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The Duke University Graduate Program in Immunology selects talented predoctoral candidates and prepares them through formal coursework, seminars and independent research, for outstanding and productive research careers in basic immunology.  Faculty and students alike take tremendous pride in the Program and in the successes of past and current trainees.    

 

The training faculty consists of 25 immunologists who have primary or secondary appointments in the Department of Immunology.  Because many Program faculty hold primary appointments in other departments, including Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, Pharmacology, Pathology, and Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, the Program provides students with an interactive and collaborative environment that spans basic and clinical sciences at Duke.  The faculty provides trainees with opportunities for study in a range of areas of contemporary immunological research, for example: mechanisms of lymphocyte development and function, including lymphoid lineage commitment, V(D)J recombination, lymphocyte signaling, effector cell development, homeostasis and tolerance; mechanisms of innate immunity and inflammation, including macrophage, dendritic cell, mast cell and complement function; mechanisms of host defense against bacterial and viral pathogens; the development of autoimmune and immunodeficiency diseases; and anti-tumor immunity.

 

Students receive training through formal coursework in immunology as well as through elective courses in other areas such as molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, pharmacology and cell biology.  Students become acquainted with Program laboratories through a series of laboratory rotations during the first year, and typically choose a laboratory for dissertation work by the end of that year.  Throughout their graduate careers, students are exposed to a broad range of contemporary immunological research through 1) weekly seminars delivered by speakers from around the world and from within Duke Medical Center , 2) weekly “work in progress” seminars delivered by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and 3) departmental journal clubs.  Students are also encouraged to attend national/international conferences where they can present their data and conclusions and interact with leading scientists in the field.  The Program also provides students with invaluable teaching experience through participation in one semester of supervised teaching. 

 

Currently, 40 students are enrolled in the Graduate Program in Immunology.  Of these, 25 are women, 15 are men, 12 are international, and 3 are underrepresented minorities.

 

Contact the Director of Graduate Studies.