Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes’ Dr. Kevin J. Tracey Elected to National Academy of Inventors’ 2025 Class of Fellows

Dr. Tracey is a pioneer in vagus nerve research and the discoverer of the inflammatory reflex

MANHASSET, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Recognized for his discovery of the inflammatory reflex and the burgeoning field of bioelectronic medicine, Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president and CEO of The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) as part of its 2025 Class. This prestigious recognition is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. The honor acknowledges those who have demonstrated a spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating inventions spanning all fields of discovery, including quantum computing, artificial intelligence and medicine.

Dr. Tracey’s election specifically acknowledges his pioneering work in bioelectronic medicine – a field that combines neuroscience, immunology and engineering to develop innovative, technology-based therapies for disease. His identification of the body’s inflammatory reflex, which explains how the brain and body communicate to control immune responses, has reshaped our understanding of disease mechanisms like inflammation and opened new avenues for treatment. An inventor with more than 120 United States patents and author of more than 400 scientific publications – placing him among the most cited scientists in the world – Dr. Tracey’s translational research also led to the development of the first Food and Drug Administration-approved vagus nerve stimulation device to treat rheumatoid arthritis, from SetPoint Medical. After the device was approved in July 2025, New York-based Northwell Health was the first health system to implant the device in August.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the National Academy of Inventors, an institution that champions innovation,” said Dr. Tracey, author of the book The Great Nerve: The New Science of the Vagus Nerve and How to Harness Its Healing Reflexes. “This distinction is an affirmation of the collective effort and dedication of researchers worldwide and within the Feinstein Institutes, all of whom are driven by the commitment to produce knowledge to cure disease.”

The NAI Fellows Selection Committee noted Dr. Tracey’s dedication to advancing technology and fostering innovation for the benefit of society. His induction follows a career marked by significant scientific breakthroughs and previous accolades, including the 2023 Hans Wigzell Research Foundation’s Science Prize and his 2025 election into The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences.

“Dr. Tracey’s distinguished election as an NAI Fellow underscores his profound impact on medical research and his relentless pursuit to improve the lives of patients,” said John D’Angelo, MD, president and CEO of Northwell Health. “His pioneering work in bioelectronic medicine not only reshaped our understanding of inflammation, it also opened entirely new pathways for treatment. This honor is well-deserved and reflects the innovative spirit that drives the Feinstein Institutes and fuels Northwell’s mission to lead the future of medicine.”

The 2025 NAI Fellows cohort includes 169 U.S. distinguished academic and institutional inventors and 16 International Fellows that hail from 127 universities, government agencies and research institutions. Together, they hold more than 5,300 issued U.S. patents, comprising innovations that will make significant tangible societal and economic impact. NAI Fellows are known for the societal and economic impact of their inventions, contributing to major advancements in science and consumer technologies.

Dr. Tracey will be inducted as a Fellow of the Academy during its milestone 15th Annual Conference, taking place June 4, 2026, in Los Angeles, California, and presented by the NAI President and a representative of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

The NAI Fellows program was founded in 2012 and has grown to include 2,253 distinguished researchers and innovators, who hold over 86,000 U.S. patents and 20,000 licensed technologies. Their innovations have generated an estimated $3.8 trillion in revenue and 1.4 million jobs. The NAI Fellows Program highlights academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.

In 2024, Yousef Al-Abed, PhD, co-director of the Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine at the Feinstein Institutes was also named to the NAI’s 2024 class of fellows.

The full 2025 list of NAI Fellows is linked here.

About the Feinstein Institutes

The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the home of the research institutes of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Encompassing 50+ research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raises the standard of medical innovation through its six institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, molecular medicine, and translational research. We are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – an innovative field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. The Feinstein Institutes publishes two open-access, international peer-reviewed journals Molecular Medicine and Bioelectronic Medicine. Through the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, we offer an accelerated PhD program. For more information about how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit http://feinstein.northwell.edu and follow us on LinkedIn.