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The Angel and the Assassin
The Tiny Brain Cell That Changed the Course of Medicine

“A fascinating deep dive into the unsung heroes (and villains) inside our skulls ….Donna Jackson Nakazawa has a journalist's eye for story, a scholar's understanding of the research, and patient's appreciation for high the stakes truly are.”
–Susannah Cahalan, New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire

“An inspiring account…will provide a game-changing view of health for generations of researchers, clinicians and citizens for years to come. Bravo!”
—Dan Siegel, MD, Clinical Professor, UCLA School of Medicine, author of Mindsight
“The Angel and the Assassin is riveting, engaging. Nakazawa's work is visionary."
–Terry Wahls, MD, author The Wahls Protocol
“Few non-fiction writers can tell the tale of scientific inquiry so vividly the reader can feel the excitement of discovery with every word. Donna Jackson Nakazawa is one of those writers, and this book tells the tale of one of the most intriguing and groundbreaking discoveries in all of medicine.”
-Shannon Brownlee, Senior Vice President of the Lown Institute, author of Overtreated
“[This] is the rarest of books, a combination of page-turning discovery and remarkably readable scientific journalism. A book to both savor and share.”
-Mark Hyman, MD, Director, The Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, New York Times bestselling author of Food
“The Angel and the Assassin is one of those astonishing medical yarns that you almost can’t believe ... It is especially essential reading for women, who face depression, Alzheimer’s and autoimmune disorders at higher rates than men.”
-Peggy Orenstein, New York Times bestselling author of Girls & Sex
“Colorful, page-turning, and accessible…. I have great hope for the practical application of what [Jackson Nakazawa] reveals.”
-Amy Myers, MD, New York Times bestselling author of The Autoimmune Solution
“Jackson Nakazawa puts forth a revolutionary new way of thinking about the brain’s immune system and its interactions with [the] rest of the body….Much of the information here was new to me, and has made me more optimistic about the future of medicine.”
-Andrew Weil, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Healthy Aging
“A deft, scientific story about the ‘Cinderella’ cell of the brain, microglia . . . Jackson Nakazawa explains the possible translation of the science into solutions for brain disorders, health and disease.”
-Thomas Insel, MD, Former Director, National Institute of Mental Health 2002 - 2015
“A captivating, page-turning story of the scientific discoveries that overturn centuries of medical dogma. The Angel and the Assassin offers extraordinary promise and heralds new hope … paradigm shifting reading for us all.”
—Christina Bethell, PhD, MBH, MPH, Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
“An impressive, inspiring, timely call to arms.”
—Susannah Tye, PhD, Director of the Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Mayo Clinic
“A captivating look at the new science altering our understanding of a range of conditions that especially affect women.”
—Maya Dusenbery, author of Doing Harm
“Provocative and eloquent of the cutting-edge research that proves the intimate connection between mind and body… Sets the stage for a paradigm shift for clinicians and researchers in the decades to come.”
—Ruth Lanius, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry University of Western Ontario, coauthor of The Impact of Early Life Trauma on Health and Disease
“The Angel and the Assassin is a must read for everyone interested in the new science of brain health.”
—Louann Brizendine, MD, author of The Female Brain and The Male Brain

A page-turning story of scientific detective work and thrilling medical potential, The Angel and the Assassin illuminates the newly-understood role of microglia—an elusive type of brain cell that is vitally relevant to our everyday lives.

Donna Jackson Nakazawa

Donna Jackson Nakazawa is an award-winning journalist and internationally recognized speaker exploring the intersection of neuroscience, immunology and human emotion. She is the author of six books, including her latest, The Angel and the Assassin: The Tiny Brain Cell that Changed the Course of Medicine. Her mission is to translate the latest science to help those suffering from chronic conditions find hope and healing.

About Donna | Speaking

More Books by Donna Jackson Nakazawa

  • Childhood Disrupted
  • The Last Best Cure
  • The Autoimmune Epidemic
  • Does Anybody Else Look Like Me?
Donna Jackson Nakazawa

Donna Jackson Nakazawa’s Blog:

The Angel and the Assassin: The Tiny Brain Cell that Changed the Course of Medicine - My new book, THE ANGEL AND THE ASSASSIN: THE TINY BRAIN CELL THAT CHANGED THE COURSE OF MEDICINE will be out in just 2 months, on January 21st, 2020! After two years of reporting, researching, writing, factchecking, I can’t wait to share it with you!
Why We Need to Talk About the Unique Biological Effects of #ToxicChildhoodStress and #FemaleAdversity on Women’s Bodies and Brains. - The Female Body and Brain on Toxic Stress (CRUCIAL NOTE HERE BEFORE YOU READ: Boys’ immune systems become dysregulated in response to #toxicstress too, and that leads to disease and changes to the brain that we also need to talk about more openly AND compassionately. Today I’m focusing on girls’ unique immune response to #toxicstress.) … Continue reading Why We Need to Talk About the Unique Biological Effects of #ToxicChildhoodStress and #FemaleAdversity on Women’s Bodies and Brains. →
Why Girls Who Face Toxic Stress are More Vulnerable to Adult Illness: The Shocking Relationship Between Being Female, #ACEs, Autoimmune Disease and Depression - Hi All, This blog is about WHY Adverse Childhood Experiences are a #METOO ISSUE. I want to talk about how and why toxic childhood stress – also as #ACEs — is a #metoo issue of the greatest magnitude. For girls and for the adult women they become. One thing readers know about the work I … Continue reading Why Girls Who Face Toxic Stress are More Vulnerable to Adult Illness: The Shocking Relationship Between Being Female, #ACEs, Autoimmune Disease and Depression →
Female Adversity: The Female Body and Brain on Toxic Stress - Hi All, Three things I wanted to let you know about: later this weekend I’ll be posting a three part essay about women, toxic stress, and the female immune system — and why this topic matters now more than ever (more on that below!); an update on my next book, The Angel and the Assassin; and … Continue reading Female Adversity: The Female Body and Brain on Toxic Stress →
Hope You’ll Come Say Hi at One of My Upcoming Talks - Hi Friends: First I want to say a heartfelt thank you to the hundreds of women who reached out to me, offering to be interviewed for my next book, THE ANGEL AND THE ASSASSIN: The Tiny Cell That Changed the Course of Medicine, and Gives us a Radically New Way of Looking at Human Well-Being, which … Continue reading Hope You’ll Come Say Hi at One of My Upcoming Talks →
Want to Be Part of My Next Book Project? - Hello friends: For my next book, I’m interviewing women and young adults experiencing mood, anxiety and/or learning/cognitive issues, who are curious about the concept that brain based symptoms have neurobiological, immunological, physical roots. If you are, or know, a woman in mid-life, for whom this resonates, and are in an extended family that faces depression, … Continue reading Want to Be Part of My Next Book Project? →
How to Win The Doctor Lottery - Hi All, and Happy Spring! I’m proud to share this very personal essay I wrote for the April 2017 issue of the journal, Health Affairs, “How to Win The Doctor Lottery: Not every doctor-patient encounter is healing, and it can seem a game of chance. One patient explores what it takes to win.” Or, if … Continue reading How to Win The Doctor Lottery →
Childhood Trauma Leads to Lifelong Chronic Illness — So Why Isn’t the Medical Community Helping Patients? - Hi All, I hope you’ll enjoy this essay I wrote for Huffington Post, “Childhood Trauma Leads to Adult Chronic Illness — So Why Isn’t the Medical Community Helping Patients?” I put my heart into it. My team has also gathered some of readers’ favorite articles and video clips in which I address the link between … Continue reading Childhood Trauma Leads to Lifelong Chronic Illness — So Why Isn’t the Medical Community Helping Patients? →
Updates and Reader Feedback! - Hi All, I wanted to update you on recent events, and ask for a bit of advice as my team gears up for the paperback release of Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, And How You Can Heal — which will be out on July 26th. Earlier this week I was happy and … Continue reading Updates and Reader Feedback! →
