Visiting Fellows

Dr Simon Ruffell is trained across three modalities: Western medicine (medical doctor specialising in psychiatry), research psychology (with a PhD in ayahuasca and mental health), and traditional plant medicine (student of curanderismo). He has worked on several major clinical trials investigating the therapeutic potential of psychedelics at leading universities worldwide, including at King's College London exploring the effects of psilocybin on treatment-resistant depression.

Since 2016 his work has been primarily dedicated to exploring the traditional psychedelic brew ayahuasca. He is CEO of Onaya Health and co-founded the not-for-profit Onaya Science, researching the effects of ayahuasca in naturalistic Amazonian settings in collaboration with universities, charities, and Indigenous-led think tanks worldwide.

Simon’s work seeks to understand plants such as ayahuasca from both an Indigenous and a Western viewpoint, with the goal of generating a richer understanding of healing modalities. He is currently training in Shipibo Shamanism under Keyo Sui Rono and Don Rono Lopez. 

I am an urban geographer working within the field of inequality studies. Originally from the Midlands, my work has emerged from an interest in social and spatial difference across regions and cities, with a particular focus on the intersection between post-austerity political economy and the material conditions of everyday life.

I have broad research interests including the changing governance of austerity, municipal and cooperative housing, the political history of the Midlands, social reproduction and care, the political economy of death and dying, and participatory and community led research methods.

I currently work as a community action researcher in the Community Action Team at St Christopher’s Hospice in South London, where I employ participatory and creative research methods in community settings to investigate the lived experience of death, dying and loss. I completed my PhD in Political Geography at the University of Cambridge where I examined the ongoing effects of austerity on social housing provision in the East Midlands. I have an MPhil in Architecture and Urban Studies, and a BA in Fine Art.

Dr Bonnie Yuen is a Clinical Psychologist trained at UCL with a focus on working with the LGBTQ+ community and folks with intersecting identities. As a queer researcher from Hong Kong, she is interested in how deathand dying intersect with various aspects of identity, including sexuality, gender, and cultural belonging. Both her clinical practice and research are informed by the narrative framework, which she values for its ability to capture the nuances of diverse, complex stories. With narrative methodology, she has explored the journeys of sexual assault survivors and the psychological experiences of Hong Kong people during the 2019 Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement.

In addition to her clinical work, she is currently collaborating with Professor Wallace Chan from Northumbria University on a project investigating the immediate post-death support needs of newly migrated Hong Kongers in the UK, and she is co-supervising a dissertation at UCL looking at LGBTQ+ people’s access to bereavement support following a loss. She also has the privilege of mentoring racialised aspiring Clinical Psychologists through the Valued Voices Mentoring Scheme.

Website

• drbonnieyuen.com

I am currently an elected councillor in Croydon, where I also serve as the CEO of the Manju Shahul-Hameed Foundation for Mental Health (MSH Foundation). My journey in public service has been deeply rooted in my passion for community wellbeing and mental health.

I was born and raised in a small village in India before migrating to the UK to join my husband. I now live in Croydon with my husband and two sons. My professional journey began with a first-class degree in Mathematics and a Masters in Scientific and Engineering Software Technology from the University of Greenwich. I spent 17 years as a software engineer before transitioning into public service and mental health advocacy.

I have dedicated my life to raising awareness and addressing mental health stigmas, particularly within BAME communities. I served as Mayor of Croydon in 2014/2015, and was the cabinet member for communities, safety, and business recovery. I have also chaired the Croydon Health and Wellbeing Board and the Croydon Plus Credit Union.

In November 2023, I completed my PhD, specialising in the integration of health and social care in mental health provision. Through the MSH Foundation, I have collaborated with over 250 voluntary and community organisations and businesses, organising more than 450 free events, including suicide awareness training, mental health first aid courses, and dementia cafés. As a member of EMPOWER Dementia Network by Dementia UK, I remain committed to promoting mental wellbeing and offering support to those in need, with a focus on young people and marginalised communities.

Website

• msfoundations.co.uk