Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
The ΘνΓΓΙη Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology has state-of-the-art laboratories located in a research and teaching complex with other basic science departments in the ΘνΓΓΙη School of Medicine.
A Letter from the Chair
Welcome to the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology (MMI). We are a collaborative, innovative, inclusive and dynamic department.
Our mission includes:
- Providing outstanding training opportunities for graduate and medical students and post-doctoral fellows.
- Advancing scientific knowledge through research and scholarly activity
- Developing new strategies to improve human health.
Our faculty, students and postdoctoral fellows conduct research in areas including immunology, autoimmunity, cancer immunotherapies, infectious diseases and vaccine development. We take pride in teaching our trainees critical thinking skills and providing them with critical tools and opportunities to ensure success. After completing their research training at ΘνΓΓΙη, our students and postdoctoral fellows secure prominent positions in academia, biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
We are a multidisciplinary department that uses cutting-edge techniques and technologies. We have an excellent success record in securing research funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, private foundations and the private sector. The department benefits from a highly collaborative environment and outstanding core research facilities at the medical school as well as the wider University.
MMI is the home of several core facilities, including the flow cytometry core, Biosafety Level 3 Laboratories (BSL3), Animal Biosafety Level 3 facilities (ABLS3), animal imaging core and biological irradiator core. We also offer access to membership in other exciting collaborative centers including the Institute for Drug and Biotherapeutic Innovation, and the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences. Members of the department benefit from inclusion in the Siteman Cancer Center and have access to the nationally acclaimed Cortex Innovation Community, as well as to multiple local startup-supporting institutions that are part of the fast-growing, cutting-edge medical and biotechnology community operating throughout the St. Louis region.
Thank you for visiting our website, and I invite you to explore our department and learn more about our faculty, students, and research programs. Please feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have.
![Headshot of Richard DiPaolo Headshot of Richard DiPaolo](/medicine/medical-education/graduate-programs/molecular-microbiology-immunology/faculty/_img/richard-dipaolo.jpg)
Richard DiPaolo, Ph.D.
Department chairrichard.dipaolo@health.slu.edu