Living the question
More than two decades with migraine, including years of chronic migraine, inspired Elena to search for answers beyond the approaches available to her.
Neuroscientist · Inventor · Founder
Two decades of migraine. Fifteen years of science. One mission to redefine brain health.
Dr. Elena Gross is an award-winning neuroscientist, inventor and life sciences entrepreneur pioneering new approaches to brain health through metabolic science. Inspired by her personal experience with chronic migraine, she has dedicated her career to understanding how brain energy metabolism influences neurological health, and translating scientific discoveries into real-world innovations.
Dr. Elena Gross, PhDBasel, Switzerland
About
Meet Dr. Elena Gross
Neuroscientist. Inventor. Founder.
Dr. Elena Gross is an award-winning neuroscientist, inventor and life sciences entrepreneur pioneering new approaches to brain health through metabolic science.
Inspired by her personal experience with migraine, she has spent over 15 years investigating the role of brain energy metabolism in neurological health.
As founder and CEO of KetoSwiss, she translates discoveries in metabolic neuroscience into patented nutritional innovations and next-generation therapeutic approaches, bridging scientific research with real-world applications.
Patient. Scientist. Founder.
A personal experience. A scientific pursuit. A mission to transform brain health.
Studying the foundations
Her research career has taken her through York, Oxford, Basel, Harvard Medical School and Cambridge, investigating the metabolic foundations of migraine and brain health.
Building the answer
Through KetoSwiss, she is translating scientific discoveries into nutritional innovation and exploring next-generation therapeutic and medical food approaches, such as Brain Ritual and Brain Energy Complex.
University of OxfordClarendon Scholar
Harvard Medical SchoolResearch fellowship
Nature Reviews NeurologyLead author- 6Six patent applicationsNamed inventor
A note from Elena
I experienced my first migraine as a teenager. At its worst, I lived with more than twenty migraine days a month. For years, I searched for answers that conventional approaches couldn't fully provide.
That search led me to neuroscience and, eventually, to a question that would shape my life's work: what if migraine was not simply a neurological disorder, but also a disorder of brain energy metabolism?
I began investigating the relationship between mitochondrial function, energy metabolism and migraine, ultimately developing a framework that I call “metabolic migraine.”
What began as a personal journey became a scientific mission, one that continues to guide my research, the innovations we develop at KetoSwiss, and my broader vision for brain health.
Elena
The science
The missing link in brain health? Metabolism.
2%→20%
of body weightof resting energy
The brain represents just 2% of body weight yet accounts for approximately 20% of the body's resting energy consumption. Understanding how the brain produces and uses energy is central to Dr. Elena Gross's research.
Pioneering the concept of metabolic migraine
Dr. Gross coined the term “metabolic migraine” to describe a proposed subgroup of migraine associated with metabolic abnormalities. Her research explores how mitochondrial function, oxidative stress and impaired energy metabolism may contribute to migraine susceptibility.
Through peer-reviewed publications, clinical biomarker research and a randomized clinical trial, she has contributed to a growing scientific understanding of the relationship between metabolism and neurological health.
Her work now extends beyond migraine, investigating the potential of metabolic and nutritional approaches to support brain health more broadly, with a focus on mental health and aging.
“Metabolic migraine” is a research-based concept and proposed subgroup, not an established clinical diagnosis.
01
Brain energy & mitochondrial function
How neurons meet their extraordinary energy demands and why metabolic function matters for brain health.
02
Metabolic migraine
Elena's original research investigating the role of mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and metabolic biomarkers in migraine.
03
Metabolic interventions & brain health
Investigating ketone bodies, nutrition and other metabolic approaches to neurological and psychiatric function and resilience.
If you live with migraine
Start here
Free, in Elena's own words, and in order
1
Understand the signal
Migraine 101, her free video course: what migraine is asking for, and why it isn't your enemy.
Watch the course → 2Read the white paper
The Mastering Migraine white paper, in English and German: the pillar model and seven action steps.
Coming soon 3Go deeper with the book
How to Master Migraine: the full metabolic picture, from mitochondria to ketones, and the five pillars.
About the book →Nothing here is medical advice. Speak to your doctor before changing any treatment.
Ventures
From scientific discovery to real-world innovation
Through KetoSwiss, Dr. Elena Gross is bridging metabolic neuroscience and life sciences, developing science-led nutritional solutions and exploring next-generation therapeutic approaches to brain health.
Brain Ritual is a medical food, used under medical supervision; it is not a dietary supplement or a drug and does not replace acute migraine treatment. BR2 launch date to be confirmed.
Recognised and supported byKetoSwiss honours and programmes
1st in BioTech, TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award, 2020
Venture Leaders Life Sciences, 2020
High-Tech Entrepreneur of the Year, 2023
SNSF trial grant
Swiss Innovation Challenge
swissnex
Impact Hub Basel
Innovation BaselResearch & publications
Advancing the science of brain energy
Selected research exploring the relationship between metabolism, mitochondrial function and neurological healthReview · 2019
The metabolic face of migraine: from pathophysiology to treatment
Brings together evidence of altered energy metabolism in migraine and proposes a framework in which migraine may be an adaptive response to a mismatch between the brain's energy reserve and its workload.
A proposed framework, not clinical consensus.
Read the paperPotential protective mechanisms of ketone bodies in migraine prevention
Examines how ketone bodies, the brain's alternative fuel, might act on the processes linked to migraine, including energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress and inflammation. This foundational work informed her later clinical research and innovation.
A review of possible mechanisms, not evidence of clinical efficacy.
Read the paperMitochondrial function and oxidative stress markers in higher-frequency episodic migraine
In 32 people with frequent episodic migraine, abnormalities in markers of mitochondrial function and oxidative stress were common; 28 of 32 had low alpha-lipoic acid.
No control group; replication is needed.
Read the paperDefining metabolic migraine with a distinct subgroup of patients with suboptimal inflammatory and metabolic markers
Building on a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, Dr. Gross investigated the concept of “metabolic migraine,” identifying a potential subgroup characterized by distinct metabolic and inflammatory markers.
In this exploratory analysis, 9 of 32 evaluable participants met the response criteria for ketone supplementation, experiencing approximately 5.8 fewer migraine days compared with placebo. The findings identified readily measurable blood biomarkers that could help guide more personalized metabolic interventions in future research.
Post-hoc, hypothesis-generating findings; prospective validation is needed.
Read the paperSpeaking & thought leadership
New perspectives on health, science & human potential.
From the extraordinary energy demands of the human brain to women's neurological health, healthy ageing and life sciences innovation, Dr. Elena Gross explores the science shaping our understanding of brain health. Her perspective combines published neuroscience research, lived experience and entrepreneurship.
01
02
03
04
05
06
Brain Energy & Metabolic Health
What fuels the world's most complex organ?
From blood sugar and insulin sensitivity to mitochondrial function and metabolic flexibility, exploring how the brain manages its extraordinary energy demands, and the role of metabolic health in cognition and healthy ageing.
Migraine Through the Lens of Metabolic Neuroscience
Could migraine reveal a deeper connection between metabolism and neurological health?
Drawing on her published research, Dr. Gross explores mitochondrial function, oxidative stress and the emerging evidence linking metabolic dysfunction with migraine susceptibility.
Nutrition, Ketones & Brain Metabolism
Beyond glucose: exploring the brain's alternative fuels.
What research reveals about ketones, nutrition and metabolic flexibility, and how alternative energy sources are being investigated for their potential roles in cognitive function and neurological health.
The Evolutionary Neuroscience of the Human Brain
Could the brain's greatest strength also be its greatest vulnerability?
Exploring the evolutionary trade-offs of heightened sensory sensitivity and neural excitability, and the hypothesis that traits associated with neurological vulnerability may once have offered survival advantages.
Women's Brain Health & Healthy Ageing
The female brain is not one-size-fits-all.
How hormonal fluctuations, metabolic changes and life transitions may influence women's cognitive health, from the menstrual cycle and perimenopause to menopause and healthy ageing.
Neuroscience, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
She became a neuroscientist to understand her own brain.
From two decades of chronic migraine to research at Oxford, Basel and Harvard Medical School, and the founding of KetoSwiss: the journey of turning a personal health challenge into scientific investigation and life sciences innovation.
Media
Featured conversations & media appearances
The Dhru Purohit ShowThe root causes of migraineA masterclass on the root causes of migraine and a pillar-based plan to address them.
Metabolic Mind · ep. 61Ketogenic therapy for migraine managementWith host Dr. Bret Scher, on ketogenic approaches to migraine.
NLongevity with Nathalie Niddam · ep. 389Mitochondria, modern lifestyles and the ageing brainBrain energy, mitochondrial dysfunction and what they mean for healthy ageing.
