Immunology

Characteristics of the study programme

Immunology is a dynamically evolving discipline integrating the knowledge of molecular and cell biology, physiology, histology and functional morphology (in the context of evolution and ontogenesis) relevant to the immune system, self-defense unit composed of functionally interacting molecules, cells, and tissues involved in immune responses. Immunology outputs show a major impact in a multitude of biomedical fields today. Topics such as transplantation, allergy, immune deficiency, autoimmunity, immunosuppression, immunotherapy, or anti-tumor immunity are typical areas of interest to immunologists. Immunology covers all levels of biological knowledge from molecules (cytokines, immunoglobulins, receptors, signaling molecules), cells (a wide array of immunocompetent cells), whole organisms (having transgenic animal models in use and interaction with immune system is being investigated) and communities (evolution of immune mechanisms, e.g. frequencies of different alleles regulating the immune response within a population). Clinical immunology is an important emancipated immunology specialization, for which human immune system is the object of studies and understanding of the mechanism of its action leads to the development of potential therapeutic applications.

Admission procedure requirements specific to the study programme

The conditions and course of the admission procedure for the part-time form of study are the same as the conditions for the full-time form. 

We recommend to contact your potential supervisor in advance and consult the suitable form of preparation for the interview. Each study programme has its own specifics, so the supervisor can help you to prepare for the specialized entrance examination (the interview).

Topics of dissertation thesis

The SAB listed these topics as well as the topics below. The candidate chooses the preliminary topic individually and contacts a potential supervisor with whom they consult the chosen topic and agree on its more precise specification. In case of any ambiguity, we recommend contacting the chairman of the SAB. If necessary, she may recommend a consultation on the topic with another specialist according to the focus of the intended project.

If the candidate does not know which topic/supervisor to choose, he/she will contact the chairman of the SAB, with whom he/she will consult on a suitable topic and a potential supervisor.

This choice is preliminary, the admissions board may, after consultation with the candidate, nominate another supervisor.

Dissertation topics offered

Supervisors of the study programme

Each supervisor must be approved by the SAB. The criteria for admitting new supervisors are determined by the SAB. If the proposed supervisor has not yet been approved by the SAB, this must be done no later than the enrollment of the applicant in the study (provided that the applicant is accepted). You can find a list of supervisors approved by the SAB here. After clicking, the supervisor's workplace and contact information will be displayed.

Study requirements

http://www.natur.cuni.cz/en/biology/departments-and-work-places/department-of-cell-biology/study-of-cell-biology/phd-studies/immunology

Study obligations for full-time and part-time forms of study are the same. 

The programme's objective is to train students at an advanced level in immunology. The students should acquire broad knowledge of the research area, master their research topic, become competent in conducting and planning experiments, get trained in scientific writing, and obtain qualification which would make them competitive candidates for positions in research, teaching, and technologies internationally.

Learning goal 1

Students must take at least three courses and schedule them within the first 3 years. When preparing their proposal of the individual study plan (ISP) for approval by the SAB in the SIS, students should include all three courses in the ISP.

All students must take the obligatory “Grant application strategy and preparation of scientific publication” (MPGS0054) course. After the theoretical background is explained in several lectures, the student will prepare a grant application related to the PhD project in English, using the forms and guidelines of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic.

Students choose at least two study obligations from the list below. Students should actively seek the opinion of their mentors about the suitability of courses with respect to their project. The prerequisite for the inclusion of courses is that students have not passed them in previous or concurrent study programs.

Courses

Theoretical courses

• Protein dynamics in development and cancer
• Innate immunity
• Advances in Immunology 1
• Immunology
• Immunology – a practical course
• Clinical Cases in Immunology
• Immunology – a systems biology view
• Animal models in immunology
• Evolutionary and ecological immunology
• Molecular mechanisms of immune evolution
• Regulation mechanisms of immunity (*)
• Viruses and host immune systém (*)
• Molecular Biology of Cancer I (*)
• Molecular Biology of Cancer II
• Fluorescent microscopy in cell biology

• Advances in molecular biology and genetics (Institute of Molecular Genetics of the ASCR, v. v. i.) – according to the information for the current academic year

(*)  enquire about the availability of the course in English

Practical courses

• Processing and analysis of microscopic image in biomedicine (Institute of Molecular Genetics of the ASCR, v. v. i.) 

(according to the information for the current academic year)

• Microscopic methods in biomedicine (Institute of Molecular Genetics of the ASCR, v. v. i.) 

