Psychedelic Brain Science
Psychedelic Brain Science is a podcast that explores psychedelics through scientific, psychological, anthropological, and cultural lenses. Hosted by scientists Alaina M. Jaster and Zarmeen Zahid, it aims to demystify current research into psychedelic substances. The show provides a deeper understanding of how psychedelics affect the brain and society, blending rigorous science with broader perspectives. The hosts emphasize that their opinions are their own and not those of their affiliated institutions.
Episodes
Microdosing Skepticism Revisited
It's been 3 years since the last microdosing review...and 20+ papers have come out since making it necessary to revisit the microdosing scientific literature and check-in with Dr. Jaster. Is she still a microdosing skeptic? Listen to this rapid fire breakdown of some the key themes from the microdosing literature and follow along by accessing the papers in the link below:https://drive.google.c
What Happened at the FDA Psychedelic Hearing?
Dr. Jaster attended the FDA hearing on "Considerations for Potential Future Therapeutic Use of Psychedelic Drugs," and sat down only hours after to give you her unfiltered thoughts. The hearing took place on September 14, 2026 from 12:30 to 4:30ET. There were two sessions of public comments that featured approximately 80 speakers. The first session focused on provider training, credentia
A New Chapter for Psychedelics? ft. Joshua Hardman
Psychedelic policy is moving faster than most people realize - and the next 12 months could decide which therapies reach patients first. On the Season 6 premiere of Psychedelic Brain Science, Dr. Alaina Jaster is joined by Josh Hardman, Founder of Psychedelic Alpha. Together they break down the regulatory sprint, the companies closest to the finish line, and why "approval" may not mean access as q
Polysubstance Use, Psychedelics & Social Withdrawal ft. Dr. Leah Salinsky
In this episode, Dr. J is joined by Dr. Leah Salinsky, a postdoctoral researcher at University of Washington. They discuss the role of serotonin in addiction, the importance of drug discrimination models, and the unique interactions between psychedelics and opioids. Leah shares insights from her current research on polysubstance use, some unpublished findings, and the potential of psychedelics to
Justice & Integrity in Psychedelic Medicine ft. Victoria Cvitanovic
In this episode of Psychedelic Brain Science, Dr. J is joined by Victoria Cvitanovic, a lawyer at Rudick Law Group with a focus on psychedelic medicine, cannabis and healthcare. Throughout the episode they discuss the evolving landscape of drug policy with an emphasis on the importance of understanding the consequences of drug laws on individuals and communities. Victoria also shares her own exp
Radical Hospitality and Psychedelic Spaces ft. Dimitri Mugianis
In this episode, Dr. J is joined by Dimitri Mugianis, who has previously been featured on This American Life, Psychedelics Today and stars in the documentary I’m Dangerous With Love, which chronicles his work and life.Through the podcast, they discuss the darker side of addiction, recovery through the use of Ibogaine and how Dimitri has come full circle to helping create space to meet people where
What's Cookin? From Kitchen to Cognition ft. Andrew Ferns
In this episode, Dr. Jaster is joined by Andrew Ferns, a PhD Candidate at University North Texas, to discuss his unique journey from a chef struggling with addiction to clandestine chemist to PhD researching the effects of psychedelics on cognitive decline. Andrew's current research focuses on the role of psychedelics in aging and cognitive decline, exploring innovative methods to study these
Community Focused Research for Addiction ft. Samantha Bumgardaner
This episode, Dr. Jaster is joined by Samantha Bumgardaner, MS, who is currently studying substance use disorders and psychedelics for her PhD at Saint Louis University.Her work employs mixed-method approaches to study the influence of state and trait factors on substance use and mental health outcomes in psychedelic therapies. They discuss everything from qualitative vs. quantitative research, th
Entheogenic Decrim in Michigan ft. Rep. Mike McFall and Julie Barron
This special episode of Psychedelic Brain Science is a collaboration with Psychedelic State(s) of America. Here, Dr. Jaster is joined by Julie Barron of Michigan Psychedelic Society and MI State Rep. Mike McFall to discuss the evolving landscape of psychedelic advocacy in Michigan, recent legislative efforts, and the importance of events like the Entheo Cup. For information about Rep. McFall + le
Naturalistic Psilocybin and Addictive Behaviors ft. Dr. Jérémie Richard
This episode Dr. Jaster is joined by Dr. Jérémie Richard, a psychologist and Assistant Professor at University of Ottawa. At the time of recording, Dr. Richard was a Banting Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.This episode discusses a recent publication by Richard and colleagues titled, "Patterns of Inte
