TRAINING PROGRAM IN IMMUNOLOGY AND IMMUNOGENETICS

Washington University, Saint Louis MO

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This renewal application seeks continued support for years 36-40 of the Washington University Training Program in Immunology and Immunogenetics. Washington University has made a strong and lasting commitment to Immunology research and training through the development of an Immunology Graduate Program, responsible for directing graduate education in Immunology and coordinating the Immunology-related activities of the 50 faculty, 135 postdoctoral fellows and 71 graduate students that constitute our Immunology community. The Immunology community at Washington University has achieved a world-recognized status. It is characterized by a collaborative atmosphere that has helped establish an excellent environment for training young Immunologists. This grant and the Washington University Immunology Community have formed a symbiotic relationship where the growth of the community has been catalyzed through the benefits of trainee support afforded by this training grant and the quality of our training program has been enhanced by the growth and interactive nature of the community. This program contains elements that insure the appropriate training of Immunologists at both the predoctoral and postdoctoral levels. Fundamental laboratory research resides at the center of the training experience for both types of candidates. A total of 38 Immunology research faculty are listed on this grant but trainees can work with any of the 50 Immunologists in residence at Washington University. In addition, all trainees participate in University-wide Immunology seminars, journal clubs, work-in-progress meetings and retreats. Predoctoral trainees must complete and show competence in a rigorous curriculum of basic training where they are exposed, through formalized classroom experiences, to historical, modern and emerging concepts of Immunology, related biomedical sciences and research ethics. Postdoctoral trainees are provided with a similar scientific training, but additionally, they are mentored/advised for careers in immunology and a separate ethics course. To insure continuity of the comprehensive Immunology training experience that has been established at this institution, we request renewal of our 10 predoctoral and 6 postdoctoral trainee slots, a number that is unchanged from that of the current funding period. The field of immunology impacts many areas of medical science, including autoimmune diseases, such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, allergies, vaccines, and cancer. The training of predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows is an essential component of this research, and greatly helps today and in the future, the development of treatments and cure for these diseases.