PhD in Immunology and Applied Biotechnology

The purpose of the Ph.D. program in Immunology and Applied Biotechnology is to provide a multidisciplinary education leading to a mastery in the application of new biotechnical knowledge to practical pediatric problems. The emphasis is on the development of major diagnostic and therapeutic innovations for the control and treatment of pediatric immune-related diseases. The relevance of genomic revolution to development and the important role of biotechnologies in the set of strategies that can help reduce child mortality rates and improve child life expectancy has been extensively illustrated in the United Nations Millenium Development Goals and WHO reports. In the last few years biomedical technologies have undergone impressive development and diversification, opening the doors to a rapid evolution of clinical pediatrics into "molecular pediatrics".

Our program is a consortia multidisciplinary degree program that operates on the principle that scientists working in modern pediatrics must also have a general knowledge of molecular and cell immunology , tumor immunology, cell activation, allergic inflammation, immunodeficiency, genetics, biochemistry, biotechnology (including gene transfer technology) to work creatively in the field.
This program points to new opportunities for Ph.D. students to expand knowledge of the mechanisms of regulation and expression of genes and the functional characterization of their products, the identification of predictive and prognostic markers of immunological disease and the design of appropriated therapeutical approaches. This is a novel approach to pediatrics, where clinical researchers and physicians cooperate for the translation from bench to bedside.

Academic programs fulfill needs and aims at a three-year full time program through 1) Course work, seminars, workshops, journal clubs. An advisor from the participating faculty member of the Ph.D. program will be selected.; 2) Laboratory rotations – at at least three immunology laboratories. During this time, the student learns different immunological/biotechnological methods and experimental approaches including safety, legal, regulatory and ethical issues associated with clinical trials and bringing scientific advances to market; 3) A research project with a defense of a Dissertation under a Dissertation advisor. Graduates would be suitably prepared for careers in both the private and public sectors of the field where multidiscipline abilities would facilitate working in cross-functional teams or at the interfaces of technology, pediatrics , public health and the marketplace.