Meet our Team
Our research professionals and dosing session monitors offer a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
Dana Lerman, MD – Primary Investigator
Dr. Dana Lerman, Co-Founder of Starlight Clinical Research, is a distinguished medical professional whose journey in medicine and personal experiences have uniquely positioned her for a pivotal role in the field of psychedelic medicine and clinical trial investigation. She received her medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and completed her Internal Medicine residency at The Mount Sinai Hospital, followed by a fellowship in Infectious Disease at The Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Dr. Lerman has dedicated over a decade to working as an infectious disease consultant across the United States. Her extensive medical background provides a solid foundation for her involvement in diverse clinical research studies. Her expertise is particularly invaluable in the realm of psychedelic medicine, where her holistic and informed approach to patient care comes to the forefront.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Lerman founded The COVID Consultants, a national consulting and testing firm, showcasing her ability to lead and innovate in times of medical crisis. This period also marked a significant turning point in her career and personal life, as she embarked on her own mental wellness journey. This transformative experience has since redirected her passions towards the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Further underscoring her commitment to this new focus, Dr. Lerman has received training and certification in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy from the Integrative Psychiatry Institute (IPI) in Boulder, Colorado, and completed MAPS training through IPI. Her education has been supplemented with additional training in trauma through PESI, Internal Family Systems via the IFS Institute, and Ecotherapy with the Earth Body Institute.
Currently treating patients at the Skylight Journey Center in Evergreen, CO, Dr. Lerman’s unique combination of medical expertise, personal growth, and specialized training in psychedelic medicine positions her as a key figure in clinical trial investigation. Her board certifications in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease, combined with her newfound focus on psychedelic medicine, make her an invaluable asset to the field, poised to contribute significantly to the advancement of mental health treatments and beyond.
Dilara Bahceci, PhD – Clinical Research Coordinator
Dr. Dilara Bahceci is a neuropharmacologist and clinical researcher with over a decade of experience across academia, biotech, and clinical research organizations. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Advanced)(Honours) in Neuroscience and a Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology from the University of Sydney, where her doctoral research investigated the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids for childhood epilepsy.
Her experience spans the full lifecycle of drug development, from protocol design and trial oversight to public engagement and policy advocacy. She has played a central role in clinical trials of innovative treatments for psychiatric and neurological conditions, including ketamine, psilocybin, MDMA, and cannabinoids.
Dr. Bahceci is also recognized for her work in scientific communication and policy, authoring peer-reviewed publications, presenting internationally, and engaging in policy forums to improve access to emerging mental health therapies.
Driven by impact, she is passionate about advancing treatments that are not only innovative, but also effective and accessible for those who need them most.
Michael Podolak, MD – Safety MD and Sub-Investigator
Dr. Michael Podolak is a physician with over 30 years of experience in image-guided, minimally invasive procedures. He earned both his Biomedical Engineering and medical degrees from Duke University, followed by interventional radiology training at Columbia Presbyterian in New York City.
Dr. Podolak spent the majority of his career at Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Toward the end of his tenure, he partnered with faculty at Regis University to help create a certificate program in Spirituality in Healthcare, supporting senior nurses and nursing students in exploring the integration of spiritual care into daily medical practice.
His interest in psychedelic medicine began in 2018 after reading How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan. Since then, he has focused on the clinical potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy for treating PTSD, depression, end-of-life anxiety, and trauma-informed care.
A committed student of Stoicism and contemplative traditions, Dr. Podolak regularly practices vipassana (insight meditation), Dzogchen (non-dual awareness), and metta (loving-kindness meditation), reflecting a deep commitment to contemplative insight and compassionate presence in healing. He brings a unique blend of scientific rigor and spiritual insight to his work, advocating for the safe, ethical, and research-driven integration of psychedelic-assisted therapy into modern mental healthcare.
