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Vaccinology Track Course Descriptions

The following courses will be required for students enrolled in the Vaccinology Track:

  • INTD 6219 Vaccine Development Pathway: From discovery to licensure
  • PATH 6161 Introduction to Vaccinology: Vaccines for the 21st century

Additionally, students are required to enroll in at least one of the UTMB-based vaccinology track internship programs:

  • MICR 6143 Internship in Vaccinology (UTMB-based)
  • HPTM 6074 Vaccinology Internships in Human Clinical Research
  • HPTM 6072 UTMB based internship in Regulated Nonclinical Studies

In addition, students will have the option to take an additional industry or international internship:

  • MICR 6070 International internship in vaccinology (three months at a vaccinology entity overseas; either WHO headquarters in Geneva or at the WHO Collaborating Center at the Paul Erlich Institute in Langen, Germany) 
  • HPTM 6073 Vaccinology Internships in Industry  


Course Descriptions

Vaccinology Track Course Descriptions

This eight-week introductory course will be taught in lecture format by a small number of lecturers. The course is designed to provide the basic scientist with an understanding of vaccine development from conceptualization through development, testing, and utilization. This multidisciplinary course was designed to introduce students to all of the aspects of vaccine development and utilization to include aspects of vaccines for infectious diseases and chronic non-infectious diseases (e.g., cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and addiction). Grades will be based on performance of two examinations and class attendance.

Prerequisites: BBSC 6302, BBSC 6303, BBSC 6403, or consent of instructor
Term offered: Summer
Year offered: Annually
Hours per week: Lecture 3.5
Instructor: Milligan, Bourne

Vaccine Development Pathway Course Description
Vaccines for the 21st Century is a five-week introductory course designed to provide the basic scientist with an understanding of vaccine development from conceptualization through development, testing and utilization. The course Objectives are to learn:
1. The history of the development of vaccines and their impact on society.
2. The identification of pathogens & diseases for which vaccines are needed.
3. The principles of the development, availability and use of vaccines.
4. The pathophysiologic approach to developing vaccine strategies.
5. The application of traditional and new technologies to vaccine development.
6. The importance of the regulatory process to vaccine development, including "proof of principle", pre-clinical and clinical testing.
The course will be taught in lecture format with a small number of expert lecturers. There will be assigned reading in preparation for each session. Reading materials will be provided. Each session will be 1 hour (total 15 contact hours). Course performance will be determined by take home midterm & final examinations (50% each).

Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor
Term offered: Fall
Year offered: Annually
Course Coordinators: Milligan/Barrett

Introduction to Vaccinology Course Description
The Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences (SIVS), in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters, sponsors an annual Internship program. The proposed course will be associated with a UTMB-based Internship program that will involve preparation of a report by the student on a specific infectious diseases and vaccines topic, intended for use as a briefing document by a WHO expert committee. The student will work as part of a small group (2-3 students) under the supervision of a SIVS member. The internship will be conducted over a 3 month period, concurrent with the trainee's regular educational and research activities. Grading will be based on participation, attendance, effective performance of assigned tasks, evaluations/feedback received from mentors, and submission of a final report to the SIVS by the intern summarizing their internship experience and outcomes. Prerequisite: Consent to be enrolled required.


Prerequisites: For graduate students, successful applicants must have completed all required BBSC and/or program coursework prior to commencing the internship. Written approval from the mentor is also required.
Term offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Year offered: Annually
Hours per week: 2 - Conference or Discussion

Internship in Vaccinology Course Description
The Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences (SIVS), in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters, sponsors an annual internship program. The traveling internship program will form the basis for this course. Students participating in this course will undertake an internship at the World Health Organization Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Each student will be paired up with a mentor at WHO and a UTMB SIVS member to work on a defined project related to public health and vaccines for a period of 3 months (typically from early Spring to Fall of each year, with specific time-frames to be determined for each internship). Each internship project will involve significant contribution to a team tasked with developing a report on vaccines and a specific infectious disease for the WHO. Grading (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) will be based on participation, attendance, completion of assigned task(s), evaluations/feedback received from WHO and UTMB mentor(s), and submission of a final report to the SIVS by the student summarizing their internship experience and outcomes.

