The Veterinary and Comparative Clinical Immunology Society (VCCIS) is pleased to offer the opportunity for trainee members to participate in an asynchronous immunology webinar series to aid in preparation for board examinations and to aid in clinical case management.
The seminar series will cover immunology topics included in board exams for small and large animal internal medicine specialties, as well as pathology specialties, but the series is designed for any trainee interested in deepening their understanding of clinical immunology. It is designed as a three-year course with approximately one 50-minute seminar every six weeks.
The seminars provided will be prerecorded and remain available to trainee members for study purposes. At the end of each recorded seminar, trainees will be prompted to complete a survey to list three main takeaways, as well as to ask questions regarding the presented material. The lecturer will respond to questions and comments from the survey within two weeks of the recorded lecture. Trainees who complete the seminar series will receive a certificate of completion and be entered to win an award on a yearly basis.
TOPICS
Immunology
- Innate immunity - introduction, cell types (Dr. Oliver Garden)
- Innate immunity - DAMPs, PAMPs, PRRs and signaling (Dr. Claire Sharp)
- Innate immunity - Cytokines/chemokines, phagocytosis, mechanisms of cell death
- Leukocytes and SIRS/sepsis
- Complement and acute phase response/inflammatory mediators as biomarkers
- Adaptive immunity – Introduction
- Type I hypersensitivity and anaphylaxis
- Type II, III, IV hypersensitivity reactions
- Lymphocyte development, antigen receptor gene rearrangement and tolerance
- T lymphocytes - activation, differentiation and functions of subsets
- B cells - activation and antibody production, Ig classes and characteristic features, failure of passive transfer of immunity
Vaccinology
- Principles of immunologic and molecular diagnostic techniques (IHC, ELISA for ab/ag detection, etc.) and limitations
- Pharmacology of immune-mediated therapeutics - Part I (immunosuppressants, anti-inflammatories)
- Pharmacology of immune-related therapeutics - Part II (immunomodulatory medications, chemotherapeutics, etc.)
- Interpretation of routine laboratory testing that might imply immunologic disorders (spherocytosis, agglutination, lupus cells, proteinuria, acute phase proteins, other leukogram/hemogram findings, etc.)
- Immunology of blood banking and transfusion medicine - types and typing, crossmatching, SAT, DAT, transfusion reactions (SA and LA)
- Immunodeficiency disorders (LA)
- Immunodeficiency disorders (SA)
- Immune-mediated diseases - Part I (LA) [Note: to include discussion of diseases and diagnostic testing/interpretation]
- Immune mediated diseases - Part II (SA) [Note: to include discussion of diseases and diagnostic testing/interpretation]
- Immune system neoplasia - Part I (lymphoma and leukemias)
- Immune system neoplasia - Part II (multiple myeloma and histiocytic neoplasia)
If you would like to join this training curriculum and are not a current member of VCCIS, head over to our Membership Form and sign up to access these study resources!