Global Network for the Advancement of Metabolic Psychiatry (MetPsy) Launches with $20 Million Investment in Clinical Care, Education and Research at McLean Hospital

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 21, 2026--

Baszucki Group today announced the launch of the Global Network for the Advancement of Metabolic Psychiatry ( MetPsy ), uniting researchers and clinicians worldwide to advance evidence-based practice in metabolic psychiatry through clinical care, education, and research. The launch is accompanied by a new $20 million grant from Baszucki Group to build a clinical and research center at McLean Hospital, a member of Mass General Brigham, creating the infrastructure to deliver metabolic approaches to psychiatric care at scale. The grant also supports medical education and training initiatives co-led by MH², a clinical practice, training and education hub.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261021217733/en/

“Over the past five years, metabolic psychiatry has evolved from a few foundational projects into a dynamic, global movement,” said Kirk Nylen, PhD, Executive Director of MetPsy. “Real scientific breakthroughs don’t happen in isolation; they require strong points of connection. MetPsy was created to be that unifying catalyst, bridging scientific and clinical disciplines to translate research into life-changing treatments for people living with severe mental illness. We are proud to launch this global initiative to drive the future of psychiatric care.”

Metabolic psychiatry is the study of how metabolism influences brain function and mental health. While neurologists have used metabolic approaches to treat brain disorders like epilepsy for more than a century, the application of this approach to psychiatric illness is an emerging area of study and practice. Over the past decade, a growing body of research has demonstrated the potential of metabolic treatments such as ketogenic therapy to improve both metabolic health and psychiatric symptoms in serious mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

As the field expands, demand for resources has grown among researchers and clinicians, as well as the patients they serve. MetPsy addresses this need by providing a centralized network for professional collaboration, shared resources, access to accredited courses, and tools for advancing clinical practice. Backed by foundational support from Baszucki Group, MetPsy aims to include organizations working across all areas of metabolic psychiatry, catalyzing future discoveries and better care.

“The launch of MetPsy reflects our family’s commitment to continuing to advance the field of metabolic psychiatry worldwide,” said Jan Ellison Baszucki, Co-Founder of Baszucki Group. “As this network grows, we hope fellow funders will join us in expanding access to evidence-based metabolic interventions—a clinical approach that has restored the health and future of our son Matthew, and offers that same hope to many more.”

The McLean Center for Metabolic Psychiatry will advance the goals of MetPsy through its core pillars. Dr. Dost Öngür serves as Center Director, overseeing a clinical care center, a research program, and a medical education and training initiative which is co-led by MH² and Dr. Christopher Palmer. Located in Belmont, Massachusetts, McLean Hospital serves as a teaching affiliate for Harvard Medical School and is consistently ranked as the top freestanding psychiatric hospital by U.S. News &World Report.

“Our multidisciplinary team brings together significant clinical and research expertise to expand patient care, offering the first mental healthcare service focused on ketogenic therapy within a larger, established institution,” said Center Director Dost Öngür, MD, PhD, Chief of the Psychotic Disorders Division at McLean Hospital and William P. and Henry B. Test Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “The Center will demonstrate the feasibility of integrated metabolic care and provide an operational blueprint for other academic medical centers worldwide.”

"Advancing emerging approaches to mental health care requires an integrated model that spans research, clinical practice, and specialized medical education. Through this unique model, we are establishing the evidence base and training protocols needed to support multiple dimensions of metabolic psychiatry,” said Christopher M. Palmer, MD, Founder and President of MH², Director of the Metabolic and Mental Health Program at McLean Hospital, and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

To learn more about the initiative or join the network, visit metpsy.com. To learn more about the McLean Center for Metabolic Psychiatry, visit the Metabolic Psychiatry Care page.

