METABOLIC PSYCHIATRY SCHOLAR AWARD
Promoting Careers to Advance Metabolic Psychiatry
Funding Announcement
Baszucki Group is proud to announce the six recipients of the first-ever Metabolic Psychiatry Scholar Award, a new initiative that supports exceptional early-career scientists and clinicians working to advance understanding of the connection between metabolic health and mental health. The award represents a significant step forward in growing the rapidly advancing field of metabolic psychiatry.
The six scholars will each receive up to $150,000 over 18 months for original research in metabolic psychiatry. The award program advances Baszucki Group’s mission to transform mental health outcomes through research at the intersection of metabolism, psychiatry, and neuroscience. Scholars will also receive mentorship, professional development, and communication support to amplify the impact of their research. The awards expand Baszucki Group’s research priorities into new diagnoses, genetics, novel combinations of treatment modalities, and implementation science.
2025 Metabolic Psychiatry Scholar Awardees
Erin Bellamy, PhD
Metabolic Psychiatry Clinician and Researcher & Founder of Integrative Ketogenic Research and Therapies (IKRT)
Erin Bellamy, PhD, is a Metabolic Mental Health practitioner and chartered psychologist specializing in ketogenic metabolic therapy. In 2017, she founded Integrative Ketogenic Research and Therapies (IKRT), which uses principles of Metabolic Psychiatry to provide highly personalized Metabolic Therapy for psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, as well as overall mental health improvement. As a Metabolic Psychiatry Scholar, she will lead a mixed-methods pilot trial to evaluate an online psychoeducational and support program using ketogenic therapy.
Erin Bellamy, PhD
Metabolic Psychiatry Clinician and Researcher & Founder of Integrative Ketogenic Research and Therapies (IKRT)
Erin Bellamy, PhD, is a Metabolic Mental Health practitioner and chartered psychologist specializing in ketogenic metabolic therapy. In 2017, she founded Integrative Ketogenic Research and...
Eline Dekeyster, PhD
Assistant Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience & Head of the Lifestyle Brain Interaction (LBI) research group at Leiden University
Eline Dekeyster, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and the head of the Lifestyle Brain Interaction (LBI) research group at Leiden University. Her work investigates the potential of ketogenic interventions as a transdiagnostic treatment for mental illness, with applications in ADHD, PTSD, and Alzheimer’s disease. As a Metabolic Psychiatry Scholar, she aims to establish the clinical efficacy and long-term sustainability of ketogenic therapy for adults with autism. Her research will also identify key factors that support patient adherence to ketogenic interventions and biomarkers that predict clinical response.
Eline Dekeyster, PhD
Assistant Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience & Head of the Lifestyle Brain Interaction (LBI) research group at Leiden University
Eline Dekeyster, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and the head of the Lifestyle Brain Interaction (LBI) research group at Leiden University. Her...
Gabriel Fries, PhD
Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center
Gabriel R. Fries, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. His research applies molecular biology to psychiatry, with a focus on the epigenetic basis of severe mood disorders, including bipolar disorder, suicide, and the molecular mechanisms of stress. Leveraging clinical datasets, post-mortem brain tissue, and stem-cell-derived neurons, Fries explores the genetic and epigenetic underpinnings of these illnesses. As a Metabolic Psychiatry Scholar, he aims to identify the link between dietary and metabolic parameters and suicide risk.
Gabriel Fries, PhD
Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center
Gabriel R. Fries, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center at...
Fabiano Gomes, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at McMaster University
Fabiano Gomes, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at McMaster University and an academic psychiatrist at St Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. His research focuses on bipolar disorder and treatment-resistant depression, with a specialization in the influence of metabolic health and lifestyle. He works to translate evidence-based interventions into routine clinical practice. As a Metabolic Psychiatry Scholar, he aims to establish an integrated Metabolic Psychiatry Program. This initiative will implement a comprehensive model that combines therapeutic nutritional ketosis and lifestyle interventions with rigorous translational research to improve routine clinical care.
Fabiano Gomes, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at McMaster University
Fabiano Gomes, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at McMaster University and an academic psychiatrist at St...
Jacek Kolacz, PhD
Research Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Jacek Kolacz, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. His research focuses on how the brain and body coordinate to shape emotional responses to stress and threats, with the ultimate goal of improving clinical interventions. He uses wearable sensors to noninvasively track physiological activity, providing insights into how chronic threat responses shape emotions and bodily functions. As a Metabolic Psychiatry Scholar, he will investigate whether combining cognitive processing therapy with ketogenic therapy increases treatment effectiveness for individuals with chronic threat responses, focusing especially on those living with PTSD.
Jacek Kolacz, PhD
Research Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Jacek Kolacz, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. His research focuses on how the brain and body...
