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Summary

Course details

Course type:

Short Course

Mode of study:

Duration:

6 Weeks

Home fee:

£2,685

Overseas fee:

£2,685

3 good reasons to study

Immune responses to pathogens are not only important for protection from disease but also play a major role in pathology and chronicity of infection.

This course addresses the most efficient tool to reduce mortality and morbidity due to infection – vaccination.

Pathogens evolved alongside human hosts and have developed immune evasion strategies to ensure their survival. This course covers some of the evasion strategies which might be exploited in the treatment of other diseases, such as autoimmune conditions.

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN

Course Overview

This module aims to provide students with knowledge and critical understanding of tropical diseases and the immune response of humans and other mammalian hosts and to examine ways in which protection against infection or disease might be achieved by vaccination or anti-pathology interventions.

In this module you will learn how the host responds to microbes, parasites or snakebite encountered in tropical regions. The module covers a diverse range of topics including a introduction to basic immunology immune responses to various pathogen groups or snake bite, immune pathology, and modern approaches to the development and application of interventions. The module is taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and practical classes. You will have the opportunity to examine up-to-date research literature and apply your knowledge in theoretical and practical sessions. You will be expected to supplement your learning through directed reading.

The module covers the following topics:
1. General immunology
2. Immunology and immunopathology of a range of microbes
3. Immunology and immunopathology of parasitic infections
4. Immunology and immunopathology of NTD’s including snake bite
5. Immunology of therapy (e.g. biologicals, vaccination)

20 Academic Credits at Masters Level

For an additional fee of £95, you can be entered for full Academic Credits for this course.

Assessment by a two hour essay examination (50%) and a 3000 word laboratory report (50%).

Please note that assessments may change at the discretion of the Directors of Study. All students will be made aware of new assessment details. The academic credits are offered to provide choice and flexibility to all our students, and students who do not wish to be entered for academic credits will be awarded a Certificate of Attendance.

Entrance Requirements

English language requirements:

Attending course with Academic Credit:
The course is taught in English. Students whose first language is not English must provide evidence of their language skills. A full list is available on our website https://www.lstmed.ac.uk/english-language-requirements and https://www.lstmed.ac.uk/lstm-english-language-waiver-programme

Attending course – Certificate of Attendance Only:
The course is taught in English and in a postgraduate setting. Students whose first language is not English should be aware that to benefit from the course participants should have English language proficiency at the equivalent of an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of at least 6.5.

Aims

This course aims to:

Explain the nature of humoral and cell-mediated immune responses in infections.

Explain why inappropriate immune responses can have undesirable immune-pathological consequences.

Discuss immune evasion strategies that pathogens employ and explain their significance for chronic infection.

Apply a range of immunological techniques and critically interpret the outcomes.

Use current research to explain how sero-therapy and vaccination against tropical diseases might be achieved.

Careers

People with skills from this course typically work in academic clinical research, the pharmaceutical industry (vaccine development, immunotherapy), and diagnostic labs.

Testimonials

The lectures were very varied and interesting.

The practical aspects of the course were really useful.

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Apply

Start date	End date	Home fee	Overseas fee
7 April 2025	9 May 2025	£2,560	£2,560	Apply
13 April 2026	22 May 2026	£2,685	£2,685	Apply

Start date:
7 April 2025

End date:
9 May 2025

Home fee:
£2,560

Overseas fee:
£2,560

Apply
Start date:
13 April 2026

End date:
22 May 2026

Home fee:
£2,685

Overseas fee:
£2,685

Apply

Immunology of Infectious Diseases