The field of immunology is poised to reveal major advances in the treatment of immune-related disorders. Rockefeller scientists contributed a cornerstone of this current foundation when they characterized the antigen-presenting dendritic cell in 1973. In addition to basic science advances in immunology, the AIDS epidemic has drawn the finest scientific minds to the battle against this terrible disease. However, current progress in HIV research would not have been possible without the strong foundation in basic immunology that was in place before the worldwide AIDS crisis emerged. The rapid expansion in AIDS research has, in turn, enabled scientists to learn a great deal more about how the immune system functions. Now, studies of autoimmune disorders are extending the scope of insight into immune function so that we may consider the possibility of biomedical advances using immunotherapeutic treatments. Clearly, basic research and disease-specific investigations are interdependent elements in biomedicine.

The center focuses the efforts of Rockefeller researchers on the immune system in health and disease, promoting new collaborative research on autoimmunity, infectious diseases (including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and hepatitis C), cancer immunology and allergies.