Our Team

CEO

Keith Abraham served 9 years as a member of The Parachute Regiment, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Throughout the latter years of his military service and during his time working for an investment bank, Keith began experiencing severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. After exhausting the majority of services and options offered by the NHS and military charities without much success, Keith realised a new approach was needed.

His profound experiences with ayahuasca and psilocybin convinced him of the vital role plant medicines have to offer those suffering from PTSD, brain injuries and mental ill-health.

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER

Simon studied medicine before specialising in psychiatry. He completed his core psychiatric training at The Maudsley Hospital in London and worked at King’s College London as a Senior Research Associate investigating the use of psilocybin for treatment resistant depression.

Since 2016 he has conducted research into the traditional psychedelic brew ayahuasca and co-founded the not-for-profit research organisation Icaro Science. Simon completed his PhD entitled Amazonian Ayahuasca and Mental Health Outcomes at Goldsmiths, University of London.

He now works for the Psychae Institute as Senior Research Fellow and Chief Medical Officer, running randomised controlled trials investigating the potential therapeutic application of ayahuasca as well as acting as Chief Medical Officer for Heroic Hearts UK, a charity supporting veterans with psychedelic plant medicine. In his spare time Simon volunteers for the charity Psycare, which offers support to individuals undergoing challenging drug experiences at music festivals.

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Mags heads up Drug Science's medical cannabis study Project Twenty21, as well as curating and hosting events for The Psychedelic Society on drug policy, psychedelic science and mental health treatment.

Before joining the drug policy world, Mags spent more than a decade working for some of the UK’s top advertising agencies, spanning both London and Manchester.

Mags’ mission is to shift the mainstream narrative around drugs by helping to provide education and challenging UK drug policy, so that therapies and medicines that are currently not accessible to patients might be made available on the NHS and prescribed to the people who desperately need them. 

She is particularly passionate about shining a light on particular short-comings of our current mental healthcare system - examining Western society's increasing reliance on diagnostic labels, raising awareness around dependency and withdrawal issues with commonly-prescribed psychiatric medications, and looking at alternative, holistic ways of healing for people suffering with mental distress.

DATA PROTECTION OFFICER

James grew up in Worcester, England before enlisting into the Parachute Regiment at age 16. During his time with the regiment, he saw front-line deployments to Macedonia, N. Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Since leaving the military, James has gone on to perform numerous charitable expeditions assisting wounded veterans climb some of the world’s highest mountains, as well as running conservational and sustainable development programmes for young adults, overseas. He continues to mentor several veterans both academically and within a professional capacity and wants to expand on this to focus on helping those with PTSD.

James adopted a vegan lifestyle three years ago for ethical reasons and has since become a staunch advocate of the healing benefits of a plant-based diet.

RESEARCH DIRECTOR

Grace earned a Ph.D. in the neurochemical and neurofunctional effects of cannabinoids following completion of a Masters in Neuroscience at King’s College London.

As a research associate, she has continued to research in the field of cannabinoids and mental health, particularly using neuroimaging techniques. Grace has a keen research interest in plant medicine research and how these may be used therapeutically, as well as the mechanisms and risk factors behind the development of psychological disorders. She is currently serving as a member of the reserve armed forces.

LEAD INTEGRATION COACH

Matthew Evans has been training, competing and teaching Martial and combat arts for the last 30 years.

After a recent accident, Matthew was forced to slow down and concentrate on what was missing from his life. Connecting to the emotional as well the physical side of himself, he felt something was missing while also experiencing PTS from after a family tragedy some years ago.

Matthew felt a calling to plant medicines and Ayahuasca specifically, so went in search of healing and a chance to reconnect to his mind, body and spirit. After receiving his own healing, Matthew now serves others as HHP's Lead Integration Coach on Ayahuasca retreats facilitating Veterans who are looking for their own healing and connection to themselves and family.

Image credit: Luke Hosty

RETREAT FACILITATOR

Carly is a facilitator, event curator and co-director of the Psychedelic Society. She holds a reverence for the transformative potential of immersive retreats, and crafts events designed to cultivate a deeper connection with ourselves, each other and the natural world.

An advocate for the safe and therapeutic use of psychedelics, Carly is certified in Transpersonal Coaching Psychology and has completed a year long psychedelic-informed practitioner training with VITAL. Aiding her experience in creating transformative passages through expanded states of consciousness.

Beyond her work with the Psychedelic Society and her ongoing studies, Carly is a certified kuala tantra yoga teacher and works with Heroic Hearts Project UK, supporting ayahuasca retreats for veterans and law enforcement workers. Pre pandemic, she was living and working at a plant medicine retreat center in Ecuador, managing the retreats and center, and assisting in ceremonies.

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Caspar is a Master’s student at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain, and founder of the Psychedelics in Medicine Society at York University, a legacy of his own transformational ayahuasca experience at La Luna del Amazonas in 2018.

He believes that these types of compounds have incredible potential to alleviate suffering at both the individual and collective level. Through studying neuroscience, psychology and philosophy, taking on practical roles like harm reduction welfare at festivals, and creating content of his own, he wants to forge a career in therapy or research, and help to bring about a trauma-informed, psychedelically literate society. With this in mind, being part of the Heroic Hearts team is proving an incredible experience.

DESIGNER

Andrea received her BA in Graphic Design in her home country of Peru, where she worked mainly for advertising agencies, as well as teaching Graphic Design at a design institute.

She moved to the UK in 2015 to study an MA in Illustration, and has been working as an in-house designer for brands like The Body Shop in CRM and email design, as well as freelancing as branding designer for different smaller brands and start-ups.

Her personal experience with anxiety led her to complete a Yoga Teacher Training in 2019, and has since then been dedicated to deepening her understanding of emotional resilience and mental health, completing courses on MBSR and Yoga for Emotional Resilience.