Research Field Guide
How to Get an Immunology Research Position
To get a Immunology research position, find professors who are actively publishing in Immunology, read what they actually work on, and email one of them a short, specific note. Most of the work happens in person, so being on campus and reliable in the lab matters.
Below are 12 professors publishing in Immunology right now, what each is working on, and how to reach out. Every name and topic is pulled from real, recent publication data, not a generic list.
Immunology professors who are actively publishing
| Professor | Institution | Recent research focus |
|---|---|---|
| Elaine R. Mardis | Nationwide Children's Hospital | Immunotherapy and Immune Responses |
| Michael Karin | Discovery Institute | Immune Response and Inflammation |
| Richard A. Flavell | Howard Hughes Medical Institute | Immune Cell Function and Interaction |
| Gordon K. Smyth | The University of Melbourne | T-cell and B-cell Immunology |
| Jedd D. Wolchok | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | Immunotherapy and Immune Responses |
| Irving L. Weissman | California Institute for Regenerative Medicine | Immune Cell Function and Interaction |
| Giuseppe Remuzzi | Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research | Complement system in diseases |
| Shizuo Akira | Osaka International University | Immune Response and Inflammation |
| Tom Maniatis | Allen Institute for Brain Science | interferon and immune responses |
| Alberto Mantovani | Humanitas University | Immune cells in cancer |
| Steven A. Rosenberg | National Institutes of Health | Immunotherapy and Immune Responses |
| Craig B. Thompson | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | T-cell and B-cell Immunology |
Sourced from OpenAlex publication records. Click a name to see their full profile and recent papers.
What Immunology research involves
Immunology studies how the body defends itself and what happens when that system misfires. Active areas include immunotherapy and how immune responses can be harnessed against cancer, the biology of inflammation, T-cell and B-cell function, and the roles of interferons and the complement system in disease. The work is largely hands-on. It runs on flow cytometry, cell culture, animal models, and assays that require being in the lab. There is growing computational analysis of immune data, but most labs are built around experiments. Expect to learn techniques at the bench, and to commit real, regular time, since immune experiments often run across several days.
How to email a Immunology professor
Immunology is bench-heavy, so signal that you want hands-on time and can be trusted with it. Offer to be in the lab, to learn core techniques like flow cytometry, ELISA, or cell culture, and emphasize that you are meticulous, since immune assays are easy to ruin with sloppy technique. Mention any wet-lab experience. Reference one recent paper, ideally on a topic they actually work on like T-cell biology or immunotherapy, and ask a focused question about a result. Offering to start with routine tasks and to commit consistent hours makes it much easier for a busy professor to say yes to an undergraduate.
Immunology overlaps with nearby fields. If you are casting a wider net, look at research positions in Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology, Genetics, and Public Health.