The Metabolic Link · ep. 15The metabolic management of migrainesElena's metabolic perspective on migraine, from brain energy to ketones.
In the pressCoverage of Elena, Brain Ritual and KetoSwiss
Listen & watchTalks, lectures and interviews · YouTube @DrElenaGross
▶Migraine World Summit · Talk · 41:55Unraveling migraine mysteries
▶High Intensity Health · InterviewMigraine relief, ketosis and insulin resistance
▶Startup Grind · Interview · 55:18The KetoSwiss story
▶Long-form interview · 1:42:07Cracking the code on migraines: ketogenic therapies and brain energy metabolism
▶Lecture · 31:11The metabolic face of migraine: a deeper dive
▶Talk · 32:21The link between migraine and brain energy deficit
Book & resources
Explore Elena's work
How to Master Migraine
Elena's book exploring the relationship between brain energy metabolism, migraine and practical approaches to understanding neurological health.
Discover the book →
Free video courseMigraine education
Elena's educational video content and her research-led perspective on migraine.
Explore the courseFree white paper · English and German
The Mastering Migraine white paper
Elena's educational white paper exploring metabolic science and migraine.
Coming soon
From readers and viewersIn their own words
“I wish I'd found you 20, even 10 years ago! All your info is on point. So helpful. I hope the whole billion of us migraine sufferers will see your videos and it'll change their lives! Thank you!”
“Thank you so much. It was helpful to watch your videos and see you describe the past 20 years of my life and share your own struggle. Since your videos, I have successfully aborted three migraines with MCT. I have stopped fasting since I watched your videos about an energy deficit. Just learning this has helped me. Thank you for sharing so much online. I am sure it is helping many people (like me)!”
“Dear Elena, I've read and listened to everything I could find about your work online and your ketone research has revolutionised my migraine. Being in ketosis helped me tremendously. You are fantastic and I wish more people knew about your work.”
Testimonials are individual experiences and are not typical results. Educational content only. Elena is a PhD neuroscientist, not a medical doctor; nothing here is medical advice. Speak to your doctor before changing any treatment.
Media, speaking & collaboration
Let's advance the conversation on brain health.
From neuroscience and metabolic health to women's longevity and life sciences innovation, Dr. Elena Gross brings a unique perspective shaped by scientific research, lived experience and entrepreneurship.
hello@drelenagross.com
About Elena
I became a neuroscientist to understand my own brain.
I grew up with migraine. For years I was told it was just a headache, that my pain wasn't real, or that there was nothing more to be done. I didn't accept that. I went to Oxford to study neuroscience, turned down a PhD place there to pursue an idea they considered too risky, and spent the next fifteen years testing it: that migraine may be, in part, a problem of brain energy.
My story in three acts
I · The patient
Pain no one could explain
Chronic migraine from adolescence, at its worst on more than 20 days a month. Years of painkillers, social withdrawal, and being told there was little more to do.
II · The scientist
Following the question
A Distinction in Neuroscience at Oxford as a Clarendon Scholar, a PhD in Clinical Research in Basel and a summer research fellowship at Harvard Medical School, testing whether migraine is, in part, a problem of brain energy.
III · The founder
Taking it out of the lab
Pharma showed little interest in naturally occurring compounds, so I founded KetoSwiss to carry the research myself. Later I wrote How to Master Migraine.
Four turning points
The decisions that shaped the work
Oxford → Basel
The risky idea
After my Oxford MSc, I gave up a PhD place there to pursue an idea Oxford considered too risky, and took it to Basel.
2017
KetoSwiss
Pharma showed little interest in naturally occurring compounds. I founded KetoSwiss to carry the research myself.
2024–25
The US launch
US launch as MigraKet, later renamed Brain Ritual.
2025
The book
After ten years of writing, my book How to Master Migraine was published: my research and my own story, written for everyone living with migraine.
I was going to lie awake thinking about why migraine happens, and whether changing the brain's energy metabolism could help.
On turning down a PhD place at Oxford
Hear it in her own words
▶00:46 – 08:13Longevity with Nathalie Niddam, ep. 389 ↗Opens the episode. On the live site this plays the segment in place.
From patient to neuroscientist
Elena tells the story in the first eight minutes of her conversation with Nathalie Niddam.
Milestones
Fifteen years of neuroscience research
Education and research
My migraine, in pictures
Two paintings. Ten years apart.
What I'm here to do
My two decades of suffering were not in vain.
