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

Eric Verdin, MD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Virology & Microbial Pathogenesis
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Research Summary: 
HIV Pathogenesis and lymphocyte biology

Michael Waterfield, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Human Genetics
Research Summary: 
Cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling immune tolerance

Arthur Weiss, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Cancer Biology & Cell Signaling
Research Summary: 
Our lab focuses on the roles of tyrosine kinases and phosphatases in regulating lymphocyte activation, and studies how abnormalities in tyrosine phosphorylation pathways can lead to immunologically-mediated diseases.

Michael Wilson, MD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Virology & Microbial Pathogenesis
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Research Summary: 
Genomic approaches to identifying causes and understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune and infectious neuroinflammatory conditions including encephalitis, meningitis and multiple sclerosis, and developing cell-based therapies for treatment.
Mentorship Development: 

5/2021 - Sharpening your Mentoring Skills (SyMS)

Prescott Woodruff, MD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Research Summary: 
Genomics of Obstructive Lung Diseases

Andrew Yang, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Neurobiology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Research Summary: 
We develop new approaches to decipher communication between the brain and immune system. We study what these messages mean, how they’re regulated, and how they impact brain health.

Jimmie Ye, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Human Genetics
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Research Summary: 
Genetics of human immune response

Steven Yukl, MD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Virology & Microbial Pathogenesis
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Research Summary: 
My research aims to understand the barriers that prevent HIV cure, with a focus on determining the mechanism governing latent HIV infection and evaluating new therapies aimed to disrupt viral latency.

Julie Zikherman, MD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
None
Research Summary: 
Shaping the B cell repertoire in health and disease

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