Riccardo De Giorgi
MD, DPhil, MRCPsych
Senior Clinical Researcher
- Senior Clinical Researcher
- Honorary Consultant in General Adult Psychiatry
Repurposing immuno-metabolic drugs in cognitive and mental disorders
I am a Senior Clinical Researcher at the University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry, and Honorary Consultant in General Adult Psychiatry at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. In Oxford, I am a tutor in psychiatry and regularly teach medical students and trainees about the topics of research methodology and critical appraisal, psychopharmacology, and mood disorders. I am also Adjunct Professor at the University of Salento, Italy. I serve as Elected Council Member for the British Association of Psychopharmacology, EDI Ambassador at the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, and BJPsych Journal Club Co-Coordinator for The BJPsych. I am Editor-in-Chief for BMJ Connections Mental Health, and Section/Associate Editor for the BJPsych, BJPsych Adv, and BMJ Mental Health.
I am interested in neuropsychopharmacology and the evidence-based treatment of severe mental illness, especially mood disorders. There is increasing evidence that immunological and metabolic factors play a role in the pathophysiology of cognitive and mental disorders. Repurposing commonly used medical treatments (e.g., anti-inflammatory or metabolic interventions) may therefore benefit those patients who respond poorly to conventional treatments and who might be identifiable a priori through measurement of immunological and metabolic markers.
Currently, I am working on experimental medicine studies for the repurposing of drugs with immuno-metabolic activity (e.g., statins, GLP-1 therapies) in mental disorders. This work is informed by collaborative projects in evidence synthesis and pharmacoepidemiology with several other research teams at the department. I look at early markers of response, such as neuropsychological changes, as well as immuno-metabolic peripheral markers, to validate the use of these drugs in further clinical trials.
Key publications
Applying immunity and metabolism to psychiatry: lost, or in translation?
Journal article
De Giorgi R. et al, (2026), Br J Psychiatry, 1 - 6
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for major neurocognitive disorders.
Journal article
De Giorgi R. et al, (2025), J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 96, 870 - 883
An analysis on the role of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists in cognitive and mental health disorders.
Journal article
De Giorgi R. et al, (2025), Nat Ment Health, 3, 354 - 373
12-month neurological and psychiatric outcomes of semaglutide use for type 2 diabetes: a propensity-score matched cohort study.
Journal article
De Giorgi R. et al, (2024), EClinicalMedicine, 74
Recent publications
Applying immunity and metabolism to psychiatry: lost, or in translation? – ERRATUM
Journal article
De Giorgi R. et al, (2026), The British Journal of Psychiatry, 1 - 1
Cognitive signs and symptoms in people with a psychiatric diagnosis on semaglutide: a retrospective cohort study of 13 007 patients in the USA.
Journal article
De Giorgi R. et al, (2026), BMJ Ment Health, 29
Determinants of Nonspecific Response to Treatment in Randomized Controlled Trials of Major Depressive Disorder: A Narrative Review.
Journal article
Guidetti C. et al, (2026), Am J Psychiatry
Applying immunity and metabolism to psychiatry: lost, or in translation?
Journal article
De Giorgi R. et al, (2026), Br J Psychiatry, 1 - 6
The renin angiotensin system in cognitive flexibility: Effects of single-dose losartan on task-switching in healthy volunteers.
Journal article
Prasad D. et al, (2026), J Psychopharmacol
