Welcome to MMI
Welcome to the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology (MMI) at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. I am pleased to introduce you to our department, which has three primary missions:
- to foster cutting-edge research on biomedically relevant problems in microbiology, immunology, and virology,
- to educate strong, independent research scientists; and
- to provide knowledge-based service to the state, national and international communities.
The past few years have been an exciting time of unprecedented growth for our Department, with 8 new faculty adding innovative research programs in viral pathogenesis and immunology and additional faculty searches in bacterial pathogenesis. The new investigators complement existing strengths in such areas as autoimmunity, innate and acquired immunity to pathogens, design of therapeutic reagents targeted to viral and bacterial pathogens, and basic principles of microbial genetics and physiology.
The expansion of the department to 23 primary and jointly-appointed faculty enhances dramatically the training and research opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral scientists. Moreover, it has translated into a stunning fiscal growth by more than doubling funding in the past two years from federal funding agencies, private research foundations and biomedical industry. These funding advances have occurred despite a slowing federal budget for biomedical research.
I invite you to browse our website for information on faculty research, our graduate program, courses, faculty and student seminars, and to contact us if you desire to make contributions to the research and teaching of microbiology and immunology.
Mark A. McIntosh
Professor and Chairman
September 2009