Message from the Chair
The beginning of the 21st century is an exciting and
challenging period for the biological and health sciences. As in
the past, studies of microorganisms and their interactions with
host cells not only will generate new knowledge used to conquer
human disease but also will provide access to most of the
significant scientific questions confronting molecular and
cellular biologists.
Immune recognition, the biology of human immunodeficiency
virus, and regulatory nucleic acid-protein interactions are just
three of the research areas that demonstrate the scope of
ongoing studies in the broad fields of microbiology and
immunology.
We in the Graduate Program in Microbiology and Immunology of
The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine invite you
to join us in investigating these frontiers of biological and
medical science. We have helped initiate successful research
careers for many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. In
particular, our program offers an opportunity for close contact
between students and a prominent faculty, not only in our
department but throughout the College of Medicine. Our research
programs are supported by various national research funding
agencies and foundations, including the National Institutes of
Health. Our graduate student training program is supported in
part by a National Institutes of Health Training Grant.
The function of the Graduate Program in Microbiology and
Immunology is to educate individuals for scholarly careers in
microbiology, immunology, and related disciplines. The program
is administered by the Graduate Program Committee and faculty of
the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the College of
Medicine. Students have the opportunity to work with a prominent
interdepartmental faculty, a cohesive group that conducts many
collaborative research programs leading to interactions between
students in the different laboratories. Graduates have been
highly successful in obtaining competitive postdoctoral
positions and establishing careers as independent investigators.
Study leading to the Ph.D. degree emphasizes basic research
consisting of the application of molecular, genetic, and
biochemical approaches to problems of fundamental biological
interest. A concentration of strength lies in study of the
interactions of animal viruses and their host cells and
organisms, including the establishment of latency, oncogenesis,
and the role of the cellular immune response in these processes.
Animal virus systems also are used as models for the study of
eukaryotic gene regulation and mechanisms of genetic
recombination. In addition, vigorous research programs have been
established in the areas of eukaryotic cellular differentiation
and growth control, tumor biology, and immunology. Recent
additions to the faculty have added exciting new research
programs in human immunogenetics, immune regulation, viral
genetics and oncogene function, synthesis and maturation of
viral glycoproteins, and viral protein processing and assembly.
Please take the time to look through the following
information to acquaint yourself with the opportunities that we
provide for graduate study. We look forward to hearing from you! |
