Dr. Jay Berzofsky (M.D., Ph.D.) was appointed Chief of the new Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, in 2003, after being Chief of the Molecular Immunogenetics and Vaccine Research Section, Metabolism Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, since 1987. He graduated Summa cum Laude from Harvard (1967), and received a Ph.D. and M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. After interning at Massachusetts General Hospital, he joined NIH in 1974.

Dr. Berzofsky's research has focused on antigen processing and presentation by MHC molecules, the structure of antigenic determinants, cytokine and regulatory cell control of T cell function and avidity, and translation to the design of vaccines for AIDS, malaria, cancer, and viruses causing cancer. He has over 390 scientific publications.

Dr. Berzofsky has received a number of awards, including the U.S. Public Health Service Superior Service Award, the 31st Michael Heidelberger Award, the McLaughlin Visiting Professorship, the Australasian Society for Immunology Visiting Lectureship, and the Tadeusz J. Wiktor Memorial Lectureship. He is past President of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and was elected Distinguished Alumnus of the Year for 2007 by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He was also recently elected Chair-Elect of the Medical Sciences Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).