David G. Schatz

Dr. David G. Schatz is the Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Immunobiology and Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University, serving as Chair of the Department of Immunobiology. His research focuses on mechanisms of antigen receptor gene assembly and diversification in the immune system, including V(D)J recombination and somatic hypermutation. He has co-authored over 180 articles in top journals and received prestigious awards like the Paul Ehrlich Prize and National Academy memberships. Schatz holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Yale (1980), an M.A. from Oxford (1982), and a Ph.D. from MIT (1990), followed by postdoctoral work at the Whitehead Institute.

Education: B.S./M.S. Yale (1980), M.A. Oxford (1982), Ph.D. MIT (1990). Professional roles include Co-Editor of Immunity, NIH study section leadership, and graduate education leadership. Research interests span RAG protein evolution, transposon domestication, and mechanisms of somatic hypermutation targeting.

Key achievements include discovery of RAG1/RAG2 proteins, elucidating transposase origins of adaptive immunity, and identifying critical regulators of genomic stability in lymphocytes. Collaborators include leading immunologists and structural biologists, with frequent publications on immune diversity mechanisms.

Recognition includes election to the National Academy of Sciences (2018) and National Academy of Medicine (2019), as well as AAAS Fellowship and international prizes. His lab's work bridges basic science and translational insights into immune dysfunction and cancer.