Christopher Palmer, MD

Christopher M. Palmer, MD, is a Harvard psychiatrist and researcher renowned for his work at the intersection of metabolism and mental health. He earned his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine and completed his internship and psychiatry residency at McLean Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School.

For nearly 30 years, he has held diverse administrative, educational, research, and clinical roles in psychiatry at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School, with a particular focus on treatment-resistant cases. As Founder and Director of the Metabolic and Mental Health Program (MH²) at McLean Hospital, he leads innovative efforts to integrate evidence-based mental health care, lifestyle medicine, and metabolic therapies like the ketogenic diet to address root causes of mental illness. Dr.

Palmer has transformed mental health education as Director of the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at McLean Hospital, developing hundreds of conferences, workshops, and professional activities under Harvard Medical School. He pioneered the application of the medical ketogenic diet in psychiatry, particularly for mood and psychotic disorders, and authored the bestselling book Brain Energy, which presents his groundbreaking theory that mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain. This unifying framework integrates biological, psychological, and social factors, earning widespread media recognition and influencing global research.

An Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, he speaks worldwide, contributes to publications, and drives a movement to unify mental and physical health care for lasting recovery.