Aleksandra Filipovic, Chief Medical Officer at Gallop Oncology, shared a post by OncoDaily on LinkedIn, adding:
“What if intuition isn’t unscientific – but a neurobiological process we’re only beginning to understand?
What if it is a process of the Body and the Brain that is exceptionally intelligent?
What if your GUT cells (gut instinct – that we have all felt) have not yet evolved to the level of self-doubt, like our minds may have?
In this episode on the OncoDaily podcast, Into the Body, with Dr Aleks, we dive deep. A Yale and Stanford trained psychiatrist, executive coach, best selling author and my dear friend Anna Yusim, MD explores with me in conversation, the emerging intersection of medicine as a whole, psychiatry more specifically, neuroscience, and spirituality-and why it may be critical for both mental and physical health.
Drawing on her clinical work and research explored in her book Fulfilled, Dr. Yusim discusses with me how purpose, meaning, and intuitive cognition influence core biological systems involved in wellbeing.
We discuss:
- Intuition as a rapid, non-conscious cognitive process integrating limbic, cortical, and somatic signals
- How chronic misalignment with purpose can contribute to stress dysregulation, burnout, anxiety, and depressive symptoms
- The role of meaning and purpose in modulating the stress response (HPA axis) and supporting resilience
- Growing research linking psychological purpose with improved cardiovascular health, immune function, and longevity
Dr. Yusim argues that fulfillment is not simply philosophical-it has measurable neurobiological and physiological implications for how we regulate stress, make decisions, and sustain wellbeing.
Her book Fulfilled explores how integrating evidence-based psychiatry with deeper questions of meaning and consciousness may help people move beyond symptom management toward genuine human flourishing.
A fascinating conversation at the frontier of medicine, neuroscience, and the science of purpose.
Quoting OncoDaily on LinkedIn:
“In this episode of Into the Body, host Dr. Aleksandra Filipovic MD Ph.D. sits down with internationally recognized mind-body psychiatrist, executive coach, and author Dr. Anna Yusim, MD to explore the profound intersection of science, spirituality, and healing.
Dr. Yusim, a Stanford- and Yale-educated psychiatrist and author of “Fulfilled”, shares her personal journey and the discovery of deeper connection between identity, emotional truth and wellbeing. Together, they discuss how modern medicine can expand beyond diagnosis and treatment to embrace a more holistic understanding of human health.
They explore:
- How childhood experiences and survival strategies shape the “masks” we wear in adulthood
- The moment when success no longer feels aligned and how self-inquiry begins
- Why science and spirituality should not be seen as opposing forces in medicine
- The three common struggles many patients face
- How symptoms may carry adaptive meaning and guide deeper healing
- Why authentic connection between doctor and patient can be a powerful catalyst for transformation
Learn more about Dr. Anna Yusim’s work:
Book.
LinkedIn.”
Other articles featuring Aleksandra Filipovic and Anna Yusim on OncoDaily.