Lab Rotations

All students must complete three laboratory rotations. To ensure that students are exposed to different research projects, the IGG requires the students to rotate in three different IGG faculty members’ laboratories.  These rotations can take place at Penn or at the NIH through the NIH-Penn Immunology Graduate Partnership Program. The second rotation culminates in the Rotation Talk and the third rotation culminates in the Preliminary Exam.

PhD Students

1. First year, fall semester
2. First year, second semester
3. First year, summer (between Years 1 and 2)

All laboratory assignments must be approved in advance by the IGG chair. While the first and second or first and third rotations may be in the same laboratory (with permission), the second and third rotations can not take place in the same lab. The students’ rotation talks/preliminary exams 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.

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

1. First year, summer
2. Third year, fall semester (August - October)
3. Third year, fall semester (October - December)

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/preliminary exams 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.