David Schoenfeld, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology)Cards
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Titles
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology)
Biography
Dr. David Schoenfeld, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor (Medical Oncology) in the Department of Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine and Yale Cancer Center. At Yale Cancer Center, he is a member of the Skin and Kidney Cancer Program and specializes in the care of patients with melanoma and advanced skin and kidney cancers.
He received his medical degree and a Ph.D. in Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Studies from Columbia University as part of the Medical Scientist Training Program. He then joined the ABIM Physician-Scientist Training Program at Yale through which he completed Internal Medicine residency and Hematology/Oncology fellowship training, as well as a T32 research fellowship. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology.
Dr. Schoenfeld’s research aims to gain a better understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment in renal cell carcinoma and melanoma, develop better biomarkers of response and toxicity to immunotherapy, and bring new immunotherapies to patients through preclinical studies and early phase clinical trials. He is a member of the Cancer Immunology Research Program at Yale Cancer Center. He has also been the recipient of a NCI K12 Immuno-Oncology Training Program Award and a Kidney Cancer Research Program Academy of Kidney Cancer Investigators – Early Career Scholar Award from the Department of Defense. Through his bench-to-bedside research efforts, Dr. Schoenfeld hopes to contribute to the development of more effective and safer treatment options for cancer patients, while providing compassionate and comprehensive care.
Appointments
Medical Oncology and Hematology
Assistant ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Clinical Fellow
- Yale Cancer Center (2023)
- Internal Medicine Resident
- Yale School of Medicine (2019)
- MD
- Columbia University (2017)
- PhD
- Columbia University, Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Studies (2016)
- BS
- Yale University (2005)
Research
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Overview
Medical Research Interests
ORCID
0000-0002-5202-3744
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Harriet Kluger, MD
Dijana Djureinovic, PhD, MSc
Michael Hurwitz, MD, PhD
Adebowale Adeniran, MD
David Su, MD
David A. Braun, MD, PhD
Carcinoma, Renal Cell
Melanoma
Tumor Microenvironment
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Cytokines
Publications
2025
Survival of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma with or without brain metastases.
Savion-Gaiger N, Considine B, Hasson N, Nelson M, Chiang V, Kluger HM, Braun DA, Schoenfeld D, Sznol M, Leapman MS, Hurwitz ME. Survival of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma with or without brain metastases. Oncologist 2025, 30 PMID: 41287461, DOI: 10.1093/oncolo/oyaf387.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFactors that increase class I MHC expression may contribute to the development of immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced diabetes
Aizenbud L, Gaiger N, Perdigoto A, Mann J, Torres M, Boland G, Lawless A, Silverman S, Schoenfeld D, Destina J, Hasson N, Tran T, Hurwitz M, Austin M, Sullivan R, Herold K, Kluger H. Factors that increase class I MHC expression may contribute to the development of immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced diabetes. Journal For ImmunoTherapy Of Cancer 2025, 13: e012358. PMID: 40935567, DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2025-012358.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsImmune-related adverse eventsImmune checkpoint inhibitorsICI-induced colitisICI-induced hypophysitisHLA-GNon-overlapping cohortsInterferon-gRisk of immune-related adverse eventsExpression of class I major histocompatibility complexClass I MHC expressionGeneral populationICI-treated patientsPeripheral blood mononuclear cellsMissense variantsInsulin-dependent diabetes mellitusSurvival of patientsCohort of patientsBlood mononuclear cellsClass I major histocompatibility complexGermline missense variantsClass I MHC moleculesMessenger RNA expressionCheckpoint inhibitorsThyroid patientsAdverse eventsInvestigation of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and therapeutic resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) through single-cell analysis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
