecologist, a veterinarian, and myself discussing the role of psychedelics [on a micro and macro level]. The other, Ontology and Metaphysics, will bring together philosophers and neuroscientists to explore alternative ways of knowing and how psychedelics inform our ways of gaining information and conducting science.”

Final Thoughts

Any final messages to share?

Taylor: “One thing I’ve learned is not to be afraid to create something if you see a need for it. If something is missing or you believe you can add value, don’t hesitate to act.”

“I never imagined I’d be in the position I’m in now, studying what I find most interesting and surrounded by people I find inspiring.”

Victor: “Fortune favors the bold. Everything we’re doing is difficult, with a high risk of failure, but it’s worth taking big leaps for something you’re passionate about.”

“I’m incredibly motivated, inspired, and grateful for the team at the Penn Psychedelic Collaborative. No vision or strategy would mean anything without the strong team behind it.”

Beyond Philadelic and the PPC

Victor and Taylor will continue to serve on the Penn Psychedelic Collaborative board while making the move to Ohio to further their research and organizational endeavors.

Victor will start a position as manager of operations and strategy at the Ohio State Center for Psychedelic Drug Research while joining as a postdoctoral researcher, focusing on psychedelics for traumatic brain injuries. He also aims to develop his skills in operations, strategy, program management, and event planning to support initiatives he’s passionate about, like his new project, Our Psychedelics, which focuses on equitable access to psychedelics.

Taylor will begin her PhD at Ohio State University in Fall 2024, studying pediatric applications of psychedelics for psychiatric use. She’s also interested in the anthropological perspective of pediatric psychedelic use in other parts of the world and throughout history. Additionally, she plans to continue educating nurses on harm-reduction methods.