Interested in the Master in Immunology program at Koç University? Here are some brief pieces of information about the field and program!

Prof. Çiğdem Arıkan explains “Why a Master in Immunology?”;

”Immunology intersects with multiple areas of biomedical sciences from infectious diseases and vaccination to the management and treatment of chronic diseases such as autoimmune and autoinflammatory, diabetes, asthma, allergies, cancer, and transplantation.

Immunology is also fundamental to the life sciences industry; the discipline is core to the development of modern antibody therapies, cellular therapies, small molecule drugs, vaccines, and ‘biologics’ agents (therapeutic biomolecules).

Our institution aims that the holder of the Master’s degree in Immunology will eventually be acquainted with a plethora of immunology related specialties such as transplantation, autoimmunity, neuro-immunology, liver and kidney immunity, tumor immunology infection, immunobiology, and innate and adaptive immunity bridging basic science with medicine.

Immunology is a very important branch of the medical and biological sciences. The fundamental goal of the Immunology theme is to determine how the immune system functions to protect the body and how this errs in many diseases. It is a fascinatingly complex machine composed of dozens of cell types, communicating through hundreds of different messenger molecules, all intimately affected by a myriad of external factors including, stress, diet, gender, age, time of day, hours of sunlight, and even psychology.  Only profound know-how of the fundamentals of immunology will permit the scientist to tackle these conditions by creating solutions advancing the life quality of millions. Today, I can say that there is no day during medical practice, research or even reading medical papers in which we do not apply the immunology.”

Prof. Yıldız Tütüncü reveals “Who should have an Immunology Master?”;

”If you are a graduate of a university in medicine, molecular biology, and biomedical departments and you want to specialize in immunology, you should do a Master’s in Immunology. If you are at the beginning of your career and are interested in the fields of biomedicine and want to learn the immunological mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of diseases, or if you are interested in translational medicine, you can apply to this program. If you are working as a medical doctor and want to have a basic knowledge of immunology to keep up with the developments in your field of science, and Immunology master’s degree may be ideal for you. If you have not fully decided on your career as a researcher and for an academic future, the two-year master’s program will introduce you to the atmosphere of science and help you make a better decision for your future.

If you want to advance your career in immunology departments in pharmaceutical companies, this program will enable you to be specific. Having a Master’s degree in Immunology can enable you to establish a startup company and continue your career in this field. With a Master of Immunology, you can continue your career in the marketing of immunological products at one of the companies in the field of diagnostic and research products. You can also apply for this program if you want to become a research technician in the field of Immunology.

Thanks to its KUTTAM (Koç University Translational Medicine Research Center) infrastructure, Koç University creates a structure that aims to improve human health by bringing together life sciences, social sciences, engineering, and medicine. While this collaboration supports the multidisciplinary working culture, it provides very suitable conditions for immunology education, an interdisciplinary science.”

For further information, please visit the program webpage.