Julia Rucklidge, Professor

BSc, MSc, PhD

Julia is a Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Canterbury and the Director of the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab. Originally from Toronto, Canada, she completed her PhD at the University of Calgary in clinical psychology followed by a two year post-doctoral Fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. 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 conventional treatments for their conditions. In the last decade, she and her lab have been running clinical trials investigating the role of broad-spectrum micronutrients in the treatment of mental illness, specifically ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety and stress. Julia has over 100 peer-reviewed publications, including the Lancet Psychiatry, British Journal of Psychiatry, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, PLoS One, and Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. She has given invited talks all over the world on her work on nutrition and mental health and is frequently featured in the media on her work. She 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, an award that recognises notably significant contributions to the development or enhancement of clinical psychology in Aotearoa New Zealand, a Braveheart award for her contribution to making Christchurch a better place to live, and was named in the top 100 Most Influential Women in New Zealand in 2018. Her 2014 TEDx talk has almost been viewed 1.5 million times. Having witnessed current conventional treatments failing so many people, Julia is passionate about helping people find alternative treatments for their psychiatric symptoms and being a voice for those who have been let down by the current public healthcare system.