Emeran Mayer

Emeran Mayer, MD, is a gastroenterologist, neuroscientist, and Distinguished Research Professor at UCLA, where he directs the G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress & Resilience and founded the Goodman Luskin Microbiome Center. For over four decades he has studied the brain-gut microbiome system.

He is the author of more than 450 scientific publications with an h-index of 138, and three best-selling books — The Mind-Gut Connection (2016), The Mind-Gut Immune Connection (2021), and Interconnected Plates (2023). He is also the creator of the Mayer Model, a systems-science lifestyle framework that organizes brain-gut health around seven interconnected pillars: food, exercise, mindfulness, resilience, community, purpose, and sleep.

A pioneer in brain-gut microbiome interactions, chronic visceral pain, and functional gastrointestinal disorders, he received the 2016 Paul D. MacLean Award. His work has been featured on NPR, PBS, MasterClass, and in the New York Times. He lives in Los Angeles.