About Francesco Adefila, MSN RN

Former sprinter and football athlete in high school with a brief stint in college. Having experienced a severe mental breakdown when forced to give up collegiate football aspirations, Francesco's focus was redirected to spirituality and science in order to understand the holistic processes of how he became a victim of a debilitating mental illness. With this new endeavor, he transferred to Fisk University (HBCU pride) and majored in Biology while studying Buddhism.

Shortly after, he moved to Los Angeles and went on to acquire a Masters in Nursing from Charles R Drew University School of Medicine and Science. During this time he joined MAPS in order to obtain a certification in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to help facilitate therapy sessions for those suffering from treatment-resistant PTSD. With these experiences and credentials in his arsenal, he created Kaleidoscope Institute which aims to provide unbiased education with a science-based evidence approach on how commonly abused drugs, both legal and illegal, work on a very basic level for the general public.

He then moved to the predominantly black city of Baltimore to attend the University of Maryland Baltimore for his Doctorate in Nursing Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program to be a leader in the community by re-wiring how we understand drug and substance abuse and challenge the current drug laws and policies that are disproportionately affecting certain groups of people in America. He is currently working at Johns Hopkins Hospital as a psychiatric nurse.

Now with an understanding of how being black, first-generation, and an ex-athlete are major variables that make him subject to mental illness, he has a tremendous zeal for bringing awareness to those under similar labels. As a team member in SportPsychMDs, he aims to individualize athletes based on voids contributing to their mental illnesses and connect them to resources in their communities. 

Although Francesco’s dream as a professional athlete was halted, he continues to have the same amount of love for the game. He is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan ever since he stepped foot in America. In his downtime, he enjoys hiking, reading, trying new hobbies, traveling, and meeting new people.

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"I have one main belief: all drugs are tools when used properly. Perhaps you believe this too. You may take Aspirin for headaches, and drink coffee in the morning to give you the boost you need. I take this a bit farther though.

Some drugs have the potential to treat depression, clarify thinking, and spark creativity. Dr. Francis Crick, who won the Nobel Prize used to take LSD to help generate ideas. At the same time, there are other drugs that are dangerous beyond belief. Less than one grain-sized piece of carfentanil (fentanyl) can kill an adult but this same drug has been used in clinical settings for patients with severe pain. 

How do these drugs work? Why does caffeine give you the jitters but alcohol makes you feel down? Why is heroin so much more potent than morphine? Doctors and pharmacologists know the answers to these questions. The general public doesn’t. 

Let’s go back to my belief: all drugs are a tool when used properly. But how do we know what properly is? My mission is to educate people on the effects of drugs so they can decide for themselves. I don’t blindly promote any drug nor do I rail against them. I ask a series of questions. Where does the drug go when it enters your body? How long does it stay there? And more importantly, how does your body respond? Sometimes I look into other issues. Why is this drug illegal, but not that one? How do we define addiction? Is sugar a drug?

At my core, I’m a communicator, a creator, an educator, and a nurse. I want objective answers to difficult questions. I started the Kaleidoscope Institute so that I can share what I learn about drugs with the rest of the world. I hope you join me."