The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) convened a two-day virtual workshop, “Understanding Brain-Body Interactions to Advance Brain Health,” on October 22–23. Hosted by the Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders, in collaboration with the Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences—both units within NASEM—the event brought together researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to examine how brain function is shaped by—and, in turn, shapes—the body’s systems, from the immune and cardiovascular to the metabolic and endocrine.
Research presented throughout the meeting highlighted:
- The reciprocal influence of emotion, stress, and physiology on health outcomes.
- The value of integrating behavioral data with biological and computational measures.
- The importance of translation and equity, ensuring that discoveries inform prevention and policy.
- The need for interdisciplinary training and funding structures that connect psychology, neuroscience, and biomedical research.
[Agenda] [Watch the full workshop recording]
Day One
The workshop’s first day focused on how the brain and body communicate. Speakers emphasized that these are not separate systems but parts of a continuous, two-way network: Our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors both shape and are shaped by the body’s biology, an idea long central to behavioral science and now increasingly supported by new molecular and systems research.
- Olujimi Ajijola, MD, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles, illustrated how neural circuits regulate cardiac rhythm while sensory signals from the heart influence emotion and stress. His research demonstrates that neuromodulation tools such as vagus nerve or transcranial stimulation can restore balance in disrupted heart–brain signaling, offering insight into treatment for both cardiovascular and psychiatric disorders.
- Asya Rolls, PhD, Tel Aviv University, introduced the concept of immunoception—the brain’s ability to sense, predict, and regulate immune activity. Her studies show that when dopaminergic reward pathways are engaged—such as through motivation and expectation—immune function is measurably altered, revealing a physiological basis for links between mood, stress, and resilience.
- Costantino Iadecola, MD, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Tony Wyss-Coray, PhD, Stanford University, examined how vascular, immune, and systemic processes shape brain health. Iadecola highlighted how neurovascular dysfunction and immune activation contribute to stroke, hypertension, and cognitive decline, while Wyss-Coray presented evidence that circulating proteins and plasma factors influence brain aging and Alzheimer’s risk. Together, their findings showed how inflammation and changes in the body’s systems can affect the brain, highlighting that brain health depends on the whole body.
Day Two
The second day turned toward innovation and translation, featuring new tools, models, and approaches for linking basic discoveries in brain–body science to clinical and population health applications. Speakers emphasized how emerging technologies and collaborative frameworks are expanding the possibilities for understanding and treating disorders that span the brain and body.
- Woodrow Shew, PhD, University of Arkansas, proposed “criticality” as a principle linking neural computation to body dynamics, suggesting that deviations from this balance may signal neurological or systemic disease.
- Viviana Gradinaru, PhD, California Institute of Technology, showcased engineered viral vectors and AI-driven platforms capable of delivering therapeutic molecules across the blood–brain barrier, enabling real-time studies of central-peripheral nervous system communication.
- Nikki Schultek, PhD, AlzPI, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine; Intracell Research Group, highlighted how patient-led research on chronic inflammation and infection can inform neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative science.
- Kevin Sheth, MD, Yale University, urged researchers and policymakers to pursue population-level prevention strategies that integrate neurology with behavioral and public-health approaches.
Closing speakers Peter Lansbury, PhD, Harvard Medical School; Nicole Rust, PhD, University of Pennsylvania; and Julie Harris, PhD, Allen Institute, reflected on the need for open data, collaborative training, and improved communication with the public, emphasizing that advancing brain health will require both scientific and cultural shifts toward interdisciplinarity and transparency. These discussions reaffirm the importance of sustained federal investment in research that bridges mind, brain, and body.
