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David Hafler, MD, Neurology, New Haven, CT, Yale-New Haven Hospital

DavidAllenHaflerMD

Neurology • New Haven, CT

Neuroimmunology/Multiple Sclerosis

Chairman Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, William and Lois Edgerly Professor of Neurology and Immunobiology Neurologist in Chief, Yale New Haven Hospital

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Summary

  • David A. Hafler, M.D. is the Edgerly Professor and Chairman Department of Neurology and Professor of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, and Neurologist-in-Chief of the Yale-New Haven Hospital. He graduated magna cum laude in 1974 from Emory University with combined B.S. and M.Sc. degrees, and the University of Miami School of Medicine in 1978. He completed his internship in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins followed by a neurology residency at Cornell Medical Center-New York Hospital in New York. Dr. Hafler was trained in immunology at the Rockefeller University and then at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Hafler joined the Harvard faculty in 1984 and in 1999 became the Breakstone Professorship of Neurology and was a founding Associated Member of the Broad Institute. As a preeminent physician-scientist, Dr. Hafler has made seminal discoveries defining the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and autoimmunity. His investigations identified human autoreactive T cells and the mechanisms that underlie their dysregulation including the discovery of human regulatory T cells. He co-led the discovery of genetic variants causing MS and demonstrated how these variants alter immune responses in relationship to environmental factors. Dr. Hafler has over 400 publications in the field of immunology. He is co-founder of the International MS Genetic Consortium and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Investigation. He was a Jacob Javits Merit Award Recipient from the NIH he was awarded the Dystel Prize for MS research from the American Academy of Neurology, the University of Miami Annual Distinguished Alumni Award, the Raymond Adams Prize from the American Neurologic Association, and was the 2016 Frontier Lecturer at the AAN. Dr. Hafler is a Member of the Scandinavian Society for Immunology and has been elected to the AOA Society, the the American Society of Clinical Investigation, The Association of American Physicians, and the National Academy of Medicine.

Education & Training

  • New York Presbyterian Hospital (Cornell Campus)
    New York Presbyterian Hospital (Cornell Campus)Residency, Neurology, 1979 - 1982
  • Johns Hopkins University
    Johns Hopkins UniversityInternship, Internal Medicine, 1978 - 1979
  • University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
    University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of MedicineClass of 1978

Certifications & Licensure

  • MA State Medical License
    MA State Medical License 1982 - 2025
  • CT State Medical License
    CT State Medical License 2010 - 2024
  • American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Neurology

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

  • Steinman Award for Human Research American Association of Immunologists, 2023
  • Elected Member Association of American Physicians, 2021
  • Election into the National Academy of Medicine National Academy of Medicine, 2018
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Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Journal Articles

  • Autoantibodies Against Neurologic Antigens in Nonneurologic Autoimmunity  
    Jane H Buckner, David A Hafler, Richard J Nowak, The Journal of Immunology
  • Activated Β-catenin in Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells Links Inflammatory Environments to Autoimmunity  
    David Hafler, MD, Nature

Press Mentions

  • 2023 ‘Top Doctors’ List Features Over 250 Yale Medicine Physicians
    2023 ‘Top Doctors’ List Features Over 250 Yale Medicine PhysiciansMay 3rd, 2023
  • Insights & Outcomes: From Secret Shoppers to Hungry Ribosomes
    Insights & Outcomes: From Secret Shoppers to Hungry RibosomesJanuary 9th, 2023
  • Yale Scientists Will Use $9M Grant to Create Map of Gut-Brain Axis
    Yale Scientists Will Use $9M Grant to Create Map of Gut-Brain AxisAugust 15th, 2022
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Grant Support

  • Yale Clinical Neuroscientist Training ProgramNational Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke2012
  • Multimensional Robotic Flow PlatformNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2011
  • Administrative CoreNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2011
  • Regulatory T Cells In Autoimmune DiseaseNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2010–2011
  • Defining Signatures For Immune Responsiveness By Functional Systems ImmunologyNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2010–2011
  • Costimulatory Mechanisms Of Autoimmunity (COMPOSITE)National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2010–2011
  • Costimulation Genes And Pathways In Multiple SclerosisNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2010–2011
  • Characterization Of Fuctional Defective Autoimmune Human CD4+CD25+ TregsNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2010–2011
  • Administrative CoreNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2010–2011
  • ACE: Investigation Of Innate Immunity In Multiple SclerosisNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2010–2011
  • Role Of TIM-3 In Regulating CNS Autoimmune ResponsesNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2008–2011
  • B Cells As Antigen Presenting Cells In Human Autoimmune DiseasesNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2008–2011
  • T Cell Recognition Of Myelin In Multiple SclerosisNational Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke2010
  • The Role Of RARE Variants In Multiple Sclerosis RiskNational Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke2009–2010
  • Analysis Of Pathogenic T Cell Response In MSNational Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke2006–2010
  • Regulatory T Cells In Autoimmune DiseaseNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2006–2009
  • Characterization Of Fuctional Defective Autoimmune Human CD4+CD25+ TregsNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2006–2009
  • Costimulatory Mechanism Of AutoimmunityNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2005–2009
  • Costimulation Genes And Pathways In Multiple SclerosisNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2005–2009
  • Administrative CoreNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2005–2009
  • T Cell Recognition Of Myelin In Multiple SclerosisNational Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke2004–2009
  • Examination Of The Genetic Basis Of Multiple SclerosisNational Center For Research Resources2006–2008
  • T Cell Reactivity In Human Pancreatic Draining Lymph Nodes In Type 1 DiabetesNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2007
  • Role Of Regulatory CD4+CD25+ T Cells In DiabetesNational Institute Of Diabetes And Digestive And Kidney Diseases2001–2005
  • In Vitro Correlates Of Rapamycin Therapy In MS PatientsNational Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke2003–2004
  • Costimulatory Mechanisms Of AutoimmunityNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases1996–2004
  • T Cell Recognition Of Myelin In Multiple SclerosisNational Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke1994–2003
  • Antigen Driven Cytokine Regulation In Human MyelinNational Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke2000–2002
  • Costimulation In Human Autoimmune DiseaseNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2000–2002
  • Analysis Of MS T Cells Using Combinatorial Libraries And Mhc/Peptide TetramersNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases1999–2002
  • Federation Of Clinical Immunology Societies MeetingNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2001
  • Invariant T Cells And IL4 And Type I DiabetesNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases1998–2000
  • Immune Monitoring Of Antigen Specific TherapyNational Institute Of Diabetes And Digestive And Kidney Diseases1996–2000
  • Role Of B7 In The Induction Of MSNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases1996–1999
  • Oral Tolerance In Human Autoimmune DiseaseNational Institute Of Arthritis And Musculoskeletal And Skin Diseases1996–1997
  • Faseb Research Conference On AutoimmunityNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases1993
  • T Cell Receptor Recognition Of MBP In Multiple SclerosisNational Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke1991–1993
  • T Cell Receptor In Proteolipid Apoprotein RecognitNational Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke1992
  • T Cells In The CSF Of Multiple Sclerosis PatientsNational Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke1987–1989
  • Cellular Immunologic Studies In CNS Inflammtory DiseaseNational Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke1985–1989

Hospital Affiliations

Dr. David Hafler, Dr. David Hafler, MD, Dr. D Hafler, Dr. David Allen Hafler