Briana Spires, PA – Rater and Sub-Investigator
Briana Spires graduated with a Masters Degree from The University of Oklahoma’s Physician Assistant program in 2013, after studying Psychology at Oklahoma State University. She was a PA for 8 years when she began to wonder what drew her away from her interest in psychology. Around this time, she witnessed her mother lose a long battle with traditional treatments for anxiety and depression. Psychedelic medicine found Briana after these events, and it was here she found her true path to help others.
Briana completed a Psycho-Spiritual Integration certificate along with a Nutrition for Mental Health course from Being True to You. She subsequently enrolled in Naropa University’s Psychedelic Assisted Therapies Graduate Certificate program. Included in Naropa’s program was also training from the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) in MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy. Briana continually deepens her knowledge via training courses and conferences year-round.
Briana believes daily life should contribute to wellness – valuing health, nutrition and lifestyle. Influential figures to her studies and awakening are Ram Dass, Carl Jung, Alan Watts, Clarissa Pinkola Estes and her book Women Who Run with the Wolves. Briana incorporates symbolism, synchronicities, and spiritual beliefs into her work, along with the medical training and experience from 9 years as a Physician Assistant.
Kate Reaney, PA-C, MScHS, MBA, BPhEd (Hons) – Rater and Sub-Investigator
Kate Reaney earned her Physician Assistant and Master of Science in Health Sciences from the George Washington University in Washington DC. She received an MBA in Healthcare Management & Administration from Regis University in Denver. Prior to that, she earned her undergraduate degree in Physical Education & Exercise Physiology.
More recently, Kate completed a certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy from Naropa University in Boulder, CO. In conjunction with this certificate, she completed MAPS MDMA-Assisted Therapy training with MAPS PBC and completed a Ketamine Apprenticeship.
Kate’s past work history include many years working in an operating room as a surgical physician assistant in the subspecialty of Orthopedic surgery. She has also worked as an Emergency Physician Assistant at a Level 1 Trauma Center (highest acuity) in Denver & has worked in high altitude medicine. Kate has worked in the field of management and clinical research. As a student she worked as a research assistant. Kate has a long history in the field of addiction recovery and 12 step circles. Kate has undergone extensive training in various therapy modalities, deepening her expertise in trauma-informed care and psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Her training includes Compassionate Inquiry with Dr. Gabor Maté and a comprehensive Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy course with Dr. Richard Schwartz. She also completed a four-month mentorship with an experienced psychedelic guide, involving intensive three-hour weekly sessions throughout the program.
Kate’s passion & dedication is to bring true authentic healing, spiritual restoration and freedom to those struggling from the effects of childhood trauma, addiction, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Kate has lived experience that full healing and release is available, and she is dedicated to bringing that about & helping people access that realization.
Cara Luckey, LSW, MSW – Dosing Session Monitor
Cara Luckey is a Licensed Social Worker and Somatic Psychotherapist whose clinical and research work bridges the fields of trauma healing, somatic therapies, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington and is licensed to practice in Colorado. Cara currently works across both private practice and clinical research settings, integrating somatic psychotherapy with emerging models of psychedelic-assisted therapy.
She is a practicing therapist at Somatic Therapy Partners in Denver, where she specializes in body-based trauma resolution and psychedelic integration. Her therapeutic approach is grounded in the understanding that the body holds deep wisdom, and that healing unfolds through connection—both with oneself and with others.
Her formal training includes Somatic Experiencing, Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR, and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy. She has also studied Co-Regulating Touch as part of her ongoing exploration of somatic and relational healing. Cara serves as a Dosing Session Monitor and Research Facilitator with Starlight Clinical Research.
Cara brings a unique blend of presence, attunement, and curiosity to her work with clients and research participants. Her clinical interests include developmental and generational trauma, nervous system regulation, and the use of psychedelics as catalysts for transformative insight, healing, and embodied integration.
Deeply committed to ethical and heart-centered care, Cara views her work at Starlight as part of a larger movement toward reimagining mental health treatment through the lens of relational neuroscience, somatic depth work, and expanded states of consciousness.
