Program of Study
Two nationally and internationally recognized interdepartmental research programs, the DMS Immunology Program and the Molecular Pathogenesis Program, are largely comprised of M&I faculty.
The Immunology Program is a very strong interdepartmental program that has been designated by DHMC as one of four main foci for research and further development at Dartmouth. The DMS Immunology Program involves a variety of investigative efforts, including those related to T and B lymphocyte immunobiology; myeloid cell immunobiology; Fc receptors; the immunology of the human female reproductive tract; cancer immunobiology; cell mediated immunity to retroviruses, including HIV; mucosal immune responses; signaling in cells of the immune system; the development and use of monoclonal antibodies and other engineered biomolecules in the diagnosis and treatment of tumors and infectious diseases; autoimmune disease, and the design of vaccines, including those for malaria, Toxoplasma gondii, and HIV. Departmental faculty have a strong record of applying basic research findings to the treatment of human disease.
The Molecular Pathogenesis Training Program at Dartmouth is an interactive, multidisciplinary program that involves researchers from the Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, Biology, Biochemistry, Physiology, and Pharmacology and Toxicology. Areas of research include molecular genetics of bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral pathogenesis; cellular and immunobiology of parasites; host-pathogen interactions; microbe-microbe interactions; evolution and regulation of bacterial virulence; immune mechanisms in resistance to infectious diseases; immunotherapeutics; and vaccine design.
Interactions between these strong research areas are enhanced by a variety of interdepartmental courses, journal clubs, and seminars.
All Microbiology and Immunology faculty members participate in either the Molecular Pathogenesis or the Immunology Program and many participate in both. Graduate students and faculty are affiliated with the interdepartmental Molecular and Cellular Biology [MCB] graduate program.
Microbiology and Immunology faculty also participate in COBRE (Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence) and SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program at Dartmouth