Prerequisites: Students must have completed all required graduate program coursework and entered candidacy prior to commencing the internship. Written approval from the mentor is also required.
Term offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Year offered: Annually
Hours per week: Variable

International Internships in Vaccinology Course Description
The Interprofessional Translational Research Design (IPTRD) course will team HPTM students with UTMB Medical Students in the Translational Research Track in identifying a translational problem and designing translational research projects.  The course will focus development of key research design and collaborative competencies.  Major emphasis will be on biostatistics and research design, team building, professional identify development, inter-professional communication and oral presentation skills.  The course will meet for three, two hour sessions weekly.  Teaching methodology will use active learning modalities such as guided inquiry, moderated discussion, workshop sessions and seminar presentations.  Course grades will be based on small group discussions participation, written critiques of research articles, and research proposal developed as an interprofessional pair.

Prerequisites: Currently enrolled in the HPTM program having satisfied the requirements of HPTM 6291, 6292, HPTM 6293 and HPTM 6294 or a UTMB Medical School Student enrolled in the Translational Research Track.
Terms offered: Summer
Year offered: Annually
Hours per week: Lecture 6

Interprofessional Translational Research Design Course Description
Alan Barrett, PhD, and Richard Rupp, MD
Enrollment cap: 42

This course will provide students with an understanding of how vaccines are designed, tested in clinical trials, utilized in immunization regimens, and safety‐assured after licensure. The course will integrate basic science concepts of immune protection and microbial pathogenesis into vaccine design. From a clinical perspective, the students will explore and critique scientific literature documenting vaccine safety and efficacy as well as the practical and regulated aspects of vaccine testing in clinical trials. Students in small group PBLs sessions will explore and discuss through inquiry‐based methods cases that include candidate and licensed vaccine scenarios. They will be given an opportunity to understand the various components of clinical trials and will receive training on and practice skills of obtaining informed consent for clinical trial of vaccine, and/or advising/counseling patients and their parents about the risks and benefits of licensed vaccines. Students will learn how to respond to parents’ concerns about vaccines such as autism, mercury and immune disorders.

The ORNCS faculty/staff will offer practical training on development/use of study protocols, standard operating procedures, study-specific and facility documentation, equipment and qualification, data/sample retention and Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/AQ.)  Trainees participating in this internship will shadow study directors, scientific/technical personnel, records management and archiving personnel, and quality assurance unity (QAU) personnel.  Interns will gain an advanced understating of the FDA Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and Animal Rule regulations, Implementation and operation of quality management system, and the design execution, reporting and quality oversight of animal efficacy studies supporting licensure of vaccines and other medical countermeasures.  Trainees participating in internship may also be able to attend UTMB-FDA sponsored training activity, “Achieving Data Quality and Integrity in Maximum Containment Laboratories”, which is held annually at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, focusing on animal mode regulatory expectations under the FDA’s Animal Rule.  Grading (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) is based on participation, attendance and effective completion of assigned tasks.  
The Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences (SIVS) working in conjunction with national and international vaccine pharmaceutical industry partners, sponsors an internship program that will form the basis for this course. Students participating in this course will undertake a vaccinology internship at a national/international vaccine pharmaceutical industry site focusing on infectious diseases and vaccines-related programs. Each student will be paired with a mentor at the internship site and a SIVS faculty mentor to work on a defined project related to public health and vaccines for a period of three (3) months. Grading (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) will be based on attendance and participation in assigned activities at the internship site, completion of task(s), evaluation/feedback from the internship mentors, and submission of a final report to the SIVS by the student, summarizing their internship experience and outcomes.
The Clinical Trials Program (CTP) faculty/staff will offer real-world training on implementation of study protocols, use of the Investigator Brochure, fulfillment of Institution Review Board (IRB) requirements, utilization of standard operating procedures, maintenance of study documentation, attainment of informed consent, recruitment and retention of subjects, and performance of quality assurance. Interns will observe investigators, study coordinators, and other research personnel interact with research subjects, Contract Research Organization (CRO) employees and sponsors. Completion of readings and on-line training regarding human research ethics and Good Clinical Practice are required.

Interns will gain insight into the conduct of studies performed under FDA Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines.
Grading (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) is based on participation, attendance, effective completion of assigned tasks, and submission of a final course evaluation by the student.