Martin E. Hemler received a B.S. in Biology from Loyola College in Baltimore, MD, followed by a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Postdoctoral training was carried out in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. Subsequently, Dr. Hemler was appointed as an Instructor in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (1984-1985), and then as Assistant Professor of Pathology (1985-1991), and Associate Professor of Pathology (1991-1994) at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School.

Since 1994, Dr. Hemler has been a Professor in Harvard Medical School's Department of Pathology and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Department of Cancer Immunology and AIDS.