Colleges
Min Gao
PhD
Researcher
- MSc, DPhil supervisor
- Fellow of Wolfson College
Metabolic Health and Depression, Data Science, Health Behaviours Intervention
Min Gao is an Epidemiologist and Health Behaviour Scientist focused on understanding the link between metabolic health and depression through data science and exploring interventions that can help break this connection through modifiable behavioural strategies.
Currently, Min is leading
1) NIHR Health BRC funded clinical trial (DIME study), a ketogenic diet for patients with treatment-resistant depression.
2) NIHR ARC funded observational and genetic research to explore the associations and mechanisms linking obesity and cardiometabolic disorders with depression, using UK Biobank, Qresearch, CPRD, and UK Biobank datasets.
3) Diabetes UK funded observational research to investigate the use of antidiabetic medications (e.g. GLP-1) for preventing depression and to inform the development of integrated treatment strategies for patients with type 2 diabetes.
Min welcomes world-wide collaborations in these research areas and accepts requests for supervision of Oxford DPhil and MSc students in relevant areas.
Key publications
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Evaluating the efficacy and mechanisms of a ketogenic diet as adjunctive treatment for people with treatment-resistant depression: A protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Journal article
Gao M. et al, (2024), Journal of Psychiatric Research, 174, 230 - 236
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Associations between body-mass index and COVID-19 severity in 6·9 million people in England: a prospective, community-based, cohort study
Journal article
Gao M. et al, (2021), The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, 9, 350 - 359
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Associations Between Dietary Patterns and Incident Type 2 Diabetes: Prospective Cohort Study of 120,343 UK Biobank Participants
Journal article
Gao M. et al, (2022), Diabetes Care, 45, 1315 - 1325
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Dose-Dependent Association Between Body Mass Index and Mental Health and Changes Over Time.
Journal article
Chen S. et al, (2024), JAMA Psychiatry
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Effects of Prebiotics and Probiotics on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Clinically Diagnosed Samples: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Journal article
Asad A. et al, (2024), Nutr Rev
Recent publications
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Investigating the association between recorded smoking cessation interventions and smoking cessation in people living with cardiovascular disease using UK general practice data
Journal article
Wu AD. et al, (2025), BMC Primary Care, 26
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Association between ketone metabolism and the risk of depression: An observational and Mendelian randomization study.
Journal article
Dong X. et al, (2025), J Affect Disord
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Effects of Prebiotics and Probiotics on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Clinically Diagnosed Samples: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Journal article
Asad A. et al, (2024), Nutr Rev
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Strategies to improve the implementation of preventive care in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Journal article
Heath L. et al, (2024), BMC Medicine, 22
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Associations between dietary patterns and incident colorectal cancer in 114,443 individuals from the UK Biobank: a prospective cohort study.
Journal article
Samuel S. et al, (2024), Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention