Immune Literacy: a Call to Action for a System-Level Change

ABSTRACT Immune literacy—the ability to hear, learn, read, write, explain, and discuss immunological content with varied audiences—has become critically important in recent years. Yet, with its complex terminology and discipline-specific concepts, educating individuals about the immune system and it...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Philip F. Mixter, Adam J. Kleinschmit, Archana Lal, Thiru Vanniasinkam, Danielle L. J. Condry, Rebekah T. Taylor, Louis B. Justement, Sumali Pandey
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Society for Microbiology 2023-04-01
Series:Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00203-22
Description
Summary:ABSTRACT Immune literacy—the ability to hear, learn, read, write, explain, and discuss immunological content with varied audiences—has become critically important in recent years. Yet, with its complex terminology and discipline-specific concepts, educating individuals about the immune system and its role in health and disease may seem daunting. Here, we reflect on how to demystify the discipline and increase its accessibility for a broader audience. To address this, a working group of immunology educators from diverse institutions associated with the research coordination network, ImmunoReach, convened virtually. As a result of these discussions, we request a call to action for a system-level change and present a set of practical recommendations that novice and experienced educators from diverse institutions, professional societies, and policymakers may adopt to foster immune literacy in their classrooms and communities.
ISSN:1935-7877
1935-7885