Robert D. Rosenthal (left), Kevin J. Tracey MD (right)
First Long Island Investors, LLC (FLI) has long maintained strong ties to Long Island, reflecting our deep commitment to the surrounding communities and institutions we serve. Through our philanthropic and thought leadership initiatives, FLI actively supports the healthcare community, recognizing the critical role it plays in advancing public health, innovation, and patient care across the region. In keeping with that theme, FLI recently welcomed Dr. Kevin Tracey, a distinguished medical innovator, as the featured guest for our Thought Leadership Breakfast at the Garden City Hotel on October 28, 2025. During the event, Dr. Tracey shared his journey from neurosurgeon to pioneer in bioelectronic medicine, exploring how the vagus nerve can be harnessed to treat chronic inflammation and disease. As a neurosurgeon, scientist, and entrepreneur, he leads research into how the vagus nerve regulates the immune system and inflammation. He holds more than 120 U.S. patents and is among the most-highly cited living scientists. His new book The Great Nerve: The New Science of the Vagus Nerve and How to Harness Its Healing Reflexes, outlines how tiny bioelectric implants and lifestyle strategies like meditation and breath work may transform treatment for conditions from rheumatoid arthritis to Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Tracey began by highlighting a fundamental truth: the world resists change. While everyone seeks innovation, few are willing to embrace disruption. Drawing on his experience developing a neural implant designed to treat inflammatory diseases, he discussed the challenges of overcoming adoption barriers and reshaping long-held medical paradigms.
He traced the evolution of medical research, noting that while decades of work have yielded life-changing discoveries, roughly 90% of all studies fail. Still, the mission remains clear: to produce knowledge that can cure diseases and relieve human suffering. Because traditional institutions like the NIH are often risk averse in grantmaking, he emphasized the crucial role philanthropy plays in funding early, high-risk breakthroughs.
Dr. Tracey drew parallels between the twentieth century war on infection and today’s efforts to understand inflammation. Vaccines and germ theory once added fifteen years to average lifespans by eradicating infectious diseases. He posed a provocative question: What if we could do for inflammation what we did for infection? Discoveries such as blocking TNF (tumor necrosis factor) have already led to anti-inflammatory drugs generating over thirty billion dollars annually, but many patients still see limited results.
That gap inspired a new approach targeting the vagus nerve, which connects the brain to the body and regulates key organs and immune responses. Described as the “brakes” of the nervous system, the vagus nerve helps control inflammation. Dr. Tracey’s company SetPoint Medical has developed an FDA approved, implantable, computerized stimulator that communicates with the brain to restore balance. Early trials have shown that over eighty percent of patients experienced improvement, marking a potential paradigm shift in medicine.
For the first time, MRI scans have shown arthritic joints beginning to heal, an unprecedented outcome made possible through neuromodulation rather than pharmaceuticals. Dr. Tracey concluded by noting that this breakthrough represents not just a new device but a new way of thinking about medicine itself. With continued collaboration among doctors, researchers, and patients, bioelectronic medicine could redefine how humanity treats disease in the decades to come.
FLI remains committed to offering clients timely insights from top industry experts and thought leaders through the FLI Thought Leadership Breakfast series. We thank Dr. Kevin Tracey for sharing his perspective and expertise on the topic of healthcare.