Hal Blumenfeld, MD, PhD
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About
Titles
Mark Loughridge and Michele Williams Professor of Neurology and Professor of Neuroscience and of Neurosurgery
Director, Yale Clinical Neuroscience Imaging Center (CNIC)Biography
Dr. Blumenfeld's clinical and research work focuses on epilepsy, cognition and brain imaging. He directs Yale's Clinical Neuroscience Imaging Center (CNIC), a new multi-disciplinary core facility for innovative study and treatment of brain disorders. Teaching activities include a textbook titled Neuroanatomy Through Clinical Cases, Sinauer Assoc., Publ. 2002, 2010, 2020.
Appointments
Neurology
ProfessorPrimaryNeurosurgery
ProfessorSecondaryNeuroscience
ProfessorSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Blumenfeld Lab
- Center for Brain & Mind Health
- Center for Neuroepidemiology and Clinical Neurological Research
- Clinical Neurosciences Imaging Center (CNIC)
- Dean's Workshops
- Discovery to Cure Internship
- Epilepsy & Seizures
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
- Kavli Institute for Neuroscience
- Neural Disorders
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Neuroscience Track
- Neurosurgery
- Pediatric Epilepsy Program
- Quantitative Neuroscience with Magnetic Resonance
- Wu Tsai Institute
- Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)
- Yale Medicine
- Yale Ventures
Education & Training
- Associate Research Scientist
- Yale School of Medicine (2000)
- Fellow
- Yale School of Medicine (1998)
- Resident
- Massachusetts General Hospital (1996)
- PhD
- Columbia University (1992)
- MD
- Columbia University (1990)
Research
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
Clinical Care
Overview
Hal Blumenfeld, MD, PhD, is a neurologist at Yale Medicine specializing in epilepsy. He is also the director of the Clinical Neuroscience Imaging Center at Yale School of Medicine.
Dr. Blumenfeld’s interest in the brain and consciousness began in college, where he majored in philosophy. He then studied medicine at Columbia University and completed his neurology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. He arrived at Yale University in 1996 for his fellowship, where he was mentored by neurologists Susan and Dennis Spencer and has remained on the faculty ever since.
As a physician, Dr. Blumenfeld has a lot of empathy for his patients. “I think that one of the most important things about medicine is really trying to understand things from the patient’s viewpoint and to really care about what our patients are feeling,” he says.
Epilepsy patients in particular face unique challenges because their seizures are unpredictable and can have a severe impact on their lives. These episodes can be frightening, and Dr. Blumenfeld views his role of a physician as one who gives people back a sense of control by reducing seizures and minimizing treatment side effects.
To that end, Dr. Blumenfeld’s focus when working with patients is on developing the right treatment plan. He understands that each patient is unique and will react differently to medications and procedures.
In addition to seeing patients, Dr. Blumenfeld conducts research on treatments to restore consciousness during and after seizures for epilepsy patients. He is also the Mark Loughridge and Michele Williams Professor of Neurology, Professor of Neuroscience and of Neurosurgery at the Yale School of Medicine.
Clinical Specialties
Fact Sheets
Epilepsy in Children and Teens
Learn More on Yale MedicinePediatric Sepsis
Learn More on Yale MedicineMyasthenia Gravis
Learn More on Yale MedicineMeningitis
Learn More on Yale Medicine
Yale Medicine News
Links & Media
News
- May 02, 2023Source: Yale Scientific
A Staring Spell
- January 10, 2023
Study Identifies Neuronal Basis of Impaired Consciousness in Absence Epilepsy
- December 08, 2022Source: YaleNews
Eyes Offer a Window Into the Mystery of Human Consciousness
- December 06, 2022Source: Yale News
Eyes offer a window into the mystery of human consciousness