Infection, Immunity & Epidemiology

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:

• VIBS 608  Epidemiological Methods I  and/or
• VIBS 610  Epidemiology Methods II

This coursework must be completed in addition to the BIMS PhD core courses/MS Thesis core courses.