Education & Training

SIVS Education & Training

Educating trainees (graduate and medical students and post-doctoral fellows) to be future scientists or physician-scientists is a cornerstone of the SIVS's mission. To address the need for increased knowledge in the field of vaccinology, we have developed seven graduate-level courses and have facilitated the publication of vaccine-related texts for trainees, scientists and the public.

Vaccine Development Pathway: From Discovery to Licensure (BBSC 6219) (course directors: Gregg Milligan, PhD and Nigel Bourne, PhD) was first offered in 2010 and is designed as an introductory course to provide the students with an overview of vaccine development and utilization, and includes aspects of vaccines for infectious diseases and chronic non-infectious diseases (e.g. cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and addiction). This is an eight-week introductory course taught in lecture format with a small number of expert lecturers and is offered as a 2-credit elective in the Basic Biomedical Science Curriculum to graduate students.

Internship in Regulated Nonclinical Studies (HPTM 6072) (course director: David Beasley, PhD) was first offered in Fall 2019. This course gives students the opportunity to shadow study directors, scientific/technical personnel, records management and archiving personnel, and quality assurance unit (QAU) personnel from the Institutional Office of Regulated Nonclinical Studies (ORNcS). The internship is intended to give UTMB graduate students an advanced understanding of the FDA Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and Animal Rule regulations; processes for implementation and operation of quality management systems; and the design, execution, reporting and quality oversight of animal efficacy studies supporting licensure of vaccines and other medical countermeasures. Students receive practical training on development/use of study protocols, standard operating procedures, study-specific and facility documentation, equipment qualification, data/sample retention, and Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/QA). This is an eight-week course taught in a mixed format of discussions and laboratory work. This course is offered as a 1-3-credit elective in the Human Pathophysiology and Translational Medicine Curriculum to graduate students.
Vaccinology Internships in Industry (HPTM 6073) (course directors: Nigel Bourne, PhD and Gregg Milligan, PhD) is a new course and will be offered from Summer 2021. It is sponsored by the SIVS working in collaboration with national and international vaccine pharmaceutical industry partners. 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.

Vaccinology Internships in Human Clinical Research (HPTM 6074) (course director: Richard Rupp, MD) utilizes the Clinical Trials Program (CTP) of the Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences to provide training on the conduct of human clinical research. It is a new course and will be offered from Fall 2020. 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 and interact with research subjects and sponsors. Interns will gain insight into the conduct of studies performed under FDA Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines.

International Internship in Vaccinology (MICR 6070) is sponsored by the SIVS for international internships in conjunction with the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI) in Langen, Germany, and the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), Hertfordshire, UK. Students can undertake internships at WHO, PEI, or NIBSC for a period of 3 months. The course is offered as an elective to graduate students and medical students in years 3 or 4 of the graduate school and medical school curricula. Medical students can take the international internship as a medical school elective credit.

Internship in Vaccinology (MICR 6143) is sponsored by the SIVS for UTMB-based internships with most involving collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). The interns have the opportunity to take part in a vaccine-related project that involves preparation of a report by the student on a specific infectious disease and vaccine topic. Students work as part of a small group (2-3 students) under the supervision of SIVS members. The internship is conducted over a 3-month period, concurrent with the trainee's regular educational and research activities. The course is offered as a 2-credit elective.

Introduction to Vaccinology: Vaccines for the 21st Century (PATH 6161) (course directors: Gregg Milligan, PhD and Nigel Bourne, PhD) was established in 2003 and is taught under the auspices of the Experimental Pathology Graduate Program. It is designed to provide the basic scientist with an understanding of current vaccine development against established and emerging diseases for which no vaccines currently exist.

As part of the SIVS commitment to advancing vaccinology education and information, UTMB has joined with Nature Partner Journals to produce a scientific vaccine journal. Online-only and open access, npj Vaccines is dedicated to highlighting the most important scientific advances in vaccine research and development.