The Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics (MIMG) is the nucleus for research and education in immunological and microbiological topics for the five schools at the UT Health San Antonio, and provides a dynamic environment for scientific discovery and training.

Our mission is to further research in molecular immunology, microbial pathogenesis, tumor immunology, autoimmunity, immunodeficiencies and development of the immune system, in order to build the knowledge necessary for vaccines and therapies of the future.  We use molecular genetics and epigenetics approaches in conjunction with next-generation sequencing tools to dissect mechanisms for generations of antibodies and lymphocytes that protect against viruses, bacteria, fungi, as well as tumor cells.  We also strive to understand molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis, with particular emphasis on B lymphocyte neoplastic transformation in the context of the developing immune system. To this end, basic and translational research are of equal importance, to foster discovery of biological truths and translate those discoveries into new therapeutics.

We are committed to developing the next generation of scientists in biomedical research with an emphasis on molecular immunology, and to this end, we offer a spectrum of training opportunities. We house an Undergraduate Research Program, in addition to a Master of Science Program in Immunology and Infection. Our faculty also teach and mentor PhD students through the Molecular Immunology & Microbiology Discipline of the Integrated Biomedical Science Program in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, in addition to providing the teaching in immunology and infection to our medical students. Finally, in addition to undergraduate and graduate trainees, Postdoctoral Fellows are important in our overall research effort. Postdoctoral fellowships are available in most laboratories of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics.

About our Department

Learning and Training Opportunities

The Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics supports a variety of learning and training opportunities in seminars, lectures and events, including

Contact the Program Coordinators at: immunity@uthscsa.edu

NIH T32 Graduate Research in Immunology Program (GRIP)

MIMG hosts the Graduate Research in Immunology Program (GRIP) supported by a training grant from the National Institutes of Health. This highly competitive five-year grant began September 1, 2018 and provides support for 3 PhD students each year with an additional student supported by the Long School of Medicine.

 

Timeline for the Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund

November 8, 2019      Pre-Proposals due to the Office of the VPR for review
December 6, 2019      Pre-Proposals due to the Voelcker Fund
                                 (all proposals will be submitted by the Office of the VPR)
January 15, 2020        Finalists invited to submit full proposals
February 21, 2020      Proposals due
                                 (all proposals will be submitted by the Office of the VPR)
June 1, 2020              Funding Decisions Announced
June 30, 2020            Awards Funded

New Grant Awards

  • Dr. Paolo Casali was recently awarded a Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) grant “Intrinsic B cell epigenetic mediators as therapeutic targets in lupus”
  • Dr. Alexei Tumanov was recently awarded an R01 multi-PI grant with Dr. Armen Akopian “LIGHT and Lymphotoxin targeting for the treatment of chronic orofacial pain conditions”
  • Dr. Ann Griffith was recently awarded an NIH Diversity Supplement for Graduate Student, Allison Hester “Redox regulation of thymus function and age-associated dysfunction”
  • Dr. Brian Wickes was recently awarded NIH R21 grant “Insertional Mutagenesis of Candida auris using Agrobacterium tumefaciens”
  • Dr. Peter Dube was recently awarded a William and Ella Owens Medical Research Foundation grant “Novel Melanoma Vaccines and Adjuvants”
  • Dr. Alexei Tumanov was recently awarded a William and Ella Owens Medical Research Foundation grant “Novel approach to prevent liver toxicity in immune checkpoint cancer therapy”
  • Dr. David Kadosh was recently awarded NIH R21 grant “Regulation of Protein Synthesis During the C. albicans-Macrophage Interaction”
  • Dr. Paolo Casali was recently awarded a 5-year NIH R01 grant “Intrinsic B cell epigenetic regulation of antibody and autoantibody responses by Sirt1” from NIAID for $2,384,804 total award costs

Upcoming Deadlines

  • NIH R01 (New applications) – October 5, 2019
  • NIH R21 (New applications) – October 16, 2019
  • The William & Ella Owens Medical Research Foundation – November 1, 2019
  • NIH R01 (Renewal, Resubmission, Revision applications) – November 5, 2019
  • NIH R21 (Renewal, Resubmission, Revision applications) – November 16, 2019

Funding Opportunities

Xiangya Medical Student Research Program

The Xiangya Medical Student Research Program is an opportunity for faculty to recruit and mentor medical students from the Xiangya School of Medicine (Changsha, China).

Students from the Xiangya Medical School are given the opportunity to spend two years away from their home institute of Xiangya to gain hands on research experience in a lab at the UT Health San Antonio.

MIMG Faculty member, Dr. Guangming Zhong, founded the program in which we now have nearly 30 students from Xiangya working in UT Health San Antonio labs, many of which work in MIMG labs.

Not only is this a wonderful experience for the medical students, but also for our faculty, staff and students who are able to learn about a new culture and expand their collaborative network.