Immunology & Microbiology Courses

This is a required course for all third year Basic Sciences students and all MD/PhD students entering doctoral study but who are not on the CPHR track. The PARC course helps to center our students in areas that are foundational to success in research: responsible data management; management of intellectual property; the ethical use of research subjects; recognizing and resolving conflicts of interest, professionalism in peer review and publishing; engaging mentors; and career exploration and planning. The PARC course comprises faculty-led presentations and small group discussions with case studies and workshop material. An online learning module (CITI training program comprising many case studies) is also included and must be completed before the end of the fall semester. 

Credits: 1

Prerequisite(s): None

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Directors: Anthony Imbalzano, Cynthia Fuhrmann

Semester Offered: Fall 

Last Taught: Fall 2023

This course will help prospective scientists in the biological and medical sciences communicate their work effectively, in writing, graphics, and oral presentations. The course teaches how to prepare a research paper using words, statistics, and figures; how to present science to a lay audience; how to write a grant proposal; and how to present orally to scientific peers.

Credits: 2

Prerequisite(s): None

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Directors: Jill Zitzewitz, Daryl Bosco, and Nese Kurt Yilmaz

Semester Offered: Fall 

Last Taught: Fall 2023

This problem-based course provides learning opportunities through exploration of multidisciplinary areas of contemporary biomedical research, and creates a forum for practice in the skills required for research.

Credits: 6

Prerequisite(s): Matriculation in the PhD Program

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Directors: Jill Zitzewitz, Neal Silverman, Elizabeth Shank

Semester Offered: Fall

Last Taught: Fall 2023

Infectious disease is among the strongest agents of natural selection, and adaptations constituting the armament of pathogens and the defense of the host involve many of the most fascinating mechanisms in biology. This course presents a modern view of the fundamental biology of bacterial and viral disease in the context of molecular mechanisms of host defense. A detailed knowledge of cellular and molecular components of the immune system will be integrated with current understanding of microbial virulence strategies, to provide a working understanding of biological mechanisms important in health and disease. The course is organized as three integrated sections focusing on the fields of immunology, bacterial pathogenesis, and virology. Students will obtain a background for advanced course work in each of these disciplines. We will focus on three themes; (1) basic properties of microbes and the innate and adaptive immune defenses that have evolved to respond to them, (2) the interplay—in both dynamic and evolutionary sense—between host defenses and microbial virulence, and (3) the mechanisms of pathogenesis during infection. Comparative clinical and epidemiological pictures of selected diseases will be presented, and will serve as a framework for development of key molecular, cellular, and physiological concepts. 

Credits: 4

Prerequisite(s): BBS 614 or BBS 748 (non-degree students) or course equivalent

Fulfills an elective requirement: Yes

Students may register for individual BBS755 modules (BBS 755a, BBS 755b, BBS 755c).  Completion of one or two individual modules does not fulfill an elective course requirement.

Course Director: Timothy Kowalik

Semester Offered: Spring

Last Taught: Spring 2024

This is the virology component of BBS 755 Infection and Immune Response.

Credits: 1

Prerequisite(s): BBS 614 or BBS 748 (non-degree students) or course equivalent

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Timothy Kowalik, Trudy Morrison

Semester Offered: Spring

Last Taught: Spring 2022

This is the bacteriology component of BBS 755 Infection and Immune Response

Credits: 1

Prerequisite(s): BBS 614 or BBS 748 (non-degree students) or course equivalent

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director:Timothy Kowalik, Javier Irazoqui

Semester Offered: Spring

Last Taught: Spring 2022

This is the immunology component of BBS 755 Infection and Immune Response

Credits: 2

Prerequisite(s): BBS 614 or BBS 748 (non-degree students) or course equivalent

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Timothy Kowalik, Micheael Brehm

Semester Offered: Spring

Last Taught: Spring 2024

Some of the most active areas of current immunology are investigated through the reading and discussion of research papers. Students further develop the ability to pose questions and design experiments to answer them through writing a research proposal. Topics to be covered include: regulation of lineage specification/commitment and antigen receptor gene recombination; mechanisms of immunological tolerance and lymphocyte activation, cellular transactions and their consequences (e.g., APC:T cell); and immune responses in infectious diseases.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite(s): BBS 614 or BBS 748 (non-degree students) or course equivalent and BBS755, Infection and Immune Response (or their equivalent)

Fulfills an elective requirement: Yes

Course Directors: Andrea Reboldi and Joonsoo Kang

Semester Offered: Fall

Last Taught: Fall 2023

This is a paper reading-based course discussing in depth new findings in animal virology, including viral biochemistry and molecular biology, genetics, oncogenesis, and pathogenesis. The course will be team-taught by UMass Chan faculty. The course will begin with introductory lectures to provide background for more advanced readings. Students will then cover different specific areas chosen by the professors in detail with paper readings. At the end of the course the students will write a research proposal and present it to the class and faculty. Course can be taken for three credits with proposal and presentation or for two credits without proposal.

