MSc in Integrated Immunology

The MSc Integrated Immunology was established in 2004, and has admitted over 250 students in this time. The vast majority of our alumni have remained in science or medicine. Approximately 40% of those who have graduated from the course have gone on to enrol for PhDs (around half have stayed in Oxford for their studies) with many now working as post-doctoral researchers and fellows. A further 10% have entered medical school, with others who were already qualified clinicians before enrolling on the MSc returning to higher specialist training.

Thoughts from our alumni

KUAN-HSIANG GARY HUANG - DIRECTOR AND CLINICAL LEAD IN IMMUNOLOGY CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT AT JOHNSON & JOHNSON (CLASS OF 2005/06)

'Professionally, I currently work in clinical pharmaceutical R&D at Johnson & Johnson on inflammatory bowel disease Ph2/3 clinical trials. I enjoy the career and challenges and most grateful to the foundation laid by the MSc and DPhil in my career journey through clinical specialty training (internal medicine residency at Einstein Philadelphia and Jefferson University, and allergy/immunology fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia), patient care (attending faculty at Einstein Philadelphia and Jefferson University), and a career in drug development (Bristol-Myers Squibb and Johnson and Johnson).'

ADAM DMYTRIW - NEUROENDOVASCULAR PROGRAM, MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL (CLASS OF 2009/10)

Adam Dmytriw (class of 2009/2010) proceeded to Dalhousie Medical School and subsequently the University of Toronto Department of Medical Imaging. He obtained additional research training at the Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital and the Brain Aneurysm Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. With special interests in neuroimmunology and multicenter trials in cerebrovascular disease, he continued his work in neurointervention at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as clinical epidemiology at Harvard University.

He credits the Integrated Immunology programme with providing an invaluable foundation for his development, both with regards to understanding disease pathophysiology and in managing research projects.

CAITLIN MULLARKEY - ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND ASSOCIATE CHAIR, BIOCHEMISTRY UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION, MCMASTER UNIVERSITY (CLASS OF 2009/10)

'I have the MSc in Integrated Immunology to thank for kick-starting my career in virology immunology. Prior to Oxford, I had a very broad liberal arts biology and chemistry education, and I specifically selected the program to gain cutting-edge immunological training. While in the program I had the opportunity to learn from world leading experts and hone my skills in a wide breadth of fundamental and clinical topics. My lab placement at the Jenner Institute led me to pursue a DPhil in Clinical Medicine under the supervision of Dr. Sarah Gilbert and Teresa Lambe. During my time as a graduate student, I evaluated a novel immunization strategy using a candidate influenza vaccine that eventually reached Phase IIB testing. I went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Peter Palese, a world-renowned influenza virologist, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.  As a postdoctoral fellow I continued to advance my training in virology, infection and immunity. During my time in the Palese laboratory, I was involved in several projects with the central theme of understanding the mechanisms by which broadly-neutralizing hemagglutinin stalk-reactive antibodies mediate protection. The scope of this work allowed me to combine my knowledge in immunology, microbiology, and host-pathogen interactions to execute studies that ultimately inform clinical vaccine development. I am currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University, where I am also the Associate Chair of Undergraduate Education. In addition to research, I teach virology, cell biology, biochemistry, and immunology to undergraduates at all levels.'

PHILEMON GYASI-ANTWI - BBSRC RESEARCH FELLOW, TRANSLATIONAL MEDICAL SCIENCES UNIT, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM (CLASS OF 2012/13)

'I went on to complete a Ph.D. in Immunology at the University of Nottingham, where I am now a BBSRC Research Fellow working on a cross-disciplinary project to investigate the interplay between lung epithelial cells and macrophages during SARS-CoV-2 infection. 

The MSc Integrated Immunology provided me a solid background in the fundamental science of immunology and helped me develop a research interest in host-pathogen interactions. It was one of my best times—having had the opportunity to interact with 14 other colleagues from different backgrounds and being taught by experts in the field.'

JACLYN LYMAN - DIRECTOR OF PANCREATIC PROGRAMS AND CLINICAL SCIENCE, PARKER INSTITUTE FOR CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY (CLASS OF 2014/15)

'While working at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, I became fascinated by immuno-oncology.  This led me to pursue the MSc course with the intention of gaining a deeper understanding of immunological principles and their clinical applications in order to bring this knowledge to my career in clinical research.  After completing the course as part of the 2014/2015 cohort, including an autophagy-based research project in Professor Katja Simon's lab, I joined the the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI), launched in mid-2016.  Without question, the deep scientific knowledge gained on the course has directly impacted my continued career growth and ability to perform many roles at PICI, most specifically helping design and analyze immuno-oncology clinical trials.'

ATHENA CAVOUNIDIS - DPHIL STUDENT IN NUFFIELD DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL MEDICINE (CLASS OF 2015/16)

'During my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry, an Immunology course ignited my curiosity for the intricacies of the immune system, leading me to pursue the MSc in Integrated Immunology. As part of the 2015/2016 MSc cohort, I conducted my research project in Holm Uhlig’s lab and stayed on as a research assistant to complete the project. I was awarded an NDM Prize Studentship and an MRC-DTP scholarship to pursue my DPhil (2017-2021) on monogenic diseases and immune dysregulation in inflammatory bowel disease in the Uhlig lab. I feel that the MSc paved the way for my being accepted into the DPhil program, since it provided me with a strong foundation in immunology and gave me the chance to carry out cutting edge research. I am currently a Clinical Science Lead at GSK, having completed their 2-year fast-track talent development Future Leaders in R&D program.'

Hear from our recent graduates

Waywen Loh (Class of 2023/24)

'Many thanks for my supervisors Professor Persephone Borrow and Dr Maria Aggelakopoulou at the Centre of Immuno-Oncology on their guidance in finishing my MSc thesis, entitled Profiling the innate immune analyte release elicited from human leukocytes by different lipid nanoparticle formulations in mRNA vaccines. It was a very fruitful and productive period of time within the team, to which I have learnt many essential immunology-related wet lab skills and data analysis, and have met many like-minded colleagues along the way. Overall, this journey at Oxford has been an incredible blend of cutting-edge science, innovation, and academic rigor. I am deeply grateful to the esteemed faculty, my brilliant peers, and everyone who has supported me along the way. Many thanks to Dr Anna Furmanski the course director for her dedication and effort in restructuring the course to better prepare us for the future of immunology. Excited for the next chapter as I continue to explore and contribute to the fascinating world of immunology!'

Jennifer Van Heerden (Class of 2023/24)

'I was honoured to be awarded the prize for the best overall performance in the MSc in Integrated Immunology at the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences. This last year has been truly transformative, and I have loved expanding my knowledge and skills within the fascinating field of immunology. Thank you, Anna Furmanski, for facilitating this course and for your constant support over the last year. My MSc dissertation focused on eosinophils and MMPs in T2-high asthma and I am immensely grateful to Jian Luo for his supervision and guidance, as well as the Respiratory Medicine Unit for hosting me. This year would not have been possible without the support of The Clarendon Fund at University of Oxford and the Skye Foundation - thank you for allowing me to pursue my dreams.'

Sacha Moore (Class of 2023/24)

‘A huge thank you to my supervisors, Prof. Kim Midwood and Dr Anja Schwenzar at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, for their invaluable guidance during my thesis, “Investigating sexual dimorphisms of the extracellular matrix expression in inflammatory disorders.” I’m especially grateful to Dr Anna Furmanski for her unwavering support throughout the year, and to my fellow classmates. This course has been a transformative journey of growth, learning, and discovery, and I’m excited for my future studies, as I continue contributing to the evolving world of immunology!’