Dr. Stephen L. Hauser is a neurologist, internist and immunologist who specializes in multiple sclerosis. He is director of the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences and an international leader in research on the genetic basis, immune mechanisms and treatment of MS. Hauser identified the benefit of immunosuppression to prevent the body from attacking the myelin sheath, the insulation surrounding nerves in the brain and spinal cord. He also demonstrated the benefit of MS treatments directed against B lymphocytes, a type of immune cell.
Hauser has received numerous awards and honors, including an appointment by President Barack Obama as an adviser on issues emerging from advances in biomedicine and related areas of science and technology. He is a fellow of the Association of American Physicians and American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the National Academy of Medicine. He is also a former president of the American Neurological Association and an editor of the textbook "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine." He speaks French.