Psychiatry Research Priorities: Keto, GLP-1s, Exercise & Mental Illness

Psychiatry Research Priorities: Keto, GLP-1s, Exercise & Mental Illness

July 19, 2026 · 30 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the research priorities in metabolic psychiatry as identified by a collaborative process involving patients and clinicians.

What questions matter most to people living with serious mental illness when it comes to metabolic interventions? Dr. Dina Farran and Dr. Toby Pillinger from King's College London set out to answer exactly that through a Priority Setting Partnership, an extensive collaborative process bringing together people with lived experience, family members, caregivers, clinicians, and researchers to identify the top research priorities in metabolic psychiatry. Their findings reveal a powerful shift in how patients and clinicians think about mental illness, and what the future of treatment may look like. In this conversation, you'll learn: What a Priority Setting Partnership is and why it matters for psychiatric research How over 450 participants and 1,400 submissions were narrowed down to a top 10 list Why 8 of the top 10 priorities focused on mental health outcomes, not just physical health Why ketogenic diets ranked as the number one research priority How GLP-1 medications, exercise, gut health, and nutrient deficiencies entered the conversation Why patients and caregivers may have a more integrated view of mental illness than the research field What this roadmap means for the future of…

People in this episode

Host: Bret Scher

Guests: Dr. Dina Farran, Dr. Toby Pillinger

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: King's College London

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