Diet, Lifestyle, and Mental Health Research Group

The Diet, Lifestyle and Mental Health Research Group brings together researchers across psychology, nutrition, neuroscience, biomedical sciences, public health and allied disciplines to investigate how diet, lifestyle and behaviour influence mental health across the lifespan.

The group provides a collaborative environment for developing interdisciplinary research, supporting grant applications, mentoring students and early career researchers, and translating emerging evidence into clinical practice, education and public health policy. Through partnerships across the University and with national and international collaborators, the group aims to generate high-quality research with real-world impact.

Research themes

  • Nutritional psychiatry: Understanding how dietary patterns, nutrients and eating behaviours influence mental health and wellbeing across the lifespan.
  • Neuroscience, the Gut-Brain Axis and Biological Mechanisms: Investigating the neurobiological and physiological mechanisms linking diet, the gut microbiome, neurochemistry, inflammation and brain function to mental health.
  • Lifestyle behaviours and psychology wellbeing: Exploring how physical activity, sleep, stress, and other lifestyle behaviours interact with nutrition to influence mental health and wellbeing.
  • Neurodiversity and Addiction: In collaboration with the University of East London and NHS partners, this project explores the lived experiences of neurodivergent individuals accessing substance use services. Findings have informed NHS knowledge exchange workshops promoting neurodiversity-informed approaches to addiction and mental health care.
  • Knowledge translation and public health: developing and evaluating approaches that translate research into clinical practice, education, public health and policy through interdisciplinary collaboration and stakeholder engagement.
  • Women’s health and mental health: Examining how diet and lifestyle influence mental health across key life stages, including adolescence, menopause and healthy ageing.
  • Health inequalities, ethnicity and metabolic health: Investigating how cultural, dietary and behavioural practices influence health outcomes across diverse populations. Exploring eating behaviours and dietary practices in ethnic minority groups, the biological mechanisms underlying diabetes risk, and the psychological and behavioural determinants of Vitamin D status to inform prevention strategies.

Key contact: 

 

Current projects: 

  1. BEETHOVEN: Horizon EU funded project exploring stakeholders’ perspectives on the relationship between nutrition and mental health, with a focus on mental health promotion and prevention.
  2. VITAMIN Trial: Randomised trial investigating nutritional resources for human milk donors and omega-3 status.
  3. Evaluating the awareness, perceptions and support for Nutrition in Mental Health
  4. The association between dietary intake and behaviours and mental health and wellbeing: a cross-sectional study

Activities

 

NHS knowledge exchange activities

Student research collaborations

Recent grants:

BEETHOVEN (Horizon Europe): September 2026. Coxon, C (Co P.I.), Clesse, C (Co P.I.) and Costabile, A. will contribute to an international consortium investigating how diet influence mental health across the lifespan. Roehampton leads research on social, behavioural and socio-economic determinants of diet and mental health, contributing to evidence that will inform development of nutritional guidelines and future policy and practice.

Dyall S.C (P.I.) and Jeanes Y. were awarded £66K by The Waterloo Foundation for a project to develop nutritional recommendations and information resources for milk donors.

Publications

  1. Costabile, A., Fagbemi, L. O., Soldaini, C., Siniscalchi, M., Ruotolo, M., Barone, M., Fabbrini, M., Brigidi, P., Turroni, S., Kolida, S., Jeanes, Y., & Ciacci, C. (2026). Combined Probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ECGC 13110402 and Plant Sterol Supplement May Improve Lipids and Gut Microbiota in Coeliac Adults: A Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Human Intervention Study. Molecules, 31(10), 1722. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31101722
  2. Pipino, C., Costabile, F., Peláez, S. M., Tzortzis, G., Vulevic, J. & Costabile, A., (2026)  Oral Postbiotic (VMK223) Supplementation Is Associated with Improved Instrumental Skin Appearance Parameters in Healthy Women Aged 40–55 Years: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) 16, 3107–3121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-026-01754-6
  3. Szajewska, H., Benninga, M., Chatonidi, G., Costabile, A., Lane, J., van Loo-Bouwman, C. A., Mersh, C., Morales, P. S., Walton, G., Collado, M. C., Francavilla, R., Fulling, C., Holbech Jensen, B. A., Pascual, D. P., Ross, P. R., van den Akker, C. H., Vandenplas, Y., Vidra, N., & Ouwehand, A. C. (2026). Probiotic Human Study Design and Reporting (PRODARE): Recommendations to Improve Research Practice. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 100668. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2026.100668
  4. Clesse, C., et al. (2026). Depression in dialysis patients with end-stage kidney disease: Investigating the role of psychosocial stressors, co-occurring medical conditions and demographic influences. BJPsych Open. (Advance online publication).
  5. Dyall, S. C., Brenna, J. T., Carlson, S., Crawford, M., Martin, C., & Salem, N., Jr. (2026). Omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in neurodevelopment and prematurity: Correcting imbalances and closing the Preterm PUFA Gap. Progress in Lipid Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plipres.2026.101379
  6. Crawford M.A., Horn L.A., Brenna J.T., Broadhurst C.L., Dyall S.C., Johnson M., Schmidt W.F., Sinclair A.J., Thabet M., Wang Y. (2025): The quantum brain: the untold story of docosahexaenoic acid’s role in brain evolution, biophysics, and cognition. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 26 (23): 11542
  7. Dyall S.C., Plourde M (2025): Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in neurodegenerative disorders: mixed designs = mixed results. Progress in Lipid Research 100, 101356
  8. Coxon, C., Rufeger, M., Hollamby, G., Ashtree, D., Orr, R., Lane, M., & Hepsomali, P. (2025). Sugar intake is associated with increased odds of depression and anxiety: Evidence from a cross-sectional study. Health Science Reports, 8(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.71666
  9. Coxon C & Gibson EL (2025) Diet and mental health in school-aged children: a mini review of school-based dietary intervention studies. Front. Educ. 10:1656924. doi:10.3389/feduc.2025.1656924
  10. Ancu, O., Mackenzie, R.W.A., Patterson, M. et al. Impact of a mineral enriched, fiber complex on glycaemic response and satiation in healthy adults: a double-blind, crossover intervention study. Eur J Nutr 64, 216 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-025-03732-8
  11. Johnstone, N., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2025). A Randomised Controlled Trial of the effects of Galacto-Oligosaccharides on the gut brain-axis of young females. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2025.06.020
  12. Johnstone, N., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2025). Indicators of improved emotion behaviour in 6–14-year-old children following a 4-week placebo controlled prebiotic supplement intervention at home with a parent. Nutrition Journal, 24(34). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-025-01098-5
  13. Basso, M., Zorzan, I., Johnstone, N., Barberis, M., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2024). Diet quality and anxiety: A critical overview with focus on the gut microbiome. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1346483
  14. AlShehab M, Costabile A, Patterson M, Hakim, O (2025). Ethnic differences in adipose tissue dysfunction and insulin resistance: a scoping review. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2025.112363