Infectious Disease Immunology
Infectious Diseases continue to have a huge impact on human health. Our understanding of how the immune system responds to bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic microbes is essential for understanding the progression of disease, the instructing the development of novel therapeutics and ultimately informing the development of protective vaccines.
Tumor Immunology
Tumor Immunology includes studies of how the immune system influences the development of tumors, natural control of tumors, and perhaps most notably the use of the immune system as a treatment strategy as is the case in immunotherapy. Research programs in the Progam in Immunology span the gamut of basic research on the tumor microenvironment to designing and implementing clinical trials at one of the nation’s leading comprehensive cancer centers, the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center.
Autoimmunity, Reproductive, and Transplant Immunology
The immune can turn on itself in cases of autoimmunity and notably in the context of graft vs host disease following transplantation. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of autoimmunity and rejection at the genetic, cellular and environmental levels has the potential to broadly impact human health in a wide variety of contexts. Research programs in the Progam in Immunology span the gamut of basic research on the mechanisms of immune cell migration and response during autoimmune disease to translational application in one of the world’s most active transplant programs.
Basic Immunology
While many studies in immunology are focused on translation to specific diseases or clinical indications, there is also an intense interest in the basic mechanisms of how the immune system functions, ranging from understanding signaling cascades to the mechanisms of memory T-cell maintenance. Work in basic immunology includes studies in a variety of systems ranging from fruitflies to mice to humans and includes studies at the genetic, biochemical, cellular and systems levels.