Dr. Eric Song

Biography

Eric Hoyeon Song is a physician-scientist specializing in research in immunology and ophthalmology. His work seeks to unravel the principles of immune privilege in specialized tissue environments, particularly the brain and eye, and reveals how organs resist inflammation through protective mechanisms that can be harnessed for therapy. A central theme of his research contributions is the role of the lymphatic system in immune regulation within the central nervous system and the eye. His group has demonstrated how lymphatic function influences the clearance of proteins and metabolites, affecting the balance of protection and pathology in diseases such as neurodegeneration, cancer, and ocular inflammation. Eric has published in leading journals, including Nature, introducing novel therapeutic approaches. He holds joint faculty appointments in the Departments of Immunobiology and Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at Yale University. Eric has received several prestigious awards, including the Burroughs Wellcome Career Award for Medical Scientists and has been recognized as a STAT Wunderkind for his scientific contributions. He completed his PhD in Immunobiology at Yale and holds a master's in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, as well as an undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Southern California.

Research Interests

Awards