Credits: 2-3

Prerequisite(s): BBS755, Infection and Immune Response, or their equivalent

Fulfills an elective requirement: Yes

Course Director: James Munro

Semester Offered: Fall

Last Taught: Fall 2023

This course introduces students to cutting-edge topics in bacterial pathogenesis in a class format designed to encourage both critical analysis and concentration on experimental design, which will aid students in preparation for qualifying exams. The course meets once per week for 2.5-3 hours. Depending on class size and on a rotating basis, individual students, or groups of two or three students lead discussions of selected topics. Presenting students are required to prepare PowerPoint presentations to focus the discussion, and the following week to produce a Specific Aims page modeled after NIH R01 applications. The bulk of class time is devoted to open discussion, critical analysis of the literature, and constructive feedback of student reviews. In the end, each student develops and presents a research proposal on one of the topics discussed. Students taking the course for 2 credits will not be required to prepare the research proposal. Grading is based on quality of presentations, Specific Aims pages, and class participation (all students) and on the quality of the research outline (students taking the class for 3 credits).

Credits: 2-3

Prerequisite(s): BBS 614 or BBS 748 (non-degree students) or course equivalent, BBS755, Infection and Immune Response, or permission from course coordinator

Fulfills an elective requirement: Yes

Course Directors: Javier Irazoqui, Beth McCormick

Course Offered: Fall

Last Taught: Fall 2023

Advanced Immunology & Microbiology Program graduate students present seminars on their thesis research.

Credits: 1

Prerequisite(s): BBS755, Infection and Immune Response

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Eric Huseby

Semester Offered: Fall

Last Taught: Fall 2023

Leading researchers present a weekly seminar on a basic or clinical immunology and virology topic. Prior to the seminar, students read papers suggested by the seminar speaker and discuss the papers in class. Following the seminar, graduate students meet with the speaker for a discussion of the formal seminar. This course surveys the most important areas of basic and clinical immunology and virology including, but not limited to, antigen presentation; gene rearrangements; and expression of the genes for antigen receptors, immune tolerance, cytokines, immune cell development, immunodeficiency diseases, autoimmune diseases, human immune system malignancies and immune response to infectious agents such as viruses, parasites and bacteria.

Credits: 2

Prerequisite(s): BBS755, Infection and Immune Response

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Directors: Javier Irazoqui, Vanni Bucci, Kiera Clayton, Eric Huseby,  Lee Quinton, Neal Silverman

Semester Offered: Spring

Last Taught: Spring 2024

This course is designed to help first-year students prepare for the Immunology & Microbiology Program advanced topics courses in the fall, learn how to think critically about articles, and meet senior students in the program. Students in the class will read one primary and one review paper the week before each class. The topic, paper and review will be chosen by two student mentors. In a brief presentation; the mentors will describe the current state of the field and summarize the review. The class will then discuss the chosen article and critically analyze the positives and negatives of techniques, systems, conclusions, etc.

Credits: 1

Prerequisite(s): BBS 614 or BBS 748 (non-degree students) or course equivalent

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Jillian Richmond

Semester Offered: Summer

Last Taught: Summer 2022

Research rotations are defined periods of research experience under the direction of a faculty member. They are intended to familiarize the student with concepts and techniques in several areas of research and to assist the student in evaluating research laboratories and projects that might be developed into a dissertation project. The student will participate in an ongoing research project; gain familiarity with concepts underlying the research; acquire a working knowledge of techniques used in the research; and write a report and present an oral summary of the results of the research.

In the summer term, only MD/PhD students may register.

Credits: 2-5

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Varies

Semester Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

Last Taught: Taught every Fall, Spring, and Summer

Summer Research – Year 1 is for first year BBS students.  Expectations are for students to (1) formulate initial hypotheses and/or goals, (2) design and begin to execute research plans, (3) Critically read and evaluate relevant literature.

Credits: 6

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Varies

Semester Offered: Summer

Last Taught: Taught every Summer

Students are required to register for this course in the fall semester of the academic year in which they are to pass their Qualifying Examination.

Credits: 1

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Mary Ellen Lane

Semester Offered: Fall

Last Taught: Taught every year 

All graduate students are required to have at least one Thesis Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) meeting each academic year. After passing their Qualifying Examination and selection of their TRAC, students are required to register for this course each fall semester until their Dissertation Advisory Committee is formed.

MD/PhD Goals: 1) To periodically review progress along thesis research project advised by content experts 2) To provide guidance for establishing a thesis research project consistent with the MD/PhD Program goals

MD/PhD Curricular Expectations: Two Thesis Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) meeting each academic year as define by the Professionalism Benchmark Checklist

Credits: 1

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Mary Ellen Lane

Semester Offered: Fall

Last Taught: Taught every year

This course is for students who have selected a program and thesis advisor but who have not yet passed the Qualifying Examination. 

Credits: 9

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Student's thesis advisor

Semester Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

Last Taught: Taught every semester

Students register for Thesis Research fall term of year three of the program (MD/PhD Students: Fall term of year four in the program), after passing the Qualifying Exam.

Credits: 12

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Student's thesis advisor

Semester Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

Last Taught: Taught every semester

Students register for Graduate Research fall term of year four (MD/PhD Students: Fall term of year five+) in the PhD Program and will continue to register each semester until they complete all remaining requirements.

Credits: 0

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Student's thesis advisor

Semester Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

Last Taught: Taught every semester