Meet MAPS’ New Co-Executive Directors: Betty Aldworth and Ismail Lourido Ali

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has been at the center of psychedelic science and advocacy for nearly four decades. From MDMA-assisted therapy trials to policy reform campaigns, the nonprofit has helped steer psychedelics from the underground into mainstream conversation. Now, as it approaches its 40th anniversary, MAPS is turning the page on leadership with the appointment of two familiar figures: Betty Aldworth and Ismail Lourido Ali.

The pair have already been serving as interim co-leads since March, but the board has now made it official. Aldworth and Ali step in as Co-Executive Directors, a move that both reflects MAPS’ collaborative ethos and signals a generational shift in how the movement is led. Rick Doblin, MAPS’ founder and president, remains involved in guiding research and international projects, but the day-to-day direction now falls to two voices shaped by decades of activism, policy reform, and community building.

Who They Are

Betty Aldworth is well known across the drug policy landscape. She previously served as Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), where she helped cultivate a new generation of advocates. Today, she also chairs the Board of Directors for the Marijuana Policy Project and its foundation. Aldworth has built her reputation on nonprofit leadership, grassroots organizing, and mentoring activists who are now central to the psychedelic and cannabis reform spaces.

Ismail Lourido Ali, often known as Izzy, took his first steps at MAPS as a legal fellow in 2016. Since then, he has helped design and implement psychedelic policy reform strategies across the U.S. and abroad. An attorney and co-founder of the Psychedelic Bar Association, Ali has become one of the most trusted policy thinkers in the field, advocating for access models that balance equity, safety, and cultural respect. His own leadership overlaps with Aldworth’s history at SSDP, where he was elected chair of the board during her tenure.

Together, they bring a mix of legal rigor, political savvy, and grassroots experience that feels tailored to this moment in psychedelic history.

What They Intend To Do

Aldworth and Ali are stepping in at a time of both opportunity and turbulence. The psychedelic renaissance has never had more momentum, but it also faces regulatory uncertainty, public skepticism, and the risk of repeating old mistakes from the cannabis space.

Their vision is rooted in collaboration.

“As Co-Executive Directors, we’re committed to leading MAPS and guiding the psychedelic ecosystem toward a safer, more compassionate, and more responsible post-prohibition future,” Aldworth and Ali said in a joint statement. “Our paired leadership approach offers an opportunity to play to our strengths, inspire collaborative solutions, and model the interdependent reality of our movement today.”

That means reinforcing MAPS’ classic pillars—scientific research, education, and policy advocacy—while also adapting to new realities. Building stronger community within the movement, cultivating cross-sector partnerships, and maintaining MAPS’ role as a convener of diverse voices are all central to their strategy.

Why It Matters

For MAPS, the move is about continuity as much as change. Rick Doblin himself underscored the multigenerational handoff:

“Izzy and Betty represent the strategic approach that makes MAPS so effective,” Doblin said. “They’re deeply committed to rigorous science, public education, transformative drug policy reform, and inclusivity. Their leadership is exactly what MAPS needs as we prepare for the next 40 years.”

The co-directorship also reflects something deeper: a recognition that the psychedelic space cannot be led by a single figurehead. If the movement is about healing, community, and shared responsibility, then the leadership should embody those values too.

Looking Ahead

With Aldworth and Ali at the helm, MAPS is entering a new chapter just as psychedelics are crossing into mainstream politics, health care, and culture. Their appointment doesn’t erase the challenges ahead—questions around commercialization, medical access, Indigenous respect, and equity remain pressing—but it does offer the field a leadership model grounded in collaboration and care.

For the psychedelic movement, the message is clear: the next era will not be carried by one voice alone. It will be shared, debated, and built together.

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