I want a community of self-empowered, strong-minded migraine warriors, and an end to the stigma around migraine. I want preventive solutions and self-care rituals for your brain: care for a high-performance brain so that the warning signal is no longer needed.
“I have my life back, and now other people need to get their life back.”
Elena is a PhD neuroscientist, not a medical doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.
Research
Understanding the brain through the science of metabolism.
What if some of the most important questions in neurological health begin with how the brain produces and uses energy?
Dr. Elena Gross has pioneered a metabolic perspective on migraine, investigating the roles of mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and impaired brain energy metabolism. Through peer-reviewed publications and clinical research, she developed the concept of “metabolic migraine” and is now extending this framework to metabolic depression and other neuropsychiatric conditions, exploring the potential of targeted metabolic interventions.
Her research also raises a fascinating evolutionary question: could genetic traits that predispose us to migraine once have offered a survival advantage, through heightened sensory sensitivity, vigilance and responsiveness to our environment? And has today's environment changed so much that what was once an adaptation now works against us?
How to read this page
Pick a label to see only that kind of claim
Hypothesis
Then · an advantage
- Detects threats early
- Heightened sensory vigilance
- A fast-reacting, hyper-alert brain
Established science
Now · a cost
- Very high energy demand
- Limited energy reserve
- Modern overload: light, stress, poor sleep
Evidence spotlight
Selected scientific contributions
Exploring brain energy metabolism, migraine and the potential of metabolic interventions through peer-reviewed research.Brain energy & migraine
A major scientific review exploring cerebral energy metabolism, mitochondrial function and migraine, proposing a broader metabolic framework for understanding the condition.
The metabolic face of migraine: from pathophysiology to treatment
First author · Scientific review
Ketones & neurological health
A scientific review investigating the potential mechanisms through which ketone bodies could influence migraine-related neurological processes and inform future nutritional research.
Potential protective mechanisms of ketone bodies in migraine prevention
First author · Scientific review
Mitochondria & oxidative stress
An observational study examining metabolic and oxidative-stress markers in people with frequent episodic migraine, identifying patterns that warrant further controlled research.
Mitochondrial function and oxidative stress markers in higher-frequency episodic migraine
First author · Observational study
Toward personalised migraine research
An exploratory analysis investigating whether metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers could help identify differences in response to ketone supplementation, highlighting questions for future prospective studies.
Defining metabolic migraine with a distinct subgroup of patients with suboptimal inflammatory and metabolic markers
First author · Exploratory trial analysis
Migraine may be “a conserved, adaptive response that occurs in genetically predisposed individuals with a mismatch between the brain's energy reserve and workload.”
Gross et al., Nature Reviews Neurology, 2019
Research interests
Three threads, one question
Ketosis and nutritional interventions
The therapeutic potential of ketone bodies and other nutritional approaches, and what the human evidence does and doesn't yet show.
Mitochondria and energy metabolism
Mitochondrial function and energy metabolism in brain health and neurological disease, with migraine as the model.
Health span through prevention
Caring for a high-performance brain before it fails: what brain energy research may mean for cognitive ageing and mental health.
The evolutionary paradox
What if the brain's greatest strength is also its greatest vulnerability?
Could genetic traits associated with migraine have once conferred an evolutionary advantage?
Heightened sensory sensitivity, vigilance and neuronal responsiveness may have helped our ancestors detect and respond to environmental threats. Yet these same characteristics could potentially increase the brain's energy demands and vulnerability under modern conditions.
Dr. Gross explores this evolutionary paradox as a hypothesis connecting migraine genetics, brain energy metabolism and neurological susceptibility.
Research path
Oxford, 2014Neuroimaging at the FMRIB Centre and molecular medicine at the Weatherall Institute
Basel, 2015–19PhD in neurology and neuroimaging, University Hospital Basel
Harvard Medical School, 2016Summer fellowship with Prof. Rami Burstein on inflammation in migraine
International Headache Society, 2016–20Junior committee member
Peer-reviewed work and doctoral thesis
Publications
Newest first · each row links to the paperHer hypotheses
Five questions, one unresolved puzzle
From evolutionary theory to testable neuroscience- H1Brain excitability
Could heightened neuronal excitability and sensory sensitivity make the migraine brain both more responsive to its environment and more metabolically vulnerable?
- H2Mitochondrial function
Could impaired mitochondrial function and oxidative stress contribute to an imbalance between the brain's energy supply and demand?
