MSUM Faculty Lead Efforts to Transform Undergraduate Immunology Education
Immune literacy has garnered significant attention in recent years due to the growing threat of emerging infectious diseases. Despite the rapid pace of immunological discoveries and their societal relevance, coordinated educational efforts have been notably rare. In 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Dr. Sumali Pandey from the Biosciences Department at MSUM initiated a project to unify immunology education efforts. This initiative led to the formation of a 15-member task force, including faculty from MSUM (such as Dr. Brian Wisenden), local institutions (NDSU and UND), national collaborators, and participant from Australia. Together, they developed a learning framework focused on undergraduate immunology education, emphasizing relevant skills and competencies. Their findings and insights, recently published in PLOS One, are poised to inform educators, administrators, and policymakers in immunology and biotechnology education (see the publication here).