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Miguel Toribio-Mateas CBiol BSc MSc DProf MRSB

Dr Miguel Toribio-Mateas

(he/they)

CBiol BSc MSc DProf MRSB

Teams and roles for Miguel Toribio-Mateas

Overview

I am a clinical neuroscientist and applied microbiologist with a longstanding background in human nutrition, specialising in the microbiota-gut-brain axis. My work spans research, clinical practice, and industry, with a sustained focus on translating gut microbiome and nutrition science into practical applications for mental health, cognitive performance, and wellbeing. Over more than two decades, my experience has extended well beyond academia, including clinical work in nutritional psychiatry within multidisciplinary teams, alongside senior roles across healthcare, science, and technology in both clinical and non-clinical settings.

This breadth of experience informs my leadership within transdisciplinary and academic–industry research collaborations. I have led and contributed to projects that bridge academic research, product development, and clinical implementation, with particular emphasis on generating evidence that is usable by healthcare professionals. I have been closely involved in the design and delivery of pilot and feasibility studies, as well as small-scale clinical trials that test mechanistic and behavioural hypotheses and inform progression to larger randomised, placebo-controlled studies. This includes contribution to peer-reviewed clinical trials, such as a randomised controlled trial published in October 2025 examining the effects of kefir on symptoms, sleep, and gut microbiota in children with ADHD. Full details of these studies are available in my publications list.

A defining feature of my research is the integration of psychometrically validated self-reported outcomes with microbial and biological markers, enabling findings to be translated into clinically meaningful insights. This approach was formalised during my professional doctorate on the gut microbiome and mental health, which received the Santander Universities Work-Based Learning Award at Middlesex University in 2016. In parallel, I held a five-year Research Innovation Fellowship at London South Bank University, funded by the European Regional Development Fund, where I led translational research linking gut health, brain function, and mental wellbeing in academic and industry-facing contexts.

As a queer neurodivergent researcher, I maintain a strong commitment to inclusive and ethical research practice. I prioritise participatory approaches that rebalance power by conducting research with people rather than on them. Integrating qualitative methods alongside quantitative data is central to this approach, ensuring that lived experience informs both interpretation and real-world application. I also bring a practice-based understanding of the dietary needs of neurodivergent individuals, informed by clinical work and lived experience, with particular attention to executive functioning, sensory processing, and emotional regulation.

As of June 2025, I am a Third Sector Research Fellow at the Social Science Research Park (SPARK) at Cardiff University, where my role is exclusively research-focused and based off campus. I am also a Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Public Health at the University of West London, where I teach across research methods, gut–brain science, and research implementation and quality improvement.

Please note that I am based off-campus and that my fellowship role is research-only. I am a Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Public Health at the University of West London, where I teach across research methods, gut–brain science, and research implementation and quality improvement.

Publication

2025

2023

2022

2021

2020

2018

2017

2016

Articles

Book sections

Conferences

Research

My research interests include: 

  • Food-gut-microbiota-mood interactions in positive versus pathological mental health states.
  • The interface between the gut-brain axis and psychological well-being in the workplace. 
  • Microbial signatures in neurodevelopmental conditions such as Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism.
  • Changes to the microbiome in neurodegenerative conditions, e.g. Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Person-centred neurosciences focusing on first-person experiences of people living with neurological conditions. To this extent, I am the guest editor of the special issue "Person-Centred Care in the Neurosciences" for the journal "Health Expectations" (Wiley), closing December 2023. 

Teaching

My role at Cardiff is purely a research one, although I do lecture in nutrition, health and wellbeing at University of West London. You can view my staff profile here https://www.uwl.ac.uk/staff/miguel-toribio-mateas. 

Biography

Postgraduate education

Middlesex University, 2016, 2021
DProf Gut Microbiome & Mental Health. Thesis: “Guts, Brains, Complexity and Creativity: Immersive Living and Learning Through the Critical Lens of First-Person Inquiry”

University of Roehampton, 2014 - 2016
MSc Clinical Neuroscience. Thesis: “Investigating the Effects of Coenzyme Q10 Plus NADH,Ascorbic Acid and L-Serine on Cellular Metabolism and Mitochondrial Unfolded Protein Response Transcription Factor Activation in Murine Neural Stem Cells”

University of West London, 2009 - 2010
BSc (Honours) Nutritional Medicine 

The Open University, 2001 - 2003
PgDip Environmental Decision Making (Sustainability)

