Doctor of Philosophy in Immunology & Microbial Pathogenesis

The PhD Program in Immunology & Microbial Pathogenesis (IMP) is designed to take a multidisciplinary approach to the field by providing the student with a strong, basic knowledge of immunology, microbiology, biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology, with additional exposure to other areas of related interest.

The ultimate goal of this program is to provide aspiring students with the background, training and experience necessary to launch careers as independent scientific investigators.

The Program is focused on research training, which begins in the first year as rotations in different laboratories and continues as the student begins potential thesis projects in a chosen mentor's laboratory. The PhD thesis research involves meaningful, critical thinking and executing ideas in the laboratory through the use of sound scientific method.

Students are guided by their mentors and a selected thesis research committee, which meets on a routine basis throughout the training experience.

Research laboratories are primarily located in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology. In addition to extensive basic equipment and facilities, the Program provides access to numerous specialized resources. These include facilities for peptide synthesis and sequencing, cell sorting by flow cytometry, protein purification and characterization, proteomics and microarray analysis and biomolecular imaging.