Paul B. Beeson Professor of Medicine; Chair, Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Hospital; Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity, Yale University
Dr. Désir is the Beeson Professor of Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, where he also serves as Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Désir is also Chief of Medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital, and at Yale University he serves as vice provost for faculty development and diversity.
As a physician-scientist, Dr. Désir discovered a novel protein – which he named renalase – that plays a critical role in cell injury, inflammation, and cancer. He is a named inventor on several United States and international patents related to the discovery and use of the renalase protein, and the development of drugs for cancer. He is the scientific founder of 2 biotechnology companies.
Dr. Désir earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, magna cum laude, from New York University. As an undergraduate, he was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society and received New York University’s Founders Day award. Following graduation from Yale School of Medicine (cum laude, Alpha Omega Alpha honor society), he trained in internal medicine and nephrology at Yale New Haven Hospital. He is an established investigator of the American Heart Association and has been elected to honorary societies, including the Association of Professors of Medicine, the American Clinical and Climatological Association, the Association of American Physicians, and the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.