Business Trip

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 provider for serious mental illness.In his book "Healing", he talks about the importance of the 3 P's for solving the US mental health crisis: People, Place, and Purpose. Greg & Matias interview Tom on Business Trip to discuss the 4th "P": Payment. "We have to figure out how to pay for this", he says.In this episode, we discuss…Psychedelics in the healthcare systemAre antidepressants overprescribed? AI in mental healthTom’s learnings from almost starting a VC fundCredits:Created by Greg Kubin and Matias SerebrinskyHost: Matias Serebrinsky & Greg KubinProduced by Jonathan A. Davis,  Nico V. Rey & Caitlin NerFind us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.venturesFollow us on Instagram and Twitter!Theme music by Dorian LoveAdditional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank

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 interventions for mental wellbeing. Drew shares scientific research to make a business case for nutritional psychiatry - how customized food interventions could reduce healthcare costs for conditions like depression and anxiety. We debunk common myths around nutrition and mental health and envision a future where psychedelics and fermented foods may be first-line treatments. Ramsey offers simple diet tweaks you can make today for improved mental fitness.In this episode, we discuss…How nutritional psychiatry can be a cost-effective mental health treatmentWhy doctors need more nutritional education to prescribe food as medicine What startups and opportunities there are in this space What foods and nutrients are best for your mental healthTune into the episode to learn more!Credits: Created by Greg Kubin and Matias SerebrinskyHost: Matias Serebrinsky & Greg KubinProduced by Jonathan A. Davis,  Nico V. Rey & Caitlin NerFind us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.venturesFollow us on Instagram and Twitter!Theme music by Dorian LoveAdditional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank

Advocate Jan Baszucki discusses using ketogenic diets and fasting for mental health conditions like bipolar disorder. Topics include personal stories, science behind metabolic psychiatry, misconceptions about mental health and diets, challenges to adoption, and business opportunities in metabolic interventions.

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) to depression (Flow) to motor recovery (Syncron). In this episode, Alex shares an insider's overview of the neurotech landscape. We discuss when neurotech solutions make more sense than traditional pharma. Alex reveals which brain technologies excite him most, and why.We also unpack key business strategy questions. When should startups pursue the consumer route versus FDA approval? What does Alex look for in neurotech founders on the cutting edge?This episode is for founders, investors, clinicians, and researchers interested in understanding the cutting edge of neurotech and how it will become an integral part to the future of our mental health. 

Jacob Robinson, an entrepreneurial scientist and CEO of Motif Neurotech, discusses the future of mental health treatment through innovative neuromodulation implants aimed at depression. Joined by Brom Rector of Empath Ventures, they unveil how these minimally invasive devices could revolutionize psychiatry, offering alternatives to traditional drug therapies. The conversation touches on ethical considerations, challenges of accessibility, and the differentiation between Motif and Neuralink. They also explore the transition from academic research to innovative entrepreneurship in the neurotechnology space.

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 targeting epilepsy, ALS, and even anxiety and depression. We discuss the science behind how gut microbes may influence neurotransmitters and mood. Dr. Reyes gives an insider perspective on the challenges of standardizing microbial therapies when each person has a unique microbiome fingerprint.We explore the regulatory landscape and future of microbial therapies for mental health. Dr. Reyes shares his experience navigating intellectual property, licensing deals, raising capital, and designing clinical trials to bring microbiome innovations to market. Credits: Created by Greg Kubin and Matias SerebrinskyHost: Matias Serebrinsky & Greg KubinProduced by Jonathan A. Davis,  Nico V. Rey & Caitlin NerFind us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.venturesFollow us on Instagram and Twitter!Theme music by Dorian LoveAdditional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank

Dr. Phil Strandwitz, Founder of Holobiome, discusses the gut-brain connection and pioneering microbial therapies. Trillions of gut bacteria influence neurotransmitter activity, mood, and cognition. Imbalances in the microbiome may underlie mental health issues. Startups like Holobiome aim to develop microbiome-based treatments including fecal transplants. Lifestyle changes like diet, prebiotics, and probiotics can support gut health. This conversation will change how you think about the gut-brain connection.

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 series with Carolyn Rodriguez.Carolyn Rodriguez is Associate Dean at Stanford University School of Medicine and a psychiatrist at the Palo Alto VA. As Director of the Rodriguez Translational Therapeutics Lab, she leads studies on severe mental illness. Her clinical trials pioneer rapid-acting treatments for OCD and related disorders demonstrating ketamine's efficacy in reducing OCD symptoms. She now plans placebo-controlled studies of MDMA and other psychedelics, unlocking their therapeutic potential for OCD.Credits: Created by Greg Kubin and Matias SerebrinskyHost: Matias Serebrinsky & Greg KubinProduced by Jonathan A. Davis,  Nico V. Rey & Caitlin NerFind us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.venturesFollow us on Instagram and Twitter!Theme music by Dorian LoveAdditional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank

Boris Heifets, an assistant professor at Stanford's School of Medicine, discusses his research on the effects of ketamine on patients with depression under anesthesia. He also explores the impact of different environments on the effects of psilocybin in mice and reflects on the hype cycle of psychedelics.

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 consciousness.Scott is an entrepreneur who now writes a newsletter called Consciousness ∞ The Doorway to Human Evolution He also hosts a podcast called EvolutionFM.This special episode is a deeper dive into Greg & Scott’s recent article about the consciousness startup ecosystem.In this episode, we discuss:VC-backable business models in psychedelic medicineHardware devices that induce deeper meditation and lucid dream statesBreathwork: app vs. in-person experiences Prayer apps attracting huge investmentStartups using sound, light, and visuals to catalyze altered statesIntegrating ancient wisdom into modern consciousness-expanding techCredits: Created by Greg Kubin and Matias SerebrinskyHost: Matias Serebrinsky & Greg KubinProduced by Jonathan A. Davis,  Nico V. Rey & Caitlin NerFind us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.venturesFollow us on Instagram and Twitter!Theme music by Dorian LoveAdditional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank