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    Brian Hafler, MD, PhD

    Associate Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Science
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    Associate Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Science

    Biography

    After graduating magna cum laude from Princeton University, Dr. Hafler earned his MD/PhD from Harvard Medical School and completed a postdoctoral fellowship funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Connie Cepko's laboratory at Harvard. He completed an ophthalmology residency at Yale School of Medicine/Yale-New Haven Hospital and a fellowship in retina at Mass. Eye and Ear as a Heed Fellow where he specialized in Inherited Retinal Degenerations. Following his fellowship, he received a K08 Clinical Scientist Development Award from the NIH and joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School where he served on Mass. Eye and Ear’s Retina Service and in the Emergency and Trauma Eye Care Department. He has a laboratory in the Department of Ophthalmology in the Yale School of Medicine where he recently generated the first single-cell human retinal transcriptomic atlas and identified the cell types driving macular degeneration. He recently received the American Society for Clinical Investigation Young Physician Scientist Award, the Thome Memorial Foundation Award for AMD Research, and was named the William R. Orthwein, Jr. ’38 Yale Scholar. He studies macular degeneration and glaucoma using single-cell transcriptomics to identify novel therapeutic approaches.

    Last Updated on December 01, 2024.

    Appointments

    • Pathology

      Associate Professor on Term
      Secondary
      Pathology

    Other Departments & Organizations

    Education & Training

    PhD
    Harvard Medical School (2019)
    MD
    Harvard Medical School (2019)
    MD
    Harvard Medical School (2009)

    Research

    Research at a Glance

    Yale Co-Authors

    Frequent collaborators of Brian Hafler's published research.

    Publications

    2026

    2025

    2024

    Clinical Care

    Overview

    Brian Hafler, MD, PhD, is an ophthalmologist who specializes in the treatment of complex retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and stem cell regeneration.

    In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Hafler is committed to advancing the field of ophthalmology through research using advanced techniques to study how inflammation and other factors contribute to retinal degeneration. The goal of his research is to find new treatments that can prevent vision loss and improve outcomes for patients with retinal diseases. He is an assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual science at Yale School of Medicine.

    Dr. Hafler received his medical and doctorate degrees from Harvard Medical School. He completed his internship at Yale New Haven Hospital, and a fellowship at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

    Dr. Hafler has received numerous awards, including a prestigious Cushing Foundation Award for excellence and creativity in scientific research, which supports his work on understanding the molecular mechanisms of age-related macular degeneration. He recently received the American Society for Clinical Investigation Young Physician Scientist Award, the Thome Memorial Foundation Award for AMD Research, and was named the William R. Orthwein, Jr. ’38 Yale Scholar.

    Clinical Specialties

    Ophthalmology

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    Board Certifications

    • Ophthalmology

      Certification Organization
      AB of Ophthalmology
      Original Certification Date
      2016

    Yale Medicine News

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    Locations

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