School Notes: School of Medicine
January/February 2019

Neurologist elected to the national academy

David A. Hafler, William S. and Lois Stiles Edgerly Professor of Neurology and chair of the neurology department, joined the National Academy of Medicine as one of 75 US and ten international inductees for 2018. The honor recognizes Hafler’s contributions to understanding the underlying causes of multiple sclerosis (MS), which he showed begins in the blood, not the brain. Hafler was the first to identify myelin-reactive T cells associated with MS, which supported the disease’s classification as an autoimmune disorder. The National Academy of Medicine addresses important issues in health, science, medicine, and related policy and inspires positive actions across sectors.

Yale Cancer Center renews national designation

During the fall, Yale Cancer Center (YCC) learned its designation by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a Comprehensive Cancer Center would be renewed for five years from 2018 to 2023. YCC is the only NCI-designated cancer center in Connecticut. The renewal was based on evaluations completed by leading scientists, and considered YCC’s research impact, the number of patients enrolled in clinical trials, and the amount of cancer-related external funding it has secured. “I look forward to working together with the NCI over the next five years of our Cancer Center support grant to continue to reach our goals for our cancer center,” said Charles S. Fuchs, director of YCC and physician-in-chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital.