Hollers & Horizons Symposium

Hollers & Horizons is Appalachia's symposium on psychedelic science, readiness, and response, held July 16 and 17, 2027 at the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, Kentucky. It is co-convened by the UPIKE School of Social Work and the Appalachian Convergence Lab (AppCoLab). Over two days it brings together clinicians, researchers, industry, educators, policymakers, and community leaders for honest conversation about emerging mental health care and what responsible implementation looks like in our region. The name carries forward from AppCoLab's monthly Hollers & Horizons town halls, and this is the first time it lands in person.

Friday and Saturday, July 16 and 17, 2027. Programming begins Friday afternoon and runs through Saturday evening.

On the campus of the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, Kentucky, hosted by the UPIKE School of Social Work.

Anyone with a stake in how new mental health treatments reach Appalachia. That includes pharmaceutical and biotech companies, clinical and regulatory teams, behavioral health and addiction clinicians, researchers and faculty, health systems and public health staff, policymakers, first responders, social workers, students, nonprofits and funders, and community and faith leaders.

It is co-convened by the University of Pikeville School of Social Work and the Appalachian Convergence Lab (AppCoLab). Both organizations share equal responsibility for the program.

Expect panels, a keynote, and a Friday evening reception, with regional and national programming across both days. Saturday adds breakouts, vendors, and shared meals. An Appalachian throughline runs through the whole event, from the food to the music.

Yes. We welcome pharmaceutical, biotech, clinical, academic, and mission-aligned partners. Sponsorship and exhibitor options are in development. Reach out through our contact form and we will send the prospectus.

Registration opens soon. Join the announcement list and we will send dates, pricing, and the full schedule as they are confirmed.

We are working with the UPIKE School of Social Work to explore CE credit for eligible professions. We will confirm availability before registration opens.

This is a symposium on regional readiness and responsible implementation. The program is evidence-informed and built for dialogue across disciplines. It does not certify or authorize anyone to administer treatment.

Pikeville has lodging close to campus. We are arranging a room block and will share a booking link with registered attendees.

YThe two closest commercial airports are Tri-Cities Regional (TRI) near Bristol, Tennessee, and Huntington Tri-State (HTS) in Huntington, West Virginia. Both are about a two-hour drive to Pikeville, and either one works well. We will post travel and rental car guidance as the date gets closer.

We want everyone to take part. If you need an accommodation, contact us and we will work with the UPIKE team to make arrangements.