Kashima S, Rout R, Hugaboom M, Ye Z, Schindler N, Malik R, Dighe A, Sun M, Lee G, Xu W, Signoretti S, Schoenfeld D, Hurwitz M, Adeniran A, Humphrey P, Kenney P, McGregor B, McKay R, Choueiri T, Braun D. Investigation of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and therapeutic resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) through single-cell analysis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2025, 43: 4527-4527. DOI: 10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.4527.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsImmune checkpoint inhibitorsTumor-associated macrophagesRenal cell carcinomaICI-based therapyRCC tumor microenvironmentTumor microenvironmentNon-respondersGene programResistance to immune checkpoint inhibitorsImmune checkpoint inhibitor resistanceTumor-associated macrophage populationSuppress antitumor immunityWilcoxon Signed Rank TestInterferon-stimulated genesMechanisms of resistanceCheckpoint inhibitorsAntitumor immunityStable diseaseSystemic therapyCombination therapyCell carcinomaPotential therapeutic targetTreatment resistanceAntigen presentationTumor samplesPRAME is not a frequently expressed antigen in renal cell carcinoma
Yi I, Ofir Y, Mann J, Su D, Kim T, Perales O, Zhang L, Adeniran A, Kluger H, Schoenfeld D. PRAME is not a frequently expressed antigen in renal cell carcinoma. BJUI Compass 2025, 6: e70037. PMID: 40453487, PMCID: PMC12123051, DOI: 10.1002/bco2.70037.Peer-Reviewed Original Research240: CLINICOPATHOLOGIC ANALYSIS OF MELANOMA METASTASES TO GASTROINTESTINAL SITES FOR A TISSUE MICROARRAY
Su D, Yi I, Gaiger N, Schoenfeld D, Adeniran A, Khan S, Olino K, Kluger H. 240: CLINICOPATHOLOGIC ANALYSIS OF MELANOMA METASTASES TO GASTROINTESTINAL SITES FOR A TISSUE MICROARRAY. Gastroenterology 2025, 169: s-1914. DOI: 10.1016/s0016-5085(25)05281-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSurvival of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma with or without brain metastases.
Hurwitz M, Considine B, Hasson N, Savion Gaiger N, Nelson M, Chiang V, Kluger H, Braun D, Schoenfeld D, Sznol M, Leapman M. Survival of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma with or without brain metastases. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2025, 43: 476-476. DOI: 10.1200/jco.2025.43.5_suppl.476.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsMetastatic renal cell carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitorsClear cell RCCRenal cell carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitor therapyMetastatic clear cell RCCBrain metastasesOverall survivalCell carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitor eraPrevalence of brain metastasesMultivariate Cox proportional hazards modelAssociated with poor survivalMedian overall survivalAssociated with poor prognosisCompare overall survivalImproved overall survivalAdverse prognostic indicatorDevelopment of BMSurvival of patientsKaplan-Meier analysisYale Cancer CenterRetrospective cohort studyCox proportional hazards modelsProportional hazards model
2024
Decoy-resistant IL-18 reshapes the tumor microenvironment and enhances rejection by anti-CTLA-4 in renal cell carcinoma
Schoenfeld D, Djureinovic D, Su D, Zhang L, Lu B, Kamga L, Mann J, Huck J, Hurwitz M, Braun D, Jilaveanu L, Ring A, Kluger H. Decoy-resistant IL-18 reshapes the tumor microenvironment and enhances rejection by anti-CTLA-4 in renal cell carcinoma. JCI Insight 2024, 10: e184545. PMID: 39561007, PMCID: PMC11721305, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.184545.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsAnti-CTLA-4Renal cell carcinomaIL-18IL-18BPCell carcinomaTumor microenvironmentTumor typesPatients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitorsRegulatory T cell levelsAnti-PD-1 treatmentCD8+ T cellsAnti-PD-1Immune checkpoint inhibitorsCell renal cell carcinomaNon-responder patientsMyeloid cell populationsT cell levelsCytokine interleukin-18Anti-cancer efficacySecreted binding proteinCheckpoint inhibitorsResponding patientsPreclinical modelsT cellsMurine modelTIGIT expression in renal cell carcinoma infiltrating T cells is variable and inversely correlated with PD-1 and LAG3
