A guide for early-career researchers
Where to start, and what the first year looks like.
Centre for Immunology, Genetics, and Systems Biology
Advancing immunology, genetics, and systems biology through rigorous, collaborative research.
At CISBM, advisory scientists lead funding searches and structure the studies, while members train through seminars and intensive research bootcamps in a supportive environment, producing outputs suitable for publication or future funding.
Where to start
Where to begin at the Centre.
Membership looks different depending on where you are in your career. Each guide sets out what the first steps involve and what they lead to.
A guide for senior academics and the advisory board
How senior members shape the Centre's work.
What this involves
Apply to the Centre
One form, every kind of application.
You need a CISBM member account before you can apply. Register first, then return here and choose your application type.
Start an application →Mission
Research carried through to an output.
CISBM exists to make scientific collaboration straightforward. We bring researchers together around defined activities designed to produce genuine scientific output: proposals, manuscripts, computational analyses, and experimental concepts, each taken through to a finished piece of work.
Our work spans immunology, genetics, and systems biology, and the methods that connect molecular-scale data to clinical questions. We welcome researchers from every institution and at every career stage, and we judge the work by its rigour and originality.
Events summary
All current eventsWhat the Centre has on.
Express Research BootcampHappening nowBC-2026-001
Express Bootcamp Event
Express event to foster collaborations within defined research themes.
15 Oct 2026 – 31 Dec 2026
Sheffield, United Kingdom
Apply for a place
30 of 30 places left
Members
Meet the community →Our People
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Dr. Kiarash Saleki, MD, HMBA
Director General
Advisory & Distinguished Member
SAC
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Aida Mehrani
Deputy Director
Advisory & Distinguished Member
SAC
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Mohammad Javad Yousefi-Hashemabad
Head of Research
Advisory & Distinguished Member
SAC
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Ahmad Reza Gilaki-Bishe
Head of Human Resources
Advisory & Distinguished Member
SAC
Organisation of the Centre
Two councils, and a ladder you climb by finishing work.
Direction sits with two councils. Every grade above Registered Member is earned by carrying a piece of supervised research through to publication-ready material.
Supreme Advisory Council4 of 5 seats filled
Five permanent seats, carrying the direction of the Centre.
- Kiarash SalekiDirector General
- Aida MehraniDeputy Director
- Mohammad Javad Yousefi-HashemabadHead of Research
- Ahmad Reza Gilaki-BisheHead of Human Resources
- VacantHead of Scientific Integrity and Ethics
High Scientific Council0 of 7 seats filled
Seven seats held for a year, three of them taken by the highest research scores.
- Vacant
- Vacant
- Vacant
- Vacant
- Vacant
- Vacant
- Vacant
The shape of the Centre
Four ways in, drawn.
Who decides, how standing is earned, where you begin, and what the work is. Swipe, scroll or use the arrows.
Two councils
Who sits where →A ladder to climb on the way to becoming a scientist
Scientific Progression Levels →Start with supervision, and build your skills
The training pathway →Themes, groups, projects
Inside the research →
Activities
View all events →Upcoming Events
No upcoming events are scheduled right now.
New scientific events, seminars, and the next Research Bootcamp will be announced here.
Browse past events →
Research
Explore our research →Research Themes
Active
Translational Immunomodulatory Protein Design in Infectious Disease
This theme focuses on computational and preclinical design of proteins to target a variety of infectious diseases.
Active
Gastrointestinal Cancers: Genetics and Immunology
The genetic and immunological determinants of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, from oesophagus and stomach to pancreas, liver, biliary tract and colorectum.
Publish
Research belongs in the open.
The CISBM Journal of Immunology, Genetics and Systems Biology publishes original research, reviews, methods and resources: free to read, and free to publish for members of the Centre.
Membership
Membership is free, and built for scientific collaboration.
CISBM membership is free in every category. Regular and Affiliated members train, build skills, and collaborate directly on research outputs, while the Senior Committee shapes scientific direction and strategy. Every category is open to researchers who meet its academic requirements.