The University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre has partnered with Psylo, a global biotechnology startup and pioneer in non-hallucinogenic psychedelic drugs, to develop innovative treatments for psychiatric and neurological disorders using advanced artificial intelligence technologies.

Researchersat the University of Sydney’s School of Psychology have developed machine-learning-guided behavioural analysis technology, which utilises high frame-rate cameras and sophisticated data-parsing techniques to predict the behavioural profiles and potential therapeutic properties of new drugs. Psylo will use this powerful platform, which is exclusively available to them, to enhance the capacity and efficiency of Psylo’s drug development.

This collaboration comes at a crucial time, as Australia has recently become the first country to allow psilocybin and MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) to be prescribed for the treatment of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), respectively.

Despite their potential, the high cost of these treatments – estimated at more than $20,000 per course – makes them inaccessible to most. Psylo aims to bridge this gap by offering more cost-effective solutions that retain the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics without the need for specialised administration under clinical supervision.