Professor Mark Wahlqvist: Ecological and Quantum Nutrition and the Evolution of Nutrition Science

Professor Mark Wahlqvist: Ecological and Quantum Nutrition and the Evolution of Nutrition Science

Sometimes we are privileged enough to engage in conversations with sages that, through experience and time, have arrived at profound and novel realisations that challenge our world view. This is one of those conversations. Professor Mark L Wahlqvist has been involved in paradigm sifts in nutrition and medicine, including but not limited to the discovery of foods phytoestrogenic effects, the inflammatory basis of macrovascular disease, and the relationship between food patterns, dietary diversity and health outcomes. We explore his pioneering work and the larger themes of the interconnected relationship between human health, diet, regional ecosystems (eco nutrition) and cosmology (quantum nutrition). About our guest: Professor Wahlqvist was educated at Adelaide and Uppsala Universities. He is a Consultant Physician and has held chairs in Human Nutrition, Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at Melbourne's Deakin and Monash Universities. He has been Chair of Internal Medicine at Prince Henry's Hospital, then of the Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne, as well as Director of the APHNC (Asia Pacific Health & Nutrition Centre) at the MAI (Monash Asia Institute) and of the FAO Centre of Excellence in Food Safety at Monash University. He has also held appointments at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, the University of Indonesia and Zhejiang University in China. He was President of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS), Chair of the Australian Nutrition Foundation (Nutrition Australia), Foundation Chair of the WMCACA (Weight Management Code Administration Council of Australia), a Board member of ANZFA, the Australian and New Zealand Food Authority (now FSANZ), Foundation Chair of the Food Safety Council of Victoria, Chair of the Australian Academy of Science National Nutrition Committee, and Foundation Editor-in-Chief of the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition. His advisory board memberships have included the Harvest Plus program (International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington DC), the Riddet Food Research Institute at Massey University, New Zealand and the WHO Nutrition Advisory panel. He has been recognised with awards by the nutrition societies in Australia, Britain, the USA, Taiwan, Indonesia and China. He was awarded the Charlotta Medal by the Swedish Emigrants Research Institute and made an honorary Bataknese. Guest websites and links: * https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark-Wahlqvist-3 [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark-Wahlqvist-3] Selection of our guest's publications: * Gallegos D, Wattanapenpaiboon N, Wahlqvist ML. Food and Nutrition Sustainable Food and Health Systems (5th Edition). 2026, Routledge. * Wahlqvist ML, Wattanapenpaiboon N, Shuai M, Liu HY, Zhong L, Zheng JS. Quantum food and nutrition: Subatomic approaches to nourishment for health and well-being. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2025 Feb;34(1):1-9. * Wahlqvist ML. Imagining a habitable planet through food and health. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2021 Feb;75(2):219-229. * Wahlqvist ML. Future food. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2016 Dec;25(4):706-715. * Wahlqvist ML. Ecosystem Health Disorders - changing perspectives in clinical medicine and nutrition. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2014;23(1):1-15. * Wahlqvist ML, Specht RL. Food variety and biodiversity: Econutrition. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 1998 Dec;7(3/4):314-9.

Dr. Kyle Bills: Migraine Headache, Glucose Dysregulation Subtypes and Personalised Treatment

Chronic migraine is a debilitating, poorly understood and poorly managed illness due to limited clinical options. Dr. Kyle Bills is a neuroscientist and clinician specializing in migraine who has been involved in the characterisation of unique phenotypes related to glucose dysregulation that may help guide more effective, personalised treatments. The discussion includes his remarkable clinical research utilizing continuous blood glucose monitoring (CGM) and a ketogenic diet. About our guest: Dr. Kyle Bills, DC, PhD, is a neuroscientist and clinician specializing in migraine, brain injury, and addiction recovery. Dr. Bills serves as Associate Dean for Research and Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he helped build the institution from the ground up. His leadership includes launching the research program, establishing the Academic Research Clinic, developing a four-year student research curriculum, and helping the college achieve full accreditation. He founded and directs both the Migraine and Neurological Research Center and the Academic Research Clinic, leading a research lab of over 40 medical students studying chronic migraine, generalized anxiety disorder, substance use disorder, and glucose dysregulation. He earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Brigham Young University and his Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) from Parker University in Dallas. His post-doctoral fellowship at BYU was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NCCIH), and his clinical training included work at the Dallas VA Medical Center. Dr. Bills also holds faculty appointments with BYU, Parker University, Roseman University, and Rocky Mountain University, where he has taught courses in physiology, neuroanatomy, neurobiology, neurology, and manual medicine. Guest websites and links: * https://migraineandneurorehabcenter.com [https://migraineandneurorehabcenter.com] Selection of our guest's publications: * Nelson CA, Reavely KW, Jennings MR, Burger BJ, Kim AC, Sant DW, Bills KB. Glucose dysregulation and glycemic phenotyping in chronic migraine. Front Neurol. 2026 Jan 14;16:1719724. * Amendolara A, Magoffin WD, Naik AU, Sant D, Kriak J, Green B, Bills K. Chronic Migraine May Be Associated With Postprandial Hypoglycemia in Adult Men: A Case Series. Cureus. 2024 Feb 26;16(2):e54987. * Hill A, Amendolara AB, Small C, Guzman SC, Pfister D, McFarland K, Settelmayer M, Baker S, Donnelly S, Payne A, Sant D, Kriak J, Bills KB. Metabolic Pathophysiology of Cortical Spreading Depression: A Review. Brain Sci. 2024 Oct 16;14(10):1026.

