History of the Immunology Graduate Program

The Ph.D. Program in Immunology at Harvard Medical School developed in 1974 when the Medical School decided to restructure its educational program in immunology. Immunology had acquired great strength in the various teaching hospitals and institutions affiliated with the Medical School, and there was a great need to create a structure that would integrate and coordinate the educational efforts. The Committee on Immunology was created with Dr. Albert Coons as its first chairman. In 1974, the Committee on Immunology was authorized by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Harvard University to grant a Ph.D. degree in Immunology. The Committee then applied to the National Cancer Institute for a Training Grant which continues to support Immunology students. The strength of our Program is based on a multidisciplinary approach where students are exposed to practically all the major areas in the expanding field of immunobiology. With the financial support of the National Institutes of Health, our Immunology Program has successfully developed with the creation of new courses and the organization of faculty efforts. The Immunology Program at Harvard Medical School became the model of an integrated educational program in a growing discipline that now spans several of the classical fields of medical biology (microbiology, genetics, pathology, clinical medicine, biochemistry, etc.). It is noteworthy that students are combining a strong training in immunobiology with an exposure to the basic aspects of biology. The Graduate Program in Immunology now has a total of 60 students. Approximately 10 new students enter the program per year. Click here for information on Division of Medical Sciences Admissions and Financial Support.

Over the past two decades, over 100 students have graduated from our program. They have benefited from our rigorous academic program and Boston and The Longwood Medical Area. Over 75% of our alumni are continuing research in an academic institution, most of the others are in industrial research positions.