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Episode Description
In this episode of Neural Compass, host Mark Jacobstein (co-founder and president of Jimini Health) sits down with Dr. Asya Rolls, award-winning neuroscientist and professor of neuroimmunology, to explore how belief and brain activity can directly influence the body’s immune response.

Dr. Rolls’ groundbreaking research reveals that the placebo effect is far more than a psychological illusion — it's a biological reality. By uncovering the neural pathways that connect motivation, emotion, and immune function, she’s helping reshape how we understand healing itself. This conversation takes us to the cutting edge of neuroimmunology and asks: what if belief is part of the cure?

This episode touches on:

• The surprising science behind the placebo effect
• How the brain “remembers” immune responses — and can reactivate them
• The role of the prefrontal cortex in turning on healing
• What it means to “want” to get better — and why it matters biologically
• The implications of belief-based healing for the future of care

"Epidemiology is full of evidence for a connection between stress, mental state, and emergence of disease."

Mentioned In This Episode
Insular cortex neurons encode and retrieve specific immune responses: Roll's work showcasing how the brain can store and retrieve specific immune responses, extending the classical concept of immunological memory to neuronal representations of inflammatory information.