Immunology and Infectious Diseases (IID) Graduate Program

Program overview

• Explore the mechanisms by which infectious agents circumvent the normal immune response
• Investigate the development and function of immune cells
• Identify novel therapeutic targets for controlling immunity and inflammation.

The Immunology and Infectious Disease Graduate Program offers opportunities to work with nationally and internationally recognized faculty in a variety of research areas such as host pathogen interactions, disease modeling, and the regulation of immune responses. The scope of the research is from the molecular to the cellular to the whole organism to the population and includes investigators in very diverse disciplines. Students are encouraged to work across disciplines and to choose dual advisors. The program:

• Offers an individually tailored program of study and research to suit your interests, developed in conjunction with your faculty mentor.
• Generates a multidisciplinary approach to immunology, including virology, microbiology, nutrition, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, toxicology, chemistry and bioengineering.
• Utilizes Penn State's state-of-the-art microscopy, tissue culture, mouse, and proteomics and bioinformatics facilities.
• Presents a variety of exiting courses taught by active research faculty in their areas of specialization.
• Provides students with a sound understanding of important concepts in immunology and disease.
• Prepares you for a rewarding career in biomedical research in academia, pharmaceutical companies, private research foundations, governmental research and regulatory agencies.

Faculty research interests include:

• Cancer immunology: the response of the host to cancer and strategies to improve tumor surveillance.
• Immune-mediated diseases: research into allergic asthma and other autoimmune diseases (diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel diseases) at the cellular and molecular level.
• Infectious disease pathology. The response of the host to infection at the genetic, molecular, and cellular levels.
• Infectious disease dynamics. Epidemiological modeling, evolutionary biology, ecology, and population dynamics.
• Viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogenesis: determining the tools pathogens use for transmission, infection and survival and ways to overcome them (vaccine, drug development)

Financial aid

Research programs are well-supported by grants from private and public funds, particularly from the National Institutes of Health.  All students admitted to the Ph.D. program receive financial aid (stipends and paid tuition costs), and allowing full time for graduate studies. Occasionally students are allowed to pursue a Master of Science (MS) degree but there is no financial aid provided by the IID program.