Immunology of Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases

Graduate

MICR143 Immunology of Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases This 10-week course provides an in-depth exploration of immune mechanisms driving inflammation and autoimmunity, with a focus on human disease. It combines foundational immunology with case-based discussions and recent research, preparing trainees to critically analyze immunopathogenesis and emerging therapies. The first five weeks will introduce major immunology concepts through a combination of lectures and discussions, incorporating clinical cases and basic research scenarios. Topics will span innate and adaptive immunity, cytokine signaling, tolerance mechanisms, and immune-environment interactions. Weeks 6–9 will shift toward student-led exploration of specific disease areas. In these sessions, students will actively build mechanistic models of disease pathogenesis based on weekly topics, integrating clinical, immunologic, genetic, and environmental features to define how immune dysregulation leads to tissue-specific pathology. Week 10 will serve as a capstone experience, where students will work in a team to apply their knowledge through a project-based challenge of their choice. Collectively, these components aim to develop critical thinking, translational insight, and systems-level understanding of immune-mediated disease. Throughout the course, the PhD students will work closely with the rheumatology fellows taking the course, which will foster interdisciplinary learning and collaboration. PhD students will gain a clinical perspective on immunologic diseases, while rheumatology fellows will deepen their mechanistic understanding of immune pathways. Learning Objectives: By the end of the course, participants will be able to: • Understand the fundamental principles of innate and adaptive immunity as they relate to the development of autoimmune and (auto)inflammatory diseases. • Analyze the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying loss of immune tolerance and chronic inflammation across organ systems. • Interpret immunologic data (e.g., cytokine profiles, immune cell phenotypes, histopathology) to define immune-mediated pathology and predict therapeutic response. • Evaluate the rationale and mechanisms of current and emerging immunotherapies, including biologics, small molecules, and tolerance-inducing strategies. • Integrate clinical, genetic, environmental, and immunologic insights to construct mechanism-based models of immune-mediated diseases. Course requirements (% of final grade): • Participation (50%): Attendance and active participation in class. This requires reading the assigned materials before class, answering questions, and participating in discussions. • Mechanism Mapping Assignments (25% Weeks 6–9): One-time team-led presentations building disease mechanisms, including background research. • Mechanism-Driven Specific Aims Page (25%, Week 10): To extend your oral mechanism mapping assignment by proposing a novel hypothesis and drafting a Specific Aims page that could be the foundation of a translational or clinical research study. You will do short presentation (10-15 min) to the class on your idea and provide feedback on your classmate’s proposals during this session.