This multidisciplinary program offers education and training leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. The faculty in this program have diverse research interests ranging from the cellular and molecular pathogenesis of infectious agents to the effect of aging on the immune function.

In the first year, students spend most of their time completing required courses in the core curriculum and completing the research laboratory rotation requirements.

Program Requirements

All students must successfully complete the core curriculum before advancing to the specific program requirements for their degree. All students must pass a preliminary examination at the end of the first year, while also attending student seminars and journal clubs. Advanced level courses in immunology, genetics, microbial physiology, molecular biology, microbial pathogenesis, mycology, and parasitology are offered to interested students in the second year.

Ph.D. candidates must pass a qualifying examination in the middle of their third year and also submit a minimum of two manuscripts (publications from their research) during the course of the program. The average amount of time required to complete the Ph.D. requirements is five years.

Required Courses for Program:

Suggested Electives:

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Program Guidelines

The following guidelines describe the academic policies and procedures pertaining to graduate study in the Microbiology and Immunology program.

The booklet contains current standards that are revised periodically by faculty in the program, procedures, and general rules of the Office of Biomedical Graduate Studies.

The booklet can be downloaded either in PDF format or Word Format.

• Microbiology and Immunology Policies (Adobe Acrobat PDF format)
• Microbiology and Immunology Policies (Microsoft Word format)

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Faculty

Lawrence W. Bergman, Ph.D.
lbergman@drexelmed.edu
Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Carol M. Artlett, Ph.D.
Elizabeth P. Blankenhorn, Ph.D.
Tim Block, Ph.D.
Michael J. Bouchard, Ph.D.
James Burns, Ph.D.
Jane Clifford, Ph.D.
Thomas D. Edlind, Ph.D.
Julio Martin-Garcia, Ph.D.
Sonia Navas-Martin, Ph.D.
Brad Jameson, Ph.D.
Steven Jennings, Ph.D.
Peter D. Katsikis, M.D., Ph.D.
Fred Krebs, Ph.D.
Michele Kutzler, Ph.D.
Anand Mehta, Ph.D
Michael Nonnemacher, Ph.D.
Pamela Norton, Ph.D.
Joseph Nickels, Ph.D.
Richard F. Rest, Ph.D.
Laura Steel, Ph.D.
Akhil B. Vaidya, Ph.D.
Brian Wigdahl, Ph.D.

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Areas of Research

• Bacteriology: molecular and cellular pathogenesis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis and Bacillus anthracis

• Immunology: genetics of autoimmunity in model species, including diabetes and experimental allergic encephalitis; mechanisms of immune responses to malarial parasites; effect of aging on the immune response to viruses, retroviruses, and tumors and immune response to influenza vaccination in healthy elderly; cell death mechanisms: in vivo detection and imaging techniques for apoptosis, HIV and virus-specific CD8+ T cells; role of eosinophil degranulation in inflammation, molecular biology, evolution, and effector activities of murine eosinophil secondary granule proteins.

• Mycology: molecular genetics of the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, studies of yeast transcription factors such as Pho4p; opportunistic fungal pathogens Candida, Cryptococcus, and Aspergillis. Mechanisms of antifungal action and antifungal resistance using S. cerevisiae as genetic model.
  
  
• Parasitology: molecular and genetic approaches in the study of parasites including Plasmodium. Resistance mutations in malaria parasites; molecular approaches to malaria vaccine development; polymorphisms of complement (C4) and complement receptors (CR1), and their role in both autoimmune and infectious diseases, including P. falciparum malaria; immunology of parasitic and mycobacterial infections.
  
  
• Virology: viral tropism, genetic evolution and adaptation, immunopathogenesis and neuropathogenesis of human retroviruses (HIV-1 and HTLV-1); molecular pathogenesis and evolution of RNA viruses such as coronaviruses and hepatitis C virus (HCV); molecular mechanisms of viral persistence and development of therapeutic strategies for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV); development of microbicides, RNAi-based therapies, antivirals and animal models of viral diseases.

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Dr. Lawrence Bergman, Ph.D.
Graduate Program Director
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Drexel University College of Medicine
2900 Queen Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19129
Tel: 215-991-8376
Fax: 215-848-2271
E-mail: lbergman@drexelmed.edu

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