About Baszucki Group

Launched in 2021 by Roblox founder and Chief Executive Officer David Baszucki and best-selling author Jan Ellison Baszucki, Baszucki Group leverages grantmaking, impact investing, advocacy, storytelling, and community building to drive foundational change in science, medicine, farming, food, and environmental ecosystems. A primary focus of Baszucki Group is supporting initiatives at the intersection of metabolism, psychiatry, and neuroscience with the goal of improving mental health outcomes. For clinicians and researchers interested in learning more about metabolic psychiatry, or in joining the Global Network to Advance Metabolic Psychiatry (MetPsy), visit metpsy.com. To learn more about peer and family resources for metabolic approaches to mental well-being and brain health, visit Metabolic Mind, a nonprofit initiative of Baszucki Group.

About McLean

McLean Hospital has a continuous commitment to put people first in patient care, innovation and discovery, and shared knowledge related to mental health. It is consistently named the #1 freestanding psychiatric hospital in the United States by U.S. News & World Report and is #2 in America for psychiatric care in 2026-27. McLean Hospital is the largest psychiatric affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a member of Mass General Brigham. To stay up to date on McLean, follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

MetPsy, a global network for metabolic psychiatry, launches with $20M Baszucki Group grant for new McLean Hospital clinical care and research center.

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 21, 2026--

Immunis, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class multi-active biologics for muscle health and healthy aging, today announced that it has been selected to receive the Grand Prize in the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Healthy Longevity Global Competition, a global initiative designed to accelerate breakthroughs that extend human healthspan and improve physical, cognitive and social well-being throughout life.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261021720676/en/

From 2020 to 2025, NAM and its global partners awarded 720 Catalyst Awards totaling more than $36 million to innovators across more than 50 countries and territories. The 2026 Grand Prize was open exclusively to those Catalyst Award recipients and recognizes the groups with the most promising innovation in healthy longevity.

Immunis was recognized for “IMM01-STEM: A First-in-Class Regenerative Biologic Restoring Muscle Function, Metabolism, and Quality of Life in Aging Adults.” The investigational IMM01-STEM therapy is a multi-active biologic that can address the interconnected biological processes underlying age-related muscle and metabolic decline.

Unlike approaches that target a single pathway, IMM01-STEM contains multiple naturally occurring factors designed to act across signaling pathways involved in immune regulation, tissue repair and muscle regeneration. Immunis’ pipeline will investigate IMM01-STEM as both a stand-alone muscle therapy and as an adjunct therapy in combination with GLP-1 therapies to preserve and restore lean mass while enhancing fat loss.

“We are deeply honored to receive this recognition from the National Academy of Medicine,” said Dr. Tom Lane, Chief Science Officer of Immunis. “Healthy longevity is about preserving the strength and function that improve a patient’s quality of life,” said Dr. Lane. “This Grand Prize provides our team with means to continue our clinical research and, eventually, the opportunity to help millions of people.”

Immunis has advanced IMM01-STEM into a randomized Phase 2 clinical trial, with evidence to date demonstrating improvements in measures of muscle function, metabolism and quality of life in aging adults. Blood protein analyses have also identified coordinated changes across immune cell signaling, tissue repair and muscle regeneration pathways. No severe adverse events attributed to IMM01-STEM have been reported to date.

Published preclinical research further supports the therapeutic’s potential, demonstrating improvements across measures including lean mass, fat mass, muscle fiber quality, physical activity, glucose handling and liver health.

The recognition comes as age-related loss of muscle and metabolic function is increasingly emerging as a critical challenge to healthy longevity. By targeting multiple interconnected pathways rather than a single mechanism, Immunis is developing IMM01-STEM with the goal of preserving the strength, mobility and metabolic health that allow people to remain active and independent as they age.

Immunis thanks the National Academy of Medicine for this distinguished honor and celebrates with the other awardees on the culmination of a 7-year long search for the greatest innovations in healthy longevity.

About Immunis

Immunis is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class multi-active biologics designed to restore function lost through aging and disease. Leveraging the body’s innate repair biology, Immunis’ proprietary secretome platform targets multiple pathways simultaneously to improve muscle health, metabolic function, and overall healthspan. The company’s lead investigational therapy, IMM01-STEM, is being evaluated as a potential treatment for sarcopenia and other age-related conditions, with the vision of helping people live healthier, stronger, and more independent lives for longer.

Immunis is the proud winner of the National Academy of Medicine's Healthy Longevity Global Grand Prize Competition