Perales O, Jilaveanu L, Adeniran A, Su D, Hurwitz M, Braun D, Kluger H, Schoenfeld D. TIGIT expression in renal cell carcinoma infiltrating T cells is variable and inversely correlated with PD-1 and LAG3. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy 2024, 73: 192. PMID: 39105820, PMCID: PMC11303630, DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03773-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRenal cell carcinomaRenal cell carcinoma tumorsT cellsTIGIT expressionCheckpoint inhibitorsPD-1Likelihood of response to therapyTumor-infiltrating T cellsCD3+ T cellsRenal cell carcinoma metastasisTreatment of renal cell carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitorsInfiltrating T cellsPurposeImmune checkpoint inhibitorsResponse to therapyT cell immunoglobulinCD3+ levelsMetastatic RCC specimensAdjacent normal renal tissuesNormal renal tissuesQuantitative immunofluorescence analysisCell carcinomaResistant diseasePotential therapeutic targetTissue microarrayGP100 expression is variable in intensity in melanoma
Mann J, Hasson N, Su D, Adeniran A, Smalley K, Djureinovic D, Jilaveanu L, Schoenfeld D, Kluger H. GP100 expression is variable in intensity in melanoma. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy 2024, 73: 191. PMID: 39105816, PMCID: PMC11303354, DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03776-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsGp100 expressionCutaneous melanomaTreatment of cutaneous melanomaAdvanced cutaneous melanomaT-cell engagersImprove patient selectionMetastatic melanomaUveal melanomaMetastatic samplesPatient selectionClinical trialsMelanomaQuantitative immunofluorescence methodGp100Improve outcomesImmunofluorescence methodTherapeutic intentDrugCellular productsExpressionTebentafuspImmunohistochemistryMelanocortin-1 Receptor Expression as a Marker of Progression in Melanoma
Su D, Djureinovic D, Schoenfeld D, Marquez-Nostra B, Olino K, Jilaveanu L, Kluger H. Melanocortin-1 Receptor Expression as a Marker of Progression in Melanoma. JCO Precision Oncology 2024, 8: e2300702. PMID: 38662983, PMCID: PMC11513442, DOI: 10.1200/po.23.00702.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMC1R expressionMelanoma progressionAssociated with shorter survivalStages of melanoma progressionCases of benign neviChronic sun exposureMarkers of progressionHuman melanoma tissuesBreslow thicknessMelanocortin-1Metastatic melanomaOverall survivalPrimary melanomaMetastatic tumorsMelanoma cohortReceptor expressionPredictive biomarkersAggressive melanomaPrimary lesionTissue microarrayShorter survivalMale sexQuantitative immunofluorescenceBenign neviClinical trials
Clinical Care
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Overview
David Schoenfeld, MD, PhD, is a medical oncologist who specializes in the treatment of melanoma and advanced skin and kidney cancers.
Dr. Schoenfeld studies how immune cells and cancer cells interact in renal cell carcinoma and melanoma, aiming to develop better ways to predict the safety and effectiveness of immunotherapy treatments. As an assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine, he conducts research to advance new immunotherapies in the laboratory and through early-phase clinical trials.
Dr. Schoenfeld received his medical training from Columbia University and completed his residency in internal medicine, followed by a fellowship in hematology-oncology at Yale School of Medicine.
Clinical Specialties
Fact Sheets
Melanoma
Learn More on Yale MedicineSkin Cancer
Learn More on Yale MedicineMetastatic Cancer
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News
- September 07, 2023
Dr. David Schoenfeld joins Skin and Kidney Cancer Program at Smilow Cancer Hospital
- February 15, 2023
Discoveries & Impact (February 2023)
- November 04, 2022
Albertus Magnus Cancer Research Student Science Day
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Are You a Patient? View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.