Cross-Collaborative Exploration of Psilocybin's Effects ft. Odilia Lu, Dr. Robert Malenka & Dr. Boris Heifets
The final episode of Season 4 of Psychedelic Brain Science discusses a recent preprint that gets at the heart of reproducibility in science. Dr. Jaster is joined by Berkeley PhD candidate Odilia Lu, Stanford researcher and professor Dr. Robert Malenka, and anesthesiologist and Stanford researcher Dr. Boris Heifets, all representing the laboratories involved in the Psychedelic Bay Area Animal Neuroscience Consortium; Psy-BAANC.Five laboratories performed the same experiments at Stanford, Berkeley and UCSF to test the acute and persistent effects of 2 mg/kg psilocybin on various behaviors that psychedelics have been proposed to affect in mouse models. Many of these methods have been featured in publications that have received a lot of media attention, but can be difficult to replicate. This body of work titled “A multi-institutional investigation of psilocybin’s effects on mouse behavior” can be found on BioRxiv here: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.08.647810v1
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58:14
Touch in Psychedelic Therapy ft. Kayla Greenstien
In this episode, Dr. Jaster is joined by Kayla Greenstien, a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney researching touch in psychedelic therapy. They'll define different types of touch, theoretical frameworks behind focused bodywork and the ideas surrounding consent to touch in psychedelic therapy. Given the nature of this discussion, there is mention of sexual assault, trauma and abuse so please listen with caution.For more of Kayla's works:https://kaylagreenstien.com/https://medium.com/@kgreenstienA starting point for history on Esalen:https://press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/453699.htmlHolotropic Medicine, Stan Grof’s Influence on MDMA Research Papers we touched on can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qy6iJ8Suur3JtUmI1yRo5x06gN7BVj0D?usp=sharing
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1:03:36
Science Under Threat! ft. Dr. Hilary Marusak & Dr. Christine Rabinak
In this special episode of Psychedelic Brain Science, Dr. Alaina Jaster is joined by Dr. Hilary Marusak, host of BrainSTEM and Principle Investigator in the THINK lab at Wayne State University. They are also joined by Dr. Christine Rabinak, a world-leading PTSD researcher, who brings a unique perspective on the impact of recent federal funding cuts—not just on scientific innovation, but also on patients whose lives depend on this research. The conversation centers on the Trump administration’s executive actions affecting NIH indirect costs and broader federal science funding freezes. These cuts threaten groundbreaking research, training the next generation of scientists, and the economic and public health benefits of biomedical innovation. Beyond the numbers, they also affect real people—patients with PTSD, cancer, and other life-threatening conditions who rely on scientific progress for hope and treatment. Scientists across the country are facing uncertainty, and the lack of clear information has created widespread concern. But there are ways to take action. In this episode, we highlight concrete steps researchers, advocates, and the public can take to push back against these harmful policies and fight for the future of science. 🔗 Topics Covered: How recent NIH funding cuts and freezes impact research, jobs, and innovation The ripple effects on early-career scientists and the next generation of researchers The role of science in shaping policy—and how policy shapes science Firsthand perspectives from both researchers and patients affected by these decisions Actionable steps for advocacy and protecting scientific funding 📢 Take Action: Contact your representatives via phone or email: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/ Make 5 calls in 5 minutes to advocate for NIH and NSF funding:https://5calls.org/issue/nih-nsf-funding-cuts/ Check out templates for emailing and a fact sheet specific to DEIA in health and drug policy here: https://ssdp.org/blog/action-alert-support-funding-for-scientific-research/ Sign petitions and stay informed through professional societies: https://www.sfn.org/Advocacy/Advocacy-Network/Advocacy-Action-Center/Available-Actions?fbclid=IwY2xjawIV8gtleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcoVtD4ypMm9S_YXTzJ-iORHELm4xuZwa5c8TaO6xT7ZgcGdJIso5bU6jA_aem_pRj4tTcv1XuHnCiQtkwfwQ#/29 Join activist groups and find more resources: Indivisible – Fighting against the constitutional crisis https://indivisible.org/ The People’s Union – Economic boycotts and protest organizing https://jointhepeoplesunion.com/ Stand Up for Science – Grassroots science advocacy https://www.standupforscience2025.org/STAND-UP-FOR-SCIENCE-2025-1965a8bd7a44806a8182dc6b75b80da2🧠 Special thanks to the BrainSTEM production team for editing this recording: Amanpreet Bhogal, Manmeet Bhogal, and Gabby Maramag.
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59:07
Open Psychedelic Evaluation Nexus ft. Dr. Jason Luoma
On this weeks ISRP Speaker Spotlight Alaina is joined by psychologist and co-founder of the Open Psychedelic Evaluation Nexus (OPEN), Dr. Jason Luoma. They discuss evaluation of psychedelic assisted therapy in the real world following legalization in Portland, Oregon.Register for ISRP at https://www.ISRPsych.org to catch Dr. Luoma's presentation March 7 at 4:15 PM EDT / 1:15 PM PDT.For more about OPEN: https://www.openpsychedelicscience.org/Currently Recruiting in Oregon: https://www.openpsychedelicscience.org/longitudinalDr. Luoma's podcast "Research Matters": https://jasonluoma.com/researchmatters/
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48:10
Ibogaine & Ocular Dominance Plasticity ft. Alejo Acuña
This weeks ISRP Speaker Spotlight is Alejo Acuña, a PhD student in Biology at the Neuroplasticity Unit of the Laboratorio de Neurociencias, University of the Republic, Uruguay. Alejo's project focuses on atypical psychedelic, Ibogaine, and how it can enhance ocular dominance plasticity in the mouse visual cortex, as part of a broader effort to understand its potential role in promoting brain plasticity. If you liked what you heard today, register for the virtual ISRP conference at ISRPsych.org. Alejo kicks off the conference at 11:10 EST / 8:10 PST!For research articles mentioned in the episode: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QctEWR-rkofMkXRD7I6QoyRSoaMtg6xz?usp=drive_link
Psychedelic Brain Science is a multimedia approach dedicated to bringing scientific, psychological, anthropological, and cultural information as it relates to psychedelics. Join scientists Alaina M. Jaster, PhD and Zarmeen Zahid, PhD as they work to provide better understanding of the ongoing research about psychedelics.
Content only reflects opinions of the authors and does not reflect the opinion of others or author affiliations.
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