Overview
The Infection, Immunity & Epidemiology (II&E) curricular training track prepares Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) PhD and MS Thesis students for research careers that integrate the basic principles of infection, immunity, and epidemiology with modern biotechnologies.
Students in this track have the option to pursue an infection & immunity focus, working with faculty engaged in multidisciplinary research in animal, human, and ecosystem health involving mechanistic studies of microorganisms and disease, host-pathogen interactions, the immune system, and immunological disorders.
Research areas include infectious and zoonotic diseases, vaccines, adjuvants and diagnostics development, comparative, developmental and clinical aspects of immunology, bacteriology, virology, parasitology, and pathology.
Students in this track also have the option to pursue an epidemiology focus, working with faculty engaged in studying the distribution and determinants of health-related conditions in both animal and human populations, with the goal of applying this knowledge to control disease and improve health. In order to accomplish these objectives, epidemiologists draw upon their expertise in medicine, biology, biostatistics/biomathematics, and social sciences.
Research areas include zoonotic diseases, surveillance of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, international veterinary medicine and public health, food safety, biodefense, infectious disease modeling, and the ecology and molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance.
Required courses
Students with an Infection & Immunity focus in the II&E track are required to complete the following course:
- VTMI 649 Immunology
Students with an Epidemiology focus in the II&E track are required to complete one or both of the following courses:
This coursework must be completed in addition to the BIMS PhD core courses/MS Thesis core courses.
Electives
In consultation with their graduate advisory committee, students will choose electives for their graduate degree plan.
These courses should provide students with skills in critical thinking, research design and analysis, as well as written and oral scientific communication.
The following courses are commonly-used electives for students in the II&E track:
- ENTO 618 Medical and Veterinary Entomology
- ENTO 625 Landscape Ecology
- GEOG 651 GIS for Resource Managers
- SOCI 623 Measurement of Sociological Parameters
- STAT 607 Sampling
- STAT 653 Statistics in Research III
- VIBS 607 Applied Epidemiology
- VIBS 626 Methods in Vector-Borne Disease Ecology
- VIBS 633 Animal Diseases in Comparative Medicine
- VIBS 681 Seminar
- VIBS 688 Epidemiological Modeling of Infectious Diseases
- VTMI 649/POSC 649 Immunology
Learn more about…
Prospective Student Contacts
If you have questions relating to faculty and/or research being conducted in this area, please reach out to this track’s faculty leadership.
Track Co-Leaders: Dr. Paul Morley | Dr. Blanca Lupiani
If you have questions about seeking a faculty mentor, please contact our admissions coordinator.
