Matias and Greg interview Justin Mares, co-founder of TrueMed and Kettle & Fire on current US healthcare and how startups have the opportunity to change the system. In this episode, we discuss: How the US system profits from chronic illness Fixing the food system, environmental toxins, pharma incentives & more Opportunities for founders building in…

Matias and Greg sit down with Brooks Leitner, the newest venture partner at PsyMed Ventures, to explore the future of brain and mental health investing. Brooks, an MD/PhD with deep experience from Yale and the NIH, shares his insights on how a human-first approach is reshaping neuroscience innovation and venture investing. In this episode, we discu…

Matias and Greg interview Dr. Nir Grossman, one of the world’s leading researchers in neurotechnology. Nir is a lecturer in the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial College London and a founding fellow of the UK Dementia Research Institute. In this episode, we discuss: What is temporal interference (TI), a non-invasive stimulation method A comp…

Greg and Matias interview Dr. James Adams, professor and autism researcher at Arizona State University and President of Gut-Brain-Axis Therapeutics, on groundbreaking research in autism. In this episode, we discuss: The latest advancements in microbiome therapy for autism How the gut-brain axis is shaping new therapeutic approaches The role of nutr…

Matias interviews Elizabeth Horn, founder of the 2m Foundation, on the current state of autism and what can we do about it. In this episode, we discuss: The rising prevalence of autism and its impact on society How 2m Foundation is funding research and solutions Environmental and biological factors contributing to autism Philanthropy and venture ca…

Matias and Greg interview Dana Watt, a Partner at Breakout Ventures, about genetic medicine for brain and mental health. In this episode, we discuss: How genetic therapies work: addressing underlying causes, not just symptoms The opportunities and challenges for genetic therapies for brain health Exploring effective delivery of genetic payloads Com…

Greg and Matias interview Jay Sanguinetti, founder of Sanmai Technologies, a startup using transcranial focused ultrasound for the treatment of mental health conditions. Jay has a background in academia, having worked at the University of Arizona and started the SEMA Lab (Science Enhanced Mindful Awareness). In this episode, we discuss: The science…

Greg and Matias interview Tim Marjenin, a regulatory consultant at MCRA with 16 years of experience at the FDA, to discuss the regulatory landscape for neurotechnology devices. Tim provides insights into the FDA approval process for neurotech devices, drawing from his extensive experience on the FDA's Neurostimulation-Neurology Devices Team. The ep…

Greg and Matias interview Gurdane Bhutani, an investor at MBX Ventures, to discuss the impact of environmental toxins on health and the field of exposomics. Gurdane is an expert in environmental health, with a background in Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences. He provided insights into the pervasive nature of environmental toxins and the…

Greg and Matias interview Josh Hardman, founder and editor of Psychedelic Alpha, to discuss the recent FDA advisory committee meeting on Lykos Therapeutics’ MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. Josh is a leading writer covering the intersection of psychedelics and business. He provided live reporting and analysis of the AdComm meeting. In this episode, …

Software, hardware, and biotechnology are playing an increasingly transformative role in our mental health and wellness. Join us as we discuss what investors look for in these new companies and how they separate what’s real — and what’s near-term — from what’s hype. We’ll explore AI-powered tools for mental health, the new area of “enerceuticals” (…

Matias hosted a panel at The Battery SF with renowned psychedelics experts, Nolan Williams, Allison Feduccia, Matt Baggott. Nolan is a Stanford professor currently researching ibogaine among other areas in psychiatry and radiology, and he's a founder of TMS company Magnus Medical. Allison is the founder of Psychedelic Support, a platform providing …

Matias interviews Lili Brillstein about how to work collaboratively with healthcare payers (the ones that reimburse for medical expenses). Lili is a pioneer in the field, having previously led one of the largest bundled payment initiatives at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. She currently is the founder of her own advisory firm, BCollaborative, wher…

Greg and Matias interview Ed Boyden about neuroscience frontiers and its applications to mental health. Ed is a pioneer in understanding the fundamental mechanisms of the brain. He runs a lab at MIT for Synthetic Neurobiology and is a professor across the departments of neurotechnology, biological engineering, and cognitive science at MIT’s McGover…

Greg and Matias interview Steve Rio about 5-MeO-DMT and its potential role in mental healthcare. Steve is a social impact cofounder, transformational coach, and practitioner at the Enfold Institute, one of the most reputable aboveground retreat centers working with 5-MeO-DMT. He shared many insights from his hands-on experience guiding hundreds of …

Tom Insel is an entrepreneur and former director of the US National Institute of Mental Health, the lead US agency supporting mental health research with a $2 billion budget. Since his time at the NIMH, Tom has built mental health technology, first at Verily and Mindstrong Health, and more recently founded Vanna Health, an online healthcare provide…

What if your next antidepressant was a clam or spinach? Greg & Matias invite Dr. Drew Ramsey to explore nutritional psychiatry - a field exploring how the food we eat can be as powerful as medication in treating mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. Dr. Drew Ramsey is a psychiatrist, entrepreneur and author focusing on nutritional intervent…

Can diet treat mental illness? Greg and Matias interview Jan Baszucki of the Baszucki Group whose son Matt overcame bipolar through the ketogenic diet. Jan has supported studies on ketogenic diets and fasting protocols for conditions like depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. In this episode we discuss: The powerful personal story behind…

Advancements in neuroscience, AI, and bioengineering are unlocking new possibilities for neurotechnologies. Investors are paying attention. Alex Morgan of Khosla Ventures is an MD, PhD, physicist, and one of the most active investors in neurotech startups. He's backed companies harnessing neuromodulation for varied applications - from sleep (Somnee…

Neuromodulation flies in the face of modern psychiatry. It can significantly improve mental health without drugs. It allows us to stimulate or inhibit activity in precise regions of the brain using electricity, magnetism or ultrasound. Motif Neurotech is pioneering minimally invasive implants to precisely deliver neuromodulation for mental health. …

In part 2 of a 2-part series, Greg and Matias explore microbial therapeutics for mental health with Dr. Christopher Reyes, biophysist, serial enterepreneur, and founder of Bloom Science. Dr. Reyes' research on leveraging microbes to treat neurological conditions began at UC San Francisco. He is now translating his microbiome research into startups …

Business Trip launched in 2020 as a podcast focused on psychedelics. As Matias and Greg started to dive deeper into the complexities of mental health, they met more and more entrepreneurs and scientists creating novel treatments across many areas of mental health, including the gut microbiome. Dr. Phil Strandwitz pulls back the curtain on the gut-b…

Stanford University is one of the leading universities in psychedelic science, focusing on understanding how psychedelics work in the body. This is part 3 of a 3-part series, where we will explore groundbreaking discoveries via leading Stanford researchers who are revealing the significance of psychedelic science in modern research. We conclude the…

Stanford University is one of the leading universities in psychedelic science, focusing on understanding how psychedelics work in the body. This is part 2 of a 3-part series, where we will explore groundbreaking discoveries via leading Stanford researchers who are revealing the significance of psychedelic science in modern research. We continue wit…

Psychedelics have long been known to induce altered states of consciousness. But there are many other techniques that can also expand our awareness - from meditation and breathwork to exploring dreams, prayer, light and sound. In this episode, Greg speaks with Scott Britton about the emerging startup landscape around tools for expanding consciousne…

Stanford University is one of the leading universities in psychedelic science, focusing on understanding how psychedelics work in the body. In this 3-part series, we will explore groundbreaking discoveries via leading Stanford researchers who are revealing the significance of psychedelic science in modern research. We start the series with Robert M…

Psychedelic Science 2023, Learning Man, MAPS Burn...whatever you want to call it...was a magical conference organized by MAPS. 12k people made the pilgrimage to Denver to discuss psychedelic science, culture, business, art, spirituality, and more. Rick Doblin called this the "Psychedelic 20's" and this event felt like a watershed moment. Luckily, G…

What does it take for a traditional VC to fund a psychedelic company? In our latest episode, Matias takes us behind the scenes of a panel discussion at the Psychedelic Therapeutics & Drug Development Conference in San Francisco, CA. Matias talks with VCs at firms with $100M+ fund sizes: Anne Dwane, a partner at Village Global, Amanda Way, principal…

In our latest episode, Greg and Matias engage in an insightful discussion with Dr. Bryan Roth, the Michael Hooker Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine, and the founder of the Roth Lab. Dr. Roth’s lab is on the cutting edge of researching the interaction between brain cell recepto…

In this week's episode, Greg and Matias take a moment to reflect on the opportunities and challenges they have faced while building the PsyMed Ventures syndicate and venture capital fund since starting the Business Trip podcast in 2020. Their ultimate goal is to support founders who are building ethical businesses in frontier mental health technolo…

In this week’s episode, Greg and Matias chat with Josh Hardman, the founder of Psychedelic Alpha. Josh is a leading writer and founder at Psychedelic Alpha, an online resource, newsletter, and community covering the intersection of psychedelics and business. He regularly collaborates and writes with experts in the psychedelic field including entrep…

In this week’s special episode, Matias chats with Dr. Rachel Yehuda and Zach Haigney at Soho House in New York City. This is part 2 of a moderated panel recorded in front of a live audience, with part 1 released in June 2022. Dr. Yehuda has spent the last 30 years doing research on PTSD and trauma and is leading the MDMA-assisted therapy research a…

This episode shares the story of Tactogen, a drug development company making new chemical entities inspired by MDMA. Co-founder Matt Baggott has been fascinated by MDMA and has studied it for 30 years. And while he believes that MDMA can be effective as a therapeutic, his company is developing an MDMA analogue that is designed to be gentler and saf…

In this new episode of Business Trip, we interview one of the first clinics to offer a protocol that includes TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) and ketamine infusion. TMS is a non-invasive procedure that sends electric currents to specific regions in the brain, including areas linked to depression. It's FDA approved and has been gaining adopt…

