At the time of his recovery in the early 1970s, he became interested in mind-body health and got involved with UCLA school of medicine, at the time the leaders in psychoneuroimmunology, the field that shows how the mind (psycho) can send chemical signals through the nerves (neuro), which can affect the immune system.
Then, in 1978 Dr. Ron Glaser, a scientist trained in virology, came to Ohio State and began working in this field, a pioneer in PNI. I had read several of his studies. So, a few days ago I decided to look him up and was shocked to learn of his death last year -
https://news.osu.edu/in-memoriam--ronald-glaser-phd/
His work, quintessential in PNI, though voluminous, has gone mostly unnoticed by the media. Look at his CV to see what he accomplished.
In 1982 he married a psychologist, Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, and, together, they became pioneers in PNI, eventually becoming the world leaders in this field.
https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/neurological-institute/researchers/janice-kiecolt-glaser-phd
I felt that it was important to pass on what she is doing now with her team. If you click on her link and read about her current research, you’ll learn about mental states and weight gain and about exercise and inflammation, the culprit in many diseases. She’s also engaged in a marital study involving couples. Even though she is a psychologist, her husband’s hard science (now in the hands of other scientists on her team) has proven – biologically – the link between the mind and the immune system. Although their work has merited recognition in the scientific community, it gets little exposure in mainstream media, even though, today with the virus pandemic, it’s even more pertinent. In fact, if you ask the average guy or gal about PNI, they’ll scratch their head. Recently, during my annual physical (zero problems), I asked my physician, a smart person, about PNI. She didn’t have a clue. In our lifetimes, we won’t see PNI coming to the forefront of medicine, but it will play a major part in health … maybe 100 years from now.
Yes, there are many benefits to a plant-based diet and cardiopulmonary exercise, but understanding PNI is equally important. In the LifeNuts program, I devoted an entire chapter to it, which is listed, for free viewing, on this website. In the meantime, be positive, be happy, and don’t worry (it releases cortisol) – the pandemic will end someday.