For the 2020-2021 Academic Year this course is being taught remotely. This means there will be no face-to-face teaching and you will not need to be present in person in Cambridge. The course content will be delivered, and the learning outcomes met, through the use of video-based teaching platforms and a dedicated course Virtual Learning Environment. ”
To transition to remote delivery of the course our academic staff are updating the course structure and timetable. This will allow the course to be academically engaging and of the quality expected from the Institute. A course guide will be available containing this detailed information no later than the end of July. Details of the Unit start dates and assignment submission deadlines are under the Teaching & Assessment tab. For an overview of the course scroll down this page.
Who is this course for?
No previous experience in the subject is necessary and the course is open to anyone with an interest in the subject area
What will I be studying?
The programme is arranged into three complementary units.
Unit 1- The Innate and Adaptive Immune System
This unit will provide an overview of the history of, and the key cells and molecules in, the innate and adaptive immune systems. The process of inflammation, pattern recognition, complement activation, B cell and T cell activation, antibody production, tolerance, hypersensitivity and autoimmunity will be introduced. You will discuss how changes in scientific knowledge have led to changes in the perception of the functional connections between the innate and adaptive immune systems.
Unit 2 – The Immune System in Health and Disease
The second unit of this Certificate puts the immune system into a functional perspective and considers how it contributes to both the maintenance of health and the development of disease. Case studies will enable the exploration of issues such as allergic responses and anaphylaxis, sepsis, the mechanisms behind vaccination and protective immunity, immunopathology, and the contribution of the immune response to chronic conditions such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s Disease.
Unit 3 – Cancer Immunology
The final unit delves into one of the most recently developing areas of immunology to explore the relationship between cancer cells and the immune system. Consideration is given to whether or not cancer cells should activate the immune response and how they modulate the immune system. The development and use of immunomodulatory anticancer therapies and vaccinations will be discussed.
What can I go on to do?
The Institute offers two 60 credit complementary one year Certificate courses in the field of Infectious Diseases and Immunology which are taught and awarded at first year undergraduate level (FHEQ 4). In 2020-21 the Certificate in Infectious Diseases and the Certificate in Immunology are both being offered for teaching.
Students who have successfully completed the Undergraduate Certificate in Infectious Diseases worth 60 credits at FHEQ level 4 and the Undergraduate Certificate in Immunology worth 60 credits at FHEQ level 4 can apply to be awarded the Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education in Infection and Immunity worth 120 credits at FHEQ level 4.
