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，这些手稿至少应在考试时被接受发表。<br> <br>二十世纪初，诺贝尔奖获得者保罗·埃里希（Paul Ehrlich）首先提
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>At the start of the twentieth century the concept of autoimmunity was first predicted by Nobel Laureate Paul Ehrlich, and he described it as 'horror autotoxicus'. His experiments led him to conclude that the immune system is normally focused on responding to foreign materials and has an inbuilt tendency to avoid attacking self tissues. But when this process goes wrong, the immune system can attack self tissues resulting in autoimmune disease. The perplexing issue of what allows the immune system to attack self tissues is a continuing focus of research. Almost all autoimmune disease are considered complex traits, in which genetic susceptibility interacts with some trigger that sets the process in motion. Central to this concept is improved understanding of self-tolerance under physiological conditions and the breakdown of this tolerance in autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases have historically been studied on the basis of the organ affected, but in recent years the focus has switched to a more cross-disciplinary approach with a view to providing a better understanding of the common mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of these diseases.