• Transmission electron microscopy in life sciences (Institute of Molecular Genetics of the ASCR, v. v. i.) 

• MB140C75E   Fluorescence spectroscopy in biology

Learning goal 2

Presentations of results

Students are required to attend the conference of doctoral students, which is summoned every year by the Board. Students are actively involved in the organization of the conference. At least once during their studies, students are obliged to present the results of their projects at the conference. Both members of the departmental board and supervisors are invited to the conference, where project results, methodological approaches, and issues of common interest are discussed.

Active participation in international conferences according to the focus and possibilities of the mentor’s team is also recommended.

The Dean's Provision no. 2/2024 states that all students should attend the faculty Scientific conference in the 4th year (and also again in the 6th and 8th year if the student extends the study period).

Requirements for the SDE

The state doctoral examination is an important control point of the study, in addition to the annual ISP checks. The examination serves to test the student’s understanding of the research project and his/ her orientation in the research field. The committee assesses the depth and breadth of knowledge of developmental and cell biology with emphasis on areas related to the project. The recommended timing of the examination is the second semester of the second year of study or the first semester of the third year so that the examination can serve as useful feedback for the student. Postponing the examination after the 3rd year without reason may affect the student’s grading during the subsequent annual evaluation.

Examination topics for the SDE

Publication activity requirements

The applicant must be an author/ co-author of at least two papers accepted in peer-reviewed journals indexed in the Web of Science (preferably with IF above the research field median) and should be a first author on at least one publication (shared first authorship should be communicated ex ante with the Board). In exceptional and warranted cases, the Board may decide otherwise; an example of such situation may be one excellent first author publication.

Defence requirements

The thesis should be written as concise, fair and comprehensive information about the applicant's scientific achievements. It should enable the reviewers and the defence committee to assess whether the candidate has acquired both theoretical knowledge and methodical experience as a prerequisite for independent scientific work in the field. The candidate should address the scientific problems and open questions of the project and formulate his/ her independent opinions.

The text contains:

a)  Abstract – It should summarize the project’s aims and results for the public; it should not exceed 500 words.

b) Introduction – It should be outlined as brief review of current knowledge related to the project. Recommended length is ca 20 pages of standard manuscript formatting.

c) Methods, Results – These sections should describe in detail the methods and the results of experiments carried out by the applicant, which have not become part of the published papers/ submitted manuscripts. The published papers/ submitted manuscripts should be included as supplements.

d) Discussion – This section gives the author the opportunity to present her/ his independent opinions on the results and their significance. It should reflect the level of knowledge at the date of thesis submission and it should mention relevant literature containing supportive or contradictory results. Minimum length is 10 pages.

e) Summary – Summary of the main results. The recommended length is one page.

f) Accompanying sections – list of abbreviations, list of references, information on data repositories or websites where appropriate, statement describing the contribution of the applicant to the published work, including a detailed statement about his/ her role in the preparation of the publications.

g) Publications and submitted manuscripts which contain the results obtained by the student. 

The text in parts a) to e) should be written by the student and must not be contained elsewhere. The text cannot be copied, even in part, from the publications in section g) or other texts. The text can be written in English, Czech or Slovak. Formatting of the text, figures, tables and accompanying data should comply with the rules for manuscript submission of a journal of choice, such as the journal where one of the author’s papers was published.

The SAB does not require a summary of the dissertation. The dissertation is submitted electronically via the IS only – no need to provide printed copies.

Profile of a graduate of the study programme

Our graduate has an excellent knowledge of modern immunology, ranging from theoretical molecular and cellular bases, through practical methodological aspects of experimental immunology, to the basics of clinical immunology. In addition to specialized knowledge of immunology in the strict sense, they also acquire good theoretical knowledge and basic practical experimental skills in related fields of molecular and cell biology, biochemistry and microbiology. After defending the dissertation, students are familiar with specialized experimental methods, tools for critical evaluation of literature and with general principles of ethics and scientific work soft skills. Graduates are able to solve both theoretical and practical problems they encounter in their research activities. 

Information about graduate employment

Graduates are mainly employed in scientific and teaching positions at domestic and foreign universities and scientific institutes engaged in basic and applied microbiological research or related fields, as well as in similarly focused research and technology centres. In the non-academic sphere, it is applied in applied research at development workplaces and corporate laboratories, for example in the following areas: biotechnological and pharmaceutical production, clinical microbiology – molecular and biochemical diagnostics of infectious diseases, food microbiology, bioremediation, water management.