The immune and inflammatory response plays a central role in the pathophysiology of the vast majority of human diseases. This includes infectious, autoimmune, degenerative, and metabolic diseases, as well as cancer. The study of the immune system is a major route to understanding the mechanisms that drive diseases and an opportunity for important scientific breakthroughs, including the identification of new targets for the treatment or prevention of several pathologic diseases. This is by its nature, an interdisciplinary area of study that requires professionals with complementary backgrounds, activities, and visions.

Despite having a large number of researchers working on topics related to immunology, Rio de Janeiro did not have, until the creation of the Immunology and Inflammation Program in 2012, a graduate course dedicated exclusively to the training of professionals working at this interface. In fact, we believe that this is the first interinstitutionalstrictosensu graduate program in Immunology in Brazil. The permanent faculty of the program has a history of production in high impact journals with well cited articles, and it is highly committed to high quality science and to the formation of human resources that go beyond the purely technical aspects. The tripod of academic training targeted by our program is founded on a solid theoretical and practical basis, the promotion of an environment of dialogue and scientific integrity, as well as the continuous search for excellence. The Program was approved in 2011, with a grade of 5 at CAPES and, in 2012, we started the course with the 30 permanent professors recruited from different institutes of UFRJ (Microbiology, Biophysics, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences and Chemistry) and FIOCRUZ. Currently, our program grade at CAPES is 6 and the faculty members come from different institutes of UFRJ (Microbiology, Biophysics, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences and the Faculty of Pharmacy), UFF and FIOCRUZ.