The Immunology Institute will become the nexus for faculty, researchers, clinicians, and health policy experts that are united in their vision of harnessing the power of the immune system to improve human health in underserved areas of the US and world through immune-based therapies, including vaccines.

The overriding mission of the Immunology Institute is to advance basic and translational immunology and to develop the robust infrastructure required to support the spectrum of research from elucidating the fundamental mechanisms of the immune system to harnessing its power to modulate immunity in the setting of clinical trials and clinical practice. 

Goals

• Nucleate immunologic research across the campus and become the scientific home for immunology research, education and outreach – on the UAB campus and within our community and state.

• Train the next generation of educators, researchers and clinicians who will draw on our knowledge of the immune system to improve human health.

• Participate in a dialogue with members of our community about the immune system and how immune-modulating therapies can promote our health and well-being.

• Provide research infrastructure support that will advance our fundamental knowledge of the immune system and our understanding of how the immune system both protects and contributes to disease.

• Integrate immunologic methods and fundamental immunologic research into clinical disciplines and clinical trials to:

  • Strengthen our knowledge of the roles that the immune system plays in acute and chronic disease

  • Integrate existing immune-based therapies into clinical practice

  • Identify new immune-based biomarkers that can be used in diagnosis, treatment and assessment of disease

  • Discover new immune-based treatment modalities for acute and chronic disease

  • Reduce disparities by identifying mechanisms to promote healthy immunity in underserved individuals

Shared Values

Collaboration, integrity, respect and excellence are shared values of our institution and are the core of what it means to be a UAB community member. And a key foundation at UAB is diversity, equity, and inclusion. At UAB, everybody counts every day. UAB is committed to fostering a diverse, respectful, and inclusive campus environment that values all community members regardless of background and embraces individual differences. UAB values and cultivates equity, diversity, and inclusion in our research, learning, clinical and work environments. Our students, faculty, and staff add diversity to our community through life experiences, perspectives and viewpoints that are enriching for the learning and work environment and are reflective of the students and communities we serve. Because UAB serves a diverse population, ODEI, along with our Heersink School of Medicine Immunology Institute initiatives, aims to create an inclusive environment for all UAB faculty, staff, students, and patients through education, training, and awareness programs.