immunologists

Immunologists are scientists and clinicians who study the immune system, its recognition of foreign invaders, and its role in health and disease. They work across academia, hospitals, industry, and government labs, investigating innate and adaptive immunity, immune regulation, and host defense, as well as how immune responses contribute to inflammation, allergy, autoimmunity, and transplantation.

In research, immunologists design experiments to understand immune cell function, signaling pathways, and genetic influences on immunity. They use techniques such as flow cytometry, ELISA, sequencing, animal and cell culture models, and computational analyses. They may study vaccine-induced immunity, immune memory, and how pathogens evade immunity. In clinical settings, clinical immunologists diagnose and manage immune disorders, allergies, and autoimmune diseases, and may run diagnostic laboratories or collaborate with physicians in transplantation and oncology.

Training and career paths: Most immunologists hold doctoral degrees (PhD) in immunology or related fields; clinical immunologists may be physicians with specialties in allergy and immunology. Training often includes graduate study, postdoctoral research, and clinical fellowships. Career settings include universities and research institutes, hospitals, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and public health agencies.

Subfields and focus areas: autoimmunity, allergy and immunotherapy, cancer immunotherapy, transplant immunology, vaccine science, mucosal immunology, immunogenetics, and systems immunology. They contribute to developing vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and checkpoint therapies; assess immune dysfunction in patients; and inform policy on immunization programs.