Mark Mattson

At a glance

• Neuroscientist and adjunct professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; for many years he led the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the US National Institute on Aging.
• One of the most cited neuroscientists in the world, studying how brain cells respond to stress, energy shortage and ageing.
• Known for the idea of hormesis: mild stress — from fasting, exercise or mentally challenging activity — may make cells and the brain more resilient.
• Co-wrote with Rafael de Cabo a widely read review of intermittent fasting in The New England Journal of Medicine (2019) and wrote the book The Intermittent Fasting Revolution (2022).
• Much of the underlying evidence comes from animal and cell studies; in humans, effects run mainly through weight loss and metabolism.
• His work received wide media attention, which has sometimes led to intermittent fasting being presented more confidently than the human evidence allows.
• Takeaway: periods without food can fit a healthy pattern, but exercise, sleep and diet quality remain the foundation.