Immunology and Infectious Diseases

   

Graduate program in Immunology and Infectious Diseases (I&ID) at the Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, provides graduate training towards Master of Science (MSc) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees. Training is oriented towards basic laboratory research and a solid scientific background in the discipline of Immunology and viral pathogenesis. The I&ID Research Group includes faculty from the Division of Basic Medical Sciences and Clinical Disciplines within the Faculty of Medicine. Research laboratories are housed within the Health Sciences Center, providing an excellent environment for interdisciplinary collaboration.  

Admission

Applicants must have a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree and a superior academic record. All students complete at least 2 graduate courses in advance immunology, make research presentations, participate in seminar courses and journal clubs, and attend seminars by visiting speakers. Entering students with a limited background must complete an undergraduate course in immunology. Some students may be required to take additional courses based on their thesis topic. Foreign students may be required to complete a course in English as a Second Language. PhD candidates are required to pass a comprehensive examination guided by general regulations governing graduate studies at Memorial University. The comprehensive exam consists of written and oral components. An examination committee appointed by the School of Graduate Studies determines the exam content. 
 

Courses 

-Pharmacy/Biochemistry 4105                                      Fall semester
   (undergraduate Immunology)
-Medicine 6127 (Immunology I)                                    Winter semester 
-Medicine 6128 (Immunology II)                                   Fall semester 
 

Seminar Series 

-Medicine 6400-6403 (MSc) and 6410-6413 (PhD)     Fall and winter semesters 
The I&ID Research Group meets weekly for paper presentations, literature reviews, research in progress presentations or seminars by visiting speakers. All graduate students in the program are required to make at least one presentation annually. The Visiting Speaker Program provides students and faculty an opportunity for scientific exchange with experts from outside of Memorial University. 

Awards and Financial Supports 

University and the Dean of Medicine fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis by the School of Graduate Studies or the Dean of Medicine upon recommendation by the office of Research and Graduate Studies, Faculty of Medicine. Currently, MSc and PhD fellowships provide stipends of $12,500 and $14,000/annum respectively. Funding for student stipends is also provided in whole or part from faculty research grants. The Office of Research and Graduate Studies in the Faculty of Medicine and School of Graduate Studies of Memorial University provide up to $1200 towards graduate student travel for participation in scientific conferences and there are some opportunities to gain additional experience and remuneration as a teaching assistant.   

The Colman Graduate Student Award of $1000 is given annually to the top PhD student in the Faculty of Medicine within a year of completing their comprehensive exam. 
The Burness Graduate Student Award of $5000 is given annually to the top MSc student in the Faculty of Medicine. 
 
I&ID Graduate Program Prizes 
The Zetta Tsaltas Award of $500 is given annually to the graduate student delivering the best research presentation at the annual I&ID Research Forum. This award is generously provided by the Greek Community of St. John’s in memory of Zetta Tsaltas, a past PhD graduate of the Immunology Program at Memorial University. Prizes of $200 are generally awarded for the best PhD and MSc research presentations at the annual Immunology and Infectious Diseases Research Forum. These prizes are awarded by the Assistant Dean for Research and Graduate Studies upon recommendation of the Immunology and Infectious Diseases graduate program coordinator.

Participating Faculty

  • Drover S., PhD (Memorial): Regulation and expression of peptide-dependent HLA epitopes in different antigen-presenting cells; HLA epitopes associated with disease susceptibility and resistance.
  • Grant M., PhD (McMaster): Immunology of HIV and HCV infection, especially cytotoxic T cell activity; idiotypic network interactions in immune regulation.
  • Hirasawa K., PhD (Tokyo): Virus infection and cellular signalling pathways.
  • Kaushik, Deepak, PhD (National Brain Research Centre, India)
  • Law, John, PhD (University of Alberta) Characterize virus-host interaction focusing on replication and the humoral immune response.
  • Michalak T.I., MD, PhD (Warsaw):  Honorary Research Professor. Virus-host interactions in immunopathogenesis of liver. diseases; molecular biology and immunology of hepatitis B and C virus persistence; immunotherapy of viral hepatitis.
  • Russell R.S., PhD (McGill): Molecular Virology of Hepatitis C Virus.
  • Moore, Craig., PhD (Dalhousie): Neuroimmunology, inflammation, multiple sclerosis, and glial cell differentiation.