Program in Immunology & Virology

Program Directors:
Immunology Advisor: Leslie Berg 
Virology Advisor: Trudy Morrison
Program Faculty
Program in Immunology & Virology Homepage

Supported by NIH training grants, the Immunology & Virology Program features cutting-edge research in:

• viral immunology, pathogenesis and vaccine development;
• molecular virology;
• diabetes and transplantation immunology;
• molecular and cellular immunology;
• mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis;
• mechanisms of resistance to bacterial pathogens.

Immunology, virology, and bacterial pathogenesis are active interdisciplinary biomedical fields with studies ranging from molecular mechanisms to clinical trials. The Immunology & Virology Program (IVP) is administered by the Immunology and Virology Committee, an interdepartmental group that includes faculty with diverse research interests, including the molecular and cellular basis of immune responsiveness, molecular mechanisms of viral replication, host-pathogen interactions, and the control of viral, bacterial and parasitic infections. The program has NIH training grant support for both graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Graduate students in IVP acquire a broad base of knowledge in biochemistry, genetics, and cellular and molecular biology through the core curriculum. Specialized training in immunology, virology, and bacteriology is initiated in a first year course, which introduces students to the immune system, basic principles of bacteriology and virology, and the interaction of bacterial and viruses with the host. Emphasis is placed on experimental systems and analysis of primary research papers. Further training continues in the fall of the second year with three courses: Advanced Virology, Advanced Cell and Molecular Immunology, and Advanced Bacterial Pathogenesis. Also offered is an advanced course in flow and image cytometry. Advanced courses emphasize reading and critical analysis of recent research papers. Additional training in the second year includes with seminars, journal clubs, and tutorials all of which explore the most active areas of current research. Laboratory rotations help familiarize students with current research methods and facilitate the selection of an area of interest and a laboratory in which students can pursue their dissertation research.

Requirements for Specialization

In addition to the core courses and laboratory rotations, IVP students should take Infection and Immune Response in the first year, and, in the second year, two advanced level courses offered by the Immunology and Virology program. Equivalent advanced topics courses can be substituted with permission. All students, except for those in the final stages of their dissertation research, are required to take Graduate Student Seminar each fall semester, and students are required to take Immunobiology and Virology Seminar and Discussion, a guest scientist seminar program, twice.