Research in the department emphasizes basic pathogenic mechanisms that may lead to better diagnostic tools, the development of vaccines and other immune interventions for prevention and control of infection and disease, and the identification of new targets for antiviral and antiparasite drugs. Diseases of developing countries are emphasized. Members of the department take a multidisciplinary approach that includes immunology, molecular biology, public health entomology, cell biology and ultrastructure, biochemistry, pathology, virology, epidemiology, and ecology. They undertake research both within the school and around the world. Students in the various degree programs choose among the areas of interest described below.
Students take courses in cell biology, immunology, and molecular immunology.
This area of interest introduces students to recent advances in the biology of parasitic and infectious diseases and provides background for conducting research on these diseases. The program emphasizes molecular biology, immunology, cell biology, and the epidemiology of parasites. This area of interest provides a solid understanding of epidemiology, ecology, and control of infectious diseases in developing countries. It emphasizes control and prevention measures and the biological basis of diseases caused by pathogens that range from viruses to parasites. This area of interest focuses on the manner in which blood-feeding arthropods interact with their various vertebrate hosts and with the human pathogens that they transmit.