UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics

Name

UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics

Legal name

The Regents of the University of California

Website

https://psychedelics.berkeley.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Psychedelic Research and Public Education

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Neurocognitive Therapeutics (Digital) (HLACANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Neurology & CNS Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAC), Behavioral & Neuroscience Research (Biometrics, Eye-Tracking, Neuromarketing) (MPAAALAN)

Keywords

• Psychedelic research
• Academic research center
• Neuroscience education
• Public health journalism
• Applied policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BCSP conducts basic neuroscience research on psychedelics using the NexGen 7-Tesla MRI scanner, psychophysical methods, and computational modeling to study brain mechanisms of perception, attention, learning, and consciousness. The center produces free public education content including The Microdose newsletter, the award-winning Altered States podcast, and Psychedelics 101 educational primers, alongside research and policy resources such as the Law and Policy Map, Patent Tracker, Clinical Trials Map, and UC Berkeley Psychedelics Survey.

Product overview

The UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics (BCSP) is an academic research and public education center, not a commercial product company. Its offerings consist of journalism and educational programs (The Microdose newsletter, Altered States podcast), fellowship programs (Ferriss Journalism Fellowships, Mycoskie Documentary Fellowships), a facilitation certificate program, the States of Consciousness conference, and informational resources including a Law and Policy Map, Patent Tracker, Clinical Trials Map, and UC Berkeley Psychedelics Survey. These programs serve to advance psychedelic discovery for public good through rigorous research, credible journalism, and accessible public education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Microdose: A twice-weekly newsletter covering the science, business, culture and public policy of psychedelics
• Altered States Podcast
• Ferriss – UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowships
• Mycoskie – UC Berkeley Psychedelic Documentary Fellowships
• Collective Continuance: Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship
• Psychedelic Facilitation Certificate Program

Products and services

• The Microdose Newsletter A twice-weekly free newsletter covering the science, business, culture, and public policy surrounding psychedelics, featuring Q&As with newsmakers and the latest developments in the field. Available via Substack.
• Altered States Podcast An award-winning podcast co-produced by PRX and BCSP exploring what science can tell us about psychedelics and what psychedelics can tell us about ourselves. Won 2025 Signal Award for Science and 2026 Webby Award for Science and Education. Available on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Overcast, and Pocket Casts.
• Ferriss – UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowships Ten $10,000 grants per year awarded to journalists reporting in-depth print and audio stories on the science, policy, business, and culture of psychedelics, administered by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
• Mycoskie – UC Berkeley Psychedelic Documentary Fellowships Fellowships empowering a new generation of filmmakers to document the burgeoning field of psychedelics through groundbreaking narratives exploring science, policy, business, and culture. Includes production/post-production, research and development, and student categories.
• Psychedelic Facilitation Certificate Program An incubated program providing training and certification for psychedelic facilitation.
• States of Consciousness Conference A two-day multidisciplinary conference at UC Berkeley exploring evolving questions and uncertainty around the study of consciousness through the lens of psychedelics. Scheduled for October 14-15, 2026.
• Law and Policy Map A tool tracking proposed and enacted legislation of psychedelics across U.S. states.
• Patent Tracker A patent tracking resource using publicly available data gathered by Psychedelic Alpha to monitor psychedelic-related patents.
• Clinical Trials Map A map of clinical trials featuring data from ClinicalTrials.gov to help navigate past, ongoing, and future psychedelic-related trials for patients and therapists.
• UC Berkeley Psychedelics Survey An evidence-based survey tracking how public opinion about psychedelics is shifting over time, serving as essential information for data-driven policymaking, public education, and understanding. First conducted in 2023, second in 2025.
• Psychedelics 101 Educational Content Primers on psychedelic substances including psilocybin, LSD, DMT, ayahuasca, 5-MeO-DMT, mescaline, ibogaine, ketamine, MDMA, and salvia divinorum, covering topics such as what psychedelics are, risks, microdosing, therapy, spirituality, and clinical trials.
• Psychedelic Research Programs Basic neuroscience research programs including the Psychedelic Longitudinal Aging Study (PLASTICITY) on psilocybin's impact on structural plasticity and psychological well-being in cognitively healthy older adults, psilocybin neuroplasticity research, neuroimaging studies with psychedelic drugs, and research on psychedelics, awe, and enduring personal and social change.

