- Liana Sananda Gillooly and Andrew “Mo” Septimus have been elected to the MAPS Board of Directors, bringing complementary expertise across the psychedelic field, ethical business governance, and finance.
- The appointments deepen the Board’s experience in two areas central to MAPS’ next chapter: experienced leadership and financial stewardship through periods of growth and transition.
- The new directors expand the Board’s generational range, paralleling the multi-generational leadership model MAPS established with the appointment of Betty Aldworth and Ismail Ali as Co-Executive Directors.
SAN JOSE, Calif., May 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) today announced the addition of Liana Sananda Gillooly and Andrew “Mo” Septimus to its Board of Directors. Liana and Mo join at a pivotal moment for the organization and the psychedelic field at large.
“We are thrilled to welcome Liana Gilooly and Mo Septimus to the Board. Their appointment marks the culmination of a thoughtful six-month nomination and selection process, and we could not be more excited to bring on two leaders who offer a distinctive depth of experience, insight, and heart. Their wisdom and commitment will strengthen MAPS for years to come.”
—Vicky Dulai, Board Chair, MAPS
Liana Sananda Gillooly
Gillooly brings sixteen years of experience in systems thinking, ethics, and psychedelic field building. She is the Founder and Principal of North Star, working to instill responsibility, transparency, and integrity into the emerging psychedelic industry, and Principal Liaison for Tristan Harris at the Center for Humane Technology, working on AI safety before the technology outpaces humanity’s ability to govern it. Previously, she spent six years on staff at MAPS, helping raise tens of millions of dollars, and has held governance and advisory roles across the psychedelic ecosystem, including the Lykos Public Benefit Committee, the Chacruna Institute Board, and The Mission Within.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Board as MAPS celebrates forty years of historic contribution. The research infrastructure, regulatory & policy expertise, and hard-won credibility MAPS has built is the ground the rest of the field stands upon. I am honored to help steward this lighthouse through its next chapter during one of the most consequential inflection points in its history. Through our consistent care, may we further deepen our understanding of these powerful catalysts, while expanding the contexts in which safe, responsible, and respectful access to psychedelics is available to all who may benefit.”
—Liana Gillooly, Board Member, MAPS
Andrew “Mo” Septimus
Septimus is an experienced entrepreneur and finance executive with a track record of managing multimillion-dollar capital raises, exits, operating budgets, and complex projects. Septimus previously served as Chief Financial Officer for MAPS and CFO and VP of Business Development for Resilient Pharmaceuticals (formerly Lykos Therapeutics).
“MAPS has played a foundational role in bringing psychedelic research and drug policy reform into broader public and scientific awareness. As psychedelic adoption continues to grow, the challenge and opportunity are ensuring safe access, education, ethics, and the spirit of the work remain central as the field evolves. I’m excited to continue supporting MAPS in its next phase as treatment options expand and access increases.”
—Andrew “Mo” Septimus, Board Member, MAPS
ABOUT LIANA SANANDA GILLOOLY
Liana Sananda Gillooly is a systems thinker, ethicist, and field builder with a sixteen-year track record at the intersection of psychedelic practice and policy, new economics, and technology governance. She spent six years at MAPS helping raise tens of millions of dollars for psychedelic research, served on the Lykos Public Benefit Committee, and has advised dozens of companies and organizations across the psychedelic ecosystem, including as a founding team member of Mission Within, former board member of Chacruna Institute, and a current advisor to Lionheart VC.
As founder and principal of North Star, Liana facilitates a community of practice of psychedelic-sector CEOs co-developing shared best practices, voluntary self-disclosure systems, and frameworks for operationalizing integrity.
Recently, she has been serving as Principal Liaison to Tristan Harris of Center for Humane Technology, working to mobilize governments, technologists, and civil society around AI safety before the technology outpaces humanity’s ability to govern it.
A certified death doula and permaculture designer, Liana brings a rare capacity to hold space across the full arc of complexity. She splits her time between the East and West Coasts and is most at home with her hands in the soil or her feet on a dance floor.
ABOUT ANDREW “MO” SEPTIMUS
Andrew “Mo” Septimus is an experienced entrepreneur and finance executive with a track record of managing multimillion-dollar capital raises, exits, operating budgets, complex projects, and teams. He has worked in private equity and served as CFO and leader across a variety of industries.
Mo brings a compassionate, outgoing, and resourceful leadership style, grounded in hands-on problem solving, practical optimism, and a sense of humor. His work often focuses on helping organizations navigate periods of rapid growth, complex financing, and strategic transition.
He enjoys craft beverages, hockey, herring, kiddush club, and long walks on the beach. Mo is from Queens, New York, and lives with his family in South Florida.
ABOUT MAPS
Founded in 1986, MAPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful use of psychedelics and marijuana. MAPS previously sponsored the most advanced psychedelic-assisted therapy research in the world and continues to support psychedelic and marijuana research with a focus on the people and places most impacted by trauma. MAPS incubated Lykos Therapeutics (now known as Resilient Pharmaceuticals), a drug-development public benefit company, and The Zendo Project, a leader in psychedelic harm reduction. Since MAPS was founded, philanthropic donors and grantors have given more than $150 million to advance psychedelic research, change drug policy, and shape culture.
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