David G. Schatz

David G. Schatz is the Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Immunobiology and Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University, where he serves as Chair of the Department of Immunobiology at the Yale School of Medicine. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that generate diversity in the immune system's antigen receptors, particularly V(D)J recombination and somatic hypermutation. Dr. Schatz is best known for the discovery of RAG1 and RAG2 proteins, which revolutionized our understanding of how the adaptive immune system generates its extraordinary receptor diversity.

Dr. Schatz's research interests include:

• Mechanisms of V(D)J recombination
• Somatic hypermutation
• Evolutionary origins of RAG proteins
• Antibody diversity and formation
• Gene rearrangement in lymphocytes
• Molecular biology of immune receptor assembly

Analysis of Dr. Schatz's recent publications (2021-2026) reveals a sustained and growing impact in immunology. His work spans structural biology, evolutionary studies, and molecular mechanisms, with particular emphasis on RAG protein function, regulation of somatic hypermutation, and the evolutionary history of the adaptive immune system. His research has significant implications for understanding immune disorders, lymphoid cancers, and the fundamental processes of immune receptor diversity, with numerous publications appearing in top journals including Nature, Science, and Nature Reviews Immunology.

Dr. Schatz has received numerous prestigious awards including:

• Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize (2023)
• Election to the National Academy of Medicine (2019)
• Election to the National Academy of Sciences (2018)
• Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2016)
• Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2014)

As an educator, Dr. Schatz has served as Director of Graduate Studies and Graduate Admissions for Immunobiology and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) Program. He has been active as an editor and reviewer, serving as Co-Editor of the journal Immunity and on editorial boards of multiple journals. His laboratory continues to be highly productive, with ongoing projects examining the molecular details of RAG function, the regulation of somatic hypermutation, and the evolutionary history of the adaptive immune system, maintaining numerous collaborations both within Yale and internationally.