HMX Short Courses
Immunology
Learn with Harvard Medical School.
HMX Short Courses feature targeted lessons on the latest medical science topics and advancements to help keep you up to date. Each course offers a unique way to learn about cutting-edge immunology topics from leading Harvard Medical School faculty.
- Immune Tolerance
- Advances in Immunological Therapeutics – Vol 1 (2023 advances)
Explore more about these advanced courses below and register before July 26 for the next Short Course period starting July 31, 2024. Tuition for HMX Short Courses is $395 for an individual course or bundle multiple courses. Two-course bundles are $695 and three-course bundles are $895.
Course Topics
Immune Tolerance
One of the fundamental properties of our immune system is its ability to respond to pathogens while sparing our own cells, tissues, and any molecules that do not pose danger to us. Defects in the mechanisms that impart immune tolerance to harmless antigens can result in autoimmunity, chronic inflammatory diseases, or allergies. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for anyone working to develop or apply new therapies that induce immune tolerance to treat these conditions in the clinic. Topics include:
- Overview of the Importance of Immunological Tolerance
- Generation of Lymphocyte Diversity
- T Cell Development and Central Tolerance in the Thymus
- Regulatory T Cells
- Peripheral T Cell Tolerance
- B Cell Development and Tolerance
- Inducing Tolerance
- Broken and Breaking Tolerance
- Clinical Linkage: CTLA-4 Haploinsufficiency
- Current and Novel Approaches that Induce Immune Tolerance
Advances in Immunological Therapeutics
Vol 1 (2023 advances)
Over the past few decades, it has become increasingly clear that a weakened or overactive immune response underlies the development of many chronic conditions, ranging from autoimmune diseases to cancer. Advances in our understanding of our immune system has led to the development of therapies that modulate immune responses to treat various conditions with an immunological basis. Learning how new therapies enhance or suppress our immune system is essential for anyone looking to develop or apply new immunomodulatory therapies to treat disease. Topics include:
- Treating Skin Inflammation
- Lymphocyte Depletion
- Immune Checkpoint Blockade
- Complement Inhibition
- Reducing the Half-Life of IgG
- Blocking Type I Interferons
- Blocking Other Kinases
Course Instructors
Carlos Donado, PhD
Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Immunologist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Immunology Curriculum Lead, HMX
Shiv Pillai, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine and Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard Medical School
Immunologist and Geneticist, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital
Director, MMSc in Immunology Program, Harvard Medical School
Associate Program Head, Graduate Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School
Andrew Lichtman, MD, PhD
Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School
Senior Pathologist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
More Information
Frequently asked questions
What does it take to sign up? How much are the courses?
You simply need to fill out the registration form, choose your course(s), and pay by July 26, 2024.
- Individual course: $395
- Two-course bundle: $695
- Three-course bundle: $895
Can I apply for financial aid?
Partial tuition waivers are not available for HMX Short Courses.
What is the course schedule and time commitment?
You will be enrolled in your HMX Short Course(s) on July 31, 2024. Most people can expect to spend 3-4 hours total on an HMX short course. In order to be considered for a short course certificate of completion, you must complete your coursework within eight weeks, by September 25, 2024. You will continue to have access to the course material for your review until January 10, 2025.
Is there a final exam?
There will be graded assessments throughout the course. However, these do not count toward your certificate status; please see below for certificate requirements.
Can I drop a course?
You may withdraw from the course and request a refund up until April 30. Once you are enrolled, you will not be able to drop or request a refund. No extensions will be offered.
How can participants get help?
For technical support, learners can contact the HMX team for assistance throughout the course session. There are no discussion forums in the HMX Short Courses.
What is the criteria to earn a certificate?
In order to earn a short course certificate of completion, you must watch all videos, complete all assessments, and work through all other course material within the active course period. Once you have met the criteria, your certificate will be sent to your email. Certificates of achievement are not offered for short courses.
Will I get a physical certificate?
No, we are only offering PDF versions of certificates for short courses. You will not have the option to request a physical copy from us, but you are welcome to have it printed at your local print shop.
Can I mention my certificate in my LinkedIn profile or on my resume?
Yes. Certificates that you earn are appropriate for inclusion on LinkedIn or on your resume.
If you are listing an HMX course on your resume, we suggest listing it under the education section, below any earned degrees. Courses should be listed as “HMX Short Course (Harvard Medical School online learning platform) – [course titles]”
On LinkedIn, include any courses in the Education section as below:
School: Harvard Medical School
Degree: Other; HMX Short Course – [course title(s)]
Field of Study: leave blank
Start/End Year: Year in which you completed the course(s)
Grade: leave blank
Activities and societies: leave blank
Description: HMX Short Courses are 3-4 hour online courses from Harvard Medical School. I earned a Short Course Certificate of Completion in [course title]