Power to the Patients

In this episode of Power to the Patients, Brandon Li speaks with Ram Mukunda, CEO of IGC, about groundbreaking approaches to Alzheimer’s care. Ram shares how his team is developing an ultra-low dose THC-based therapy to reduce agitation and neuroinflammation without sedation, and how AI models may transform early diagnosis for millions worldwide. Their conversation highlights both the science and the human urgency behind innovating for patients and caregivers facing Alzheimer’s.

What if we could treat severe depression in just five days — and give patients back the cognitive control to live their true lives? This week on Power to the Patients, we sit down with Brandon Bentzley, MD, PhD, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Magnus Medical, to talk about the future of precision psychiatry and the breakthrough SAINT™ protocol.

What does great clinical operations really look like? In this episode, Sarah MacCallum and Melissa Gaines of Annovis Bio share their journeys into clinops and the lessons they’ve learned leading Alzheimer’s and neurology trials. From choosing the right site partners to keeping engagement high, to navigating the unique challenges of working with vulnerable populations, they break down what it takes to run trials that truly make an impact.

With over 25 years of experience building and investing in CNS companies, Daniel shares the story of why he placed a big bet on Acumen — from its origins as a seed-stage idea to today’s phase 2 clinical trial, Altitude AD. He explains the science behind targeting amyloid beta oligomers (rather than plaques), what makes Alzheimer’s research uniquely difficult, and why recent advances in biomarkers, trial design, and patient recruitment give him hope for meaningful progress.

In this episode, Brandon sits down with Dr. Michael Gold, Chief R&D Officer at Compass Pathways, to explore the art and science of running high-quality clinical trials. With nearly 30 years of experience across pharma giants like J&J and GSK, as well as small biotechs, Mike shares a masterclass on clinical operations—why the best study design means nothing without flawless execution, and how quality must always come before speed or cost.

Brandon Li talks with Matt Leoni—former Senior VP of Global Clinical Development at Cerevel and now Chief Medical Officer at Merida Biosciences. Matt shares his journey from medical school to leading late-stage drug development in neuroscience. He discusses the unique challenges of neuro drug development, from the subjectivity of endpoints and high placebo response rates to the operational hurdles of large-scale trials. Matt offers candid insights into why promising drugs sometimes fail, the limitations of current measures, and where innovation is most needed. The conversation explores disease-modifying therapies, advances in Parkinson’s and schizophrenia research, the promise and pitfalls of psychedelics and psychoplastogens, and his vision for a more risk-tolerant industry that fosters breakthrough discoveries.

Brandon Li talks with Dr. Gerard Sanacora, Professor of Psychiatry at Yale, about his journey from molecular physiology to pioneering research on GABA, glutamate, and rapid-acting antidepressants. Gerard shares how a surprising finding in patients undergoing ECT redirected his research toward depression—and eventually to ketamine. Their conversation explores the science of neuroplasticity, the complexities behind ketamine’s mechanism of action, and how interventional psychiatry and digital tools may shape the future of mental health care.

Dina Burkitbayeva, CEO of Freedom Biosciences, shares how she launched one of the first venture funds focused on mental health innovation. After co-founding PsyMed Ventures, she partnered with Dr. John Krystal to advance a more durable version of ketamine for treatment-resistant depression. She discusses the rise of interventional psychiatry, the limitations of current antidepressants, and the evolving clinical landscape for next-gen therapeutics. A powerful look at what it takes to bring meaningful change to mental health treatment.

Brandon Li talks with Joel Raskin, Chief Medical Officer at Arrivo, about his journey from training in psychiatry in Toronto to leading pharmaceutical research in his current role. Joel shares details on SP-624, an Arrivo compound showing promise in treating depression through epigenetic mechanisms. Their deep dive covers the challenges of clinical trials, and the potential for precision psychiatry to revolutionize psychiatry and neuroscience.

In this episode, Dr. Jerry Rosenbaum and Dr. Sharmin Ghaznavi offer a rare look into academia’s role in the psychedelic renaissance, tracing the origins of Mass General’s Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics. They discuss how their shared interest in rumination—and its role in treatment-resistant mental illness—led them to explore psilocybin’s effects on brain connectivity. The conversation spans everything from neuroplasticity and default mode networks to the challenges of securing funding, the limits of industry-driven research, and what’s next in training the next generation of psychiatrists. It’s an honest, far-reaching discussion about where the science stands—and where it still needs to go.

