What if the key to controlling inflammation, and even saving lives from sepsis, lies not in the bloodstream, but in the brain? In this episode, Nicole Kupchik talks with Dr. Kevin J. Tracey, President and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health, whose groundbreaking work in neuroimmunology and bioelectronic medicine is redefining how we understand the vagus nerve and how it communicates with the immune system to regulate inflammation. From surprising results of sheep studies to the promise of vagus nerve stimulation devices, Dr. Tracey explains how rethinking the body’s electrical signs could transform sepsis care, redefine inflammation, and reveal new frontiers in treatment. We also hear from Kimberly Emanuel, a sepsis survivor who endured the breakdown of her body systems before her remarkable recovery. 

Featured Guests:

Kevin J. Tracey, MD. (X: KevinJTraceyMD) is President & CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and also serves as a Professor of Neurosurgery and Molecular Medicine at the School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Dr. Tracey’s focus is on neuro-immunology and bioelectronic medicine, having researched the neural circuits that regulate immune responses and currently integrating his findings into novel therapies for inflammation. Learn more about his work with neural circuits and the vagus nerve with his new book The Great Nerve. LinkedIN: Kevin J. Tracey, MD.

Key Takeaways:

Inflammation is not just a symptom of sepsis, it’s a process controlled by neural circuits that can be studied and potentially modulated. 

Using devices to stimulate the vagus nerve has shown remarkable results in reducing inflammation in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and may hold promise for sepsis treatment.

Redefining sepsis through a neuroimmunology lens may help identify patients at risk earlier and personalize treatment based on neural-immune activity. 

Damage to the vagus nerve, as seen in severe COVID-related sepsis, can worsen inflammation and impair recovery. 

Understanding “sickness behavior” (lethargy, confusion, brain fog) as a neural-immune response could change how clinicians recognize and manage sepsis-related encephalopathy. 

The next era of sepsis care may rely as much on neuroscience as on antibiotics, shifting focus from killing microbes to restoring immune balance.

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Produced by: Human Content and Sepsis Alliance

Sepsis is a life-threatening emergency that happens when your body’s response to an infection damages vital organs and, often, causes death. In other words, it’s your body’s overactive and toxic response to an infection. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment. Sepsis can lead to severe sepsis and septic shock. 

Sepsis Alliance is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.