Running this Fall 2026!!
This course will serve as an introduction to the immune system, with a focus on mammalian organisms (particularly humans). In general terms, we will uncover how the cells and organs of the immune system orchestrate protective responses to pathogen infection across distance and time in the body. While immunology encompasses a vast body of facts and terminologies, we will deemphasize rote memorization and classification. Instead, a primary goal of this 500-level course is to engage your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, as well as to introduce you to primary research addressing contemporary immunological questions. During this course, we will undertake our studies guided by two principle understandings about the immune system in particular. These “enduring understandings” are the big picture ideas that tie together all the information in the course. They will inform the essential questions we explore in our studies and the learning objectives we will attempt to achieve by the end of the semester.