Dr. Kevin Tracey, neurosurgeon and biomedical researcher who discovered vagus nerve circuits that control inflammation. He discusses the vagus as a biological brake on inflammation. Bioelectronic treatments for autoimmune and mental health conditions are explored. Stories of life-changing nerve stimulation and the future of targeted, precision nerve therapy are highlighted.
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insights INSIGHT
Biology Is Largely Bottom Up Due To Afferent Vagus Signals
About 80% of vagus fibers are afferent (body-to-brain), making the nervous system primarily input-driven rather than top-down.
This explains why reflexes and bodily signals often precede conscious decisions and regulate homeostasis minute-to-minute.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Kelly Owens Reclaimed Life After Vagus Implant
Kelly Owens had severe Crohn's and crippling arthritis, moved to Amsterdam to join a vagus stimulation trial and regained mobility within weeks.
Eight years later she was medication-free and working, and her cane sits in Tracey's office as a reminder.
insights INSIGHT
Inflammation Today Is Defined By Molecules Not Symptoms
Modern definitions of inflammation focus on molecules (cytokines like TNF, IL-1) rather than classical signs (redness, heat, swelling).
This molecular view can mislead when applying 'inflammation' to conditions like Alzheimer's or adipose tissue dysfunction.
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In this episode, Niall speaks with Dr. Kevin Tracey, a neurosurgeon, inventor, researcher, and author of “The Great Nerve”, who leads the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research.
Dr. Tracey's research has shown how the vagus nerve connects the brain and immune system, controlling inflammation in the body. His work has led to FDA-approved treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and may help with depression, PTSD, and other inflammatory conditions.
In this conversation, they explore:
— How the vagus nerve acts as a biological “brake” for inflammation
— The potential of bioelectronic medicine to treat inflammatory diseases without immunosuppression
— The story of Kelly Owens, whose life was transformed by vagus nerve stimulation
— Why inflammation may underlie many modern diseases
— The future of precision medicine using targeted nerve stimulation
And more.
You can learn more about Dr. Tracey's work through his book “The Great Nerve”, or at X at x.com/KevinJTraceyMD.
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Kevin J. Tracey is president and CEO of, and the Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research; professor of Molecular Medicine and Neurosurgery at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell; and Executive Vice President, Research, at Northwell Health. A leader in the scientific fields of inflammation and bioelectronic medicine, his contributions include discovery and molecular mapping of neural circuits controlling immunity.
Dr. Tracey received his BS in chemistry, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Boston College in 1979, and his MD from Boston University in 1983. He trained in neurosurgery from 1983 to 1992 at the New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center and was a guest investigator at the Rockefeller University before moving in 1992 to the Feinstein Institutes. There he directs the Laboratory of Biomedical Science and was appointed president and CEO in 2005.
An inventor of more than 120 United States patents and author of more than 400 scientific publications, he cofounded the Global Sepsis Alliance, a non-profit organization supporting the efforts of more than 1 million sepsis caregivers in over 70 countries. Dr. Tracey is the author of Fatal Sequence (Dana Press) and delivers lectures nationally and internationally on inflammation, sepsis, the neuroscience of immunity, and bioelectronic medicine.
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Interview Link:
— Dr. Tracey’s X: http://x.com/KevinJTraceyMD
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