Quantifiable outcome

• States of Consciousness conference expected to draw attendees in October 2026

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Antithesis LawminorOthersA business law firm serving trailblazers, rebels, and disrupters in psychedelics and other cutting-edge industries. Listed as an institutional partner of BCSP.
• Calyx LawminorOthersA boutique law firm specializing in psychedelics and emerging technologies, established in 2016. Provides seed-stage and early-stage companies with intellectual property protection and support. Listed as an institutional partner of BCSP.
• Collaborative for the Economics of Psychedelics (CEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormerly GIPSE, CEP is a network of health economists dedicated to achieving the potential of psychedelic therapies for high-priority mental health conditions. Through policy-relevant economic analyses, CEP seeks to enhance clinical outcomes, increase efficiency of service delivery, and increase access to psychedelic therapies.
• Psychedelic AlphacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn independent media outlet, community, and consultancy firm that empowers individuals and organizations with knowledge and network to make impact within psychedelic medicine. BCSP uses Psychedelic Alpha's patent tracker data for its Patent Tracker tool.
• The Shulgin FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDedicated to carrying on the legacy of Alexander 'Sasha' and Ann Shulgin through community, education, and events. Listed as an institutional partner of BCSP.
• PRX (Public Radio Exchange)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of the Altered States podcast with BCSP. PRX is a public radio production and distribution organization. The podcast has won multiple awards including the 2025 Signal Award for Science and 2026 Webby Award for Science and Education.
• UC Berkeley Graduate School of JournalismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers the Ferriss – UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowships (ten $10,000 grants per year) and the Mycoskie – UC Berkeley Psychedelic Documentary Fellowships. Home to Michael Pollan's journalism program.
• Helen Wills Neuroscience InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe administrative home of BCSP at UC Berkeley. Provides infrastructure and academic affiliation for the center's research activities.
• Henry H. Wheeler Jr. Brain Imaging CentercoreTechnology or IntegrationHouses the NexGen 7-Tesla MRI scanner used by BCSP researchers for neuroimaging studies. The scanner is the first high-field MRI optimized for human cerebral cortical imaging, providing unprecedented spatial resolution.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Usona Institute: Nonprofit medical research organization sponsoring psilocybin clinical trials for depression and other indications. Operates in the same psilocybin research space as BCSP but with a translational/clinical orientation, and serves as a competitor for philanthropic funding.
• Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS): Long-established nonprofit sponsoring psychedelic research and public education since 1986, with much broader scope than BCSP including clinical trial sponsorship (MDMA-assisted therapy) and global advocacy. Operates as a broader incumbent in the same nonprofit psychedelic research and policy ecosystem.
• Heffter Research Institute: Pioneering nonprofit funding psychedelic research since 1993, supporting studies at Johns Hopkins, NYU, and other academic centers. A more established incumbent with longer tenure and broader funder relationships than BCSP.

Emerging players

• Chacruna Institute: Nonprofit focused on psychedelic education, culture, and reciprocity with Indigenous traditions. Operates in overlapping cultural/community and policy domains with BCSP's Culture and Community pillar but with less emphasis on basic neuroscience research.

Others

• Compass Pathways: Public clinical-stage company developing psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression. Not a direct academic peer, but a major commercial actor in the same psilocybin research space; competes for talent, donor mindshare, and policy influence with academic centers like BCSP.

Direct peers

• UC Davis Center for Neuroscience: UC Davis neuroscience center listed by BCSP as part of the academic psychedelic research community. Competes for UC system grants and California-based research talent in adjacent neuroscience domains.
• Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London: World's first dedicated psychedelic research center, founded April 2019 by Robin Carhart-Harris, who is also director of the Psychedelics Division at UCSF's Neuroscape and a BCSP-affiliated collaborator. Conducts parallel neuroimaging and clinical psychedelic studies and competes for the same global research audience and donor base.
• NYU Langone Psychedelic Medicine Research Group: NYU-based academic group studying psilocybin and other psychedelics for psychiatric indications. Listed by BCSP as part of its research community and operates with a similar basic-science-plus-clinical-translation model.
• Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research: The pioneering academic psychedelic research center at Johns Hopkins, studying psilocybin mechanisms, therapeutic applications, and consciousness. BCSP explicitly cites Hopkins as part of its research community, and BCSP advisor Gül Dölen holds an adjunct professorship there. Both centers compete for federal grants, philanthropic donors, and academic talent.
• UCSF Translational Psychedelic Research Program (Neuroscape): UCSF's psychedelic research initiative, where Robin Carhart-Harris directs the Psychedelics Division. Operates in the same Bay Area ecosystem as BCSP, shares faculty collaborators (Brian Anderson, Dawn Weinstein), and competes for overlapping donor and research subject pools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bcsp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics