Professor Alysson R. Muotri (geneticist and developmental biologist at UC San Diego) joins for a far out conversation about sending brain organoids to the International Space Station and what they're teaching us about aging, neurological disease, and a new kind of AI. One month in orbit ages an organoid the equivalent of 10 years on Earth, and Alysson's lab has already used that compressed timeline to unlock an FDA-approved clinical trial for a drug developed in space.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why space accelerates brain aging
• The surprising role of "junk DNA" and endogenous retroviruses in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration
• Why HIV antiretroviral drugs may be the key to treating neurological conditions
• What the decommissioning of the ISS and the rise of commercial space stations mean for biomedical research
• How brain organoids learn, remember, and inspire a new generation of AI algorithms beyond transformers
• The bioethics frontier: when do organoids become conscious and how would we even know?
  
  
  Credits:
  
  Created by Greg Kubin and Matias Serebrinsky
  Host: Matias and Greg
  Produced by Nico V. Rey
  Find us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.ventures
  Follow us on Instagram and Twitter!
  Theme music by Dorian Love
  Additional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank

Jonathan Sporn (CEO + Founder of Gilgamesh Pharma) joins for a deep dive into next-gen psychedelic medicines, why duration matters for real-world clinical use, and what it takes to build these therapies the way large pharma would—culminating in a partnership with AbbVie worth up to $1.2B.

In this episode, we discuss:
• Why Gilgamesh is building psychedelic medicines the way large pharma would
• The thesis behind short-acting psychedelics and why long-duration trips are impractical for real-world psychiatry
• How Gilgamesh designs molecules backwards from clinical needs
• Effective approaches to the challenges of trial designs for psychedelics
• What AbbVie’s deal and Spravato’s trajectory mean for psychedelics
• How psychedelic medicines could reshape mental health

Credits:

Created by Greg Kubin and Matias Serebrinsky
Host: Matias and Greg
Produced by Nico V. Rey

Find us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.ventures
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter!
Theme music by Dorian Love
Additional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank

Greg speaks with three leaders in mental health philanthropy: Alyson Nieman from Mindful Philanthropy, Sabrina Gracias from Ortus Foundation, and Christena Huntsman Durham from Huntsman Mental Health Foundation, each offering a distinct perspective on how funding decisions get made and where the biggest gaps remain.

In this episode we discuss:

• Trends in mental health philanthropy, and the 10-year challenge: how the field moves from roughly $2B to $35B in annual funding.
• Funding the clinic of the future: a $150M philanthropic gift behind the Huntsman Mental Health Institute’s crisis care center
• Youth mental health: how the Ortus Foundation is addressing regional gaps in the US Intermountain West

Credits:

Created by Greg Kubin and Matias Serebrinsky
Host: Greg Kubin
Produced by Caitlin Ner & Nico V. Rey

Find us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.ventures
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter!
Theme music by Dorian Love
Additional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank