Julia is a Professor of Psychology and Clinical Psychologist in the School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing at the University of Canterbury, the Director of Te Puna Toiora, the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab, theme leader in the Child Wellbeing Institute, and co-author of The Better Brain jointly published by Penguin Random House and Harper Collins in 2021. Originally from Toronto, Canada, she completed her PhD at the University of Calgary in clinical psychology and in 2000, she immigrated to New Zealand. Her interests in nutrition and mental illness grew out of research showing poor outcomes for individuals with significant psychiatric illness despite receiving standard conventional treatments. For over a decade, her lab has been running clinical trials investigating the role of broad-spectrum micronutrients in the treatment of mental illness, including ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety and stress. Julia has over 140 peer reviewed publications, including in the Lancet Psychiatry, JAMA and the British Journal of Psychiatry and is currently on the Executive Committee for the International Society of Nutritional Psychiatry Research. She has been the recipient of many awards, including the Ballin Award from the NZ Psychologist Society for significant contributions to the development or enhancement of clinical psychology in Aotearoa New Zealand, being named as a Woman of Influence in New Zealand in 2015, 2018, and 2021, and a Braveheart award for her contribution to making Christchurch a better place to live. Her 2014 TEDx talk has been viewed over 2 million times. She recently created a free EdX online course for the public on mental health and nutrition. She is also a longstanding member of the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (HPDT). Having witnessed current conventional treatments failing so many people, Julia is passionate about advocating that a good nutritional foundation is central to helping people prevent and recover from mental health challenges.

Dr. Jonathan Prousky, MSc, MA, RP, ND., is the Chief Naturopathic Medical Officer at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (Toronto, Ontario). His primary responsibility is ensuring the delivery of safe and effective naturopathic medical care to patients, as well as ensuring the safety and effectiveness of the medical training in the naturopathic program. He has lectured extensively on various health-related topics throughout North America to medical doctors, naturopathic doctors, other health care providers and patients at numerous conferences and health fairs. He was the first naturopathic doctor to receive the “Orthomolecular Doctor of the Year” award in 2010, and to be inducted into the Orthomolecular Hall of Fame in 2017. Dr. Prousky is the author of more than 60 scholarly publications, including several consumer and naturopathic texts. His clinical practice focus is primarily on the evaluation and management of mental health disorders. He has spent over 20 years advocating and working with patients that wish to receive integrative care to help their mental health struggles.

Dr Miguel Toribio-Mateas, DProf is a clinical neuroscientist with a background in nutrition science and its translation to real-world settings spanning the best part of two decades. From 2014, Miguel’s work has focused on the communication between the gut and the brain, this being the very subject of his recently awarded doctoral degree at the School of Health and Education, Middlesex University, for which he was given the prestigious Santander Bank’s “Work-Based Learning Award” in 2016. His commitment to this emerging field of study has resulted in an extensive contribution through published works, conference talks and public speaking appearances, all of which make him one of the indisputable leading voices in gut-brain health in the UK and beyond.

Miguel has developed over his longstanding background as a transdisciplinary practitioner in roles that cut across biotech, health informatics, applied microbiology, human nutrition, and clinical neuroscience. One of his key achievements was co-creating the first direct-to-consumer microbiome testing company in the UK (MapMyGut) with Professor Tim Spector back in 2014-2015. Since then, he has been immersed in consumer health, taking leading roles in research and product development for well-known consumer brands. Currently, Miguel is Head of Research and Development for Chuckling Goat, UK’s leading goat’s kefir manufacturer, whilst he continues to be involved in clinical research on the gut microbiome and brain / mental health as Innovation Consultant at the London-Agri Food Innovation Clinic (LAFIC). This research unit is supported with a grant from the European Regional Development Fund and based at the School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, where he holds the positions of Lecturer and Visiting Research Fellow. Miguel also sits on the steering committee of the Primary-Care and Community Neurology Society and is a Lifestyle Health Ambassador Leader for the Lifestyle Health Foundation.

Justine Bold has worked as an academic at the University of Worcester since 2008.  She is now also Programme Director for CPD in the Medical School at Cardiff University. She worked a wellness project including nutrition education for people with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar and psychosis between 2014 and 2018 with the NHS in Worcestershire. She has published widely in academic journals on gluten and coeliac disease including a systematic review and meta-analysis on gluten and mood disorders and also co-authored an interdisciplinary text book for SAGE on Mental Health in 2019. She is currently enrolled as a PhD student at the University of Worcester, where she is progressing a PhD by prior publication and working on a critical summary of her publications.

Uma Naidoo, MD is board-certified psychiatrist (Harvard Medical School), professional chef (Cambridge School of Culinary Arts), and nutrition specialist (Cornell University). She is currently the Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where she consults on nutritional interventions for the psychiatrically and medically ill; Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital Academy; and has a private practice in Newton, MA. She also teaches at The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.

Dr. Naidoo speaks frequently at conferences at Harvard, for Goop audiences, the New York City Jewish Community Center (JCC), and Ivy Boston. She blogs for Harvard Health and Psychology Today and completed a unique video cooking series for the MGH Academy which teaches Nutritional Psychiatry using culinary techniques in the kitchen. Dr. Uma has appeared as a mental health and nutrition expert on Live with Kelly & Ryan, Today Show, 700 Club, and been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Shape, Parade, Boston Globe, Fast Company, AARP, and more. Visit her at https://umanaidoomd.com