Chris Palmer

Dr. Chris Palmer is a Harvard psychiatrist, researcher, and educator pioneering a new understanding of the connection between metabolism, brain health, and mental illness. He is the Founder and Director of the Metabolic and Mental Health Program at McLean Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, where he has spent more than three decades treating patients, conducting research, and advancing psychiatric education.

A leading voice in the emerging field of metabolic psychiatry, Dr. Palmer developed the Brain Energy Theory of Mental Illness, which proposes that many psychiatric disorders may be rooted in disruptions of brain energy metabolism. His groundbreaking 2022 book, "Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health—and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More," explores how neuroscience, metabolism, and lifestyle factors can reshape the future of mental healthcare.

Dr. Palmer has pioneered research into the use of medical ketogenic therapies for treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders and is internationally recognized for translating complex scientific discoveries into accessible insights for clinicians, patients, and the public. Through his work, writing, and speaking, he challenges conventional approaches to mental health and advocates for a more integrated view of the relationship between the brain and the body.