Information for the student – Advanced Immunology

This course aims to provide a sufficient body of knowledge on immunology to access the professional opportunities offered in this field. Knowledge of this subject is necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of a large number of diseases that affect a high percentage of the human and animal populations, including infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses (AIDS) and parasites, as well as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory processes (rheumatoid arthritis), allergies, transplants and cancer, which require a broad therapeutic arsenal including gene therapy. In addition, from the point of view of public health prevention, vaccines have been the most effective therapeutic weapon in human history and their development is directly related to the knowledge of immunology. The aim of this postgraduate programme is to provide a grounding in the theoretical and practical aspects that underpin the training of professionals in human and animal health and professionals in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.

The knowledge centred around the master's degree in Advanced Immunology is a platform to a wide range of possibilities in different fields of study: activities related to knowledge of the immune system, its cellular and molecular components, functional processes, and cellular and molecular interactions within anatomical structures and general physiology.

The four areas in which this knowledge is developed are:

-Research and Teaching
-Biotechnology
-Medicine
-Veterinary Science

The master's degree also aims to set a benchmark for quality, bringing together leading academics from across the Barcelona metropolitan area and generating synergies among centres of immunology education in the foremost universities, hospitals and research institutes (IDIBAPS, IDIBELL, CRESA, IRB, CRG, etc.). This is supported by key professional associations such as the Catalan Society for Immunology.

GENERIC COMPETENCES

• Capacity to produce thorough analyses of scientific articles.


• Capacity to write and defend scientific and technical reports.


• Capacity to demonstrate motivation for scientific research.


• Capacity to work ethically and with respect for the environment.


• Capacity to work independently and as part of a team.


• Capacity to work safely in a laboratory environment.

GENERAL COMPETENCES:

• Capacity to communicate knowledge of immunology and the conclusions drawn from its application to specialist and non-specialist audiences.


• Ability to expand and improve the knowledge of immunology associated with the degree, and ability to develop and apply this knowledge in a research context in an original way.


• Ability to work as part of a group, to collaborate with other researchers and to demonstrate a capacity for independent learning.


• Capacity to demonstrate the ability to teach and disseminate knowledge in the field of immunology.


• Capacity to resolve immunological problems  in new environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts.


• Ability to remain up to date with the development of knowledge in immunology in the international scientific community.


• Ability to integrate the knowledge acquired in immunology and to formulate judgements giving due consideration to the social and ethical responsibilities implicitly linked to this knowledge.

SPECIFIC COMPETENCES

• Ability to master the complexity of knowledge pertaining to the structure and function of the molecules, cells and tissues responsible for the immune response and their integration with other physiological systems.


• Ability to apply the most advanced experimental and bioinformatic techniques and tools used in immunology.


• Ability to integrate basic research into clinical applications.


• Ability to interact with other specialist medical, veterinary and pharmaceutical professionals in the field of immunology.


• Capacity to devise the development of analytical reagents for improvement and innovation in the field of immunology.


• Ability to conceive and design experiments that provide answers to relevant questions, to carry them out using the appropriate instruments and techniques, to analyse the results and to propose new experiments if necessary.

SPECIFIC COMPETENCES FOR SPECIALIZATION

• Ability to identify forms of manipulating the immune response in humans and in animal models for applications aimed at designing or improving therapeutic targets. Specialization: Immunobiotechnology and Research


• Ability to identify or apply potential new drugs or new therapeutic targets in the field of immunology. Specialization: Immunobiotechnology and Research


• Ability to identify pathological alterations of the immune system and to associate them with the regulation and function of immune mechanisms. Specialization: Medical Immunology


• Ability to understand the involvement of the immune system in infectious processes, cancer, transplantation and allergic processes, and to be able to identify or manipulate tools from the immune system to address these pathological processes. Specialization: Medical Immunology


• Ability to diagnose and prevent diseases associated with the immune system in domestic and livestock animals. Specialization: Veterinary Immunology


• Ability to interpret analytical results and to use them to diagnose alterations of the immune system. Specializations: Medical Immunology and Veterinary Immunology


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