One of the Institute's four core research programs, the Immunobiology program is directed by Stephen Desiderio, M.D., Ph.D., also a professor of molecular biology and genetics and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.

Research in this program is interested in unraveling the molecular mechanisms behind the development and function of the immune system. Understanding how lymphocytes, or white blood cells, develop and how they identify and attack foreign cells affects a number of diseases and stem cell research.

In addition to understanding immune cells, one of the goals of the program is to figure out the molecular mechanisms that cause stem cells to differentiate into immune cells.