Dr. Derrick MacFabe is the co-founder and the Director of The Kilee Patchell-Evans Autism Research Group http://kpearg.com/ . He is also a visiting Professor, Centre for Healthy Eating and Food Innovation, Faculty of Medicine, Maastricht University, Netherlands. He is a Fellow and Director of the American College of Nutrition and American Nutrition Association MacFabe | American Nutrition Association (theana.org) with the objective to promote evidence based research and education on nutrition, microbiome, immunity and metabolism on brain development and health (CV available on request).
Dr. MacFabe started his medical journey in his community work, and later scientific and medical training in basic and clinical neurosciences. His path led him, during his medical research, to realize the unappreciated potential of the role nutrition, metabolism and gut microbes play in human health and disease. Indeed, it is during his postdoctoral work focused in understanding the mechanisms responsible for acute neuronal injury in hypoxia, seizure, stroke, and neurotrauma that he came across the compound Propionic acid, which is present in some foods and is widely used in the food industry, particularly in wheat and dairy products both naturally and used as a preservative against mold. Dr.
MacFabe, after seeing how Propionic acid affects the brain cells, in a Petri dish , started to wonder what happens when we eat it or when certain gut bacteria produce it in larger quantities (like in case of autism and other medical conditions). Propionic acid and related compounds, known as short chain fatty acids, have unappreciated implications in health and disease and have now been shown to have profound effects on brain development and behavior, as well as immune function, metabolism and gene expression, throughout the lifecycle (see-Enteric short-chain fatty acids: microbial messengers of metabolism, mitochondria, and mind: implications in autism spectrum disorders – PubMed (nih.gov) .
These compounds are not “good” or “bad”, it is alteration in the amounts or timing of exposure in sensitive individuals that lead to health or disease.
Dr. MacFabe had heard many compelling stories of families who have children with autism stating how their children regressed after normal development, and craved foods high in refined carbohydrates, which worsened their behavior and digestive system issues see Dr. Derrick MacFabe Interview | The Autism Enigma (cogentbenger.com) . These children or their mothers had often been appropriately on antibiotics for long term, were mostly C-section babies, were formula fed and/or were hospitalized for common pediatric diseases. Many of those children had evidence of altered immunity, fat metabolism or unique gut bacteria. In each of these cases, there was evidence that the microbiome (the trillions of microbes that inhabit our digestive tract) and its products have been altered. Based on those stories, Dr. MacFabe started scientifically exploring the mechanistic reasons to explain the relation between what we eat and how our brain reacts. That is how he co-founded, in 2003, the Kilee Patchell-Evans Autism Research Group to develop a multi-disciplinary research program in this developing discipline, see Autism: Metabolism, Mitochondria, and the Microbiome (nih.gov) . A pioneer in this field, the role of the microbiome in orchestrating the body for future health and disease has now exploded worldwide and has now become scientific fact.
Dr. MacFabe initially focused his efforts in examining the role of gut- microbiome-brain interactions on the identification and possible treatments of autism spectrum disorders and promoting open multidisciplinary collaboration worldwide and most importantly, in a not-for-profit manner. In 2007, his initial research was listed among the “Top 50 Scientific Discoveries in Canada” by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Furthermore, his novel work was featured in a number of documentaries: “The Autism Enigma.” On CBC’s “Nature of Things The Autism Enigma | The fascinating story of bacteria and the brain (cogentbenger.com) English and French.
Dr. MacFabe was also featured on the French Documentary “Le Microbiot” on Découverte, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZIIgNoSrPY
Dr. MacFabe’s work caught the interest of the Somali Canadians (as well as USA and British Somalis) who appear to have a much higher incidence of ASD than exists in their country of origin. Some Somali parents who followed Dr. MacFabe work have appeared in the Autism enigma documentary on Nature of Things, mentioned above. This work has tremendous implications on physical and mental health of many newcomers, First Nations and other disadvantaged groups, placing education, nutrition and agriculture on the forefront of mental and physical health. By increasing public awareness of the emerging science and its involvement in many conditions, particularly among newcomers and other disadvantaged groups, it will help to combat vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, further reinforcing the safety of vaccines and their role in preventing and not causing these conditions.
Dr. MacFabe was given the Max Bramer Award from the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry. He is also a recipient of the Mark Bieber and American College of Nutrition Career Scientist Awards and is now on their Board of Directors.
