Immunology

Immunology is the study of the immune system and how it defends the body against pathogens, that is to say, bacteria, viruses and parasites. Moreover, the immune system must be able to kill transformed tissues that otherwise can develop into tumors. At the same time, the immune system also has to be regulated in order to avoid causing unnecessary destruction of non-infected/untransformed healthy tissues.

In the course Immunology, which is a first-cycle course in biology, you will study how the immune system develops, matures and is activated in order to effectively combat infectious microbes. This knowledge will be the foundation for further studies of the subject in courses such as Immunology and Disease Pathogenesis (BIO467).

During the last decade, many groundbreaking treatments and diagnostic methods have been developed. Several of these have been based on redirecting immune cells and on blocking factors that they produce. Therefore, a good understanding of immunology is in demand and considered a merit when applying for jobs within the pharmaceutical industry and within many parts of the healthcare sector.

Teaching

The course is divided into blocks of about a week. Each block covers a topic of immunology with pre-set study goals that you achieve through individual studies followed by lectures dealing with basic concepts.

The different topics are then summed up in two half-day group exercises where you answer quiz questions, essay questions and application questions by means of “team based learning”.

This course is taught in English.