Immunology & Microbial PathogenesisOverview
Immunology and microbial pathogenesis are extraordinarily exciting fields of research. Once a stand-alone discipline, immunology has evolved into a multi-focus science that today envelops many facets of biology and medicine. The rich nomenclature in current use in immunology, which employs such terms as "Tumor"- "Auto"- "Cellular" and "Developmental," reflects this diversity. Conversely, the qualifier in "immuno-therapy" or "immuno-modulation" signals integration into everyday medical practice, coming full circle to the origin of immunology as the science of vaccination.
The Immunology & Microbial Pathogenesis (IMP) program at Weill Cornell Graduate School (WCGS) draws together a diverse faculty who seek to understand how the immune system works both as a unique entity as well as an integral part of higher organisms. IMP faculty members are as much at home in cell biology, biochemistry, development, genetics, structural biology, bioinformatics, and systems biology as they are in their own chosen specialties in immunology or microbial pathogenesis.
IMP faculty are members of the Graduate School's partner institutions, Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) and Sloan-Kettering Institute (SKI, part of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center). Some IMP faculty are affiliated with the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), a leading rheumatology and orthopedics institute located in the same neighborhood as WCMC and Sloan-Kettering.
With its broad base, IMP offers an unusually rich training ground for the next generation of immunologists. Major areas of focus are microbial immunity, tumor immunology, lymphocyte and leukocyte biology, autoimmunity and inflammation. The clinical relevance of these endeavors, together with the clinical partnerships in which our three research institutions participate, create strong motivation and opportunity for translational research.
Because of its complexity, modern immunology poses the distinct challenge of preparing and presenting a sufficiently comprehensive curriculum for its students. IMP meets this challenge by drawing its faculty from the basic science and clinical departments of its neighboring institutions. This collective expertise enables IMP to best realize its mission: providing its students with high-quality, broad-based education necessary for their development as independent scientists.
IMP's philosophy of granting students maximum academic freedom encourages them to gain needed additional experience outside the framework of traditional immunology. Career goals may lead a student to work with, and choose as a mentor, a Graduate School faculty member from any of the neighbor institutions (WMC, SKI, and HSS).
The program's curriculum likewise reflects this commitment to academic independence. While the first year of study is spent with didactic courses in immunology and cell biology, all classes are followed by student-run discussion groups. Laboratory rotations complement formal classroom learning. And students may take graduate courses offered by any other WCGS program.
IMP students continue a balanced academic curriculum throughout their thesis research as well. Mini-courses in advanced immunology with rotating topics ensure that students keep abreast of new developments. A rich palette of seminars by invited speakers offers similar opportunities. Students also organize research-in-progress discussions of their own thesis projects. As a graduate program of intermediate size, IMP has a favorable student/mentor ratio of close to 1 to 1. This accessibility and openness of faculty make for exceptional community spirit, fostering scientific independence and simultaneously preparing young scientists for the necessary collaborative endeavors ahead.