Spyros Papapetropoulos, a leading neurologist and neuroscientist, joins Power CEO, Brandon Li, to discuss his remarkable career and the transformative work at Neuphoria. Spyros delves into his transition from practicing neurologist to drug development and his decision to focus on neuropsychiatric diseases. They explore Neuphoria's innovative approach to treating social anxiety disorder with their lead program, BNC210, which has shown promising results in reducing anxiety without the side effects of current treatments. Spyros and Brandon discuss unmet needs in psychiatric treatments, the operational challenges in clinical trials, and the evolving landscape of neuroscience - including the exciting advancements in imaging, biomarkers, and precision psychiatry.

Steve Gourlay joins Power CEO, Brandon Li, to discuss Actinogen's innovative approach to Alzheimer's treatment. Steven shares his background in clinical trials and drug development, highlighting the potential of the company's lead molecule, Xanamem, a daily pill aimed at reducing brain cortisol levels. Their conversation covers the challenges in Alzheimer's & depression research and the promising early clinical data. Steven sheds insight on the strategic focus on Alzheimer's over depression due to unmet medical needs and the future direction in Alzheimer's research. Brandon and Steven also dive into the regulatory landscape, patient selection criteria, and the broader implications of Actinogen's work in transforming the treatment landscape for neurodegenerative diseases.

In this episode of Power to the Patients, Boehringer Ingelheim leaders Christine Sakdalan and Mike Jablonski from discuss how precision psychiatry—using tools like biomarkers and neuroimaging—can personalize treatment for conditions like schizophrenia and depression. They highlight the importance of holistic care, digital therapeutics, and industry collaboration to address unmet needs and improve outcomes in mental health.

John Krystal, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Yale, joins Brandon Li to discuss his groundbreaking work on ketamine's antidepressant effects and the evolving landscape of psychiatric treatments. Dr. Krystal was at the forefront of the discovery of ketamine's rapid antidepressant properties in the 1990s. Dr. Krystal shares insights from his career - his pioneering work on the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine, exploring its journey from a misunderstood drug to a revolutionary treatment backed by rigorous research, its development into a treatment by Johnson & Johnson, and its dramatic impact on patients. The conversation also explores the future of psychiatric research, addressing the convergence of neurobiology, psychotherapy, and neuromodulation to create more effective, personalized treatments for disorders like schizophrenia and depression.

In this episode, Brandon sits down with Shawn Singh, CEO of Vistagen, to discuss a first-of-its-kind approach to treating mental health conditions. Vistagen is developing pherines, a new class of nasal spray treatments that work through nose-to-brain neural pathways, with the potential to provide fast-acting relief for conditions like social anxiety disorder and depression—without systemic exposure, weight gain, or addiction risk. Key Takeaways: Mental health treatments haven’t changed in decades. Traditional antidepressants come with slow onset, side effects, and compliance challenges—patients need better options. Vistagen’s pherines offer a completely new approach. These nasal sprays use neural circuits to deliver rapid effects without entering the bloodstream, eliminating common side effects. First-ever Phase 3 success for acute treatment of social anxiety disorder. Vistagen’s lead drug, Fasedienol, showed rapid and significant anxiety reduction in a public speaking challenge study. Non-systemic treatments could change the future of medicine. Unlike traditional pills, pherines don’t require processing through the liver or bloodstream—reducing toxicity and drug interactions. This could be a once-in-a-generation shift in neuroscience. If successful, pherines could reshape treatment standards for mental health and beyond.

In this episode, Brandon Li sits down with Dr. Jordan Smoller - Jerrold F. Rosenbaum Chair in Psychiatry at Mass General, Co-Director for the Center for Suicide Research and Prevention at MGH and Harvard, Director of the Center for Precision Psychiatry, and a professor at Harvard Medical School, to explore the future of psychiatry. They discuss how AI, big data, and genomics are transforming mental health care—bringing us closer to precision psychiatry that moves beyond trial-and-error treatment. Dr. Smoller shares his journey from early psychiatric research to leading one of the foremost centers in precision psychiatry, tackling some of the biggest challenges in mental health. Key topics include: The promise of precision psychiatry – Why psychiatry has lagged behind other fields in precision medicine, and how AI and genomics are closing the gap. AI in suicide prevention – How electronic health records and machine learning models could predict suicide risk for earlier intervention. Rethinking antidepressant treatment – Why 50% of patients don’t respond to their first antidepressant, and how predictive modeling could reduce trial-and-error prescribing. Drug development breakthroughs – How genomics and AI are identifying new targets for psychiatric drug development and improving clinical trial success rates. Digital tools & biomarkers – The role of wearables, vocal biomarkers, and real-world data in improving diagnosis, treatment selection, and monitoring.