London South Bank University, 1999 - 2000
MSc International Business

 

Undergraduate education

University of West London, 2004 - 2009
BSc Nutritional Medicine

Universidad Complutense and Universidad Carlos III, Madrid (Spain), 1991 - 1995.
Philosophy, Business and Languages

 

 

Journal Editorial Boards

  • Associate Editor, Health Expectations (Wiley)
  • Editorial Board, Microorganisms (MDPI)
  • Editorial Board, Brain Sciences (MDPI) 

 

Employment

Current Positions:

2023 - Present: Honorary Research Fellow, School of Psychology, Cardiff University

2024 - Present: Lecturer in Nutrition, Quality Improvement and Public Health, University of West London

2009 - Present: Independent research and development (R&D) consultant.

 

Previous Roles:

2018 - 2023: Innovation Consultant at the London Agri-Food Innovation Clinic (LAFIC), a research unit at London South Bank University's School of Applied Sciences. European Regional Development Fund funded research on the effect of fermented foods on cognitive health and mental wellbeing. 

2017 - 2022: Nutritional Neuroscience Lead, Executive Resilience and Senior Leaders Resilience Programmes, The Insight Network. Working with Lloyd’s Bank and NatWest Bank on psychological well-being at work. 

2019 - 2021: Director of Research and Innovation at Atlas Biomed, creating a successful interface between the application of microbiome research to human health and product development, spearheading the company’s commercial and educational R&D activities in the UK and Europe. 

2016 - 2020: Editor-In-Chief, Nutrition Evidence Database, a platform of high quality nutritional science and lifestyle medicine research, designed to support clinical decisions that translate into effective, individualised evidence-based interventions. 

2015 - 2021: Clinical Neuroscientist at Claimont Health, providing specialist evidence-based nutrition support for mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, PTSD, burnout), disordered eating and drug-alcohol addiction, working as part of a multidisciplinary psychiatrist-led clinical team to provide excellent person-centred care in the client's home.  

2015 - 2017:  Head of Clinical Education and co-founder of MapMyGut, the prequel to the Zoe app and a spinoff of the British Gut Project with Professor Tim Spector at King's College London. 

2012 - 2016: Senior Clinical Practice Supervisor and Guest Lecturer, Nutritional Medicine BSc (Hons), University of West London

2010 - 2016: Senior Consultant: Research Intelligence, Springer Nature. 

2003 - 2010: Senior International Manager, Research & Education, Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research 

2001 - 2003: Research Intelligence Product Manager, Global Product Council, Lexis Nexis 

For further details of my professional background, please visit my LinkedIn page.

 

Honours and awards

  • Santander Universities "Work-Based Learning Award”, Middlesex University 2016

 

Volunteering

  • Scientific advisor to the Body & Soul Charity, and collaborator on their You Are Not Alone (YANA) youth mental health programme, which specifically addresses the pressing issue of suicide attempts among 16-30-year-olds through dialectical behavioural therapy. 
  • Ambassador for the Nutritious Minds Charity Trust, a non-profit organisation that empowers individuals with ADHD, dyslexia, or other neurodivergent conditions through the creative and performing arts, music, nutritional education and more. 

Honours and awards

I received the Santander Universities "Work-Based Learning Award" at Middlesex Universities for my doctoral research (2016-2021), which focused on the microbiota-gut-brain axis and its interface with mood, cognition, and mental / brain health. I have continued to study the associations between microbiome-based markers such as microbial diversity, microbiota composition, microbial metabolites (short chain fatty acids, markers of mucosal barrier integrity, etc.) and domains of cognition such as memory and focus, as well as the quality of life/severity of symptoms in neurodevelopmental disorders, with a particular focus on Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Professional memberships

  • Chartered Biologist (Royal Society of Biology, UK)
  • Member of the Microbiology Society (UK)
  • Fellow of Applied Microbiology International
  • Member of the British Neuroscience Association (UK)

Committees and reviewing

  • Member of the steering group of the Person-Centred Neurosciences  Society/Primary Care and Community Neurology Society (P-CNS)
  • Reviewer for the BMJ (Open), Elsevier Science, and several MDPI journals, including Brain Sciences, Nutrients and Microorganisms.
  • Guest Editor for Health Expectations (Wiley). 

Contact Details

Email [email protected]

Research themes

Specialisms

  • Gut microbiome science
  • Mental Health
  • Neurodevelopment
  • The gut-brain axis
  • Nutritional neuroscience

External profiles