Program Overview

Program Overview

The Fundamentals of Immunology: Dueling with Pathogens and Cancer course is a fully online and self-paced program offered by Rice University. This course explores the ongoing battle between the immune system and health threats, including pathogens and cancer.

Course Description

In this course, students will delve into the effects of mutations that compromise the immune system and discover how we combat these threats with vaccines and immune treatments for cancer. The course offers fascinating lessons to deepen understanding and enhance skills in immunology.

Course Format

• 100% Online, Self-Paced
• Course Duration: Approximately 3 weeks
• Time Commitment: Approximately 5 hours/week
• Credentials Offered: Non-Credit Course Certificate
• Platform: Coursera

Target Audience

• Premed and medical students seeking foundational knowledge in immunology
• Individuals with an immune disease or cancer seeking deeper insights into their condition
• Anyone curious about the immune system and the function of vaccines

Learning Outcomes

• Analyze the strategies pathogens and cancers have evolved to thwart immune defenses
• Evaluate therapeutic countermeasures, including vaccines and CAR T cells, and understand their importance to public health
• Investigate how mutations in the protein genes of the signaling systems compromise the immune response

Course Content

The first two lectures dive into viral and cellular pathogens, revealing their tactics to evade immune attacks. Students will then shift to a more optimistic view, learning about cutting-edge immune-based therapies, including engineered antibodies for disease treatment, and developing vaccines such as viral-engineered, killed, and RNA-component vaccines.

Instructor

• Alma Moon Novotny, Ph.D., has taught college courses in plant and animal sciences, genetics, and introductory cell and developmental biology for over forty years. She has also written test question banks and contributed questions to both the MCAT and the GRE Advanced Exam in Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology. Since joining Rice University in 2000, she has taught immunology and is a three-time recipient of the George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching.

Related Courses

• Fundamentals of Immunology Specialization
• Course 1: Fundamentals of Immunology: Innate Immunity and B-cell Function
• Course 2: Fundamentals of Immunology: Complement, MHC I and II, T Cells, and Cytokines
• Course 3: Fundamentals of Immunology: Inflammation, Tolerance, Autoimmunity

Degree Programs

Rice University also offers various online degree programs, including:

• Master of Computer Science Online Program
• Master of Data Science Online Program
• Master of Engineering Management and Leadership Online Program
• Master of Business Administration Online Program