Immunology
Theme Information
Immunology is one of eight interdisciplinary PhD themes within Graduate Biomedical Sciences (GBS). Students select a theme upon application but have access to faculty and courses from across GBS, allowing for flexibility in both research and academics.
From the outset, UAB has been recognized as a leading academic research institution in the country and one of the world's premier centers for immunology research. Over 90 UAB faculty are actively engaged in immunological research, including:
- Studies to understand the basic function of the immune system and the underlying pathophysiological processes that contribute to a range of immune-mediated diseases,
- Translational studies that are focused on the development of vaccines and immunotherapeutics, and
- Clinical studies that test novel therapies designed to mitigate immune-mediated diseases.
Immunology plays such an important role in the ongoing research endeavor at UAB that Inflammation, Infection, and Immunity (I3) was recently named as one of the five pillars of emphasis in the strategic plan for the UAB School of Medicine.
Admissions
Prospective students should visit the GBS Admissions page for information on admissions requirements, application deadlines, and how to apply.
Financial Support
All students accepted into GBS programs receive a competitive annual stipend and fully paid tuition and fees. Single coverage health insurance is also provided at no cost to the student. Please reference the GBS Financial Support page for further information.
Curriculum
| Requirements | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Lab Rotations | 3 | |
| Lab Rotation 1 | ||
| Lab Rotation 2 | ||
| Lab Rotation 3 | ||
| Core Courses | 7 | |
| Core Concepts in Research: Critical Thinking & Error Analysis | ||
| Basic Biochemistry and Metabolism | ||
| Basic Genetics and Molecular Biology | ||
| Basic Biological Organization | ||
| Module Courses | 8 | |
| Introduction to Immunology Part 1 | ||
| Introduction to Immunology Part 2 | ||
| Lymphocyte Biology | ||
| Mucosal Immunology | ||
| Theme Required Courses | 8 | |
| GBS Student Theme Meeting Course 1 | ||
| GBS Required Courses | 49 | |
| Principles of Scientific Integrity | ||
Grant-Writing/Scientific Communication 2 | ||
Biostatistics 3 | ||
Journal Clubs 4 | ||
Three Advanced Courses 5 | ||
Research 6 | ||
| Total Hours | 75 | |
- 1
Required fall and spring semester, 2nd year until graduation.
- 2
Course selected from the following: GBS 716, GBS 725, GBSC 726, GRD 709
- 3
Course selected from the following: GRD 770, BST 611, BST 612, BY 755, PY 716
- 4
Required each fall and spring, 2nd year until graduation. Courses selected from the following: GBS 736, GBS 746J, GBS 747J, GBS 756, GBS 766, GBS 776, GBS 786J, GBS 793, GBSC 700, GBSC 713, GBSC 720, INFO 673, INFO 793
- 5
Three advanced courses selected from the following: GBS 700, GBS 702, GBS 715, GBS 718, GBS 726, GBS 727, GBS 729, GBS 739, GBS 742, GBS 749, GBS 754, GBS 757, GBS 758, GBS 765, GBS 775, GBS 778, GBS 779, GBS 783,GBSC 705, GBSC 706, GBSC 707, GBSC 709, GBSC 710, GBSC 712, GBSC 714, GBSC 715, GBSC 717, GBSC 721, GBSC 724, GBSC 725, GBSC 728, GBSC 730, GBSC 732, GBSC 734, GBSC 735, GBSC 736, GBSC 740, GBSC 741, GBSC 743, GBSC 745, GBSC 746, GBSC 748, INFO 701, INFO 702, INFO 703, INFO 704, INFO 751, INFO 762, INFO 796, INFO 797, BME 723, BME 770, BME 772, BME 780, or approved course.
- 6
Student must complete 24 hours total of dissertation research, GBS 799.
Theme Directors
The theme directors listing for Immunology is located here.
Theme Faculty
The faculty listing for the Immunology theme is located here.
For further information, please reference the GBS website.