PROGRAMS

APITMID Medical Sciences
Director, Dr. Diane Taylor

Parasitology Program draws on techniques from the fields of cell biology, bioinformatics, molecular biology, immunology, genetics and ecology to study parasites which infect humans and the relationship between them.. These include unicellular organisms such as Plasmodium spp., the organism which causes malaria, Leishmania donovani, the organism which causes leishmaniasis and multicellular organisms such as Schistosoma spp., Wuchereria bancrotti and Necator americanus.
(Head, Dr. George Hui)

Pharmacology program investigates the actions of drugs and chemicals on cells, tissues and the whole body. We research how drugs produce both beneficial and adverse effects including improving the way drugs are tested to give greater benefit in the treatment of disease. The cellular and chemical characteristics of diseases, syndromes and conditions are studied so that molecules may be designed specifically to alter or enhance these characteristics. The study of pharmacology requires understanding normal body functions (anatomy, biochemistry and physiology) and the disturbances that occur as well as an appreciation of the chemistry of compounds. Within the broader field of Pharmacology the lab focuses on two main areas: 1) metabolism and Pharmacokinetics and 2) reproductive pharmacology and toxicology.
(Head, Dr. Abby Collier )

Immunology Program studies the structure and function of the immune system, innate and acquired immunity, the bodily distinction of self from nonself, and laboratory techniques involving the interaction of antigens with specific antibodies.
(Head, Dr. Allison Imrie )

Molecular Biology Program studies the molecular basis of life processes, including cellular respiration, excretion, and reproduction. It deals specifically with the formation, structure, and function of macromolecules essential to life, such as nucleic acids and proteins, and especially with their role in cell replication, the transmission of genetic information, and the manipulation of DNA so that it can be sequenced or mutated.
(Head, Dr. Sandra Chang )

Microbiology Program studies microorganisms including eukaryotes such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes such as bacteria, protozoa and viruses.
(Head, Dr. Karen Yamaga )

Virology Program studies biological viruses, their structure and classification, their ways to infect and exploit cells to reproduce and cause disease, the techniques to isolate and culture them, and their potential uses in research and therapy.
(Head, TBA )