education

Students here have the opportunity to become junior colleagues with our faculty and engage in a collective effort to research the enigmas of modern biology and, in that pursuit, learn state-of-the-art technologies. Our faculty is dedicated to providing a unified body of knowledge, stimulating curiosity about the enduring questions in microbiology and immunology, and addressing these issues through joint research projects.

research

Research is a primary mission of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Through leading-edge research initiatives and collaborative partnerships, our faculty and department researchers are expanding our understanding of microorganisms, disease, and the immune response. Microbiology and immunology provide the building blocks for the treatment of infections and other diseases.

micro-seminar

The Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology Seminar is presented on Mondays at noon each week during the academic year and is hosted in conjunction with the Center for Immunology. The Winford P. Larson Lecture is presented annually and is named for the first head of the department. The Greg R. Germaine Frontiers in Science Lecture is presented annually in conjunction with the School of Dentistry.

Michael-Gale

Department Head Michael J. Gale, Jr., PhD

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology is a community of scholars committed to discovering and disseminating knowledge about the microbial world. Our faculty's interests and expertise encompass some of the most exciting areas of contemporary microbiology and immunology, ranging from the physiology and development of microorganisms, the molecular pathogenesis of infections, and fundamental aspects of immunity.

 

A new Phase I clinical trial (NCT05338658; clinicaltrials.gov) at the University of Minnesota

Article

Since the spring of 2022, postdoctoral researchers Drs. Frances Shepherd and Pètra Vande Zande have worked together to offer hands-on bioinformatics workshops for members of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.

Department Head, Michael Gale, PhD, was one of the Medical School’s 2025 Dean’s Distinguished Research Lecture (DDRL) honorees. This is the sixth time in twelve years that DMI faculty have had this distinction!