{"id":388,"date":"2026-01-05T19:25:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T19:25:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dla-dev.com\/ethnopharmacology\/?post_type=research_projects&p=388"},"modified":"2026-05-01T17:52:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T17:52:37","slug":"elephantmed-project","status":"publish","type":"research_projects","link":"https:\/\/dla-dev.com\/ethnopharmacology\/research-projects\/elephantmed-project\/","title":{"rendered":"ElephantMed Project"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section full_width=”stretch_row” el_class=”bnr-rp” css=”.vc_custom_1767910980897{background-image: url(https:\/\/dla-dev.com\/ethnopharmacology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Group-55.png?id=398) !important;}”][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_custom_heading text=”Back to projects” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23ffffff” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_custom_heading text=”The SpiriPharm Project” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23ffffff” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Exploring the spiritual, ritual, and pharmacological worlds of neuroactive natural remedies[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”399″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section full_width=”stretch_row” el_class=”sec-rp”][vc_row content_placement=”middle” el_class=”row1″][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”401″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_custom_heading text=”What We Explore” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%231b330d” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]SpiriPharm investigates how neuroactive natural substances\u2014from plants and fungi to animal secretions\u2014are used by both humans and wild primates in 6 different locations in Uganda and Tanzania.<\/p>\n

We focus on how these substances influence healing, mental health, and spiritual practices in remote communities, and ask whether wild mountain gorillas and chimpanzees also seek them out\u2014whether for self-medication, mood regulation, or other reasons yet to be discovered.
\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_custom_heading text=”Why It Matters” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%231b330d” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]For centuries, these substances have shaped the lives, health, and beliefs of the people who use them. Yet, many have never been studied scientifically.<\/p>\n

Learning how they work can open up new perspectives on mental-health treatments and neurological research, while also offering fresh insights into animal self-medication and the links between culture, biology, and ecology.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”831″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle” el_class=”row1″][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”832″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_custom_heading text=”How We Work” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%231b330d” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]SpiriPharm brings together ethnopharmacology and zoopharmacognosy. We collaborate with local communities, listening to their knowledge, and conduct careful field observations with wild primates.<\/p>\n

Some of the plants or other natural materials we document may later be archived as extracts, ensuring they are preserved for future research, especially important given that many species in the region are threatened or rare.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_custom_heading text=”Partnership with Communities” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%231b330d” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]SpiriPharm is guided by a commitment to ethical collaboration and knowledge-sharing. We work to return research results to the communities who make the discoveries possible, supporting local workshops and initiatives that strengthen conservation and well-being. We strive to not only comply with the Nagoya Protocol but to go beyond it by fostering fair, reciprocal relationships that support long lasting research partnerships[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”404″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle” el_class=”row1″][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”405″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_custom_heading text=”A Step Toward New Understandings” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%231b330d” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]SpiriPharm is about more than potential new medicines. It\u2019s about recognizing the shared wisdom of humans, animals, and ecosystems, and bridging traditional and western knowledge to rethink the role of neuroactive substances in health, healing, and connection.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Researching the self-medicative behaviors of the Mt. Elgon elephants<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":727,"menu_order":0,"template":"","project_category":[22],"class_list":["post-388","research_projects","type-research_projects","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","project_category-current-projects"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dla-dev.com\/ethnopharmacology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/research_projects\/388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dla-dev.com\/ethnopharmacology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/research_projects"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dla-dev.com\/ethnopharmacology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/research_projects"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dla-dev.com\/ethnopharmacology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dla-dev.com\/ethnopharmacology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"project_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dla-dev.com\/ethnopharmacology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project_category?post=388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}