Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research has announced the groundbreaking release of the world’s first comprehensive human vagus nerve anatomical map, an achievement set to change our understanding of the autonomic nervous system and accelerate the development of bioelectronic medicine and neuromodulation therapies. The first dataset release, meticulously collected over three years from 30 human donors encompassing 60 vagus nerves, is now widely available to the global scientific community via SPARC science.

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The human vagus nerve contains about 100,000 individual nerve fibers, some as small as 0.5 micrometers. Using fluorescent protein markers and high-resolution imaging, researchers can make these tiny fibers visible, show how different fiber types are organized within the nerve bundles, and begin to understand what kinds of information each group of fibers carries. (Credit: Feinstein Institutes)

The human vagus nerve contains about 100,000 individual nerve fibers, some as small as 0.5 micrometers. Using fluorescent protein markers and high-resolution imaging, researchers can make these tiny fibers visible, show how different fiber types are organized within the nerve bundles, and begin to understand what kinds of information each group of fibers carries. (Credit: Feinstein Institutes)

The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve and a critical “information superhighway,” consisting of two main bundles (one on the left side of the neck and the other on the right side of the neck) containing more than 200,000 individual nerve fibers stretching from the brainstem to all major organs. It manages automatic functions such as heart rate, breathing and digestion, and serves as the body’s “on/off switch” for immune response and inflammation. To better understand the function of each vagal fiber, this new dataset resource offers a unique 3D view into the intricate anatomy of the human vagus nerve, utilizing advanced techniques such as microCT imaging, immunohistochemistry and ultrasound. By mapping the organization of fascicles and fibers, researchers can gain critical insights into how the vagus nerve communicates with various organs and influences human health and disease.

“This dataset represents a major step forward in bioelectronic medicine, offering the most detailed anatomical reconstruction of the human vagus nerve to date,” said Stavros Zanos, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine at the Feinstein Institutes and co-leader of the project. “For the first time, we can visualize the vagus nerve’s complex architecture that will allow us to design more precise, effective and safe neuromodulation therapies and devices. We are proud to be the first in the world to make such a comprehensive resource available, a testament to the tireless dedication of our team.”

This accomplishment marks a significant milestone that began with a $6.7 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant awarded to the Feinstein Institutes in October 2022 for its Reconstructing Vagal Anatomy (REVA) project, part of the NIH Common Fund’s SPARC program. The successful delivery of this world-first map’ highlights the Feinstein Institutes’ pioneering spirit in bioelectronic medicine and was supported by Peter J. Pappas, Jr. whose donation provided crucial philanthropic support towards the goals of this project.

“Decoding the vagus nerve’s intricate language is an important advance for science and medicine,” said Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes, Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research and author of the book The Great Nerve: The New Science of the Vagus Nerve and How to Harness Its Healing Reflexes. “This knowledge will further empower researchers to re-engineer human biology and unlock novel therapies for future patients.”

The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine and vagus nerve stimulation, where medical researchers use modern technology to develop new device-based therapies to treat disease and injury. Built on decades of research, the field of bioelectronic medicine integrates insights from neuroscience, molecular medicine and biomedical engineering, and researchers at the Feinstein Institutes leverage the connection between the brain and the immune system to develop bioelectronic medicine interventions.

The discovery that initiated the field of bioelectronic medicine – called the “inflammatory reflex” – was made more than 30 years ago by Dr. Tracey. This discovery emerged from studies on vagus nerve signaling and showed that the brain and body communicate to regulate inflammation and, if uncontrolled, inflammation could lead to disease. New knowledge then sparked extensive research and clinical trials and led to the first FDA-approved vagus nerve stimulation device in July 2025 to treat rheumatoid arthritis – and Northwell Health was the first in the nation to implant the newly approved treatment in patients in August 2025.

Today, engineers, computer scientists, immunologists, neuroscientists and clinicians develop cutting-edge medicine, including neuroimmune modulation, miniature implants for stimulating and recording the vagus nerve, noninvasive ultrasound neuromodulation to suppress inflammation, and novel brain-computer interfaces to overcome injuries of the nervous system. These collaborative efforts converge to create personalized, precise treatments that hold promise in treating acute and chronic diseases, often with fewer side effects compared to current therapies.

These treatments have the potential to enhance or replace existing treatments across a range of conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, diabetes, cancer and autoimmune disorders. By producing bioelectronic medicine knowledge, disease and injury could one day be treated by our own nerves without costly and potentially harmful pharmaceuticals.

If you are interested in learning more about the center and current bioelectronic clinical trials offered at Northwell Health, click here or call 1-227-BIO-INST (246-4678).

For more information on the vagus nerve, click 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.

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