The Fight for Psilocybin Rescheduling ft. Dr. Sunil Aggarwal and Shane Pennington
In this special episode, Alaina discusses the ongoing fight for the rescheduling of psilocybin with Dr. Sunil Aggarwal and attorney Shane Pennington. They delve into the complexities of the rescheduling process, the legal challenges faced, and the importance of public advocacy in shaping drug policy. The conversation highlights the significance of psilocybin in therapeutic contexts, the right to t
Are the Kids Alright? Part 2: Cannabis Use in Adolescents ft. Brooke Sanders
Dr. Alaina Jaster is joined by Brooke Sanders, MS, a translational neuroscientist focused on understanding epigenetic impacts of synthetic cannabinoids on the human genome. She is also a Content Advisor for Students for Sensible Drug Policy.They discuss a variety of projects Sanders is involved in including:Assessing social aspects of cannabis use in adolescentsMS project studying epigenetic chang
Causal Fridays: Bathtub Jeans and Gene Therapy
Welcome to the first Causal Friday! These short segments are all about chatting casually with friends, family or strangers and how the most random interests can intersect with science. They will air on a random Friday each month, so you have to subscribe to get the notification!The first guest of this segment is Dr. Jaster's husband and voice of the famous podcast disclaimer, Chris Wood. Here,
Are the Kids Alright? Psychedelic Use in Adolescents ft. Dr. David Sjöström
Dr. Alaina Jaster is joined by child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. David Sjöström who is at the University Hospital in Lund, Sweden. He is a current PhD candidate studying adolescent use of psychedelics and perceived effects on wellbeing. They discuss a variety of projects Sjöström is involved in including:Clinical trial exploring the effects of psilocybin in young adults (ages 16–35) with anore
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 Neuro
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 ple
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 pa
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
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 p
Psychedelic Therapy... in Rodents? ft. Kate Lawson
This episode is the first of three in our special ISRP Speaker Spotlight series. We've decided to showcase some amazing scientists that will be presenting at the virtual International Society for Psychedelic Research Conference March 7! It's not too late to register at: https://www.isrpsych.org/conferencesOur first feature is Kate Lawson, a PhD student at UC Irvine studying the persistent
What is a Psychedelic? ft. Dr. Boris Heifets
In this episode, Alaina discusses the evolving language about some of our favorite substances and how we got to the term psychedelic. In the first segment, she highlights some historical names for psychedelic substances in western medicine. In the second segment, she is joined by Stanford anesthesiologist and psychedelic researcher Dr. Boris Heifets to discuss how the scientific field classifies c
Special Episode: Charting a Path Forward ft. Dr. Gill Bedi & Dr. Neşe Devenot
This special episode includes presentations from a recent workshop, where Dr. Alaina Jaster, Dr. Neşe Devenot of Johns Hopkins and Dr. Gill Bedi of University of Melbourne presented their expertise and perspectives on how the psychedelic research field can move forward from the recent FDA rejection of MDMA-AT. Dr. Jaster's presentation sets the tone by going over recent events, followed by how res
Seeing Through the Smoke ft. Dr. Peter Grinspoon
Alaina is joined by physician, author, activist and educator Dr. Peter Grinspoon to discuss the use of psychedelics and cannabis in recovery, the stigma associated with drug use and the idea of "california sober."Have questions or want to read his book? Check out Dr. Grinspoon's website https://www.petergrinspoon.com/
Psychedelic Circuits: The Amygdala ft. Dr. Devin Effinger
This episode is the last of the Psychedelic Circuits mini-series! Today, Alaina gives a brief overview on circuits involved in stress responses. Then Dr. Devin Effinger deep dives into his work with the amygdala, paraventricular nucleus and how these regions send signals to relay important information about threat, stress and more. This circuit goes beyond just anxiety disorders and can also be im
Special Episode: Tales from the DEA Hearing ft. Jack Gorsline
Welcome to a super extra special episode of Psychedelic Brain Science! Dr. Jaster has finally settled back into real life after spending a week at DEA HQ fighting with Students for Sensible Drug Policy and many other scientists to keep DOI and DOC legal. She's joined today by psychedelic journalist Jack Gorsline, who was embedded with the team. They go through each day and give highlights and take
