David Hafler, MD, FANA

Dr. David Hafler is Chair of Neurology and Professor of Immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine and Neurologist-in-Chief at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He graduated magna cum laude from Emory University and earned his medical degree from the University of Miami. He completed training at Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Rockefeller University, and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Hafler’s pioneering research on multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s Disease has advanced understanding of disease mechanisms and novel treatments. He identified circulating autoreactive T cells, discovered human regulatory T cells, and co-led the discovery of genetic variants influencing MS. His work revealed how environmental factors like salt activate autoreactive T cells. He founded the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies and the International MS Genetic Consortium. Dr. Hafler has received numerous honors, including the NIH Jacob Javits Merit Award and the 2023 AAI Steinman Award. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and multiple prestigious scientific societies.