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Neuroscientist diagnosed with terminal cancer contemplates mind-body connection in health

David J. Linden, who is a neuroscience professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2021 and told he had just 6 to 18 months to live.

Five year later, he’s still here, and he’s still thinking about how his own mind is contemplating the end of his life and how the mind-body connection influences the immune system, health, and well-being. He’s working on a new book that will be published in 2027.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong spoke with Linden back in 2022, shortly after his diagnosis, and they talk again about what it’s like to have more time than he first expected.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

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