About the Department
The Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Inflammation pursues high-impact basic and translational research to elucidate – and wherever possible, to therapeutically manipulate – the complex, interwoven processes of disease progression and the inflammatory pathway. In addition, we educate new generations of scientists to tackle these challenges through contemporary transdisciplinary research.
Work in the Department holds potential keys to a broad spectrum of diseases and disorders that compromise human health.
However, we focus primarily on HIV-1/AIDS; lung disease; systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases; bacterial biofilms; CRISPR-Cas9 technology and using adeno-associated virus vector in the context of pharmacological treatment viral infectious disease; acute and chronic lung diseases, including asthma and COPD; as well as neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease.
Key work in the department is leading edge. Our Chair, Kamel Khalili, PhD, the internationally known neurovirologist who specializes in genetic approaches, including gene editing techniques, is leading a team poised to eliminate HIV-1/AIDS from the host through gene editing. We are also breaking new ground in addressing the global problem of antibiotic resistance though novel work in biofilms research; pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders, including systemic lupus erythematosus; the role of epithelial cells in response to stress, infection, and inflammation; and the role of chemokine, opioid, and formyl peptide receptors in the regulation of inflammatory responses.
In basic studies, we chronicle the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the development of acute and chronic inflammation; elucidate how basic processes of innate and adaptive immunity evolve into chronic diseases; and other fundamentals integral to autoimmune disorders, lung disease, and neurological disorders.
The Department brings together more than 15 faculty and staff experts – and three specialized research centers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine: The Center for Inflammation and Lung Research; the Center for Microbiology and Immunology; and the Center for Neurovirology and Gene Editing.
Each Center retains its individual mission and portfolio of work. In addition, all three Centers collaborate – and work with researchers across the School of Medicine, Temple University, and Temple University Health System. By leveraging insights across many spheres of expertise, we open new territory for developing novel diagnostics, treatments, and preventive strategies.
Our faculty – many nationally known, appointed to NIH study sections, national and international committees, and editorial boards – are pushing the frontiers of combination gene editing technology; immunotherapeutic strategies to target antibiotic resistance; and the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases.
Excellent core research facilities at the School (such as high throughput screening of small molecules and biological agents) are valuable assets to our work.
Our faculty partner with colleagues at leading universities and institutes across the nation and around the world, including the University of Nebraska, Florida International University and Tulane University, on various research projects.
Education
We maintain intensive commitment to education – working with School’s primary hub of educators, the Department of Biomedical Education and Data Science, to provide contemporary, interdisciplinary education to graduate (MS, PhD) and medical (MD/PhD) students.
The MS-with-thesis and PhD programs are scholarly endeavors requiring original research in high-impact fields. These programs, integrating theory with application, equip students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies that employers in academia, government, and industry demand.
At the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, students learn to become highly capable, independent scientific investigators who seek the input of colleagues to enhance their scientific aims. We challenge students to think logically, creatively, and collaboratively.
Students benefit from a high faculty-to-student ratio. They receive outstanding mentoring from their advisors and faculty—all premier educators and researchers with national and international reputations. Students also have ample opportunity to explore options for independent study and research.
Funding through the National Institutes of Health T32 training grant directed by Tricia Burdo, PhD, and other sources are available for training predoctoral fellows.
Learners and professionals alike benefit from the School’s robust portfolio of seminars, clinical conferences, journal clubs, patient management conferences, and lecture series that promote scholarship, intra- and extra-mural scientific collaborations, and the exchange of scientific ideas.