Psychedelic Circuits: The Spinal Cord ft. Dr. Raul Ramos
This episode is the second installment of the mini-series focused on brain circuits outside of the typical frontal cortex conversation. Today, we hear from Alaina on the basics of pain and touch perception, as well as how our nerves send information to our brains. Alaina is then joined by Dr. Raul Ramos of UC Berkeley, an expert on studying sensory modalities who is now focusing their work on phen
Psychedelic Circuits: The Claustrum ft. Tanner Anderson
This episode is the first of three in a mini-series focused on brain circuits outside of the typical conversations. Today, we hear from Alaina on the basics of how neurons talk to each other and a refresher on serotonin signaling. Alaina is then joined by special guest Tanner Anderson, a PhD candidate at University of Kentucky and soon to be postdoc at Yale. Tanner will discuss his recently publis
Sensible Drug Policy in the Psychedelic Era Part 2 ft. Dr. Elijah Ullman, Brett Phelps & Robert Rush
Welcome to season 4. In this two part episode, Alaina talks about the ongoing petition against the DEA's proposed rule to schedule DOI and DOC. In the first half of this episode, Alaina is joined by Elijah Z. Ullman, of the SSDP Science Policy Committee. They discuss the background and specific reasons why DOI and DOC should not be scheduled. In the second half of the podcast, Alaina is joined by
Special Episode: The State of Psychoactive/Entheogenic Plants and Fungi
Join us for this special episode featuring discussion from the Richmond, VA annual Mushroom Mania festival presented by the RVA Moon Market.
Alaina is joined by fellow panelists:
Will E. Nelson, Co-founder of Decriminalize Nature RVA
Isa Boliver, South American Medicine Woman
Dr. Harrison Elder, postdoctoral researcher at Johns Hopkins researching cannabis and psychedelics
Alistaire McKemy MSW, l
Season 4 Preview: Psychedelic Brain Science
Alaina and Zarmeen are BACK BABY! In this short episode, they wanted to give some updates on their lives, explain what the heck is going on with the podcast and preview a couple exciting upcoming episodes.
See Ya Later Alligators
Alaina and Zarmeen announce their hiatus for YBOS while they finish up their PhDs! Time flies when you're running a podcast and being a scientist full time... That being said, listen to them briefly chat about what they've been up to, where you can find them in the next few months and a few papers that recently came out (because even if they're busy, they still have to talk science DUH
Literature Review: Psychedelics & Addiction
To bring this series full circle, Alaina does a quick summary of some of the current clinical and preclinical literature supporting using psychedelics for the treatment of various substance use disorders. Links to the studies references will be posted on our blog at psychedelicbrainscience.com/blog.
Psychedelics to Treat Substance Use Disorders ft. Albert Garcia-Romeu
Alaina is joined by Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu, a clinical researcher and associate professor at Johns Hopkins. They discuss some historical considerations of psychedelics, patterns of use, and how these compounds can be useful in treating unhealthy patterns in folks with Substance Use Disorders.
The Non-Addictive Nature of Psychedelics
Alaina gives a quick and dirty breakdown about all things drug use. She breaks down the different definitions of drug abuse and drug use, discusses how psychedelics are different from other drugs and then talks about the possible ways psychedelics may be helping people with substance use disorders.
Journal Club: Comparing Altered States of Consciousness
This week A & Z do a journal club style episode where they briefly discuss the rationale, methods and results of a recent psychedelic paper. The paper titled "Comparing neural correlates of consciousness from psychedelics to hypnosis and meditation" by Moujaes et al. at the university of Zurich explores the differences and similarities between pharmacological and non-pharmacological
Ambivalence in the Psychedelic Experience ft. Abigail Calder
Alaina is joined by fellow PhD candidate Abigail Calder to discuss her ongoing work on psychedelics including neuroplasticity and how we can measure that in humans, as well as the importance in understanding how subjective effects can be positive, negative, both or neither. Abigail is currently studying all of this and more at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. To learn more about her ongo
Psychedelics & Sports: ft. Riley Cote
In this episode of YBOS, Zarmeen chats with former NHL player and now co-founder of Athletes for Care, Riley Cote. In their conversation Zarmeen and Riley talk about the unique challenges of being an NHL enforcer and what that meant for Riley during and after the sport. In their conversation, Riley details the healing he sought after his career and the role that psychedelics played in all of it.
