Nicholas Norwitz

Nicholas Norwitz is an MD-PhD candidate currently completing his doctoral studies at Oxford University in the laboratory of Professor Kieran Clarke, after which he will complete his medical studies at Harvard Medical School. He has a broad passion for food/nutrition as medicine and has published a diverse series of peer-reviewed papers in the fields of neuroscience, metabolism, lipidology, nutrition, orthopedics, gastroenterology, and aging. 

His Oxford research includes human clinical trials aimed at exploring the medical applications of ketone bodies, specifically D-β-hydroxybutyrate, in patients with neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson’s disease. Nick and Professor Clarke hypothesize that, by acting as both an efficient fuel substrate for the brain and as a signaling molecule, D-β-hydroxybutyrate will improve the symptoms and slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

Nick is also a nutrition coach, app developer, and he is co-authoring an evidence-based science cookbook with author Martina Slajerova. It is a collaboration among chefs, scientists, and healthcare providers that aims transform reader’s kitchens into a place of nutritional optimization and scientific learning as well as joyful eating. 

Select first-author publications:

Ketogenic Diet as a Metabolic Treatment for Mental Illness 

A Standard Lipid Panel is Insufficient for the Care of a Patient on a High-Fat, Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7174731/  

Multi-Loop Model of Alzheimer Disease: An Integrated Perspective on the Wnt/GSK3β, α-Synuclein, and Type 3 Diabetes Hypotheses (July, 2019): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31417394  

The Mechanisms by Which the Ketone Body D-β-Hydroxybutyrate May Improve the Multiple Cellular Pathologies of Parkinson's Disease (May, 2019): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31139630 

LRP5, Bone Density, and Mechanical Stress: A Case Report and Literature Review (March, 2019): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6443714/