IN PERSON: In this course, we explore how scientists and clinicians are using the immune system to fight cancer, combat allergies and develop new types of vaccines. Students are exposed to basic immunological principles as well as to breakthroughs in our understanding of the immune system that are set to trigger a revolution in medicine in the 21st century. We discuss achievements in combating cancer by controlling tumors through the application of gene-editing technology and immune checkpoint inhibitors. We explore how vaccines work, how highly efficacious COVID-19 vaccines were developed using mRNA technology and how this technology is opening the door to fight other diseases. Finally, we review the latest anti-allergic immunotherapeutic strategies such as monoclonal antibodies and immunomodulators that are becoming important in the treatment of diseases such as allergies and cancer. Students will gain an understanding of the importance of recent advances in immunology to modern medicine. | Lecture + Q&A.
Max enrollment: 25.
Location: Judea Reform Congregation, 1933 W. Cornwallis Rd, Durham NC 27705
Hillel Koren is an internationally recognized leader in the field of environmental health. He served on the Duke faculty (1975-1984), where he conducted research in immunology. Later, he joined the Environmental Protection Agency, where he became the director of the Human Studies Division. He has made significant contributions to the understanding of immunological mechanisms and environmental factors involved in disease. He has published extensively in the area of immunology.