Business Trip
Business Trip explores the frontiers of brain and mental health through conversations with founders, investors, and researchers at the intersection of neuroscience and technology.
Episodes
Mariëlle van Kooten (CEO and co-founder of Powerhouse Biology) joins to make the case that mitochondria are the best place to start engineering the human body. Her team builds virtual mitochondria models to predict how a fix will behave before it ever touches a patient. Marielle is passionate about treating disease and human enhancement.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why mitochondria might be the most tractable place to star...
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 clinica...
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 beh...
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 fr...
Greg interviews Rick Perry, the former Governor of Texas and former U.S. Secretary of Energy and leading advocate for ibogaine, live at the Real Summit.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How a former Texas governor moved from strict opposition to drugs to becoming a leading advocate for ibogaine after firsthand experience and veteran outcomes.
- Ibogaine’s impact on PTSD, opioid addiction, and traumatic brain injury, including Stan...
Matias interviews James (Jim) Gorman MD PhD from the Wyss Institute. Jim is Principal Investigator on the Wyss Institute Brain Targeting Program (BTP). Jim leads a team developing new approaches to transport drugs through the blood brain barrier (BBB) into the CNS.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why the BBB blocks most modern drugs from entering the brain, creating the biggest bottleneck in neuro
- How brain shuttles hijack natural tr...
Greg and Matias interview Luis Voloch, CEO and Co-Founder of Jimini Health, an AI behavioral health company. He previously co-founded and served as CTO of Immunai, where he applied machine learning to immunology and drug discovery.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How LLMs expand the scope of machine learning from rule-based tasks to open-ended reasoning and dialogue
- Why healthcare adoption is tiered, beginning with clinic...
Matias interviews Rob Malenka.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why progress in psychiatry is slow because the brain is the most complex organ and many disorders are highly heterogeneous
- The bottlenecks including weak replicability in research, academic politics, perverse incentives, and pharma’s avoidance of neuropsychiatry
- How breakthroughs require early detection, rigorous science, and bridging academia with biotech through ve...
Greg and Matias interview Brendon Boot of Skin2Neuron. Brendon is a neurologist at Harvard and Mayo Clinic with prior experience as Medical Director at Biogen overseeing their Phase 1b Alzheimer’s trials.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How skin-derived cells can be turned into neurons to repair the brain.
- Why replacing lost neurons may succeed where drugs have failed in Alzheimer’s.
- What makes autologous (self-derived) ce...
Greg and Matias interview Natalie Yivgi-Ohana of Minovia. Natalie is a life science entrepreneur with twenty years’ experience in mitochondrial research and received her PhD in Biochemistry at The Hebrew University in 2007, after which she performed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Weizmann Institute of Science until 2010.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How mitochondria impacts health by not just regulating energy, bu...
Matias and Greg interview Ying-Hui Fu, PhD, is a Professor of Neurology at UCSF and a world leader in the genetics of sleep. Her lab has discovered the first-known genes behind “natural short sleepers”. Her work bridges human genetics and neuroscience to uncover how to modulate sleep for brain health, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How some people thrive on 4–6 hours of sleep...
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 brain and body health.
- Contrarian ideas Justin is investing in today <...
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 comparison of TI with deep brain stimulation (DBS)
- How physics plays a crucia...
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 nutritional interventions in supporting individuals with autism
- Environmental factors and ...
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 capital through the Autism Impact Fund
Credits:
Created by Greg Kubin and Mat...
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
- Commercial viability and insurance considerations
Credits:
Created by ...
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 behind transcranial focused ultrasound and its therapeutic potential for ment...
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 episode explores the evolving field of neurotechnology and its regulatory challenges.
In ...
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 their implications for public health. This episode also has a guest appearance from Bruce...
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, we discuss:
- The FDA advisory committee process and its implications for drug a...
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