Dr. Evan Yale Snyder earned his MD and PhD in neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed clinical training in (and is board-certified in) pediatrics, neurology and newborn intensive care (neonatology/perinatology) at Children's Hospital-Boston, Harvard Medical School, as well as postdoctoral scientific training at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Snyder was appointed an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School and then promoted to assistant professor. He is regarded as one of the fathers of the stem cell field, having identified over two decades ago that cells that came to be called stem cells are a source of neural plasticity. He was the first to demonstrate that non-hematopoietic stem cells could mediate cell and gene replacement; home to injury; and perform protective, trophic, pro-regenerative and anti-inflammatory actions. He was the first to isolate human neural stem cells. In addition to unraveling a number of the fundamental biologic properties of stem cells, he has pioneered the use of (and laid the translational pathway for) stem cells in a broad range of neurologic conditions, including Parkinson’s disease.

In 2003, after 23 years at Harvard, Dr. Snyder was recruited to Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute as professor and founding director of the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine. He recently served as chairman of the FDA’s Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapy Advisory Committee.