Infectious pathogens still remain a major cause of human diseases, whereas defective or excessive immunity causes an array of many other disorders, including cancer, autoimmune disease, and allergic disease. The Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Toledo is dedicated to the fight against these common disorders. Microbiology explores the relationships between microbial pathogens and their human hosts, and immunology studies the nature of host defense systems against environmental insults. The Department contributes to the research mission of the University by advancing basic and translational research with the ultimate goal of developing innovative vaccines and therapeutics for infectious diseases, cancer, and inflammatory disorders caused by immune dysregulation. Cutting-edge technologies in biomedical science are provided through the Flow Cytometry Core, Proteomics Core, and BSL-3 Lab housed in the Department. The Department also contributes to the teaching mission of the University by educating medical and graduate students in basic principles of immunology, bacteriology, virology, and host-pathogen interation. Moreover, the Department contributes to the service mission of the University by providing advanced expertise in microbiology and immunology and by promoting regional, state, national and international research programs concerning infectious diseases, inflammatory disorders, and graft rejection.
