Immunology

Overview

The Immunology concentration area coursework and laboratory research emphasize cellular and molecular biology studies in infectious disease immunology, mucosal immunity and inflammation, immunopathology, immunoparasitology, environmental immunology, and immunology of non-vertebrate species. Our diversified faculty is drawn from the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine, Sciences, and Agriculture and Life Sciences as well as government agencies located in the Research Triangle Park. Interdepartmental cooperation provides a unique atmosphere for the study of immunology in a wide range of species.

The concentration is designed to prepare students for professional research and teaching careers applying cellular and molecular biology techniques to animal and human health problems, associated with the immune system, including infectious disease and inflammation. Our immunology graduates are extremely competitive for positions in universities, pharmaceutical companies, and governmental institutions. North Carolina State University at Raleigh, with close proximity to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, and the Research Triangle Park, provides a unique biomedical research environment for seminars, meetings, and interaction with other scientists. Graduate research assistantships are available to qualified students.

COURSES REQUIRED FOR THE PHD IMMUNOLOGY CONCENTRATION

MB/IMM 751 Immunology (3 credits)

IMM/CBS 816 Advanced Topics in Immunology (1 credit each semester; 8 semesters required for doctoral students)

IMM/CBS 783 Advanced Immunology OR PO/IMM 757 Comparative Immunology (3 credits)

and ONE of the following:

BCH 553 Biochemistry of Gene Expression (3 credits)

BCH 555 Proteins and molecular mechanisms (3 credits)

BCH 705 Molecular Biology of the Cell (3 credits)

BIT 510 Core Technologies in Molecular and Cellular Biology (4 credits)

CBS 770 Cell Biology (3 credits)

COURSES REQUIRED FOR THE MS IMMUNOLOGY CONCENTRATION

MB/IMM 751 Immunology (3 credits)

IMM/CBS 816 Advanced Topics in Immunology (1 credit each semester; 4 semesters required for masters students)

ELECTIVE COURSES FOR PHD AND MS STUDENTS

STAT 512 Experimental Statistics For Biological Sciences II (3 credits)

MB 718 Introductory Virology (3 credits)

BCH 553 Biochemistry of Gene Expression (3 credits)

BCH 555 Proteins and Molecular Mechanisms (3 credits)

CBS 770 Cell Biology (3 credits)

CBS 810 Infectious Disease Pathogenic Mechanisms (1 credit)

BIT 510 Core Technologies in Molecular and Cellular Biology (4 credits)

BIT module courses (2 credits each):

BIT562 Gene Expression Analysis: Microarrays

BIT 564 Protein Purification

BIT 565 Real time PCR Techniques

BIT 566 Animal Cell Culture Techniques

BIT 567 PCR and DNA Fingerprinting

BIT 568 Genome Mapping

ELECTIVE COURSES FOR MS STUDENTS

IMM/CBS 783 Advanced Immunology (3 credits)

PO/IMM 757 Comparative Immunology (3 credits)

 

Participating Faculty

Name	Email	Primary Concentration	Other Concentrations	Research Emphasis
Adam Birkenheuer	ajbirken@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Infectious Diseases	General Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease
Bruce Hammerberg	bruce_hammerberg@ncsu.edu	Immunology		Development of biological therapies for allergic diseases
Christopher Mariani	clmarian@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Neurosciences	Comparative neuroimmunology and neuro-oncology
Elisa Crisci	ecrisci@ncsu.edu	Infectious Diseases	Immunology, Population and Global Health	The overall focus of Crisci lab is to dissect viral infections in pigs and to understand the virus-immune cell interactions that drive the disease outcome.
Erika Gruber	ejgruber@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Pathology	Regulation of macrophage function
Frank Scholle	fscholl@ncsu.edu	Immunology		Viral Immunology
Glenn Cruse	gpcruse@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Cell Biology, Pharmacology	Translational research in mast cell-driven diseases such as allergy, asthma and mastocytosis.
Isabel Gimeno	imgimeno@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Infectious Diseases, Population Medicine	Tumor viral diseases in poultry and development of the chicken immune system
Jeff Yoder	jayoder@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Cell Biology, Infectious Diseases	We study the evolution of immune receptors and PFAS immunotoxicology.
Jennifer Luff	jaluff@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Infectious Diseases, Global Health	My research is focused on viral immunity and the interferon response in the skin, with particular interest in papillomavirus infections.
Jonathan Fogle	jefogle@ncsu.edu	Immunology		Animal models for T cell dysfunction in HIV infection and Immune dysfunction in cancer and anti-tumor immunity
Katie Sheats	mkpeed@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Global Health, Infectious Diseases	Dr. Sheats' research focuses on the innate immune system and the role neutrophils play in host defense and host injury.
Lauren Schnabel	lvschnab@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Cell Biology, Immunology, Infectious Diseases	The Schnabel Laboratory focuses on the use of regenerative and biologic therapies for the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries.
Marcelo Rodriguez-Puebla	mrodrig@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Cell Biology	Molecular mechanisms of cell proliferation and apoptosis with the main emphasis on dysregulate proliferation and carcinogenesis.
Matthew Koci	mdkoci@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Infectious Diseases	Matt Koci's research program focuses on host-microbe interactions and understanding how the host recognizes, responds to, eliminates, and ultimately develops resistance to pathogens.
Michael Rahe	mrahe@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Infectious Disease, Pathology	The Rahe lab studies the immunology and pathology of viral infections in large animals.
Michael Sikes	mlsikes@ncsu.edu	Immunology		Lymphocyte development and differentiation
Paul Hess	paul_hess@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Infectious Disease	We work to develop immunotherapies for canine T-cell malignancies and bladder cancer.
Petra Bizikova	petra_bizikova@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Infectious Diseases	Autoimmune and allergic skin disease of small animals
Ravi Kulkarni	rrkulkar@ncsu.edu	Infectious Diseases	Immunology	The Kulkarni laboratory focuses on studying ‘host-microbe interaction’ with a focus in the areas of immunology, microbiology, Probiotics and vaccines that are crafted into on three major research programs: improving gut health, viral immunology, and Precision Health Technologies.
Samuel Jones	sljones@ncsu.edu	Infectious Diseases	Cell Biology, Immunology	Regulation of Neutrophil Motility
Scott Laster	smlaster@ncsu.edu	Immunology		New medicines for inflammation and pain
Steven Suter	sesuter@ncsu.edu	Cell Biology	Immunology, Infectious Diseases, Pathology	Genetics and Therapy of Cancer
Thierry Olivry	thierry_olivry@ncsu.edu	Cell Biology	Immunology, Infectious Diseases	Pathogenesis and Therapy of Pruritis, Atopic Dermatitis and Autoimmune Diseases
Tobias Kaeser	tekaeser@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Infectious Diseases	The Kaeser lab studies the adaptive immune response in pigs and uses it as a biomedical animal model for chlamydia infections and food allergy
Yevgeny Brudno	ybrudno@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Neurosciences, Pharmacology	Drug delivery to the brain and to cancer.
Yogesh Saini	ysaini@ncsu.edu	Immunology	Cell Biology, Infectious Disease, Pathology, Pharmacology	Dr. Saini's laboratory aims to study the effect of environmental toxicants on two critical organs, i.e., Lung and Liver.