Stephen Cunnane PhD

Stephen Cunnane is a professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Sherbrooke, and
researcher at the Research Center on Aging. His team is assessing the links between deteriorating
brain energy metabolism and risk of cognitive decline during aging. They were the first to show that
ketones can at least partially correct the brain energy deficit in older people at risk of Alzheimer’s
disease. This observation that led to the concept of ‘brain energy rescue’ by ketones to treat
neurodegenerative disorders. In the recent 6-month BENEFIC trial in MCI, his ketogenic medium chain
triglyceride drink improved outcomes in all five cognitive domains. It was commercialized as
BrainXpert by Nestlé in 2020 and is the first treatment available for MCI. Dr. Cunnane has published
over 350 research papers and five books, two of which highlight the key role of ketones in brain
expansion during human evolution. He was elected to the French National Academy of Medicine in
2009. In 2016, he was inducted as a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids
and Lipids (ISSFAL). He received the Chevreul Medal from the French Society for the Study of Lipids in
2017 for his research on fats, nutrition and health.