B3. Understanding the Human Immune System

This course will provide a very basic introduction to the human immune system. Our immune system provide protection against a wide range of foreign substances. We’ll discuss the cells and tissues involved in the immune responses, antibodies, and vaccinations. Proper functioning of the immune system is a delicate balance, however, and malfunction can contribute to allergies and autoimmune conditions. 

Clare O’Connor is a cell biologist who received her Ph.D. from Purdue and did postdoctoral research at UCLA and Caltech. She moved to Shrewsbury in 1984 and led a lab at the former Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology before joining the Biology Department at Boston College in 1995. She taught both introductory and advanced courses in genetics and molecular cell biology before retiring from BC in 2017.