Lab Rotations

All students must complete two laboratory rotations. To ensure that students are exposed to different research projects, the IGG requires the students to rotate in at least two different IGG faculty members’ laboratories.  These rotations can take place at Penn or at the NIH through the NIH-Penn Immunology Graduate Partnership Program. 

PhD Students

Proposed future schedule:

Rotation 1: First year, fall semester (8 weeks, August-October)
Rotation 2: First year, fall semester (8 weeks, October-December)
Optional Rotation 3: First year, spring semester (January-February)

Current Schedule:

Rotation 1: First year, fall semester (September-December)
Rotation 2: First year, spring semester (January-May)
Rotation 3: First year, summer semester (May-August)

All laboratory assignments must be approved in advance by the IGG chair. Students are evaluated and graded on each rotation by the supervising faculty member. The dissertation laboratory is usually chosen from one of these rotation labs, although this is not required.

Combined Degree (MD/PhD & VMD/PhD Students)

Rotation 1: First year, spring
Rotation 2: First year, summer
Rotation 3: Third year, fall

All laboratory assignments must be approved in advance by the IGG chair and the combined degree office. There are no restrictions on the laboratory rotations. In other words, the first and second or first and third rotations may be in the same laboratory (with permission). The students’ rotation talks will be based on the projects they encounter in these laboratory rotations. Students are evaluated and graded on each rotation by the supervising faculty member. The dissertation laboratory is usually chosen from one of these rotation labs, although this is not required.