Immunology is the study of defence mechanisms that protect individuals against infections and cancers. Studies in immunology are leading advances in clinical medicine, including understanding allergies, transplant rejection, cancer and autoimmune diseases, as well as the development of new vaccines. In this unit you will explore the essential features of the immune system at the molecular and cellular level, the mechanisms of pathological immune processes and immune system dysfunction, mechanisms of immune responses to microorganisms and immunological techniques used in clinical diagnostic and research laboratories. Practical and tutorial sessions are designed to illustrate particular concepts introduced in other face-to-face activities. Further self-directed learning activities, including online learning activities, will facilitate integration of fundamental information and help you apply this knowledge to the ways in which the host organism fights disease. Consequently, you will develop skills in problem-solving, evaluation of scientific literature, as well as oral and written communication skills. Upon completion, you will have developed the skills required to follow a career in medical research, clinical and diagnostic services and/or the corporate system that supports the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease.

In this unit students will learn how to apply their knowledge of fundamental immunology to understanding the clinical diagnosis and management of a broad range of immune-mediated human disease. Taught across six disease themes, namely autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, cancer, infectious disease, transplant rejection and allergy, the unit will explore topics relevant to clinical practice. Within each theme, students will explore the underlying immunopathology of disease and learn how laboratory assays are used to inform clinical decision making about diagnosis and disease management. Students will learn how immunotherapies, including therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, cellular therapies and therapeutic vaccines, are changing the treatment landscape for many conditions. Instruction will comprise of lectures, tutorials and laboratory classes. The lectures will be given by scientists and clinicians who are leaders in their respective fields. Tutorials will reinforce material covered in lectures, with an emphasis on understanding concepts through clinical cases and appreciating how laboratory investigations contribute to the diagnostic pathway. Laboratory classes will focus on techniques central to the diagnostic lab and taught with the perspective of real-world situations.