Immunology Graduate Group
Welcome to Immunology
Recognizing the need to create an environment where researchers could be adequately trained in the multifaceted aspects of immunobiology, Penn became the first medical school to establish a separate degree-granting Ph.D. program in Immunology. The faculty of the Immunology Graduate Group (IGG) are drawn from eight different units of the University of Pennsylvania, encompassing a broad spectrum of research interests: The College of Arts and Sciences; The School of Medicine; the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; The Dental School; the School of Veterinary Medicine; the Wistar Institute; and the Institute for Cancer Research.
The IGG has also established a partnership with the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. The partnership brings to the IGG the extraordinary resources and scientific expertise present at the NIH, one of the largest and most renowned biomedical research centers in the world. Students have the opportunity to interact with NIH faculty in a variety of ways, including conducting a lab rotation or thesis work at the NIH. This cross-departmental and institutional organization fosters a unique collaborative environment that allows students to develop research projects combining the expertise of multiple faculty members.
At present, there are approximately 80 faculty members in Penn’s Immunology Graduate Group, encompassing a broad spectrum of research studies. Faculty research includes studies on the development and regulation of the immune system, host-pathogen interactions, the fundamental molecular and cellular biology of the immune system, structural studies of immunologically relevant molecules and translational immunology. Research results are being utilized in both experimental models and clinical trials attempting to fight diseases.
Avinash Bhandoola, M.B.B.S, Ph.D.
Chair, Immunology Graduate Group
CONTACT THE COORDINATOR:
Amy Ellis
(215) 573-4394
357 BRB II/III
421 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
PENN IMMUNOLOGY IN THE NEWS:
Congratulations to Ji-Yeon Kim, 2013 Saul Winegrad Winner for Outstanding Dissertation!
Congratulations 2012 IGG Grad Shruti Naik: Winner of Best Paper Award 2012, sponsored by the Cytokine Interest Group!
This work, performed under the mentorship of Yasmine Belkaid at NIAID, NIH, describes how commensals in skin shape local immune responses. It was published in Science magazine (article link)
Penn Researcher Claudio Giraudo Named 2013 Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences- June 18, 2013
Penn IGG Alum Greg Sonnenberg Chosen for Forbes 30 Under 30 List - December 26, 2012
IGG Chair E. John Wherry to Lead Penn Medicine's Institute for Immunology - December 18, 2012
Leukemia Patients Remain in Remission More Than Two Years After Receiving Genetically Engineered T Cell Therapy - December 9, 2012
Top of page photo: Tiled 3D reconstruction of an E10.5 dorsal aorta immunostained for CD31 (red) CKit (blue) and Runx1 (green). Amanda Phillips and Nancy Speck.