What Does an Immunologist Do?

This post is part of a miniseries on the immune system. Be sure to check out the other posts in this series that you may have missed. Immunology is the study of the immune system, including all the cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect you from germs. A person who studies immunology is called an immunologist, and there are three types: Researchers, who study the immune system in the laboratory to understand how it works or how it can go awry and find new treatments for immune system-related diseases Doctors, who diagnose and care for patients with diseases related to the immune system, such as food allergies or immunodeficiency Physician-scientists, who are both researchers and doctors and divide their time between the clinic and the laboratory Immunologist researchers go to graduate school for a Ph.D. to learn about the immune system and research techniques. On the other hand, doctors go to medical school for an M.D. and learn how to treat diseases. Physician-scientists have an M.D. and often also have a Ph.D. NIGMS supports studies of the body’s (or “host’s”) response to a disordered immune system or infectious disease, which can lead to critical illness. We’ve highlighted several NIGMS grantees on Biomedical Beat who study these syndromes. Check out summaries of those posts below, with links to the full articles about these scientists’ research and careers. Credit: Moises Gomez. Career Conversations: Q&...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Being a Scientist Cells Injury and Illness Immunology Miniseries Infectious Diseases Medicines Microbes Research Roundup Source Type: blogs