Immunobiology

409 Lauder Hall, 785.3857
M.S., Ph.D.

Chair
Richard Flavell

Director of Graduate Studies
Peter Cresswell (Acting) (TE 404, 785.3857, bbs.immunol@yale.edu)

Professors
Kim Bottomly, Joseph Craft (Internal Medicine), Peter Cresswell, Richard Flavell, Sankar Ghosh, Charles Janeway, Jr., Ira Mellman (Cell Biology), Jordan Pober, Nancy Ruddle (Epidemiology & Public Health), David Schatz, Robert Tigelaar (Dermatology)

Associate Professors
Jeffrey Bender (Internal Medicine), Alfred Bothwell, Paula Kavathas (Laboratory Medicine), Mark Shlomchik (Laboratory Medicine)

Assistant Professor
Ruslan Medzhitov

Fields of Study
The graduate program in Immunobiology is designed to prepare students for independent careers in research and teaching in Immunology or related disciplines. Training and research focus on the molecular, cellular, and genetic underpinnings of immune system function and development, and on host-pathogen interactions. Specific areas of interest include: B- and T-cell development, activation and effector functions; the role of cytokines in immunoregulation; intracellular signaling and the control of transcription in lymphocytes; antigen processing and presentation; immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor gene rearrangement; B-cell memory; the immunobiology of vascular endothelial cells; innate immunity; and B- and T-cell tolerance. Mechanisms of autoimmunity and immunodeficiency are a major interest, and a number of important human diseases are under study, including diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, and a variety of other infectious diseases.

The program emphasizes interdisciplinary training and collaborative and interactive research, an approach based on the idea that solving difficult problems requires the integration of individuals with common goals but differing expertise. Students enter the Immunobiology graduate program after completing their first year in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) graduate program. Students from any of the tracks of BBS may enter the program. Hence, Immunobiology has close ties with other graduate programs in the biological sciences at Yale.

Students are encouraged to supplement core courses in molecular and cellular immunology with additional courses selected from the wide range available in cell biology, molecular biology, developmental biology, biochemistry, genetics, pharmacology, molecular medicine, and neurobiology. Research seminars and informal interactions with other graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty also form an important part of graduate education. Three laboratory rotations ensure that first-year students quickly become familiar with the variety of research opportunities available at Yale. Thesis research begins at the end of the first year, and students are encouraged to develop rigorous and creative approaches to examine significant problems in immunology and biology. At the end of the program, the completed research is presented in the form of a written dissertation and a formal seminar.

Special Admissions Requirements
Applicants should have strong previous research experience and a strong academic background in biology, chemistry, and genetics with course work in physics and mathematics preferred. Submission of the GRE General Test is required. Submission of the Subject Test in Biology or Biochemistry is preferred.

To enter the Ph.D. program, students apply to an interest-based track within the interdepartmental graduate program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences.

Special Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
Students take two to three courses in the Yale Graduate School during each of their first four terms. Required courses are: IBIO 530a, Biology of the Immune System; IBIO 531b, Advanced Immunology; IBIO 600a, Introduction to Research; IBIO 601b, Fundamentals of Research; and two seminar courses covering special topics in immunology (these courses emphasize the methods and logic of research, how to read and critically evaluate the literature, and how to write a research proposal). Additional courses are determined based on the individual needs of the student, and include courses in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, molecular biology of prokaryotes, molecular biology of eukaryotes, animal viruses, the structure of nucleic acids and proteins, microbiology, and disease mechanisms. Students choose courses after consulting an advisory committee made up of faculty from the Section of Immunobiology, as well as the director of graduate studies.

The graduate school uses grades of Honors, High Pass, Pass, or Fail. Students are required to earn a grade of Honors in at least two courses in the first two years, and are expected to maintain a High Pass average. There is no foreign language requirement.

Early in their fourth term, students make a thirty-minute presentation to the section of their proposed research and initial results. Thereafter, they meet with their prospectus committee, which assigns four or five broad areas of biology and immunology that are of particular relevance to the proposed research and on which the student will be examined in the prospectus exam. During the next several months, students prepare a formal research proposal (in NIH grant format) concerning the proposed thesis research and study for the exam. The exam is oral, and covers all aspects of immunology generally, with a focus on the assigned areas mentioned above. The student is also questioned on aspects of the thesis proposal. Requirements for admission to candidacy, which usually takes place after six terms of residence, are: (1) completion of course requirements; (2) completion of the prospectus examination; and (3) certification of the student's research abilities by vote of the faculty upon recommendation from the student's thesis committee.

Progress in thesis research in the third and later years is monitored carefully by the student's thesis committee (composed of the adviser and three or four other faculty). All students are required to have two meetings with their thesis committee annually, to provide an update on progress and an opportunity for the committee to provide feedback and suggestions.

Students are expected to teach two one-term courses during their graduate careers, usually during the second and third years.

Master's Degree
M.S. may be awarded to a student who is in good standing upon completion of at least two terms of graduate study. Note that a High Pass average is required for obtaining a master's degree.

Program materials are available upon request to the Director of Graduate Studies, Section of Immunobiology, Yale University, PO Box 208011, FMB 410, New Haven CT 06520-8011.

Courses
IBIO 530a, Biology of the Immune System. Kim Bottomly and staff. Mon/Wed/Fri 9.30-10.20
The development of the immune system. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of immune recognition. Effector responses against pathogens; autoimmunity. Also MCDB 530au.

IBIO 531b, Advanced Immunology. Ruslan Medzhitov and staff.
The historical development and central paradigms of key areas in immunology. The course attempts to develop a clear understanding of how these paradigms were established experimentally. Landmark studies are discussed to determine how the conclusions were obtained and why they were important at the time they were done. Lecture and discussion format; readings of primary research papers and review articles. Prerequisite: IBIO 530a or equivalent. Enrollment limited to fifteen.

IBIO 539b, Advanced Immunology Seminar: Functions of the Major Histocompatibility Complex. Peter Cresswell, Ira Mellman, Akiko Iwasaki.
This seminar course consists of a brief introductory session followed by detailed critical views of key papers in the field. We consider the genetics of the MHC, structures of MHC class I and class II molecules and homologs, and the mechanisms governing their assembly with peptides. We also cover the cell biology of antigen processing in various types of antigen presenting cells, including B-cells and dendritic cells. Enrollment limited to fifteen. Also MCDB 539b.

IBIO 600a, Introduction to Research. David Schatz and staff. Thursday 5
Introduction to the research interests of the faculty. Required for all first-year students. Pass/fail.

IBIO 601b, Fundamentals of Research. David Schatz. Thursday 5

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