Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology

Welcome

Welcome to the Department of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology at SIU Medicine. Our faculty, graduate students and medical students are involved in discovery-based, forward-thinking biomedical research that supports future generations of scientists, providers and health care leaders.

Our research innovations focus on areas of interest including tumor cell growth, viral and bacterial infections, the human gut microbiome and the role of immune function in reproduction and cancer.

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Petri Dishes
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Research Dr. Brandon Cox Lab
RESEARCH

SIU earns elite Research 1 status in national rankings

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Southern Illinois University has joined the nation’s top research institutions. The university has been designated a Research 1, or R1, institution in the latest Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing it among the top 5% of research universities in the country.

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Latest articles

Cox and Tobon in Cox lab

Seed funding, strong roots: Two SIU researchers explore early clues to chronic conditions

2025 Spring Research Seed Grants launch projects on rheumatoid arthritis and balance disorders. Two early-stage research projects at SIU School of Medicine are taking on complex, chronic diseases that
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'COVID Stories' will highlight local impacts & images from global pandemic

A series of Springfield-area events will bring moments from the global pandemic back into sharp focus this fall. ‘COVID Stories’ will provide both local and universal reflections on how we as a society adjusted when things went viral, literally.
Don Torry speaking at podium

Senator Durbin, SIU Medicine leaders express concerns about federal budget cuts

Health care leaders and Senator Dick Durbin gathered at SIU School of Medicine on July 25 to strongly denounce sweeping federal budget cuts to Medicaid, student loan support and medical research—pillars that sustain both local patient care and the next generation of physicians.

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