Current autism rates (now one in 44) have skyrocketed nearly 150-fold in the last half century, and Canada and Western countries have similarly seen a rise of infections and chronic diseases including obesity (especially child obesity), allergies, some cancers, immunological disorders and other neurological conditions. This is having a catastrophic effect in world health systems and societies. This alarming trend, which now extends far beyond autism, is what keeps driving Dr. MacFabe to examine what role recent changes in this complex microbial ecosystem plays in not only our digestive system, but in broadly altering our immunity, metabolism and even our brain development and behavior. His research results are showing how our microbiome has become recently altered as a consequence of modern society (longstanding overuse of antibiotics, disinfectants, C section deliveries, human migration and even the modern processed diet). It appears in Dr. MacFabe’s research that these bacterial alterations are affecting human health throughout the lifecycle, and are in part responsible for the alarming increases of autism and many other diseases and behavioral problems in children and adults (anxiety/depressive disorder, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, eating disorders, antisocial behaviours, IBS, Parkinson, stroke, neurotrauma, dementia, Nodding syndrome, long haul COVID and others). His research is also showing that these conditions have many cost effective preventative and treatable features, which is good news for Canadian society, and our communities.
His leadership and his tireless work has earned him great respect and has resulted in many different scientists, government stakeholders and communities around the world to use him as a resource, collaborate and share information (letters of support and collaboration available on request.
Investigators include those from USA, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, China, the Georgian Republic and recently Rwanda. Indeed, the organization Autism Rwanda has contacted Dr. MacFabe for a possible collaboration for workshops/conference to share the results of his work.
Dr. MacFabe has spoken in many venues worldwide. He was called, in 2012, ‘15’, ‘16 and ‘17 to speak at the Nobel Forum at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm (Sweden). Dr. MacFabe was one of only 10 researchers invited to present and the symposium was chaired by Dr. Sir Tore Midtvedt (nih.gov) a pioneer and world authority on the role that human microbes play in health and disease. To quote Dr. Midtvedt on Dr. MacFabe “When I read his first article several years ago, I recognized a young scientist developing novel ideas regarding the complicated continuous interplay between the gut and the brain. I have followed his publications ever since. It goes without saying that Dr. MacFabe is the front-runner in this field” (see https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/new-hope-for-autism-canadian-researcher- reports-to-swedens-nobel-forum-517379841.html)
Aside from his own research work, Dr. MacFabe has served as a professor, consultant and a mentor to clinicians, scientists, students and stakeholders worldwide, wishing to learn more about the importance of human microbiome and brain, and who are interested in pursuing their studies in this field. Dr.
MacFabe has served as a scientific advisor to many organizations, including Special Olympics, American College of Nutrition, American Nutrition Association, Autism Canada, Simons Autism Initiative, Child and Youth National Advisory Committee of the Mental Health Commission of Canada (Dr. MacFabe participated in the development of the document Evergreen: a child and youth mental health framework for Canada) and various other Governmental organizations.
Over the last 20 years, Dr. MacFabe has also given many presentations to worldwide (see webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw4vbkD9lIg ) and local communities, free of charge. One of these presentations was given recently at an event organized by a parent on autism awareness. The event took place in London, Ontario, on February 15, 2020 and around 100 people attended.
Dr. MacFabe was recently asked by the American Nutrition Association to serve on their COVID Task Force to examine the role of systems biology, in particular, nutrition, genetics, metabolism, immunity, and microbiome on the pathophysiology of COVID 19 and related infectious agents. Dr. MacFabe’s work will contribute to understanding the direct and indirect effects of these infectious agents on human central nervous function and behavior, in particular the emerging effects in long haul COVID, and mental
health issues of patients and caregivers during the pandemic. Dr. MacFabe is the co organizer for the American Nutrition Association’s conference on Nutrition and Mental Health to be held in San Diego, October 2022 ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaOECVEMqtI ).
This work has tremendous implications on physical and mental health of Canadians, particularly many newcomers, First Nations and other disadvantaged groups, placing education, nutrition and agriculture on the forefront of mental and physical health. By increasing public awareness of the emerging science of the role of nutrition and microbiome in many conditions, as an evidence based cost effective component to health during this pandemic, it will also help to combat vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, further reinforcing the safety and absolute necessity of vaccines and their role in preventing and not causing these conditions.
Further information on Dr. MacFabe research can be found at http://kpearg.com/ (free/open access) His peer-reviewed publications can be found at http://kpearg.com/publications.html. He can also be reached by email dmacfabe@gmail.com , dmacfabe@kpearg.com or by phone (519) 282-9172.