Dr. Gelfand is an Associate Professor of Neurology at UCSF. He specializes in caring for patients with a wide range of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Gelfand conducts clinical research, including clinical trials, focused on advancing new treatments for neuroimmunological diseases and restoring neurological function. Dr. Gelfand is also an award-winning medical educator.

Dr. Gelfand received an A.B. in history from Princeton University, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He completed an internship in internal medicine, residency in neurology, and subspecialty fellowship training in MS/neuroimmunology, all at UCSF. Dr. Gelfand went on to earn a Masters in Advanced Study in clinical research at UCSF. He is board-certified in Neurology.

Dr. Gelfand serves as Medical Director of the UCSF MS and Neuroinflammation Clinic. Dr. Gelfand is also the clinical director of the UCSF Center for Encephalitis and Meningitis (CEM). He is a Coach medical educator in the UCSF Medical School Bridges curriculum. Dr. Gelfand is a recipient of the Robert B. Layzer teaching award (2014), which is voted on annually by UCSF Neurology Department residents; an Excellence in Teaching Award from the UCSF Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators (2015); and was inducted into the UCSF Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators (2020). He served as the Program Director of the UCSF MS Center Clinical Fellowship Training Program for a decade (through 2023), helping to train a new generation of specialists in the field.

Dr. Gelfand is a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology (FAAN). In 2023 he was elected Chair of the American Academy of Neurology Autoimmune Neurology section.