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President's Message

Fall 2023

Dear PNIRS Colleagues,

I hope this message finds you in good health and high spirits. It is with great pleasure and a deep sense of responsibility that I write to you as the newly appointed President of PNIRS. It is both an honor and a privilege to serve in this role and to work alongside such a dedicated and accomplished group of individuals.

I'm excited to share a major milestone with you, our first-ever strategic plan. This 5-year plan reflects our collective commitment to advancing immune-brain-behavior research. Our mission is clear: to advance PNI research through collaboration, community support, and scientific dissemination, all aimed at improving human health and behavior. Our vision is bold: to become a global leader in understanding immune-brain interactions, reshaping human health and behavior. We'll achieve this through a collaborative, inclusive, and innovative community, sharing the latest scientific findings to educate the next generation of experts.

This strategic plan will serve as a guide as we work together to achieve these goals. It lays out how we will advance PNI research, promote collaboration, embrace diversity, and maintain scientific rigor. I invite each of you to actively participate in our society's efforts. Your expertise, dedication, and passion are the keys to our success.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our outgoing President Jeff Woods, under whose guidance this strategic plan was largely enabled. In addition, hard work was performed by our numerous Committee members and our Executive Management Group (Meg Gorham & Jess Widing). This was indeed a team effort. I would also like to thank local organizers Mark Opp and Rachel for the great job they did in helping to organize the annual conference in Boulder CO – what a fantastic and memorable meeting!

I'm thrilled to announce that the PNIRS Annual Meeting is coming to Canada for the first time! Make sure to save the dates from June 24 to June 27, 2024, for our upcoming gathering in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We've chosen the Halifax Convention Centre as our venue, conveniently located in the vibrant heart of downtown Halifax and a mere 100 steps from the ocean. Halifax is renowned for its distinctive charm and warm hospitality, making it a must-visit city in Canada. I can't wait to welcome you there. To discover more about Halifax, click here.

PNIRS Presents will continue in the upcoming year, and we are excited to announce our first session: Asia-Pacific Global Research Connections Symposium, dedicated to advancing psychoneuroimmunology through collaborations in the Asia-Pacific region. The webinar is scheduled for Thursday, October 12, from 10:00 - 11:30 am EDT / 3:00 - 4:30 pm BST. Please click here to find your local time. I highly encourage you to participate in this session, as well as in all subsequent PNIRS Presents webinars. I also encourage you to extend this invitation to colleagues outside of PNIRS who share an interest in these topics or may be considering joining our society. Your support in spreading the word about these events is greatly appreciated.

Please visit our Journal webpage to learn more about our three Society journals.

  • Brain, Behavior, and Immunity (BBI)was founded in 1987 and is the official journal of the PNIRS.
  • Brain, Behavior, and Immunity - Health (BBI - Health) is an open access journal and a companion title to BBI.
  • Brain, Behavior, and Immunity - Integrative (BBI – Integrative) is another, newly formed, open access journal and companion title to BBI. This journal examines how the mind and body communicate with one another through the immune system, with a focus on Eastern approaches, and has devoted its next Issue to traditional Asian medicine and cancer.

I'm grateful for the trust you've placed in me as your President, and I look forward to serving you and our society with enthusiasm.

Thank you for being part of PNIRS. I am excited to be embarking on this journey together.

Warm regards,

Chris Engeland

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