Psychedelics & Sports: Kickoff ft. Anna Symonds
Happy fourth everyone!! Join Zarmeen as she kicks of her psychedelics and sports series with former professional athlete and now director of the Etheridge foundation, Anna Symonds. This series explores the use of psychedelics in the lives of athletes. The utility of these drugs during an athletic career, and beyond. This is the first episode in an ongoing series! Be sure to check out all of our ep
Are Psychedelics Anti-inflammatory? ft. Dr. Charles Nichols
Join Alaina and Dr. Charles Nichols, professor of pharmacology and researcher at Louisiana State University, as they discuss how psychedelics may be useful in treating inflammation. They dive into inflammatory processes, the interaction of serotonin and serotonergic agonists in these pathways and how psychedelics could be used as a potential treatment for inflammation-related pathology.
All conte
The Mystical Mouse ft. Dr. Jennifer Wolstenholme and Dr. Peter Hamilton
This week's episode of Your Brain on Science, Alaina is going to try and get some answers to the question everyone is dying to know: If you give a mouse DMT, do they see mouse god? Alaina is joined by two VCU professors and preclinical researchs, Dr. Jennifer Wolstenholme and Dr. Peter Hamilton, who will assist in breaking down the term anthropomorphism and what that means for preclinical research
WTF is a head twitch? ft. Dr. Mario de la Fuente
Alaina is joined by colleague and friend, Dr. Mario de la Fuente Revenga to discuss the popular psychedelic preclinical experiment - head twitch response. Mario talks about the automation of the procedure, what head twitch really means, and if there are any similarities between this behavior in mice and some human behaviors when taking psychedelics.
All content published by YBOS is solely the opi
Season 3: Science Blitz!
A & Z catch you up on all the things that have happened in the last few months! We also feature a new sound artist this season: Charlie Hausfeld. Welcome to season 3 of Psychedelic Brain Science!All content published by YBOS is solely the opinions of the authors and does not reflect the opinions of any parties affiliated with the authors or any additional third parties.
Special Episode: Revolutionary Drug Reform ft. Congressman Earl Blumenauer
Welcome to a special episode with A & Z, where they are joined by US Congressman Earl Blumenauer to discuss his fight against criminalization of addiction. They discuss the many things Blumenaur has accomplished in his career in regards to cannabis reform, as well as the ongoing fight to pass the Right to Try Act in Oregon.All content published by YBOS is solely the opinions of the authors and
420: Is Cannabis a Psychedelic?
Happy 420! Join Alaina and Zarmeen for this special episode about cannabis, where they discuss how its different and similar from classical psychedelics both in pharmacology and subjective effects.
The content of YBOS is the opinion of the authors and does not reflect the opinion of others or author affiliations.
Special Episode: Paradise or Inferno ft. Leonard Pickard
Happy Bicycle Day!!! To celebrate, A & Z have brought you a very special episode of Your Brain on Science. Join them both as they talk with Leonard Pickard about the current state of psychedelics, his fascinating past and his new book: The Rose of Parascelsus: On Secrets & Sacrements.All content published by YBOS is solely the opinions of the authors and does not reflect the opinions of an
Your Brain on LSD
Alaina & Zarmeen do a crash course in LSD, discussing the pharmacology, subjective effects and history of the drug.
All content published by YBOS is solely the opinions of the authors and does not reflect the opinions of any parties affiliated with the authors or any additional third parties.
Journal Club: LSD Microdosing...at Home?
Join A & Z as they discuss a recent journal article focused on the safety and tolerability of LSD microdosing in a naturalistic setting. This research was funded by MindBio Therapeutics and is the peer-reviewed version of what we discussed on our previous microdosing episode.