Sean Nestor, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto & Interventional psychiatrist at the Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sean Nestor, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and an interventional psychiatrist at the Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. By using neuroimaging and neuromodulation, Nestor investigates the roles of brain plasticity and dysfunction in neurological and psychiatric disorders. As a Metabolic Psychiatry Scholar, he will explore how combining nutritional interventions with advanced brain stimulation can enhance clinical efficacy. This work aims to create a novel, non-pharmacological, and scalable intervention for individuals with treatment-resistant depression.
Sean Nestor, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto & Interventional psychiatrist at the Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sean Nestor, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and an interventional psychiatrist at the Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation,...
Opportunity Overview
Funding
Each awardee may request up to $150,000 USD to support their work for 18 months, providing significant financial backing to foster innovative studies and impactful findings.
Mentorship and Networking
Awardees will receive mentorship from the metabolic psychiatry community, ensuring guidance and insight to refine their research and accelerate their professional growth. Additionally, networking opportunities with senior researchers and practitioners in the field will be fostered, expanding professional networks and potential collaborations.
Training
The program includes specialized training opportunities tailored to enhance the awardees’ skills and knowledge, preparing them for advanced roles in their careers.
Communication Support
Awardees will receive support in effectively communicating their research findings, including assistance with manuscript writing, presentations, and public engagement to broaden the impact of their work.
Community Building
The program will facilitate connections among awardees, creating a vibrant community of early career investigators.
I can genuinely say that becoming a Baszucki Research Fellow in Metabolic Psychiatry has been one of the best things to happen in my life. It has allowed me use to both my research experience and my lived experience as a means to investigate new metabolic treatments for serious mental illness, and to see many patients benefit mentally and physically from this work.”
Request for proposals
Baszucki Group seeks to recognize and support outstanding early career investigators advancing the field of metabolic psychiatry. Researchers may propose translational or clinical studies. Multidisciplinary approaches are desired. Requests may be made for up to $150,000 USD for 18 months.
Priority Areas
Baszucki Group’s research priorities focus on the potential to transform and save lives. Proposed work should be translational or clinical in nature, addressing one or more of the topics listed below.
- Quantitative or qualitative approaches to understanding the use of metabolic therapies (such as therapeutic nutritional ketosis) in serious mental illness
- Mechanisms of action for ketogenic and other metabolic therapies in serious mental illness
- Clinical research examining the link between metabolic health and mental health
- Building therapeutic nutritional ketosis and other metabolic approaches into clinical practice, with an emphasis on embedding research in care
Eligibility criteria
- All applicants must hold a PhD, MD, or equivalent degree and have a faculty position or equivalent independent investigator status at a college, university, medical school or other research institution holding 501(c)3 status or international equivalent.
- Applicants should be in their first independent position between two and six years as of the due date for the Letter of Intent.
- Applicants are encouraged from other disciplines with a desire and commitment to working at the intersection of metabolism and mental health.
- Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to pursuing a career in metabolic psychiatry, showcasing potential for significant contributions to the field.
- Applicants cannot be currently funded by Baszucki Group.
- International applicants are welcome. All materials must be submitted in English.
Applicant FAQS
Answers to some frequently asked questions may be found below. If, after reviewing, additional clarification is needed, please reach out to the Science Team at [email protected].
Are international applicants eligible to apply?
Yes, international applicants are eligible to apply. All application materials must be submitted in English.
Are multiple applicants from the same institution allowed to apply for the same award?
Yes. There is no limit to the number of applicants from the same institution who may apply for this award.
Does Baszucki Group only fund academic laboratories?
Baszucki Group funds research and clinical work from academic and nonacademic laboratories. We fund researchers and clinicians at universities, small companies, hospitals, clinics, and non-profit research institutions.
If I am submitting with another researcher, do we both need to apply?
Baszucki Group welcomes collaborative proposals with more than one principal investigator. However, one application must be submitted on behalf of the collaboration, under one PI’s account.
May multidisciplinary funding be split between two institutions?
Yes, funding may be divided between institutions. However, Baszucki Group will only contract with the primary institution, which will be responsible for negotiating subcontracts with the institutions of any co-PIs involved with the project. Baszucki Group requires detailed budgets outlining the allocation of funds to each institution.
Who may receive salary from the grant?
Funds may be allocated to cover the salaries of investigators, postdocs, and graduate students in relation to the percentage effort spent on the project, as well as research supplies and some travel expenses. Indirect costs are covered up to 15% of total direct costs.
May grant funds be used for travel expenses?
Yes. There is a travel cap of $1,500 USD for international applicants and $1,000 USD for US and Canadian applicants per year, which may be budgeted for a maximum of two investigators (PI and co-PI).
If I cannot submit by the deadline, may I request an extension?
No. Baszucki Group does not provide deadline extensions.
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