- H3Metabolic migraine and depression
Can distinct metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers help identify subgroups of people with migraine or depression who may benefit from targeted metabolic interventions?
- H4Metabolic flexibility
Can ketone bodies and other alternative energy substrates support neuronal function through mechanisms extending beyond ATP production?
- H5Evolutionary advantage
Could genetic traits associated with migraine have once provided a survival advantage through heightened vigilance, sensory awareness and responsiveness to environmental threats?
The question in one line
Is migraine simply a malfunction, or the cost of a brain built to notice everything?
Not how, but why. Most conversations ask how migraine happens. Elena asks why evolution kept the traits behind it, and frames the answer as a hypothesis.
15:05 – 23:03Energy deficit in the brain ↗Longevity with Nathalie Niddam
Patents
An inventor on six patent applications
Her work on ketone bodies and migraine is the basis of KetoSwiss's intellectual property: six patent applications filed, one granted (ketone bodies in migraine and headache, licensed exclusively from the University of Basel).
For clinicians and practitioners
Working with Elena's research in practice
US practitioners can access KetoSwiss's practitioner-exclusive products, protocols and evidence through KetoSwiss's practitioner business. keto.swiss
“Metabolic migraine” is a proposed subtype, not a recognised diagnosis. Evolutionary ideas are presented as hypotheses, not established fact. Elena is a PhD neuroscientist, not a medical doctor.
Speaking & media
Patient. Neuroscientist. Founder.
Award-winning neuroscientist, inventor and life sciences entrepreneur Dr. Elena Gross brings a unique perspective to the stage, combining pioneering research in brain energy metabolism, personal experience with migraine and the journey of building a life sciences company.
From metabolic migraine and emerging research into metabolic depression to women's brain health, longevity and innovation, she translates complex neuroscience into engaging, accessible conversations.
Available for keynotes, panels, podcasts and media interviews in English and German, in person (from Switzerland) or virtually.
Featured conversations
Three conversations, three audiences
Selected for hosts, producers and event organisersThe missing link in brain health? Metabolism.
How blood sugar, insulin, mitochondria and nutrition shape the way the brain runs on energy, and what that may mean for cognition and healthy ageing, with a clear line between evidence and hypothesis.
Invite Elena for this conversation →The female brain: a lifetime of change, powered by energy.
The neuroscience of hormones, fuel and the ageing brain, from the monthly cycle to perimenopause and beyond, and where the evidence honestly ends.
Invite Elena for this conversation →She couldn't find the answer, so she built it.
From migraine patient to neuroscientist to founder: the arc from lab bench to a patented product, and what it takes to build trust in an industry full of health claims.
Invite Elena for this conversation →Speaking topics
Where she brings expertise
Science, health and innovation, adapted to the audience01
Brain energy & metabolic health
How the brain manages its extraordinary energy demands, and the role of metabolic health in cognition and ageing.
02
Migraine through the lens of metabolic neuroscience
What her published research suggests about mitochondria, oxidative stress and migraine susceptibility.
03
Nutrition, ketones & brain metabolism
What research shows about the brain's alternative fuels, and the questions that remain open.
04
The evolutionary neuroscience of the human brain
Whether the traits behind neurological vulnerability once offered a survival advantage. A hypothesis, clearly labelled.
05
Women's brain health & healthy ageing
How hormonal and metabolic transitions may influence women's cognitive health across life stages.
06
Neuroscience, innovation & entrepreneurship
Turning a personal health challenge into research and a Swiss life sciences company.
Book Elena
Keynotes, panels, podcasts and press
In person or virtual · English and German · tailored to scientific, business and general audiences.
Recent talks
2026 on stage
Start here
Four short listens
A 2–3 minute speaker reel will sit here.
Coverage of Brain Ritual and KetoSwiss
Media kit
For hosts, producers and organisers
Everything you need to introduce Elena accurately
Media kit · 2026 · PDF, 4 pages
Dr. Elena Gross, PhD: media kit
Short and long biography, training and credentials, six interview topics, KetoSwiss, Brain Ritual and BR2 Brain Energy Complex, her book, podcast appearances, press coverage, recognition, and a suggested introduction.
For press and hosts
Bios
One canonical bio, everywhere · copy with one clickElena is a PhD neuroscientist, not a medical doctor. Disclosure: Elena is founder and CEO of KetoSwiss (Brain Ritual).
