Rate My Professor Julia Rucklidge

Professor Julia Rucklidge is a Professor of Clinical Psychology in the School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing at the University of Canterbury, where she also serves as Director of Te Puna Toiora, the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab. Originally from Canada, she earned her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Calgary and completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto before emigrating to New Zealand in 2000 to join the University of Canterbury as a lecturer. Her research specializations center on the role of broad-spectrum micronutrients in the treatment of mental health conditions, including mood disorders, anxiety, stress, and ADHD, with her lab conducting multiple clinical trials in this area. Professor Rucklidge has authored over 160 publications and co-authored the book The Better Brain: Overcome Anxiety, Combat Depression, and Reduce ADHD and Stress with Nutrition. She has received awards including the University of Canterbury Innovation Medal and the Ballin Award from the New Zealand Psychological Society for contributions to clinical psychology. In addition to her research, she developed and teaches a popular edX online course on Mental Health and Nutrition and has delivered hundreds of public lectures and presentations worldwide on the interface between nutrition and mental health.

Her work has contributed to growing interest in nutritional approaches as adjunctive or alternative interventions for mental illness, influencing both academic discourse and public awareness through her TEDx talk, which has garnered millions of views. Professor Rucklidge continues to lead clinical trials and supervise research at the University of Canterbury while maintaining her role as a clinical psychologist.