This application proposes to develop a new Immunotoxicology Training Program based in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the West Virginia University Health Sciences Center. This new training program will offer students at West Virginia University opportunities for excellent training in immunotoxicology, which are based on a set of unique opportunities available at this institution. Most importantly, this training program will be led by three acknowledged leaders in the field of immunotoxicology. Dr. John B. Barnett is Chairperson of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at West Virginia University and has been a national leader in understanding immunotoxic effects of organochlorine exposure. Dr. Albert Munson is Director of the Health Effects Laboratory Division of the National Institutes of Occupation Safety and Health (NIOSH), which is physically associated with the West Virginia University Health Sciences Center. Dr. Munson continues to provide expert guidance as one of the founding fathers of the field of immunotoxicology. Dr. Michael Luster is the Branch Chief of Immunotoxicology and Molecular Biology Branch of the Health Effects Laboratory of NIOSH. The combined resources of the West Virginia University Health Sciences Center and NIOSH provide a synergistic environment for training students and fellows in the context of both a state land-grant academic institution and a federally funded research institute focused on toxicology. Secondly, this Immunotoxicology Training Program will offer a new approach to investigation of toxic insult to the immune system. The design of the program is to first provide students with a thorough grounding in immunobiology that includes both basic and advanced course work, as well as specialized courses that are focused on fundamental principals of immunology. Subsequent training in toxicology will allow students to integrate these areas of study against a strong conceptual understanding of both fields. The investigators believe that this unique training paradigm will result in graduates from the program who will address the study of immunotoxicology with a stronger understanding of both the molecular and cellular basis of the immune response and the concepts of toxicology.
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