Dr. Ciara Wright: Long Covid; An Opportunity for Root-Cause Functional Medicine

Long covid is a poorly understood and poorly studied illness that is associated with millions missing, that is millions of people suffering with little support or hope. A better understanding of the biology and complexity of long covid could lead to individualised treatments and is an important opportunity for the functional medicine model. Join Dr. Ciara Wright and hear about her own personal, research and clinical experience, which gives us hopefulness for better care and recovery. About our guest: Dr. Ciara Wright is a science researcher and Nutritional Therapist. With a background in medical laboratory sciences and biology, Ciara obtained her PhD in epithelial immunology and worked post-doctorally in diverse research fields such as stem cell science, gene therapy, microbiology and immunology. She published a number of translational science papers and mentored PhD students during this time. After studying with the Institute of Health Sciences, Ciara now also runs a busy Nutritional Therapy practice in Ireland. She specialises in fertility, immunology and complex fatigue conditions and is an expert in functional medicine testing for the management of chronic illness. Ciara keeps up to date with the latest research and manages her clinical team at Positive Nutrition, ensuring an evidence-based practice and the best supports for her patients. Ciara continues her research with several collaborators, including a clinical trial on nutritional intervention in NAFLD, publishing nutritional reviews and case reports, and contributing to a book chapter on nutritional interventions for male fertility. Ciara has delivered lectures and spoken at international medical conferences in Ireland, UK, Europe and Africa. Most recently, Ciara has overcome personal illness with Long Covid and Lyme disease. This experience has deepened her engagement with scientists and patient-led groups, helping to raise awareness and advance research into these complex conditions. She has published a case study on her own treatment and now collaborates with leading researchers in the field. As a way of giving back, she offers pro-bono support to severely affected chronically ill patients, while Positive Nutrition can offer some financial supports to provides access to functional medicine testing. Guest websites and links: * https://positivenutrition.ie [https://positivenutrition.ie] Selection of our guest's publications: * Remote Self-Measurements of Waking Blood Lactate Correlate with Post-Exertional Malaise: Results From "The Acid Test" Prepublication 2026, Presenting at American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting Feb 2026. * Wright C, et al. Treatment of Long COVID With Enoxaparin. Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy Journal 36(1):p 70-73, January 2025.

