Course description
This one-week course provides a deep dive into the emerging field of tissue immunology, focusing on how the immune system adapts and functions across different human tissues. Students will explore key differences between the immune system in blood and tissues, covering both fetal and adult organs. Special emphasis will be placed on tissue-resident immune cells, their roles in homeostasis and disease, and the challenges in studying tissue-specific immunity.
Course topics include the development of the fetal immune system, immune responses in tissues such as the airways, skin, intestines, and lymphatics, as well as at the fetal-maternal interface. Students will also examine the role of specialized immune cell populations, such as MAIT cells and ILCs, and how tissue models help us understand immune mechanisms in health and disease. Pathologies with strong tissue-immune interactions, such respiratory diseases, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, and brain tumors, will be discussed in a clinical context.
Learning will take place through expert lectures, interactive discussions, student presentations, and group projects. Each day, lecturers will present cutting-edge research on tissue-specific immune mechanisms, complemented by student-led Q&A sessions and collaborative learning activities. Students will also work in teams on a specific topic in tissue immunology, culminating in a final oral presentation.
By the end of the course, participants will be equipped with a strong foundation in tissue immunology, the ability to critically evaluate research in the field, and a broader perspective on how tissue-specific immune responses shape health and disease.
Prerequisites and Selection
Prerequisite courses, or equivalent
Basic knowledge in immunology corresponding to the KI doctoral education course Basic Immunology (3 hp) is required.
Selection
Selection will be based on:
1) the relevance of the course syllabus for the applicant’s individual study plan/research (according to written motivation).
2) start date of doctoral studies (priority given to earlier start date).
Course director
Course director:
Nicole Marquardt, PhD
Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine (HERM)
Department of Medicine Huddinge
Nicole.Marquardt@ki.se
Additional course leader:
Magdalini Lourda, PhD
Division of Clinical Microbiology
Department of Laboratory Medicine (LabMed)
Magdalini.Lourda@ki.se
Course syllabus
H7F3072
Department
Department of Medicine, Huddinge
Doctoral programme
Allergy, immunology and inflammation (Aii)
Type of course
**Other course
Keywords
Tissue, Immunology