We are delighted to announce a new strategic partnership between the international journal Microbes & Immunity (AccScience Publishing), TheMind (The Mind Bulletin on Mind-Body Medicine Research), and the Institute for Integrative Healthcare and Health Promotion (IGVF) at Witten/Herdecke University.
This collaboration is rooted in a shared scientific vision: understanding health not as the mere absence of disease, but as an interconnected system where thoughts, emotions, and social factors deeply influence our biology.
Molecular Foundations of Mind-Body Medicine
Mind-body medicine (MBM) represents a paradigm shift in healthcare. At the IGVF, under the scientific leadership of Prof. Tobias Esch, interdisciplinary teams are pioneering work that bridges the biological foundations of health with practical care. A defining strength of their research is the focus on molecular processes—specifically mitochondria, the microbiome, and neuroimmune links. Because these mechanisms are evolutionarily conserved, understanding them provides a broad biological foundation for mind-body phenomena and points to new therapeutic opportunities.
Spotlight at ISC-MBM 2026.
This groundbreaking international work will be showcased at the Second International Scientific Conference on Mind-Body Medicine (ISC-MBM 2026), taking place on November 19–20, 2026, in Witten, Germany. The conference will place particular emphasis on the molecular mechanisms of MBM, alongside psychosomatics, artificial intelligence, and the effects of social connectedness and loneliness on health and longevity.
A Shared Scientific Conversation
TheMind was founded on the premise that diverse yet related life processes—from microbial and mitochondrial biology to immunity, cognition, and behavior—belong in a shared scientific conversation.
In keeping with this aim, the founders of TheMind have established this new association with Microbes & Immunity. This partnership not only complements the focus of TheMind but also reinforces the Institute’s molecular emphasis. Furthermore, it positions Microbes & Immunity as a potential publisher for TheMind in the future.
We look forward to a fruitful collaboration that advances our understanding of the neuro-immune-metabolic axis and promotes integrative healthcare globally.