Our specialized internship program offers exceptional students advanced training in oncolytic viro-immunotherapy and vaccine engineering, directly connecting them to prestigious international opportunities for postgraduate research, employment, or further specialization.

This program aims to provide students with interests in virology and immunology with the opportunity to study:
(1) emerging/re-emerging viral diseases and (2) oncolytic viro-immunotherapy. The program provides strong international network exposure, with opportunities to engage with world-renowned researchers and experts from different institutions and countries through the Principal Investigator’s international network.

The program also identifies interns as future candidates in the professional research training track. Emerging and re-emerging viral infections represent a global threat to public health. Understanding the pathogenesis and development of vaccines and antivirals is especially important for viral infections that are without effective/FDA-approved immunization or specific treatments. Students working on this project will get to explore the mechanism of pathogenesis of such viral diseases, examine the underlying interplay between host factors and viral infection, and further establish models for antiviral screening, vaccine development, and additional public health-related applications. Oncolytic viro-immunotherapy using viruses that preferentially target and kill cancer cells represents a novel therapy for the management of cancers. Significant challenges that remain include enhancing cancer cell-targeting specificity and increasing tumor-killing efficiency.

Students in this project will learn about the principles and development of oncolytic viro-immunotherapy and explore strategies in enhancing its efficacy and the role of immune response. The program is open to students from all countries, and the candidates will be interviewed and selected. The program duration is 2-6 months depending on the candidate’s preference and competence.

The students will undergo training in laboratory safety and experimental procedures for the purpose of viral modeling, antiviral testing, and oncolytic vector development/characterization. Additional training in data analysis and laboratory presentation skills is also included.