All content published by YBOS is solely the opinions of the authors and does not reflect the opinions of any parties a
Psychedelics and the Corporate World ft. Russell Hausfeld
In this episode, Zarmeen speaks with Russell Hausfeld of Psymposia about psychedelics and the corporate world. Their conversation dives into the current corporate landscape and the implications of corporatization into every aspect of psychedelic field growth. Check out our website for more on this episode! psychedelicbrainscience.com
All content published by YBOS is solely the opinions of the a
Therapists Who Trip ft. Dr. Jacob S. Aday
Alaina is joined today by Dr. Jacob S. Aday, first author of a recent publication surveying psychedelic therapists about their use of psychedelics. This paper raised the question to many: Should therapists providing psychedelic-assisted therapy be required to have a psychedelic experience? Whatever your answer may be, this episode dives into the paper and the pros and cons of having experience wit
Psychedelic Theory: Self-Concept & Ego ft. Dr. Neşe Devenot
Alaina sits down with Dr. Neşe Devenot, a psychedelics and bioethics researcher to talk about their work with understanding different aspects of phenomenon associated with ego-dissolution and self-concept. Dr. Devenot & colleagues recent paper, analyzing outcomes and the research manual from the Johns Hopkins smoking cessation study, identifies some common themes of self-concept or identity sh
The Brain: A Prediction Machine
In this weeks episode Zarmeen tackles predictive coding! She chats about what this neuroscientific framework is and how it relates to evidence in the psychedelic field. All content published by YBOS is solely the opinions of the authors and does not reflect the opinions of any parties affiliated with the authors or any additional third parties.
Psychedelic Theory: Common Factors Of Psychotherapy ft. Dr. Natalie Gukasyan
This week Alaina is joined by Dr. Natalie Gukasyan, a psychiatrist and clinical researcher at Johns Hopkins University. They discuss the common factors of psychotherapy and how they are affected in the psychedelic-assisted therapy models. From the "myth" or rationale of the treatment to the ritual of the practice, they cover all things related to the double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Journal Club: Vargas et al - Intracellular 5-HT2ARs?
Join Zarmeen and Alaina this week as they discuss a recent research article challenging the currently accepted mechanism of psychedelic action. This paper titled "Psychedelics promote neuroplasticity through the activation of intracellular 5-HT2A receptors" by Vargas and colleagues uses several techniques in neuroscience and chemistry to understand just how psychedelic tryptamines, but not seroton
Psychedelic Theory: Attention & Experience ft. Jason Day
In this episode of YBOS, Zarmeen speaks with PhD candidate Jason Day about his thesis work which looks to understand the phenomenology of the psychedelic experience. Jason theorizes a change in attention as a crucial aspect of the psychedelic experience. In this episode he explains his theory and also introduces a more controversial take on attention! Listen for more and be sure to check out the a
Psychedelic Harm Reduction
In this episode of YBOS, Alaina and Zarmeen talk about harm reduction! From the origins of these programs, to different forms of harm reduction across the board, to considerations for psychedelic assisted therapy… they’ve covered it all! Do you have any tips, tricks or favorite harm reduction groups? Let us know in the comments!
All content published by YBOS is solely the opinions of the authors
Patents, Regulations and REMS...Oh my! ft. Graham Pechenik
This week on YBOS, Alaina is joined by cannabis and psychedelic patent lawyer, Graham Pechenik. Here they'll discuss the big news in the world of psychedelics, clear up some misunderstood notions of patent law, and discuss how the psychedelic industry can potentially influence policy and what it all means moving forward to legalization (whatever that means) of psychedelics.
The content of YB
Sensible Drug Policy in the Psychedelic Era ft. Dr. Elijah Ullman & Dr. Lindsey Galbo-Thomma
This week on Your Brain on Science, Alaina is joined by two fellow pharmacologist and activists, Lindsey Galbo-Thomma and Elijah Ullman. Join them as they talk about general concerns and ongoing discussions with the space of drug policy including decriminalization, harm reduction and more. The content of YBOS is the opinion of the authors and does not reflect the opinion of others or author affili
Journal Club: Rotz et al 2023
Join Zarmeen and Alaina as they discuss the first paper for Journal Club 2023! This is one of the first 2023 clinical trial publications and focuses on a different kind of placebo, for the randomized placebo-controlled trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for Major Depression Disorder. This study is super cool and has a lot of results that will (we think) propel the field forward. Check out our bl
Season 2: Big Facts & Fun Reacts
Welcome back to the official second season of Psychedelic Brain Science with Zarmeen and Alaina! This episode we're answering some listener questions and talking about some of the latest and greatest psychedelic news. We can't wait to bring you more content and get into some interesting topics this season! Stay tuned and reach out to us via email (yourbrain.science@gmail.com) or via our we
Microdosing: Magic or Myth?
