Immunology is one of the most complex fields of life science to study. Thousands of scientists utilize their expertise in biology to focus on autoimmune diseases, cancer, immunodeficiencies and other immune disorders to help patients and cure diseases. We recently interviewed Marianne Stanford, Ph.D., who serves as Vice President of Research and Development at IMV, Inc. Stanford shared her thoughts on the field and the career path of an immunologist. If you are interested in immunology, hearing from a leader in industry and academia is beneficial!

I was born and raised in Newfoundland, a small province on the eastern coast of Canada. Growing up, I always saw myself as someone keenly focused on science and yet the only career option I saw for myself was as a veterinarian. Once I entered university, I began to see the breadth of career paths you could do in science. I tried several, including working as a summer field biologist, and quickly learned that working in the field was not for me. That lead me to work in the lab. Fundamentally, looking back, Ive always been someone asking questions this fundamentally led me to be a scientist.

Immunology is the study of our immune system. The immune system is in some ways the ultimate riddle in some ways so simple and yet ridiculously complex. The job of the immune system is to determine what is self and protect it from invaders. But the way in which it does this is something we learn more about every day. For that reason, it is a great (and yet sometime very frustrating) field of study!

I think that whats really interesting about studying the immune system is that everyone feels that they have a good handle on what their immune system is and how it works. We understand that our body fights disease and that vaccines help protect us. However, once you begin to study the immune system in depth, you realize that there are so many things that we do not fully understand and that harnessing the immune system is incredibly difficult to do in the clinic.

There are a couple of really exciting new opportunities that have emerged in immunology in recent years. First and foremost, as our understanding of the checks and balances in the immune system have allowed us to advance new therapies that act directly on it to impact disease. The most obvious one is the advances of immunotherapy in cancer, whereby we manipulate and stimulate the immune system to help fight diseases like cancer. This has opened a huge opportunity to treat many diseases with our own immune system, hopefully being more effective with fewer side effects. The second has been the understanding of the microbiome, or how the microbes that make up our bodies have a direct impact on our immune system. This study may change how we think of this interaction and is very exciting to follow.

I think the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of new treatments for diseases like cancer are so gratifying. There are also many opportunities for collaboration and working with other great scientists on complex questions. This is an awesome way to work.

I think like any field, to be at your best you need to find the right opportunities for mentorship and training. Ive been very lucky to work with world-class scientists during my training and that has really allowed me to be successful.

Keep asking questions and never give up. Surround yourself with people who are passionate and as focused on mentorship as they are in science.

Porschia Parker-Griffin is a Certified Coach, Professional Resume Writer, and Founder of Fly High Coaching. (https://www.fly-highcoaching.com) She empowers ambitious professionals and motivated executives to add $10K on average to their salaries.

Marianne Stanford, PhD. is Vice President of Research and Development at IMV Inc., overseeing all preclinical research activities and clinical immunology assessment of cancer immunotherapies and infectious disease vaccines. In addition, she serves as an Adjunct Professor in Microbiology and Immunology at Dalhousie University. Dr. Stanford received her BSc and MSc from Memorial University of Newfoundland and her PhD from Dalhousie University.

Read more:
Immunology as The Ultimate Riddle A Conversation with an Immunologist - BioSpace