Dr. Uma Naidoo, MD

Uma Naidoo, MD, works as a psychiatrist specialising in nutritional psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, with a career centred on nutritional psychiatry. She holds the position of Founder and Director of Nutritional, Lifestyle and Metabolic Psychiatry.

Particular areas of attention include food and mood, and diet as part of psychiatric treatment; the gut microbiome and mental health; and metabolic psychiatry. Dr. Uma Naidoo has received the Junior Investigator Award from the American Psychiatric Association.

Some physicians build a clinical practice around nutrition, treating conditions such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease or digestive disorders with diet alongside conventional medical care. Dr. Uma Naidoo practises in this way, with a focus on nutritional psychiatry.

Dr. Uma Naidoo Credentials And Affiliation Details

• Full Name And Credentials: Uma Naidoo, MD
• Profession: Psychiatrist specialising in nutritional psychiatry
• Field Of Focus: Nutritional psychiatry
• Current Position: Founder and Director of Nutritional, Lifestyle and Metabolic Psychiatry
• Institution: Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts
• Sees Patients: Yes, in a clinical setting

How Dr. Uma Naidoo Trained

The qualifications below are drawn from the institutional, professional body and publisher sources listed at the end of this profile.

• Medical Degree: Board certified in psychiatry, trained through the Harvard Longwood Psychiatry Residency Training Program, Boston
• Culinary Training: Professional chef, Cambridge School of Culinary Arts
• Nutrition Training: Nutrition specialist training, Cornell University
• Professional Standing: Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Dr. Uma Naidoo Scope Of Work

Published professional sources describe the work of Dr. Uma Naidoo as centred on:

• Food and mood, and diet as part of psychiatric treatment
• The gut microbiome and mental health
• Metabolic psychiatry
• Anxiety and depression and nutritional strategies
• Culinary medicine for patients and clinicians

Positions, Editorial And Advisory Roles Of Dr. Uma Naidoo

• Founder and Director of Nutritional, Lifestyle and Metabolic Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, the first hospital based service of its kind in the United States
• Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy, where she designed the first continuing medical education programme in nutritional psychiatry
• Faculty member, Harvard Medical School, and faculty of the Harvard Department of Nutrition
• Part-time culinary instructor, Cambridge School of Culinary Arts
• Integrated nutritional psychiatry into the MGH and McLean psychiatry residency curriculum from 2016
• Commissioned by the American Psychiatric Association to write the first academic textbook in nutritional psychiatry
• Author of This Is Your Brain on Food and Calm Your Mind with Food
• United States Ambassador for Nutritional and Metabolic Psychiatry, UK College of Medicine

Dr. Uma Naidoo Research Output And Awards

• Junior Investigator Award, American Psychiatric Association
• This Is Your Brain on Food published in 22 countries and 18 languages
• Widely credited as a founder of hospital based nutritional psychiatry in the United States
• Writes for Harvard Health and Psychology Today

Institution And Country Where Dr. Uma Naidoo Works

Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Boston, Massachusetts. Clinical commitments at this institution are arranged through its own departments and services. Confirm the current address, department and telephone number with the institution before travelling, because academic appointments and clinic sites change.

Nutritional Psychiatry Explained

Nutritional psychiatry examines how what a person eats relates to mood, anxiety, concentration and the risk of mental health conditions. Much of the mechanism runs through the gut, inflammation and the supply of nutrients the brain needs to make neurotransmitters. The field does not propose food as a replacement for medication or talking therapy. It treats diet as one more part of a treatment plan, alongside sleep, activity and conventional psychiatric care.

Related Profiles In Nutritional Psychiatry

If you are comparing specialists, these profiles cover closely related areas of nutrition:

• Dr. Drew Ramsey, nutritional psychiatry at Brain Food Clinic and Spruce Mental Health
• Dr. Miguel Toribio-Mateas, gut brain nutrition at University of West London, with an Honorary Research Fellowship at Cardiff University
• Dr. Sarah Berry, personalised nutrition science at King’s College London and ZOE
• Dr. Shilpa Ravella, gastroenterology and nutrition at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, with rural health practice in Hilo, Hawaii

Browse the full dietitian and nutritionist directory for more specialists.

Referrals, Appointments And Access To Dr. Uma Naidoo

Dr. Uma Naidoo is an associate psychiatrist who sees patients at Massachusetts General Hospital and in private practice in Newton, Massachusetts. Access is usually arranged through the institution, a referring doctor or its own clinic rather than through this directory. Insurance participation, fees and waiting times vary by institution and by plan, and they change over time, so check coverage with both the institution and your insurer before scheduling. Use the enquiry button on this page to ask about availability.

Quick Answers About Dr. Uma Naidoo

What does Dr. Uma Naidoo specialise in?

Dr. Uma Naidoo is a psychiatrist specialising in nutritional psychiatry whose work centres on nutritional psychiatry. Particular areas of focus include food and mood, and diet as part of psychiatric treatment; and the gut microbiome and mental health.

Where is Dr. Uma Naidoo based?

Dr. Uma Naidoo works at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.

Does Dr. Uma Naidoo see patients?

Yes. Dr. Uma Naidoo is an associate psychiatrist who sees patients at Massachusetts General Hospital and in private practice in Newton, Massachusetts. Availability, waiting times and the services offered change, so confirm current arrangements with the institution before travelling.

What did Dr. Uma Naidoo study?

Board certified in psychiatry, trained through the Harvard Longwood Psychiatry Residency Training Program, Boston. Full training details appear in the education section above.

What are the qualifications of Dr. Uma Naidoo?

Uma Naidoo, MD. Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

What position does Dr. Uma Naidoo hold?

Dr. Uma Naidoo is Founder and Director of Nutritional, Lifestyle and Metabolic Psychiatry, based at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Source List For Dr. Uma Naidoo

• Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy faculty profile
• Harvard Medical School
• Institute for Functional Medicine guest profile

Accuracy, Sourcing And Review Date For Dr. Uma Naidoo

This profile was compiled from the public professional sources listed above, including university faculty pages, professional register and society records, journal author statements and publisher biographies. Qualifications, appointments and awards were checked against at least two independent sources where available. Last reviewed on 30 October 2026.

Found something out of date? Contact the Find MD Health editorial team and we will review the entry.

How To Use The Information About Dr. Uma Naidoo

Information only, not medical or dietary advice. Location, services, insurance and availability change, so confirm details with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.