Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) research is a thriving field that integrates the growing knowledge about the complex interactions between neuroendocrine mediators and immune function into medicine and psychology. The aim of this BBI-Health special issue was to promote this research, it´s creativity and the forward- thinking of future key opinion leaders in the PNI field of psychoneuroimmunology. Contributing researchers were invited to present new ideas and innovations that map out the future trajectory of our discipline. Together, their contributions show that PNI is becoming a trans-diagnostic, trans-methodological field that closes the psychosomatic division between the mind (our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors) and the body (its physiological states from health to illness). Their diverse views covered in this special issue highlight the ideas and contributions of the next generation of researchers who are helping to shape this field. Covered topics range from the role of stress in early development through the participation of the brain in chronic inflammation and immune contributions to depression, to insights from psychoneuroimmune research into dysregulated brain-body interactions going awry in chronic communicable and non-communicable diseases alike. They also explore biomarkers that indicate when adaptive neuroendocrine–immune stress responses shift toward maladaptive patterns, helping to guide treatment strategies that prevent or reduce such outcomes. Taken together, these contributions provide an informative glimpse into a prosperous research future that upholds a central science belief: knowledge is the key to a better life.
Peters et al. (2026) studied this question.