Belmont, Mass.-based McLean Hospital, part of Mass General Brigham, plans to establish a metabolic psychiatry center backed by a $20 million grant from Baszucki Group, an organization founded by Roblox CEO David Baszucki and Jan Ellison Baszucki that funds research at the intersection of metabolism and mental health.
The McLean Center for Metabolic Psychiatry will combine patient care, research and physician training to explore how metabolic interventions can be used to treat psychiatric conditions, according to an Oct. 21 news release from the system. The release did not say when the center will open.
The center will offer services focused on ketogenic therapy, an approach being studied for its potential to improve symptoms of serious mental illnesses, including depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. It will also serve as a flagship site for the newly launched Global Network for the Advancement of Metabolic Psychiatry, known as MetPsy.
Dost Öngür, MD, PhD, chief of McLean’s Psychotic Disorders Division, will lead the center and oversee its clinical, research and educational programs. McLean will partner with MH², a clinical practice and education organization, on medical training initiatives co-led by Christopher Palmer, MD, founder and president of MH² and director of McLean’s Metabolic and Mental Health Program.
The broader MetPsy network, supported by Baszucki Group, will connect clinicians and researchers internationally through educational courses, shared resources and professional collaboration.
At the Becker's Fall Behavioral Health Summit, taking place November 4–5 in Chicago, behavioral health leaders and executives will explore strategies for expanding access to care, integrating services, addressing workforce challenges and leveraging innovation to improve outcomes across the behavioral health continuum. Apply for complimentary registration now.
