Our Department
The Department of Immunology serves as the focal point for immunological research and education at Duke in Durham, North Carolina. The organization of immunological research and education in a department rather than a program provides a tremendous advantage in that immunology has a physical home that facilitates interactions and builds cohesiveness among faculty, students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff.
Our Leadership
Our Mission
The Department of Immunology strives to fulfill several fundamental missions within the Duke University School of Medicine. First and foremost, the Department seeks to further knowledge and understanding of immunological principles and mechanisms by conducting outstanding and cutting-edge research in basic immunology.
Second, the Department seeks to contribute to future progress in immunology by providing an outstanding educational and training environment that will equip students and postdoctoral fellows to be tomorrow’s leaders.
Third, the Department strives to provide a central hub for immunological research across a range of basic and clinical departments at Duke, creating a collaborative intellectual and working environment that helps to connect basic and translational researchers and thereby facilitate the development of therapies that will impact human health. In this regard, we recognize immunology to occupy a unique position in contemporary medicine since beneficial or pathological immune responses play critical roles in so many disease processes.
Our Goal
- To provide students the knowledge base, the analytic and research skills, and the communication skills to allow them to become effective researchers in the field of immunology.
- To enable students to develop as successful professionals for highly competitive positions in academic departments, government, and industry.
Our Team
The Department currently consists of fourteen primary faculty members and thirty four secondary faculty members drawn from a wide range of departments: Biomedical Engineering, Dermatology, Medicine, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Ophthalmology, Pathology, Pediatrics, and Surgery. The breadth of secondary appointments speaks to the interdisciplinary nature of the immunology community at Duke. Collaborative interactions between basic and clinical scientists enrich both the research and educational activities of the Department.
Our Location
The Department of Immunology is housed within the Edwin L. Jones Cancer Research Building on Research Drive. Many secondary faculty members are located in Jones or one of the adjacent research buildings. Our Jones Building location also places us in proximity to other basic science and clinical departments in the School of Medicine, and only a short walk from the main campus of Duke University.