Keto Lifestyle

Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, leading scientist in the quest to optimize brain health

Dominic D’Agostino, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida where he teaches students of the Morsani College of Medicine and the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology. He is also a Research Scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) to assist with their efforts towards optimizing the safety, health and resilience of the warfighter and astronaut.

The main focus of his lab over the last 10 years has been understanding the anticonvulsant and neuroprotective mechanism of the ketogenic diet and ketone metabolite supplementation. The shift in brain metabolism (from glucose to ketones) reduces neuronal hyperexcitability, oxidative stress and enhances brain energy metabolism. This approach can be used to treat a wide variety of pathologies linked to metabolic dysregulation, including cancer.  

Other areas of interest include researching drugs that target cancer-specific metabolic pathways.  He was a research investigator and crew member on NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operation (NEEMO 22) and has a personal interest in environmental medicine and methods to enhance safety and physiological resilience in extreme environments. His research is supported by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Department of Defense (DoD), private organizations and foundations.

Watch all his video interviews to learn more about Dr. D’Agostino’s views on ketogenic therapies

• When will the ketogenic diet be available for other medical conditions?
• Is the diet difficult and will my doctor support it?
• Should I take a ketone supplement or try exogenous ketones?
• Do you need a dietitian for a ketogenic diet?
• Why Isn’t the keto diet used as a treatment more often?
• How is anecdotal evidence a benefit to scientists?

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