Course catalogue doctoral education - VT24

    Startpage
  • Application can be done between 2023-10-16 and 2023-11-15
Application closed
Print
Title Basic immunology
Course number 3187
Programme Allergy, immunology and inflammation (Aii)
Language English
Credits 3.0
Date 2019-09-02 -- 2019-09-26
Responsible KI department Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Specific entry requirements Knowledge in basic cell biology
Purpose of the course To give doctoral students a solid knowledge and understanding of fundamental principles in immunology. All other courses in the doctoral education program Aii (Allergy, immunology and inflammation) assume that students have taken the Basic Immunology course, or otherwise have attained the same level of previous knowledge and understanding.
Intended learning outcomes To be able to understand basic principles of innate and adaptive immunity and how different components of the immune system cooperate. To be able to relate, compare and understand experimental aspects of immune-related diseases in a clinical perspective. To be able to apply knowledge gained on the function of the immune system to analyze and discuss an immunological/clinical case (group project). To be able to present the group project and discuss the results as well as work in pairs with clinical cases.
Contents of the course The course is separated into two parts. In part 1 we discuss basic immunological mechanisms within the innate and adaptive immune response. In part 2 we apply the knowledge in clinical settings such as defense against infection, autoimmune and allergic diseases or transplantation.

Part 1: An overview of the immune system, T cells, B cells, Antigen presenting cells, Innate lymphoid cells, Innate vs adaptive immune responses.

Part 2: Immune defense against bacterial and viral infections, Primary immunodeficiencies, Autoimmune disease, Allergy, Vaccination, Clinical Immunology, Transplantation, Tumor Immunology. Questions and discussions. Presentation of projects.
Teaching and learning activities The course is given during two weeks separated into two parts. Lectures and seminars are given three days per week and remaining days are assigned for project work, a written assignment as well as reading. The project work and written assignment require studies between the two course parts, including meetings with mentors. On the last day of the course the project work will be presented orally. Course literature (Abbas) is handed out at the course start. An immunological quiz is connected to the different chapters in the book, so that the student will be able to digest the relatively big material. The purpose of dividing the course into two parts is that the participants should have time to thoroughly study the literature from part 1 (fundamental immunological mechanisms) before teaching of the applied immunology in part 2 starts.
Compulsory elements All activities included in the course are compulsory. Absence needs to be compensated for in agreement with the course director.
Examination The student will be examined on both the project work and the written assignment. The project work will be evaluated by the group project mentor and by the course organizers during the oral presentations of the work. At this occasion special attention is given to all students' active participation and contributions to the discussions. The individual written assignment is evaluated by the course organizers and, with respect to proposing new research ideas related to the students´ own PhD projects, by their own supervisors.
Literature and other teaching material Abul Abbas and Andrew Lichtman: Basic Immunology. (Saunders Elsevier). The book is free and is handed out at the course start. Lecture handouts uploaded to the course website. Scientific review articles proposed by group project mentors.
Number of students 10 - 25
Selection of students Selection will be based on 1) the relevance of the course syllabus for the applicant's doctoral project (according to written motivation), 2) date for registration as a doctoral student (priority given to earlier registration date).
More information The course is divided into two sessions with 3 days of lectures each, September 2nd to 4th (Monday to Wednesday) and September 24th to 26th (Tuesday to Thursday). In between these days of lectures the students work on both a group project and an individual written assignment, including meetings with mentors and literature studies. The first meeting with mentors should ideally take place on either the 5th or 6th of September (Thursday or Friday, respectively), so students are expected to have time to devote to the course outside the official lecture days.
Teachers include specialists in different fields of immunology including both basic and clinical researchers. We will use the Abbas ""Basic Immunology"" as the main course textbook, but literature also includes review papers, handouts etc. The textbook is free and will be made available two weeks before the course starts (please contact the organizers). The course location is at the Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Karolinska University Hospital, Solna.
This course has previously been given with number 2302.
Additional course leader Karine Chemin, Department of Medicine, karine.chemin@ki.se
Latest course evaluation Course evaluation report
Course responsible Andre Ortlieb
Department of Clinical Neuroscience

Andre.Ortlieb@ki.se
Contact person -