Two hallmarks of the program are its interdisciplinary nature and the close contact that is maintained between faculty and students. Graduate students benefit from the diverse base of training and research opportunities provided by the faculty. Students plan their curriculum with the guidance of CMB faculty members. Students also submit yearly updates of their progress in coursework and research to the faculty and present a yearly seminar on their research efforts. Students are able to interact closely with faculty through laboratory rotations and CMB-sponsored events, such as the seminar series and retreats.
Qualified students receive a stipend and tuition waiver.
Studies of micoorganisms, their interactions with host cells as wll as the immune system, are generating knowledge used to conquer human disease and also providing answers to many of the major scientific questions confronting molecular and cellular biologists. Virology, immunology, oncology, and metabolic diseases are broad research areas being pursued by various members of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Research opportunities are available to explore interactions of viruses with host cells and organisms, with emphasis on herpesviruses, adenoviruses, papovaviruses, papillomaviruses, retroviruses, and hepatitis virus. Individual research programs center on virus replicatin and assembly, neurovirulence, latency and reactivation, oncogenesis, and the role of the celular immune repsonse in these processes. Viral systems are also utlized as models for study of eukaryotic gene regulation and the human immune response.