博士学位是高级研究学位，旨在反映与候选人担任独立研究科学家的能力一致的培训水平。这涉及成功完成反映现代免疫学知识的课程工作，并具有进行可发表质量研究的证明能力。要获得该学位的资格，每个候选人都必须成功地获得候选人资格，根据他/她的原始研究提交令人满意的论文，并在期末口试中成功地为其辩护。博士学位论文应包含大量的原始研究成果，其数量应与在经认可的参考期刊上发表的两三篇论文相适应。通常，这些手稿中至少有一份应在考试时被接受发表。<br> <br>先天免疫力是反映我们对外界的直接生物防御的能力。它的特点是对什么
The Department of Immunology offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in a wide range of immunological disciplines. These disciplines include molecular mechanisms of lymphocyte development and selection, T-cell and B-cell receptors, cell interactions, growth factor receptors, cytokine networks, antigen processing and presentation, signal transduction in lymphocytes, V(D)J recombination, anergy, apoptosis, transgenic and knock-out models, immuno-targeting and vaccine design, autoimmunity, AIDS, diabetes, and transplantation.<br>The department provides a common forum for investigators in many areas of U of T and an interdisciplinary research experience in immunology. Members and students in the department are located at the Medical Sciences Building, at the Ontario Cancer Institute, and at the Research Institutes of Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, The Hospital for Sick Children, and Sunnybrook Hospital. The PhD degree is an advanced research degree intended to reflect a level of training consistent with the ability of the candidate to function as an independent research scientist. This involves successful completion of course work reflecting a knowledge of modern immunology, as well as a demonstrated ability to carry out research of publishable quality.<br>Innate immunity is that which reflects our immediate biological defense against the outside world. It is characterized by discrimination of what is self versus nonself, or harmless versus dangerous. Innate immunity does not require prior sensitization ('memory') nor does it generate an augmented secondary ('recall') response. Many innate immune receptors are pattern recognition receptors (PRR's) that have evolved over millenia to recognize common pathogens in their simplest form, subunits known as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP's), these obligate pathogen-derived substances cannot easily be altered by the pathogen without loss of viability. In other instances, innate immune receptors recognize self ligands that may be displayed in a modulated fashion upon infection or transformation to notify the immune system that something is wrong. Cells of the innate immune system include macrophages and dendritic cells [the professional antigen-presenting cells (APC's)], polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and certain lymphocytes, such as natural killer cells, and even a repertoire of B cells that is fixed at birth. Cross-talk between the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system is critical for the mounting of an effective sterilizing immune response, such that without innate immunity, we cannot exist in nature.