THE FUTURE

The field of Immunology is coming of age. We are entering a time when fundamental understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing immune recognition, modulation of immune polarity, immunologic memory, recruitment of immune cells to sites of inflammation, the development and loss of tolerance, the orderly process of rejuvenation of cells comprising the immune compartments, and the effects of immune mediators on other tissues of the body can be applied rationally to the treatment of disease. Therefore, a primary role of the Department of Immunology should continue to be the recruitment, support, and retention of outstanding basic investigators whose primary mission is to decipher the mechanisms governing the immune response.