Biology Department Faculty

Thomas N. Seyfried

Professor

Department

Biology

Research

Our research program focuses on mechanisms by which metabolic therapy manages chronic diseases such as epilepsy, neurodegenerative lipid storage diseases, and cancer. The metabolic therapies include caloric restriction, fasting, and ketogenic diets.  Our approach is based on the idea that compensatory metabolic pathways are capable of modifying the pathogenesis of complex diseases. Global shifts in metabolic environment can neutralize molecular pathology. In the case of cancer, these therapies target and kill tumor cells while enhancing the physiological health of normal cells. The neurochemical and genetic mechanisms of these phenomena are under investigation in novel animal models and include the processes of inflammation, cellular physiology, angiogenesis, and lipid biochemistry.

Media

YouTube

A Novel Therapeutic Strategy For Metabolic Management of Cancer - Thomas Seyfried (June 2018)

Podcast

Thomas Seyfried, Ph.D.: Controversial discussion—cancer as a mitochondrial metabolic disease? (EP.30)​.

Treatise

Dr. Seyfried published a groundbreaking treatise entitled, Cancer as a Metabolic Disease: On the Origin, Management, and Prevention of Cancer (Wiley, 1st ed., 2012). The treatise provides extensive information showing that cancer can be best defined as a mitochondrial metabolic disease rather than as a genetic disease. This new concept has implications for the development of new non-toxic cancer therapies including the ketogenic diet. Experts in the cancer research field have praised this comprehensive study as one of science's hottest topics. Amazon customer reviews.

Presentations

Dr. Seyfried has been a featured speaker at numerous scientific symposia and conferences relating to cancer, including the 2nd Annual Ancestral Health Symposium, 2012; The Educational Session Lecture, American Association Cancer Research, 2013, and the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC), 2015. To view his IHMC lecture, “Cancer: A Metabolic Disease With Metabolic Solutions”, click here

Donations

If you would like to show your support for the research Dr. Seyfried and his lab undertake, you can easily contribute a donation through the Boston College Development page. Please make sure that you specify Dr. Seyfried and his lab under the 'Area of Support' section by selecting the 'Other' category and filling in this information. Contributions of any size are welcome.

Awards

  • Alumni Achievement Award, University of New England, 2013
  • Lifetime Achievement Award, 2016 - Academy of Comprehensive and Complementary Medicine
  • Mercola Gamechanger Award, 2016
  • American College of Nutrition Award Lecture winner, 2017
  • 2019 Outstanding Career Achievement Award in the Field of Dose Response.  International Dose Response Society.