Paperback Giveaway! - In two weeks (July 26th) Childhood Disrupted will be out in paperback! To help spread the word about how the book can help individuals who are suffering find healing, our team is offering a free book giveaway! Three winners will receive a free signed copy and a second free copy for a friend! Here’s how … Continue reading Paperback Giveaway! →
Early Trauma and Adult Chronic Illness — VoiceAmerica Talk Radio - Why do childhood traumas — like being frequently put down, losing a parent, living with a mom or dad who is depressed, or alcoholic, emotional neglect, and other early adversities — leave permanent physical “fingerprints” on our brains? In this VoiceAmerica Talk Radio interview, I share my thoughts with host Katherine Vox about the link … Continue reading Early Trauma and Adult Chronic Illness — VoiceAmerica Talk Radio →
How Adverse Childhood Experiences Affect Adult Illness - Hi All, Here is a recent video interview, in which I share my thoughts on How Adverse Childhood Experiences Affect Adult Illness, why our new understanding of this science must change the way we do medicine, and why I wrote my book, Childhood Disrupted. Produced by Studio4. Hope you’ll enjoy! Donna
Childhood Disrupted – Pub Date Has Arrived! - I can’t believe it’s finally here: Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal hit stores yesterday and has been steadily climbing on Amazon (as of this afternoon, it was the #1 best-seller in Developmental Psychology and #787 overall!) and gaining traction on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and various news outlets, … Continue reading Childhood Disrupted – Pub Date Has Arrived! →
Is depression caused by inflammation? - Increasingly doctors are looking at depression as an inflammatory reaction, rather than a standalone neurological disorder — and in some cases depression may even be exacerbated by an allergic reaction. This theory could lead to never-before-prescribed methods that can be used in conjunction with traditional antidepressants to combat inflammation. This new understanding of depression could … Continue reading Is depression caused by inflammation? →
Come Join Me For Talks & Booksignings in July 2015 on Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal! - Hope you can come join me on Tuesday July 7th at 7:00 at Baltimore’s lovely Ivy Bookshop for a talk, chat, and booksigning! Tuesday, July 7th, 2015 7:00 p.m. Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal — a Discussion & Book Signing with Donna Jackson Nakazawa http://www.theivybookshop.com/ Or, come … Continue reading Come Join Me For Talks & Booksignings in July 2015 on Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal! →
My Next Book! Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal - Every once in a while, as a writer, I sort of “disappear” — taking a break from blogging and social media to fully immerse myself in finishing a new book. I’m happy to say, in 2015, you’ll be able to see what I’ve been so busy working on (and why I’ve been so quiet)!
The Art of Doing Everything Twice - My mom said something recently that really stuck with me. She’s 82. “It used to be that we did everything once, and now we have to do everything twice!” I kind of brushed it off as a subtle sign of aging, but then I noticed, over the next forty eight hours: the washing machine/dryer repair … Continue reading The Art of Doing Everything Twice →
Come Join Me on June 8th at Breathe Bookstore! - Hope you can come join me on Sunday June 8th at 1:00 at Baltimore’s lovely Breathe Bookstore and Cafe for a chat and booksigning! Sunday, June 8th, 2014 1:00 to 2:30 The Last Best Cure — a Discussion & Book Signing with Donna Jackson Nakazawa
What is the Green Solution for Toxic Thinking? - Is Someone Driving you Nuts? Fifteen insights on how to stop thinking about someone who’s driving you crazy. Have you ever found that you just can’t stop thinking about someone and what they did or said, and how bewildered or hurt you were by their actions? When someone hurts us, our children, or someone we … Continue reading What is the Green Solution for Toxic Thinking? →