The book
How to Master Migraine
Feed Your Brain. Free Your Life.
The Metabolic Solution to Migraine Headaches and the Power of Ketosis · Dr. Elena Gross, PhD
What if migraine is not simply a headache disorder, but also a signal of the brain struggling to meet its extraordinary energy demands?
In How to Master Migraine, neuroscientist and migraine researcher Dr. Elena Gross combines over 15 years of scientific investigation with her personal experience of chronic migraine to explore an emerging metabolic perspective on the condition.
From understanding the potential roles of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress to discovering the science of ketosis and applying her Five Pillars of Mastering Migraine, the book offers a comprehensive, practical guide to understanding and supporting brain health.
Inside the book
The three parts
Part I
The Metabolic Face of Migraine
Understanding why the brain becomes vulnerable to migraine
Discover a new perspective on migraine through the science of brain energy metabolism. Explore how mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, blood sugar fluctuations, hormones and environmental triggers may contribute to attacks, and why migraine could reflect an imbalance between the brain's energy supply and demand.
Part II
Rediscovering an Ancient Fuel
Exploring the power of ketones and ketosis
Discover how the brain can use ketone bodies as an alternative fuel when glucose availability or utilization is limited. Learn about the potential protective mechanisms of ketosis, the differences between ketogenic diets, fasting and exogenous ketones, and what scientific research suggests about their role in migraine prevention.
Part III
The Five Pillars of Mastering Migraine
Turning metabolic science into practical strategies
A comprehensive, actionable framework for supporting brain energy metabolism through five interconnected pillars.
Part III · The five pillars“Feed your brain. Free your life!”
1Providing targeted nutrients and metabolic cofactors
2Reducing oxidative stress and environmental toxin exposure
3Supporting mitochondrial function and energy production
4Stabilizing blood glucose and stress-hormone regulation
5Exploring ketones and ketogenic strategies as alternative energy sources
This is where science meets everyday life. Packed with practical tips, detailed food tables, recommended laboratory tests and biomarkers, nutritional guidance, supplement information and self-tracking tools, this part provides the resources readers need to put the science into practice.
From understanding their individual metabolic vulnerabilities to making informed dietary and lifestyle changes, readers gain a step-by-step toolkit for developing a personalized approach to migraine management.
Migraine isn't some malevolent force ruining my life, but instead a powerful signal from my loving brain in its efforts to protect me.
From the book
From the back cover
“Migraines are not just headaches – they are a signal from the brain that energy is running out.” The book presents “a radical new way of understanding and treating this debilitating condition: through the lens of metabolism,” and reframes the migraine brain “not as broken but as energy-starved and healable.”
ReadersAs printed on the back cover
“Dear Elena, I've read and listened to everything I could find about your work online and your ketone research has revolutionised my migraine. Being in ketosis helped me tremendously. You are fantastic and I wish more people knew about your work.”
Oliver R.
“I wish I'd found you 20, even 10 years ago! All your info is on point. So helpful. I hope the whole billion of us migraine sufferers will see your work and it'll change their lives! Thank you!”
Iris K.
The book is here
Dr. Elena Gross's How to Master Migraine
Available now on Amazon. Get your copy and dive into Dr. Elena's discovery.
“Migraines are not just headaches: they can be a signal that your brain is running out of energy.”
In How to Master Migraine, neuroscientist Dr. Elena Gross explains the connection between metabolism and migraine and introduces the five-pillar Mastering Migraine model.
Feed your brain. Free your life.
Get your copy
How to Master Migraine: Feed Your Brain, Free Your Life. Available on Amazon.
Buy on Amazon ↗Elena is a PhD neuroscientist, not a medical doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.
Ventures
She couldn't find the answer, so she built it.
Pharma showed little interest in naturally occurring compounds, so Elena founded a company to carry her research to patients herself. Everything below grew out of that decision.
The company
KetoSwiss AG
Female-founded and led · Swiss life sciences · Switzerland · Founded 2017
From scientific discovery to real-world innovation
Founded by Dr. Elena Gross in 2017, KetoSwiss is a Swiss life sciences company translating advances in metabolic neuroscience into innovative nutritional solutions and next-generation therapeutic approaches.
Building on pioneering research into brain energy metabolism and metabolic migraine, KetoSwiss is expanding its work toward metabolic depression and other neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Its mission is to advance brain health through science-driven innovation, from specialized nutritional formulations to the development of novel ketogenic molecules.