Join Alaina and Zarmeen in the final episode of Season 1!! They are jumping right into all things microdosing. They'll get into methodology, clinical data, preclinical data and considerations for the field moving forward. Get ready for some strong opinions by self-identified "Microdosing Skeptic" Alaina. Catch the gals on the airwaves again in January for Season 2!The content of YBOS is the opinio
Plasticity & Psychoplastogens ft. Dr. Lindsay Cameron
Alaina is joined this week by Dr. Lindsay Cameron, a PhD graduate from University San Diego and current post-doc at Stanford. This episode is all about that funny word, psychoplastogens, and how creating new compounds is kind of like taking a part a puzzle and using the pieces to make something new. Dr. Cameron talks about her work as a PhD student and the future directions of the field of psyched
What is Neuronal Plasticity?
In this weeks episode Zarmeen kicks off the plasticity mini series with a dive into functional plasticity and current literature in the field. She talks about what exactly plasticity is (we know its been a psychedelic buzzword!) and how it intersects with psychiatric disorders. She also talks about different experimental measures of plasticity and of course, what we know of psychedelics and functi
DMN: The Good, Bad, and Trippy ft. Haley Dourron
In this weeks episode Zarmeen talks to you about the Default Mode Network and its utility in theories of psychedelic action. This episode features special guest Haley Dourron a PhD student in psychology who talks about her Self Entropic Broadening theory which attempts to identify a mechanism for ego dissolution and separate the action of psychedelics from the historical belief that they are only
Journal Club: COMPASS Psilocybin Phase 2 Results
Join Alaina and Zarmeen this week as they celebrate Zarmeen's birthday by diving into the recently published report of a phase 2 clinical trial of psilocybin for treatment resistant depression. They go over some background, methodology and results surrounding the study and what it means moving forward. Of course, they also give their interpretations and discuss thoughts about sensationalism, l
Chemistry Corner: Phenethylamines ft. Dr. Harrison Elder
This week Alaina and Harrison continue their discussion about structure, function and some of the ways we figure out the pharmacological profiles of psychedelic drugs. As Harrison puts it, these drugs are beautiful in their structural simplicity but have some of those most interesting subjective effects. Join the duo and dive into why phenethylamine psychedelics are different from tryptamines and
Chemistry Corner: Tryptamines versus Ergolines ft. Dr. Harrison Elder
Join Alaina as she jumps into her favorite topic - how drugs work! She's going to discuss the basics of biology and how the structural and functional characteristics of compounds can determine how psychedelics work. Dr. Harrison Elder, a pharmacologist and Senior Manager of Clinical Development at DeFloria Biosciences, joins Alaina to talk about the difference between tryptamines and ergolines
Journal Club: Designing Psychedelics Without the Trip
Join Alaina and Zarmeen as they discuss the paper titled "Bespoke library docking for 5-HT2A receptor agonists with antidepressant activity" by Kaplan et al., 2022. A very topical paper in which researchers identified new drugs based on structural similarities to LSD that are selective at the 5-HT2A receptor. These compounds show promising antidepressant activity in mice, but seem to have no hallu
HTCYM...Or Not?
Alaina and Zarmeen finally share their thoughts on the How to Change Your Mind Docuseries. The content of YBOS is the opinion of the authors and does not reflect the opinion of others or author affiliations.
Hype or Hope? Part 2
In this episode of Your Brain on Science, Zarmeen talks about the Hope in psychedelic research! She goes through some landmark clinical studies in psychedelic science, including those investigating the potential therapeutic effect of psychedelics to treat depression and substance use disorders. She also briefly talks about some important concepts like neuroplasticity and entropy, which will be cov
Hype or Hope? Part 1
This episode of Your Brain on Science, Alaina breaks down the sensationalist hype in the psychedelic science field. She talks about what these drugs are, how to understand the potential caveats to their therapeutic effects and safe practices when getting into psychedelics (take a shot or eat a m&m for every time she says caveat). Alaina will also discuss the Panacea in the room... why does it
The A to Z's of Understanding Scientific Research Articles
Have you ever read an article and been extremely confused by all the jargon? Have you ever questioned how the media was portraying findings from scientific articles? Have you ever wondered what exactly is going on? Welcome to Your Brain On Science Episode 2! This week, Alaina and Zarmeen (A to Z get it?) dive into the daunting world of understanding research articles in an attempt to breakdown the
Introduction to Your Brain on Science
Hey everyone!! This is the first ever episode of YBOS and we really hope to introduce you all to what this is going to be about. We both really wanted to be able to share our knowledge and expertise in our fields within psychedelic science and help educate the public on some of the topics we've struggled with. We are both PhD students who are passionate about science, communication and giving peop