How do we move from a system that treats disease to a system that cares for individuals? Dr. Anthony Yanni, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Patient Centricity at Astellas Pharma Inc, has spent his career shaping patient-centricity—and in this episode, he shares a framework for embedding it into drug development, clinical trials, and healthcare delivery. We cover:- Building a patient-focused culture—why real patient centricity is an active process, not a slogan- Bridging the gap between research and real-world care—ensuring patient input guides drug development from the start- Mental health & neuropsychiatry trials—why patient voices must be front and center in an area long overlooked- Patient burden & clinical trials—how early engagement can improve recruitment and retention- Trust in pharma—why patient relationships must be built on transparency, collaboration, and listening first Dr. Yanni also shares insights from his new book, A Bandana and a Bluebird: The Path to a Patient-Centric Healthcare System.

In this episode, Brandon Li sits down with Raymond Sanchez, former CMO of Cerevel, now at Bain Capital Life Sciences, to discuss the neuroscience renaissance—the explosion of new treatments, novel mechanisms, and scientific breakthroughs reshaping the future of neuropsychiatric research. Ray shares his career journey, from early psychiatry research at Yale to scaling Cerevel from 3 to 350 employees and guiding it to a $8.7B acquisition by AbbVie. Key topics include:- The neuroscience renaissance: What’s driving renewed investment and innovation in brain research. - Research in schizophrenia: How muscarinic drugs like KarXT and Emraclidine could change the treatment landscape for schizophrenia. - The challenge of clinical trials in psychiatry: Why subjective measures, variability, and rising placebo effects make trials so difficult—and why we urgently need objective biomarkers. - Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s research: Why disease-modifying therapies are the next frontier, and what’s still missing. - Precision neuroscience: The promise of biomarkers, digital tools, and personalized medicine—and how long it might take to reach clinical practice. Ray also shares one of his hopes for the future: developing validated biomarkers that can make psychiatric trials more objective and accelerate drug approvals.

On this episode of Power to the Patients, we are joined by Amit Etkin, Founder & CEO of Alto Neuroscience and adjunct professor at Stanford, to explore how precision psychiatry is paving the way for more tailored approaches to mental health care. Amit discusses his journey from academia to founding Alto, the role of biomarkers in advancing treatment, and Alto's work on precision psychiatric medicines for MDD. Key Takeaways: - Precision Psychiatry in Practice: Amit shares how precision psychiatry applies biological insights, such as EEG biomarkers, to better understand and treat mental health conditions. While still emerging, these tools hold promise for improving care for patients. - Biomarkers and Individualized Treatment: EEG biomarkers are being used to study how individual brain activity can guide treatment choices. Amit explains how these data-driven methods could reduce the need for trial-and-error in psychiatry. - Amit’s Shift from Academia to Industry: Leaving a tenured position at Stanford, Amit founded Alto Neuroscience to create scalable solutions for unmet needs in psychiatry. He reflects on the challenges and rewards of translating science into real-world applications. - ALTO-300, Advancing MDD Treatment: ALTO-300 is being developed as an adjunctive therapy for major depressive disorder (MDD) in patients who haven’t responded to a first-line antidepressant. By using EEG biomarkers, Alto aims to identify patients most likely to benefit, potentially improving outcomes and speeding up recovery. - The Future of Precision Psychiatry: While precision psychiatry is still an evolving field, Amit emphasizes the importance of collaboration, rigorous testing, and scalable tools to make meaningful progress in mental health care.

In this episode, Brandon Li speaks with Kabir Nath, CEO of Compass Pathways, about their groundbreaking work in using psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Kabir shares his personal connection to mental health, the journey of Compass Pathways, and their rigorous approach to clinical trials. The discussion also delves into the broader potential of psychedelics, regulatory challenges, and the importance of patient-centric innovation. Key takeaways:- Psilocybin for TRD: Compass Pathways focuses on treatment-resistant depression, addressing a critical unmet need for patients who have not responded to traditional therapies.- Pioneering Clinical Trials: Their phase 3 trials are the largest ever conducted for psilocybin, emphasizing safety, durability of results, and robust evidence generation.- Expanding Indications: Beyond TRD, Compass is exploring the potential of psilocybin for conditions like PTSD, highlighting its versatility as a therapeutic tool.- Patient-Centered Innovation: Kabir emphasized the importance of rigorous, ethical research to build trust and ensure equitable access for vulnerable populations.- Psilocybin vs. MDMA: The conversation highlighted the pharmacological and therapeutic differences between psilocybin and MDMA.- Policy and Public Perception: Managing public hype and addressing regulatory hurdles are key to ensuring the successful integration of psychedelics into mental health care.