Dr. Alex Richardson: Pioneering Clinical Research into Food and Mental Health

This remarkable conversation with Dr. Alex Richardson covers the development of her research that was some of the first to demonstrate the influence of food and nutrition on mood and behaviour. Dr. Richardson has been hugely influential in putting nutrition for mental health on the map, especially in areas such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, depression and schizophrenia. From genetics, biochemistry, and nutrition to physiological and psychological functioning, we explore diverse themes relevant to everyone. About our guest: Dr Alex Richardson is a world-renowned researcher, educator, speaker and published author; and the Founder Trustee and Scientific Director of the UK-based charity, Food and Behaviour (FAB) Research. Based at the University of Oxford for 30 years, the impact of her 90+ peer-reviewed publications places Dr Richardson in the top 3% of academic researchers worldwide. In addition to her work for FAB, she is currently a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Bournemouth, Research Consultant for the Centre of Nutrition and Behaviour at the Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humberside NHS Trust, and research collaborator with the Dept of Psychology at the University of Swansea. Alex is best known for her research into how nutrition (particularly fatty acids) can affect behaviour, learning and mood, as her pioneering clinical trials were the first to show that dietary supplementation with omega-3 (and omega-6) fats can improve behaviour and learning in children with dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and related conditions; and that this approach may also help many other children without such diagnoses. She also published some of the earliest reports of successful nutritional approaches to both depression and schizophrenia in young adults, which have subsequently been confirmed and extended by others. Her work has always been highly inter-disciplinary and collaborative, involving several large-scale collaborative programmes that include studies of epidemiology, genetics, brain imaging, biochemistry and nutrition as well as physiological and psychological functioning. Her main interests centre on the role of nutrition in brain health, and its implications for behaviour, learning and mood, particularly in relation to: neurodevelopment, mental health, links between mental and physical health. Alex's research has also always been primarily aimed at developing new methods of identification and management that will have real practical benefit. In addition to her role as a founder director of FAB Research, she also helped to found the Dyslexia Research Trust, was a co-opted Trustee and Scientific Advisor to the Dyspraxia Foundation, served on the Biomedical Research Committee of Autism Unravelled, and liaised closely with the Hyperactive Children's Support Group, among many others. Guest websites and links: * https://www.fabresearch.org [https://www.fabresearch.org] Selection of our guest's publications: * Montgomery P, Burton JR, Sewell RP, Spreckelsen TF, Richardson AJ. Fatty acids and sleep in UK children: subjective and pilot objective sleep results from the DOLAB study--a randomized controlled trial. J Sleep Res. 2014 Aug;23(4):364-88. * Richardson AJ, Burton JR, Sewell RP, Spreckelsen TF, Montgomery P. Docosahexaenoic acid for reading, cognition and behavior in children aged 7-9 years: a randomized, controlled trial (the DOLAB Study). PLoS One. 2012;7(9):e43909. * Richardson A. They Are What You Feed Them: How Food Can Improve Your Child's Behaviour, Learning and Mood. Harper. 2010. * Cyhlarova E, Montgomery P, Ross MA, Richardson AJ. Niacin skin test response in dyslexia. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2007 Aug;77(2):123-8. * Richardson AJ, Puri BK. A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of supplementation with highly unsaturated fatty acids on ADHD-related symptoms in children with specific learning difficulties. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2002 Feb;26(2):233-9.

Dr. James Greenblatt: Depression; A Functional Medicine Approach Focusing on Underlying Causes

For over 30-years, Dr Greenblatt has been practicing, researching and educating health providers on the role of personalised nutrition in psychiatry and remains at the forefront of this important area. His new book Finally Hopeful: The Personalized, Whole-Body Plan to Find and Fix the Root Causes of Your Depression is a landmark contribution and will transform people's lives while highlighting the power of personalised, evidence-based nutrition practice to improve mental health care. Guest: Dr. James Greenblatt About our guest: James Greenblatt, MD, is a globally recognized pioneer in functional and integrative psychiatry with over 30 years of clinical experience. He has dedicated his career to transforming the treatment of mental health disorders through precision-based approaches that integrate laboratory testing, nutritional interventions, and root-cause analysis. Dr. Greenblatt earned his medical degree and completed a psychiatry residency at George Washington University, and pursued a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at Johns Hopkins Medical School. A prolific author, Dr. Greenblatt has written nine books, including his newest title, Finally Hopeful: The Personalized, Whole-Body Plan to Find and Fix the Root Causes of Your Depression [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/778155/finally-hopeful-by-james-greenblatt-md-with-bill-gottlieb-cphc/], and the bestseller Finally Focused: The Breakthrough Natural Treatment Plan for ADHD [https://www.psychiatryredefined.org/finally-focused-book/]. He serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine and Dartmouth College's Geisel School of Medicine. Previously, he served as Chief Medical Officer for Walden Behavioral Care/Monte Nido, a national mental health organization specializing in eating disorders. In 2019, Dr. Greenblatt founded Psychiatry Redefined, a leading platform for continuing education for clinicians in functional and integrative psychiatry, designed to bridge critical knowledge gaps for mental health professionals. Guest websites and links: * https://www.jamesgreenblattmd.com [https://www.jamesgreenblattmd.com] * https://www.psychiatryredefined.org/ [https://www.psychiatryredefined.org/] Selection of our guest's publications: * Greenblatt J, Gottlieb B. Finally Hopeful: The Personalized, Whole-Body Plan to Find and Fix the Root Causes of Your Depression. Penguin Random House. 2026. * Greenblatt J, Dimino JC. Functional Medicine for Antidepressant Withdrawal. FriesenPress. 2022. * Greenblatt J. Finally Focused: The Breakthrough Natural Treatment Plan for ADHD. Harmony. 2017.