A Q. and A. with “Between the Covers” on What Compelled me to Write The Last Best Cure - I recently spoke with Melanie Brevis, blogger at Baltimore County Public Library System, and we had a great chat! Between the Covers with Donna Jackson Nakazawa Baltimore author Donna Jackson Nakazawa discusses her latest book, The Last Best Cure, on Wednesday, April 16 at 7 p.m. at the Perry Hall Branch, sponsored by the Friends … Continue reading A Q. and A. with “Between the Covers” on What Compelled me to Write The Last Best Cure →
Not Cured, But Healing - Hi All, I wrote this for the PBS website, Next Avenue, and have recently had a number of requests to share it. So, I’ve included the essay here, and a link to the original below. I’m Not Cured, but I Am Healing After years of pain and chronic illness, an author finds relief through breakthrough … Continue reading Not Cured, But Healing →
Thank You Readers – The Last Best Cure hit #10 in Bestselling Books in Health Memoir - Thank you readers, I just found out that last night THE LAST BEST CURE hit #10 on AMAZON in BESTSELLING BOOKS IN HEALTH MEMOIR! That made me smile, and I realize I have all of you to thank for spreading the word, one woman, one reader at a time! In gratitude, I thank you.http://amzn.to/1dIIyVd
Talking on NPR about The Last Best Cure - I really enjoyed a great discussion today with Dan Rodricks, the host of the NPR show, Midday, on WYPR, Baltimore’s Public Radio station. Dan is smart, genuine, and asks great questions. We really delved into why I wrote The Last Best Cure, the science behind it, and how I hope it can help readers with … Continue reading Talking on NPR about The Last Best Cure →
From Point A to Point A - We all grow up thinking that a successful life is about trying to get from Point A to Point B. From right here where we are to some distant point or goal in the future. And yes, having goals and aspirations is important. That’s why we set so many resolutions in the New Year. But … Continue reading From Point A to Point A →
Two Wise Teachers - I spent this weekend at a two day meditation event with one of my dearest friends, and together we soaked in the amazing wisdom of Syliva Boorstein and Sharon Salzberg, who came together to teach as a duo on this snowy, rainy weekend in Washington DC. My favorite nuggets: Sylvia Boorstein’s teaching, “May I meet … Continue reading Two Wise Teachers →
Big News Coming! The Next Book! - I’m just about to announce my next book project — which I’ve signed for with Atria/Simon & Schuster. I’m going to be looking for interviewees for this one! So, stay tuned…I’ll be reaching out to you, my amazing, faithful readers. Subscribe to get my blog posts (option on the right) to stay informed and find … Continue reading Big News Coming! The Next Book! →
The Ones Who’ve Helped us Along the Way - Yesterday I was struggling to manage a few swirling mind states — you know, those fears, resentments and regrets that well up, or at least they do for me. I just could not find any inner compassion for my own life mistakes. My suffering was mind-wrought, and doing me no good, but even knowing all … Continue reading The Ones Who’ve Helped us Along the Way →
My Emergency Mental Repair Plan - Hi All, What a lovely week. On July 17th, I went to speak at the Arlington Central Library in Arlington, Virginia. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you wonderful readers who came out despite the record heat. I was so happy to see you. I loved telling you about why I … Continue reading My Emergency Mental Repair Plan →
A Long Ago Story - Hi All, It has been a busy month. My son graduated from high school, my daughter graduated from middle school, I turned in my story for MORE Magazine on women, chronic illness and friendship (I’ll keep you posted on when it will appear — a mega thank you to all of you who participated!), joined … Continue reading A Long Ago Story →
A Thought Challenge - Today I came across a “Thought Challenge” from meditation teacher and writer Jack Kornfield, whose work I so admire. Kornfield talks about separating ourselves from our tightly gripped sense of our “self,” and seeing what happens. Selflessness, Kornfield teaches, is not about seeing “how selfless I am.” It’s about stepping away from identifying everything as … Continue reading A Thought Challenge →