Immunology

The UCSF Immunology Graduate Program is a component of both the Biomedical Sciences (BMS) program and the Program in Biological Sciences (PIBS). Students interested in the program are admitted into the BMS program and elect to follow the Immunology Track at the end of their first year. First year BMS students pursue coursework with an emphasis on mammalian cells and tissues, including the immune system. Modern approaches for understanding the molecular mechanisms of cell, organ, and immune system function are studied as are integrative approaches toward defining the physiological in vivo importance of these mechanisms. We believe that this coursework will provide an excellent knowledge base for graduate students with a strong interest in immunology and related fields such as infectious disease. In addition, first year students do three research "rotations" in different BMS/Immunology laboratories to learn experimental approaches hands-on and to aid them in choosing a thesis laboratory and project. For students who elect the Immunology Track, the Immunology Graduate Program provides continuing advanced training in current developments of immunology and in other aspects of modern molecular and cellular biology via a weekly immunology student/faculty journal club, an annual immunology retreat, yearly advanced topics minicourses, and a weekly seminar series that hosts outstanding immunologists from around the U.S. and occasionally overseas. In addition to the above courses and activities, our connection with PIBS provides our students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty with close interactions with scientists studying cell biology, genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology, developmental biology, biophysics, and neuroscience. As these fields are highly relevant to modern study of immunology, these connections enhance the education of students in the Immunology Program.

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Participating Faculty

Hiten Madhani, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Virology & Microbial Pathogenesis
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Research Summary: 
Cryptococcus neoformans: from model pathogen to model organism
Mentorship Development: 

8/30/2021 - DEI Champions Training

Alexander Marson, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Human Genetics
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Research Summary: 
Our group employs an integrative genomics approach to decode the genetic programs governing CD4+ T-cell sub-specialization.

Ari Molofsky, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Research Summary: 
Type 2 immunity in organ health and disease

Anna Victoria Molofsky, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Neurobiology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Research Summary: 
Brain-immune interactions throughout the lifespan
Mentorship Development: 

9/2020  Mentoring Across Differences
5/2021  Sharpening your Mentoring Skills (SyMS) 

Renuka Nayak, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Human Genetics
Research Summary: 
Elucidating the impact of the human gut microbiome on the treatment of autoimmune disease. Microbiology, translational studies with human samples, metagenomics, gnotobiotics, metabolomics, immunology.
Mentorship Development: 

2017 - Scientific Leadership and Laboratory Management Course, UCSF
1/2022 - DEI Champion Training
10/2022 - UCSF-TRAIN-UP program (now called Inclusive Research Mentor/Manager Training)
2/2022 - Raising a Resilient Researcher (NIH-OITE)

Amar Nijagal, MD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Research Summary: 
Immunology and fetal development

Suzanne Noble, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Virology & Microbial Pathogenesis
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Research Summary: 
The Biology of Candida albicans, a Unique Fungal Commensal-Pathogen of Humans

Hideho Okada, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Cancer Biology & Cell Signaling
Research Summary: 
Brain Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy

Melanie Ott, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Virology & Microbial Pathogenesis
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Research Summary: 
Molecular Pathogenesis of HIV and Hepatitis C Virus Infections

Karin Pelka, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Cancer Biology & Cell Signaling
Research Summary: 
Using single cell genomics and tissue imaging, we study the cellular interactions that shape immune responses in human tumors in order to harness the immune system in the fight against cancer.

Matija Peterlin, MD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Virology & Microbial Pathogenesis
Research Summary: 
Transcriptional regulation of HIV, immune response genes and AIRE. HIV latency and reactivation. CTD kinases that regulate transcription elongation and co-transcriptional processing as well as growth, proliferation and differentiation of cells.

Angela Phillips, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Virology & Microbial Pathogenesis
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Research Summary: 
We are broadly interested in how the molecular properties of viral proteins and antibodies constrain their evolution and co-evolution.

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