Elizabeth Easton, PsyD – Dosing Session Monitor
Dr. Elizabeth Easton is a clinical psychologist with extensive experience in both clinical and research settings. She seeks to foster a sense of power and inner knowing, while providing the safety within relationship to remain open and humble to everything life, relationships and their own spirit have to offer. Dr. Easton believes people have intuitions and inner resources that, with the right conditions, can help them move toward healing. She seeks to help others create those conditions by tapping into those resources and learning about themselves.
Dr. Easton has supported patients with mild to severe forms of anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD and eating disorders in both private practice and hospital settings. Her early training was primarily in psychodynamic psychotherapy, which provided a rich and deep learning about the human condition. She then went on to work in a variety of settings while integrating cognitive-behavioral (CBT, ERP), dialectical behavioral (DBT) and acceptance and commitment (ACT) approaches. Her first true passion was helping families heal through family therapy approaches, such as family systems, Family-Based Treatment (FBT) and, later, Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT). Most recently, she expanded her offerings to include somatic therapy, specifically studying the mindfulness somatic approach Hakomi following a 2-year intensive training.
Her professional focus now includes supporting individuals with non-ordinary states of consciousness. She has trained with the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) for MDMA-assisted therapy, Polaris Insight Center and Skylight Psychedelics for ketamine-assisted therapy, Transcend Therapeutics for broader psychedelic-assisted work, and most recently, CYBIN for psilocybin-assisted therapy. She also has experience supporting patients with ayahuasca and 5-MEO-DMT preparation and integration.
Erin Palmer, LCHMC, NCC, MEd – Dosing Session Monitor
A board-certified psychotherapist since 2011, Erin assists clients in actualizing their best selves by providing Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy in Evergreen, Colorado. She is also licensed to practice in Vermont, North Carolina, and New York and does so via Telehealth and travel.
Specializing in trauma, mood disorders, substance abuse, eating disorders, and general life stress, she takes a flexible and open approach to healing, tailoring treatment to the client’s unique needs in the moment and weaving other psychotherapeutic modalities, such as Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) into the work.
Erin was a Sane Ukraine Project volunteer for eighteen months, weekly training fifty Ukrainian psychological resilience and trauma educators via video and translators to facilitate ongoing coping and recovery tools in the midst of war, at times pausing sessions for air raids.
Erin is a summa cum laude graduate from Georgia State University with a BS in Psychology. She did her graduate work in Psychological Counseling at Columbia University Teachers College in New York and graduated magna cum laude with Master of Education and Master of Arts degrees, with a focus on multiculturally-competent counseling, career counseling, group work, and psychology and spirituality. She completed the yearlong Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy certification program with the Integrative Psychiatry Institute (IPI) in 2024.
David Canter, BS – Co-Founder and Clinical Research Coordinator
David Canter, a Co-Founder of Starlight Clinical Research, brings a rich blend of academic achievement and practical experience to the forefront of clinical research. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from Elon University, North Carolina, demonstrating his early commitment to understanding complex environmental systems. Further enhancing his expertise, David completed a Sustainability Leadership and Implementation Certificate at the University of Denver’s School of Business.
Continuing his educational journey, David recently concluded the Psychedelics and the Mind online course with the University of Berkeley’s BerkeleyX. This study reflects his deep-seated interest in exploring the intricacies of the human mind, a passion that aligns seamlessly with his professional endeavors.
With a robust background in healthcare administration and research spanning both environmental and pharmaceutical domains, David has cultivated a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of clinical research. His proficiency in site-level clinical research administration and study-level coordination is a testament to his ability to effectively manage and contribute to cutting-edge research initiatives.
David’s combined expertise in environmental studies, sustainability leadership, and psychedelic research uniquely positions him to make significant contributions to the evolving field of psychedelic clinical research at Starlight Clinical Research.