This course will cover contemporary topics relevant to the detection and treatment of solid tumors and hematopoietic cancers. These include, but are not limited to, clinical trials, metabolism and cancer, cancer stem cells, cancer biomarkers, systems and networks in cancer. Students will attend organ-based tumor boards, which expose the students to the team-based approach for individualizing treatments that is practiced in the UVA Cancer Center. Prerequisite: MICR 8040 and MICR 8044.

The module will cover in depth selected contemporary topics in molecular and cellular immunology. Sessions are discussion-based and facilitated by faculty. Students will learn how to critically evaluate primary literature and to clearly present scientific information. Prerequisite: MICR 8200: Building Blocks of the Immune System and MICR 8202: Integration and Diversification of the Immune System or instructor permission.

The class provides a comprehensive study of pathogenic microbes and their unique and conserved mechanisms of virulence.Prerequisite: Core Course and Molecular Principles of Bacteriology and Virology

This course will discuss the grant process including applications for federal and foundation grants, proposal writing and submissions, and grant reviews. A research proposal (based loosely on guidelines for NIH postdoctoral fellowship grant application) on a selected topic in Microbial Pathogenesis will be developed by each student (or student teams).Prerequisite: MICR 8400 and MICR 8401. Please contact course director Isabelle Derre (id8m@virginia.edu) to discuss potential exemptions.

This module will cover in depth selected advanced contemporary topics in virology. This year's focus will be the current topics on virus-host cell interactions. Sessions will be based on published primary literature and will be discussions facilitated by the faculty. Students will learn how to critically evaluate the primary literature and to clearly present scientific information. Prerequisite: MICR 8400 and instructor permission.

For doctoral dissertation, taken under the supervision of a dissertation director.