Immunogenetics

Training in the UCLA Immunogenetics Center is available at UCLA under the supervision of Dr. Elaine F. Reed. The UCLA Immunogenetics Center Director Trainee Program is an American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI) accredited HLA laboratory director program. This fellowship provides two years of formal training for one candidate funded by the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. During this time, the fellow will work under the direct guidance of four ASHI qualified directors and experienced laboratory staff at the UCLA Immunogenetics Center. The Fellow will gain `hands on’ experience and perform clinical case reviews. The fellow will further conduct research within Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics in collaboration with the directors, research scientists, and laboratory personnel. Completion of this post-doctoral training program will provide the trainee with two years education and experience in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a qualified histocompatibility director under CLIA/CMS, UNOS and ASHI standards.

Requirements & Application

Applicants with more than three prior years of postdoctoral experience are not eligible to apply for this fellowship. Trainees are employed as postdoctoral fellows for the duration of their fellowship, and the UCLA Graduate Division does not allow the total duration of an individual's postdoctoral service to exceed five years (see #6 under Terms of Service here): https://grad.ucla.edu/gss/postdoc/pdfund.htm

The director trainee must have earned MD or a PhD in Immunology, genetics on in related biological science from an accredited institution. In addition to the education requirements, the applicant must have at least 2 years full-time post-doctoral laboratory training or experience in Immunology, Histocompatibility, or Immunogenetics, or a residency in clinical and/or anatomic pathology or other related medical specialty or have at least 2 years full-time post-doctoral training in directing or supervising high complexity testing in human Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics in an ASHI-accredited or approved laboratory. Reference letters documenting the level of clinical involvement are required.

If the applicant has relevant pre-doctoral experience supervising high complexity testing in human Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics in an ASHI accredited or approved laboratory, this may be credited at a rate of 0.5 years of post-doctoral training per each year of appropriate pre-doctoral experience up to a total of 2 of 4 years of post-doctoral experience. Reference letters documenting the level of clinical involvement are required.

Applications are accepted from July 1 through January 31 of the year PRIOR to training. Recruitment for the 2025-2027 fellowship will start on July 1, 2024.

Selection of candidates to invite for interviews will be made by the Director and the Training Director.

Candidate interviews will be arranged during the months of November to January. Selection of the new fellow will be decided by the end of February. Selected candidates will be notified in March.

You must have a completed application on file that is composed of the items listed below:

Letter of intent summarizing your education, training and experience that are relevant to this training program
The candidate’s CV
Names and contact information for at least three references
For foreign graduates : a Credentials Review by an ASHI approved agency