Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology

The Department of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology at SIU Medicine is dedicated to cutting-edge research that contributes to innovative advances in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of medical diseases.

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.

Our faculty

The faculty at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine is focused on educating the region's top physicians, researching new models of care, and providing expert clinical services that address the health care needs of central and southern Illinois.

See the department

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.

'COVID Stories' will highlight local impacts & images from global pandemic

July 29, 2025

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.

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

July 28, 2025

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.

Science, scrutiny and staying power: Dr. Sophia Ran’s two decades of cancer research

July 15, 2025

The rules of scientific research have changed dramatically over the past two decades. Grants are more competitive. Expectations for rigor, repeatability and transparency are higher. And researchers