Dr. David Schatz

Biography

David G. Schatz is a Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor in the Department of Immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine. His research focuses on the mechanisms that assemble and diversify antigen receptor genes that encode antibodies and T cell receptors. Notable achievements include the discovery of RAG1 and RAG2, which are integral to V(D)J recombination and somatic hypermutation. Schatz has co-authored over 180 articles in prestigious journals and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Paul Ehrlich Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize and election to the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine. He actively participates in graduate education, serving as the Director of Graduate Studies in Immunobiology and contributing to various committees in the field of immunology. His educational background includes a B.S. and M.S. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale, an M.A. in Philosophy and Politics from Oxford, and a Ph.D. from MIT. His ongoing research interests comprise antibody diversity, biological evolution, and gene rearrangements in B- and T-lymphocytes, particularly focusing on the enzymatic mechanisms of somatic hypermutation and its implications for lymphocyte development and cancer.

Research Interests

Experience