Julia is a Professor of Clinical Psychology in the School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing at the University of Canterbury, the Director of Te Puna Toiora, the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab and co-author of The Better Brain.

Originally from Toronto, Canada, she completed her PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Calgary, in 2000, she immigrated to New Zealand. Over the last fifteen years, Professor Rucklidge has become well known for her research investigating the interface between nutrition and mental health; she and her lab have been running clinical trials investigating the role of broad-spectrum micronutrients in the treatment of mental illness, specifically ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety and stress. Julia has  published over 140 scientific papers and is also the recipient of numerous local and international awards, including named as one of the top 100 influential women in New Zealand, and is frequently featured in the media discussing her work. Her TEDx talk 2014 TEDx talk has been viewed over 1.7 million times. She recently created a free EdX online course for the public on mental health and nutrition. Having witnessed conventional treatments failing so many people, Julia is passionate about helping people find alternative treatments for their psychiatric symptoms. Through her focus on translating research into practice, she hopes to help make nutritional interventions mainstream.