Psychedelic Circuits: The Amygdala Ft. Dr. Devin Effinger Psychedelic Brain Science podcast

59:07

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.…

Psychedelic Brain Science

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Open Psychedelic Evaluation Nexus ft. Dr. Jason Luoma 48:10

4 weeks fa48:10

48:10

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/longitudinal Dr. Luoma's podcast "Research Matters": https://jasonluoma.com/researchmatters/…

Psychedelic Brain Science

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Ibogaine & Ocular Dominance Plasticity ft. Alejo Acuña 36:02

5 weeks fa36:02

36:02

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

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Psychedelic Therapy... in Rodents? ft. Kate Lawson 41:34

6 weeks fa41:34

41:34

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/conferences Our first feature is Kate Lawson, a PhD student at UC Irvine studying the persistent effects of stress in rodent models and how these negative effects may be reversed by psychedelics. We chat about ultrasonic vocalizations in rodents, the importance of translational models, and what mouse god smells like. For more about her research, register for ISRP and tune into her talk at 11:55am EDT / 8:55am PDT.…

Psychedelic Brain Science

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What is a Psychedelic? ft. Dr. Boris Heifets 1:03:23

6 weeks fa1:03:23

1:03:23

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 compounds as psychedelic and how to make sense of the psychedelic experience. For more on Dr. Heifets research: https://heifetslab.stanford.edu/publications/ For more on the history and references discussed in the introduction: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14761703/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584606000364 https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/ajp.108.8.572 https://academic.oup.com/ijnp/article/16/10/2165/652314?login=true https://marijuana-uses.com/mr-x/ https://content.ucpress.edu/title/9780520285422/9780520285422_chapter1.pdf Content only reflects opinions of the authors and does not reflect the opinion of others or author affiliations.…

Psychedelic Brain Science

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Special Episode: Charting a Path Forward ft. Dr. Gill Bedi & Dr. Neşe Devenot 42:37

6 weeks fa42:37

42:37

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 researchers can be involved in promoting evidence-based regulatory and policy decisions. Dr. Devenot's presentation focused on what it means to be a psychedelic bioethicist and how the recent events have conflated constructive criticism with attacks, followed by a call to be better about having these discussions. Dr. Bedi's presentation discussed how scientists studying MDMA and other psychedelics can better their study design and use methodology that is evidence-based and thorough. These taken together, provided the framework for how to move forward in the field and prompted a discussion by members in the crowd (of which was not recorded to protect those participating). For more information and to see some of the slides, you can go to psychedeliccbrainscience.com…

Psychedelic Brain Science

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Seeing Through the Smoke ft. Dr. Peter Grinspoon 54:41

6 weeks fa54:41

54:41

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 Brain Science

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Psychedelic Circuits: The Amygdala ft. Dr. Devin Effinger 53:09

17 weeks fa53:09

53:09

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 implicated in substance use disorders. For publications of Dr. Effinger related to our discussion: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kg0tH2iRxDbR6UyaVtg9DGHOf78GXwG_?usp=drive_link…

Psychedelic Brain Science

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Special Episode: Tales from the DEA Hearing ft. Jack Gorsline 1:42:01

19 weeks fa1:42:01

1:42:01

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 takeaways from the experience. For more of Jack Gorsline: https://doubleblindmag.com/author/jack-gorsline/ https://filtermag.org/author/jack-gorsline/ https://psychedelicalpha.com/?s=jack+gorsline Coverage by Hamilton Morris: https://www.patreon.com/HamiltonMorris For podcast episodes on this topic: https://www.psychedelicbrainscience.com/podcast/episode/1c16abd2/sensible-drug-policy-in-the-psychedelic-era-part-2-ft-special-guests https://www.psychedelicbrainscience.com/podcast/episode/1b884a6b/sensible-drug-policy-in-the-psychedelic-era-ft-special-guests Episode with Tanner Anderson: https://www.psychedelicbrainscience.com/podcast/episode/27ff1c32/psychedelic-circuits-the-claustrum-ft-tanner-anderson Episode with Dr. Cameron https://www.psychedelicbrainscience.com/podcast/episode/1f74c1a7/plasticity-and-psychoplastogens-ft-lindsay-cameron Episode with Dr. de la Fuente https://www.psychedelicbrainscience.com/podcast/episode/1cdc3577/wtf-is-a-head-twitch-ft-dr-mario-de-la-fuente Episodes with Dr. Elder https://www.psychedelicbrainscience.com/podcast/episode/251caf98/special-episode-the-state-of-psychoactiveentheogenic-plants-and-fungi https://www.psychedelicbrainscience.com/podcast/episode/2ea213a9/struture-function-part-one-ft-harrison-elder https://www.psychedelicbrainscience.com/podcast/episode/1fb85762/structure-function-part-two-ft-harrison-elder Episode with Dr. Charles Nichols https://www.psychedelicbrainscience.com/podcast/episode/2839565b/are-psychedelics-anti-inflammatory-ft-dr-charles-nichols Episode with Dr. Ramos https://www.psychedelicbrainscience.com/podcast/episode/23032876/psychedelic-circuits-the-spinal-cord-ft-dr-raul-ramos…

Psychedelic Brain Science

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Psychedelic Circuits: The Spinal Cord ft. Dr. Raul Ramos 53:40

19 weeks fa53:40

53:40

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 phenethylamine psychedelics, including DOI. This episode includes a special guest from a previous episode, talk about the clitoris, and the Grateful Dead. Resources discussed in this episode including papers, diagrams, and a very cool video can be found at this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12jTUQnRxCCVZ93nsysNMT0ANF2fTQ8Ug?usp=drive_link…

Psychedelic Brain Science

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Psychedelic Circuits: The Claustrum ft. Tanner Anderson 49:09

25 weeks fa49:09

49:09

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 published findings related to cortical excitability and this fun brain region called the claustrum. Find his JUST PUBLISHED paper here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HAQcUFAuP5igAoa7FykWgT8tZXvuYbnK/view?usp=sharing…

Psychedelic Brain Science

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Sensible Drug Policy in the Psychedelic Era Part 2 ft. Dr. Elijah Ullman, Brett Phelps & Robert Rush 1:14:55

33 weeks fa1:14:55

1:14:55

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 Brett Phelps and Robert Rush, the legal counsel representing two of the three parties involved in the DEA case. For more information on SSDP visit: https://ssdp.org/ For more information on our lawyers: https://rrushlaw.com/about/ https://brettphelpslaw.com/ Suggested reading on the topic: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/deas-move-to-ban-two-psychedelics-is-challenged-as-a-disservice-to-science-in-legal-filing-from-student-group/ https://filtermag.org/block-dea-psychedelics-ban/ https://www.aspet.org/docs/default-source/advocacy-files/aspet-dea-doi-and-doc-comments-1-12-2024.pdf?sfvrsn=62e172d3_0 https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn3530 Content only reflects opinions of the authors and does not reflect the opinion of others or author affiliations. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/psychedelicbrainscience/support…

Psychedelic Brain Science

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Special Episode: The State of Psychoactive/Entheogenic Plants and Fungi 1:11:50

48 weeks fa1:11:50

1:11:50

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, licensed clinical social worker focused on complex and/or developmental trauma and harm reduction Eric Postow Esq. Managing Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Holon Law Partners…

Psychedelic Brain Science

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Season 4 Preview: Psychedelic Brain Science 16:46

51 weeks fa16:46

16:46

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.

Psychedelic Brain Science

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See Ya Later Alligators 15:33

2 years fa15:33