Felice Jacka

Felice Nellie Jacka OAM is an Australian academic, founder and president of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research. She is a professor of Nutritional Psychiatry and the director of the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University.[1]

Jacka focused her research work in the field of nutritional psychiatry, establishing diet as a risk factor and treatment target for common mental disorders. In 2017, she led a trial showing that an improved diet could treat major depression,[2] finding that healthier eating habits can result in a 30% reduced risk of depression.[3]

Articles in the Australian press about Jacka's studies include The Guardian,[4] The Sydney Morning Herald[5] and ABC News.[6] With over 260 publications, she is an ISI Highly Cited Researcher for all years between 2020 and 2023,[7] ranking her in the top 0.1% of publishing scientists worldwide.[8]

In 2021 Jacka was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to nutritional psychiatry research.[9]

  1. ^ "Food and Mood Centre | We are a team of world-class researchers from various backgrounds, studying the food-mood relationship at various levels, from microbiology to public health". Food and Mood Centre. 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  2. ^ "World-first trial shows improving diet can treat major depression". www.deakin.edu.au. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  3. ^ Fleming, Amy (2019-03-18). "Nutritional psychiatry: can you eat yourself happier?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  4. ^ Fleming, Amy (2019-03-18). "Nutritional psychiatry: can you eat yourself happier?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  5. ^ Berry, Sarah (2019-10-09). "Diet could improve depression symptoms in three weeks, study finds". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  6. ^ "Mediterranean diet can help in fight against depression: study". ABC News. 2017-01-30. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  7. ^ "Web of Science". www.webofscience.com. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  8. ^ "Felice Jacka". Food and Mood Centre. 2019-07-09. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  9. ^ Swannell, Cate (2021-06-14). "Queen's Birthday honorees". Medical Journal of Australia. 214 (111). ISSN 0025-729X.