Joel N. H. Stern, Phd

Biography

Joel N.H. Stern, PhD is an associate professor of Neurology at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine and an Assistant Investigator at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Dr. Stern received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and his PhD in Biological Sciences from Harvard University. While at Harvard he studied new ways to treat autoimmune diseases related to the brain. He also pursued research on infectious diseases. After completing his PhD, he became a Harvard Dean’s Scholar and an instructor at Harvard Medical and Dental Schools. He then pursued his interest in clinical immunology during a fellowship in Neurology at Yale School of Medicine, where he initiated a program aimed at understanding the role of B cells and autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). He joined the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine faculty in 2013. Dr. Stern is also co-director of the autoimmune brain disorder research program at Northwell Health Lenox Hill, as well as a faculty member of Lenox Hill’s neurology department. Dr. Stern’s lab also serves as a pathway to teach medical students, residents, and fellows about translational medicine. Joel N.H. Stern, PhD is an associate professor of Neurology at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine and an Assistant Investigator at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Dr. Stern received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and his PhD in Biological Sciences from Harvard University. While at Harvard he studied new ways to treat autoimmune diseases related to the brain. He also pursued research on infectious diseases. After completing his PhD, he became a Harvard Dean’s Scholar and an instructor at Harvard Medical and Dental Schools. He then pursued his interest in clinical immunology during a fellowship in Neurology at Yale School of Medicine, where he initiated a program aimed at understanding the role of B cells and autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). He joined the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine faculty in 2013. Dr. Stern is also co-director of the autoimmune brain disorder research program at Northwell Health Lenox Hill, as well as a faculty member of Lenox Hill’s neurology department. Dr. Stern’s lab also serves as a pathway to teach medical students, residents, and fellows about translational medicine.

Research Interest

Dr. Stern’s current research is focused on identifying the genetic and cellular factors associated with neurological autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Neuromyelitis optica (NMO), and autoimmune encephalitis. When immune cells such as B and T cells develop, they acquire unique sets of mutations in proteins that allow them to recognize pathogens. In autoimmune diseases, these proteins are misdirected to recognize subtypes of normal cells within the body as pathogenic and mount an immune response. By analyzing the sequences of these proteins on a cell-by-cell and patient-by-patient basis, Dr. Stern and his lab team are able to reconstruct their history and determine where in the body autoimmunity develops, and what genetic mechanisms might contribute to it. This will also allow for the application of targeted drug delivery systems in the treatment of these diseases. Dr. Stern’s lab is also interested in the pathogenesis of interstitial cystitis, a disease that involves aberrant activity of peripheral nerves.