The Immunology Training Program is an interdepartmental teaching and research program involving faculty participants from multiple disciplines within the Boston University Schools of Medicine, Public Health, and Dental Medicine. This program is partially funded by the NIH and receives approximately $583,000 a year through the T32 Training Grant, “Research Training in Immunology.” Students can be admitted to the ITP through either the Microbiology or Pathology departments where they follow a modified track specifically designed for students in the ITP. The program of study includes a literature-based curriculum, prominent guest speakers, and spirited journal clubs as well as extensive hands-on laboratory training. Small class size and extensive interaction with the faculty provide students with the opportunity to customize their training according to their specific scientific interests.
Students may choose any of the ITP faculty, independent of department affiliation, for their research training. Particular areas of expertise within the ITP community include:
- Lymphocyte development and differentiation
- Self recognition and autoimmunity
- Cytokine/chemokine biology
- Innate immunity and inflammation
- Cancer immunology and immunotherapy
- Transcriptional regulation
- Host response to viral infections
- Immunotoxicology
- Immunotherapeutics and Vaccinology
Please see the individual faculty research descriptions for a more complete picture of ongoing research programs. The ITP is located on the Boston Medical Center campus and is administered through the School of Medicine and the School of Public Health. BUSM ranks among the top 20 Medical Schools nationally in extramural support. Most pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellows are supported through NIH training grants; all trainees receive full stipend, tuition, and health insurance. ITP faculty and students work in newly renovated research labs and have immediate access to state-of-the-art core facilities. One of the more notable aspects of the ITP is the extensive interaction amongst the basic science and clinical faculty — such esprit de corps is reflected in collaborative projects involving both basic and translational research.
Program Director-David Sherr, Ph.D
Department of Microbiology liaison-Gregory Viglianti, Ph.D.
Department of Pathology liaison-Daniel Remick, M.D.
Application information and forms are available through the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences. Any further inquires can be addressed to the Program Director.
