PharMedS-420-shuwen.wang-2026-06-22-03-09-56
Title of Course: Foundational Human Immunology
Prefix and Number: PharMedS 420
Semester and Year [tbd]
Number of Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: Biochemistry (TMP 350 or similar)
Course Details
Day and Time: [tbd]
Meeting Location: [tbd]
Instructor Contact Information
Instructor of Record: Shuwen Wang, Ph.D., Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Instructor Contact Information: PBS 311, shuwen.wang@wsu.edu
Instructor Office Hours: Upon Request
TA Name: [tbd]
TA Contact Information: [office location, phone, email]: [tbd]
TA Office Hours: [click here for best practices] [tbd]
Course Description
Foundations of human immunology for the health sciences. Didactic elective course introducing the immune system in health and disease. Addresses immune system components and processes, innate and adaptive immunity, pathogen response, autoimmunity, vaccinations, and cancer immunotherapy.
Course Materials
Books: The Immune System by Peter Parham (Sixth edition ©2024 Garland Science)
Other Materials: [tbd]
Fees: N/A
Student Learning Outcomes
| Describe the structure, components, and functions of the innate and adaptive immune systems. | Sessions 1-4 | Exam 1 |
| Explain key immunological processes, including antigen recognition, immune cell activation, and signaling pathways involved in immune responses. | Sessions 5-8 | Exam 2 |
| Analyze how the immune system responds to pathogens, and dysregulation in diseases such as allergies, autoimmunity, and cancer. |
Sessions 9-12 |
Exam 3 |
| Understand how vaccines work Explain how tumor cells evade immune surveillance and how immunotherapies (e.g., checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T-cell therapy) restore anti-tumor immune responses. |
Sessions 13-15 |
Exam 4 |
| Dates | Lesson Topic | Assignment | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Week 1 |
Course overview Elements of Immune system |
Shuwen Wang | Exam 1 |
| Week 2 [dates] |
Innate Immunity | Shuwen Wang | Exam 1 |
| Week 3 [dates] |
Principles of adaptive immunity | Shuwen Wang | Exam 1 |
| Week 4 [dates] |
Antibody structure and B cell diversity | Shuwen Wang | Exam 1 |
| Week 5 [dates] |
EXAM 1 (Weeks 1 – 4), 50 min Antigen recognition by T Lymphocytes |
Shuwen Wang | Exam 2 |
| Week 6 [dates] |
Development of B and T lymphocytes |
Shuwen Wang | Exam 2 |
| Week 7 [dates] |
T cell-mediated immunity | Shuwen Wang | Exam 2 |
| Week 8 [dates] |
B cell-mediated immunity | Shuwen Wang | Exam 2 |
| Week 9 [dates] |
EXAM 2 (Weeks 5 – 8), 50 min Body’s defenses against infection |
Shuwen Wang | Exam 3 |
| Week 10 [dates] |
Failures of the immune system | Shuwen Wang | Exam 3 |
| Week 11 [dates] |
Over-reactions of the immune system | Shuwen Wang | Exam 3 |
| Week 12 [dates] |
Disruption of healthy tissues by immune response | Shuwen Wang | Exam 3 |
| Week 13 [dates] |
EXAM 3 (Weeks 9 – 12), 50 min Vaccination and transplantation |
Shuwen Wang | Exam 4 |
| Week 14 [dates] |
Cancer and the immune system | Shuwen Wang | Exam 4 |
| Week 15 [dates] |
Cancer immunotherapy Exam 4 Review |
Shuwen Wang | Exam 4 |
| Week 16 [dates] |
EXAM 4 (Weeks 13 – 15), 50 min | Shuwen Wang |
Expectations for Student Effort
Students are expected to attend all lectures and complete all examinations. There may be assigned reading materials either before or after class, at the discretion of the instructor. For each hour of lecture equivalent, students should expect to have a minimum of two hours of work outside of class.
Grading
| Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc) | Points | Percent of Overall Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Exam 1 | 100 | 25% |
| Exam 2 |
100 |
25% |
| Exam 3 | 100 | 25% |
| Exam 4 | 100 | 25% |
|
Final overall course grade |
100 |
100% |
| Grade | Percent | Grade | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| A |
93.00-100% |
C | 73.00-76.99% |
| A- | 90.00-92.99% | C- | 70.00-72.99% |
| B+ | 87.00-89.99% | D+ | N/A |
| B | 83.00-86.99% | D | N/A |
| B- | 80.00-82.99% | F | 69.99% & Below |
| C+ | 77.00-79.99% |
Please note grades will not be rounded.
Attendance and Make-Up Policy
Absence:
Students are responsible for ensuring that they attend all class meetings and complete all in-class and out-of-class work as assigned by the instructor. Students should make all reasonable efforts to attend all class meetings. However, in the event a student is unable to attend a class session or an exam due to illness or family emergencies, they are required to give the Instructor of Record notice of absence; it is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of the absence as soon as possible and if necessary, make arrangements to get help for missed work within a reasonable timeframe. Missing class sessions or scheduled exams may result in reduced overall course grade or forfeited assessment attempts.
Make-up Exam:
Make-up exams will be scheduled only under the most extraordinary circumstances, after receiving approval of the instructor prior to the exam.
Academic Integrity Statement
You are responsible for reading WSU’s Academic Integrity Policy, which is based on Washington State law. If you cheat in your work in this class, you will:
• Receive a zero on the assignment and/or a failing grade in the course.
• Be reported to the Center for Community Standards.
• Have the right to appeal my decision.
• Not be able to drop the course or withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished.
If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask us.
The Standards of Conduct for Students, WAC 504-26-010(3) covers cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty including but not limited to the following:
• Unauthorized collaboration on assignments.
• Facilitation of dishonesty including not challenging academic integrity violations by others (i.e., helping someone else cheat).
• Obtaining unauthorized knowledge of course assignments or exam materials.
• Unauthorized multiple submissions of the same work for different course assignments.
• Sabotage of another student’s work.
• Knowingly furnishing false information or data to any University official, faculty, or staff.
• Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any University document, record, or form of personal identification.
Given the accessibility of electronic information, further discussion of commonly observed examples of plagiarism is warranted. Examples may include:
• Copying material (e.g., copy and paste) from any source without proper citation.
• Copying homework solutions from online sources such as CHEGG, Bartleby, Stack Exchange, and solutions manuals.
• Using an essay-for-hire service, AI-generated responses, or copying material from another student.
If you want to ask for a change in our decision about academic integrity, use the form at the Center for Community Standards website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.
Any alleged violation of Washington State University's academic integrity standards will be handled directly by the Office of Student Conduct as outlined in “Procedure for Academic Integrity Violations” (WAC 504-26-404).