In this week's episode, we chat with Christian Angermayer. Christian co-founded atai Life Sciences and was an early investor in Compass Pathways -- two of the first companies commercializing psychedelic medicine. Christian also launched a fund dedicated to mental and neurological health called re:Mind, is an investor through his family office Apeir…

In this week’s episode, we chat with Melissa Stangl, co-founder of Soltara Healing Center. Soltara is an ayahuasca retreat center whose ceremonies are lead by Shipibo healers, with locations in Peru and Costa Rica. The Shipibo people are from the Peruvian Amazon and are part of a tradition that has been drinking Ayahuasca for healing and spiritual …

This is final episode in our 3-part series on microdosing that explores the science, history, and clinical applications. In this episode, we discuss the path to FDA approval for microdosing. We chat with the chief medical officers from Diamond Therapeutics and MindMed about their microdosing clinical programs. Diamond's program uses synthetic psilo…

This is part 2 or our 3 part series on microdosing that explore the science, history, and clinical applications. In part 1, we interviewed psychedelic researcher James Fadiman about the fundamentals of microdosing. In part 2, we wanted to understand the placebo effect. In particular, is it the microdose that makes people feel better or it is a plac…

In this 3-part series on microdosing, we explore the science, history, and its clinical potential. The anecdotal benefits of microdosing include better mood, creativity, and increased focus. But there are still many unanswered questions that remain. What is an effective dosing protocol? Is it safe in long term use? Does it even work or is it a plac…

In this week’s episode, we chat with Matt Zorn, an attorney at Yetter Coleman with expertise in DEA law, especially regarding psychedelics. Matt is currently challenging the DEA’s decision to schedule 5 new tryptamines, he recently argued Kathryn Tucker’s psilocybin “Right To Try” case against the DEA, and previously co-led Sue Sisley’s DEA case re…

In this week’s special episode, Matias chats with Dr. Rachel Yehuda and Zach Haigney at Soho House in New York City. The episode was recorded in front of a live audience. Dr. Yehuda has spent the last 30 years doing research on PTSD and trauma and is leading the MDMA-assisted therapy research at the US Veterans Affairs Medical Center. She is the Di…

In Episode 18, we chat with Jonathan Sabbagh and Myriam Barthes, the co-founders of Journey Clinical, a platform that enables licensed therapists to offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP). Journey Clinical provides licensed therapists with an on-demand KAP-trained medical team, customized treatments for each client, and a portal to connect wit…

In today’s episode, we chat with Lucia Huang, the CEO and co-founder of Osmind, an electronic health record software system for treatment resistant mental health practices that is already in over 300 clinics. In this episode, we discuss: How Osmind makes data-driven decisions Osmind’s quick growth in only 2 years What it will take for insurance to …

In today’s episode, we chat with Tim Schlidt, a partner at Palo Santo. Palo Santo is a fund investing in psychedelic therapeutics. Palo Santo’s portfolio includes companies like Eleusis, Tactogen, and Journey Clinical. In this episode, we discuss: Tim’s background in healthcare finance Investing in classic psychedelic compounds vs. 2nd generation c…

Today’s episode features Dillan Dinardo and Tom Ray, the co-founders of Mindstate Design Labs. Mindstate has a unique framework to design psychedelic compounds using what they call the “primer probe method.” This method involves combining a known psychedelic with a non-psychedelic compound. Mindstate just raised an $11.5M seed round. In this episod…

Today’s episode features Amy Emerson, the CEO of MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), which is a fully owned subsidiary of MAPS, and its purpose is to commercialize MDMA-assisted therapy. We discuss the MAPS PBC and it’s business model for MDMA-assisted therapy. In this episode, we discuss: MAPS’ protocol and strategy behind FDA clinical trial fo…

In today’s episode, we discuss what it’s like being a psychologist who owns a psychedelic clinic. Genesee Herzberg is the co-founder of Sage Integrative Health, an integrative clinic in Berkeley, CA that offers ketamine-assisted therapy (KAP), psychotherapy, somatic therapy, and acupuncture. Genesee discusses her holistic approach to healing, and s…

In today’s episode, we explore the therapeutic application of DMT across a range of diseases and conditions including Alzheimer’s, stroke, and organ transplants. While much of the attention in psychedelic medicine has been on their ability to address neuropsychiatric indications, research suggests that psychedelics like DMT have a far wider therape…

Episode 10 features Lars Wilde, co-founder and Chief Business Officer of Compass Pathways, a mental health company with an initial focus on psilocybin therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression. In this episode, we discuss: Lars’ experience overcoming Treatment-Resistant Depression with psilocybin The nuances of clinical trials and psilocybin dosin…

Today's episode features three experts, Josh Hardman, Michael Haichin, and Graham Pechenik as they analyze atai’s S-1 in advance of their IPO. In this episode, we discuss: How atai went from idea to IPO in 3 years An overview of atai’s drug development programs and enabling technologies The platform’s strategy and risks Links to topics in this epis…