Recognised and supported byKetoSwiss company honours and programmes
Top 10 Swiss BioTech
Award3rd in Life Science
AwardWalk of the Best
Health InnovationTop 10 Swiss BioTech
Award3rd in Life Science
AwardWalk of the Best
Health InnovationThe life sciences company
Many brain disorders share one feature: the brain runs short of energy.
Brain disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide. Elena's research points to a shared metabolic problem behind several of them: a brain energy deficit. Existing treatments often manage symptoms. KetoSwiss targets the deficit itself, with patented approaches based on ketone bodies, an alternative and more efficient brain fuel.
Today that means a medical food for migraine on the US market, a placebo-controlled study of brain energy in depression, and, at a much earlier stage, research into next-generation ketogenic molecules.
Six patent applications filed, one granted: ketone bodies in migraine and headache, licensed exclusively from the University of Basel. Elena is an inventor on six of the applications.
Hypothesis · being explored
Where the same biology may matter
If a brain energy deficit is part of the picture in migraine and depression, the same question can be asked of other conditions. None of these is a claim; each is an open research question KetoSwiss is interested in.
To become the world's leading brain health platform, focusing on preventative solutions that improve brain metabolism in migraine, depression, cognition and more.
KetoSwiss, the vision
Clinical results are described here only once published and peer reviewed. Nothing on this page is a medical claim for any KetoSwiss product.
What KetoSwiss makes
Four businesses
One link out per brand · no prices or orders here
Medical food · US consumersBrain Ritual®
A patented medical food for the dietary management of migraine, developed from Elena's research. Developed in Switzerland, made in the USA.
Brain Ritual does not replace acute migraine treatment.
Nutritional formula · launching Nov 2026Brain Energy Complex (BR2)
Created by Dr. Elena Gross, Brain Energy Complex is an advanced nutritional formula combining ketone bodies with more than 30 purposefully selected nutrients to support normal energy metabolism, cognitive function and antioxidant defenses.
Developed from KetoSwiss's expertise in metabolic neuroscience, it is designed to support everyday brain health, without caffeine or stimulants.
Founder film to sit here.
For practitioners · USKetoSwiss Practitioner
KetoSwiss's B2B business for US clinicians and practitioners: practitioner-exclusive formulations, protocols and the evidence behind them.
Practitioner enquiries and accounts go here, not through this site.
Therapeutic development · R&DKetoSwiss Therapeutics
Developing next-generation ketogenic molecules designed to advance metabolic approaches to neurological and psychiatric disorders, building on KetoSwiss's expertise in brain energy metabolism.
What customers say about Brain Ritual4.8 / 5 from 437 customer reviews
“It has been a real pivot point for my life.”
Jennifer · Verified review, brainritual.com
“This product has changed my migraine treatment for the better.”
Uteva Chesser · Verified review, brainritual.com
“It lessens the frequency of my migraines and seems to stave off the really nasty ones.”
Amanda Wilson Yamaguchi · Verified review, brainritual.com
“It doesn't feel like just another supplement.”
Jessica · Verified review, brainritual.com
Reviews are individual customer experiences from brainritual.com (October 2026); results vary.
Brain Ritual is a medical food, a category regulated by the FDA, intended for the dietary management of migraine under medical supervision. Disclosure: Elena is founder and CEO of KetoSwiss (Brain Ritual).
Watch & listen
In her own voice.
Explore the science of brain energy, metabolic migraine, ketones and neurological health through Dr. Elena Gross's talks, interviews and educational videos.
From her personal journey with migraine to pioneering research and emerging perspectives on metabolic depression, discover the ideas shaping her work in metabolic neuroscience.
Browse more than 260 videos and 28 podcast conversations, or start with a few carefully selected highlights.
Podcasts
Every appearance
Elena is a PhD neuroscientist, not a medical doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.
Contact Dr. Elena Gross
Get in touch
Reader questions, research collaborations, academic and clinical enquiries, and anything you'd like Elena to see herself. Speaking, podcast and press requests can also come here, or through the form below, which goes straight to her team.
Please don't send health information or ask for individual medical advice; Elena is a PhD neuroscientist, not a medical doctor.
hello@drelenagross.com
Other routes
Speaking and media request
Invite Elena to your show or event
Tell the booking team the basics and they'll come back to you with availability and next steps.
Goes to Elena's team. Formats: podcasts, keynotes, panels, workshops, press interviews. In person or virtual. English and German.