James Townsend | Master of Medical Sciences in Immunology

When James Townsend, MD, left his clinical post in Sydney to study immunology at Harvard Medical School, he knew that he was taking an unconventional path. Most junior doctors in Australia spend their early years climbing the hospital ladder gaining certifications, completing specialty rotations, and preparing for advanced training. Instead, James hedged a calculated bet: that deep time in fundamental science would sharpen, not sideline, his clinical ambitions.

Now a second-year Master of Medical Sciences in Immunology student and a Fulbright Scholar, James conducts research at the Ragon Institute of Mass General Brigham, MIT, and Harvard, exploring how poxviruses manipulate natural killer (NK) cells, which are seen by immunologists as the sentinels of the innate immune system. His work focuses on dissecting the mechanisms behind viral immunomodulation and developing strategies to restore NK cell function, with potential applications in infectious disease, immunotherapy, and cancer.

“I always wanted to explore the idea of being a clinician-scientist… I feel that you can make more of a difference in the world if you’re able to bridge the gap between science and clinical medicine,” James says.

That desire propelled his Fulbright application. “My pitch to Fulbright was: I want to be a translational medicine doctor. I want to be a clinician-scientist trying to translate discoveries in basic science into clinical medicine,” he says. The scholarship broadened his options, but Harvard quickly emerged as the fit that matched his aims and pace. “I am so glad that I’ve taken this opportunity because of the location, the timeline, the experiences, and the actual course content.”

James points to the explosion of immunotherapy in oncology, the rise of mRNA vaccine technology, and the growing role of immunomodulation in diseases once thought to be unrelated to immunity. “Immunology is opening up new avenues in infectious disease, cancer, and immunotherapeutics. It’s just the right time to be in the field.”

The program’s environment reinforces that momentum. James describes an atmosphere where discovery feels close at hand. Each class, he says, reveals how quickly immunology evolves and how those advances ripple through every corner of biomedical science.

The Master of Medical Sciences in Immunology’s two-year structure was a deciding factor. Rather than compressing new concepts into a single academic sprint, students have a runway to grow as scholars: rigorous coursework, close mentorship, and a full year of thesis research. The first year is intentionally dense, building a shared language across a class that includes physicians, biologists, engineers, and data scientists.

“Every course is taught by a leader in the field,” James says. “Half the time, the person lecturing discovered the very thing you’re learning about. It’s incredible.”

That access extends beyond the classroom. Boston’s dense ecosystem of hospitals, biotech startups, and academic labs creates constant opportunities for collaboration. James notes that the city feels like the world’s immunology capital, where every encounter seems to involve someone whose work is reshaping what we know about human health.

James also came to the Immunology program with a teacher’s eye. He runs a medical-education YouTube channel, called “TownsendTeaching”, that turns pathogenesis and pharmacology into approachable sketches and mnemonics. That made the program’s classroom culture part of the draw, particularly the energy of longtime Immunology program director Shiv Pillai, MD, PhD.

He laughs as he says, “At the end of every single lecture, [Dr. Pillai] has a bespoke poem that summarizes the content in poetry form. It’s just off the top of his head.”

Against that backdrop of teaching and access, James’ thesis takes aim at a fundamental question in innate immunity: how viruses evade the body’s early defenses. At the Ragon Institute, he investigates poxviral immunomodulation of NK cells under the mentorship of Wilfredo Garcia-Beltran, MD, PhD, a physician-scientist and consultant pathologist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

“We study natural killer cells, which are one of the most important cells for your broad, innate immunity,” James says. “I study poxviruses like monkeypox and vaccinia virus, which is the virus that gave us the name ‘vaccine’ and was used originally to vaccinate us against smallpox.”

What makes the experience stand out, he says, is the lab’s balance between basic science and clinical translation. “Wilfredo does his clinical work as a pathologist, but then he’s doing all this cutting-edge translational research. Everything we’re studying has the potential to connect back to real patients.”

That integration—and Dr Garcia-Beltran’s energy—has made the project one of the most rewarding parts of his time at Harvard. “He’s the best mentor I could have imagined,” James says with a smile. “He brings such passion and knowledge to everything he does. I just couldn’t have asked for a better situation. Some of my friends back home have had tough lab experiences, so it’s amazing to have one that’s this positive. I just can’t stop thinking about how lucky I am to have found this opportunity.”

James has also taken advantage of Harvard’s cross-disciplinary opportunities, completing an elective in translational pharmacology and attending lectures at MIT. “Everyone tells you to squeeze every drop out of the experience,” he says with a laugh. “And it’s true! There’s an entire world of ideas at your fingertips.”

What continues to surprise him most, though, is the access to expertise. “I’m still shocked by the number of people,” James says. “I made a list of over 100 lecturers I’ve had over the past year, and nearly every single one of them has contributed in some form to a seminal paper or an important discovery in science or medicine.”

James describes Boston as “a biotech hub,” where access to knowledge and mentorship seems limitless. “The density of experts here is amazing,” he says. “Everything is so well connected, and everyone is so willing to teach.” He recalls being invited to observe a neurosurgical case by a lecturer who also runs a neuroscience lab. “It’s not something I ever would have been able to do in Sydney,” he adds. “Massachusetts General Hospital, or Man’s Greatest Hospital, which a lot of people refer to it as, is truly a center of excellence.”

Meeting so many of the scientists who contributed to the papers he once studied has changed how James sees himself within the field. “When you meet the people behind the paper, you expect them to be otherworldly,” he says. “But they’re just normal people who’ve had opportunities and access to the right equipment, to mentorship, to a culture that encourages curiosity. They’ve been able to explore what they love thoroughly, and that’s what it feels like here at the Ragon Institute, too. Everyone has their own particular interest, and they explore it so perfectly that it continues to inspire you.”

When he graduates, James plans to return to Australia to continue his clinical training and build on the networks he has formed in Boston. “It’s going to be very sad going back, because I don’t think the density of scientists is the same in any other part of the world,” he admits. “But there’s a saying that a degree from Harvard goes farther, the farther away from Harvard you are, and it’s so true. I’d never even met anyone who had gone to Harvard before this. I think there will be a lot of opportunities waiting for me that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

When asked what advice he would offer future students, James doesn’t hesitate. “Just apply,” he says, “even if it feels like a stretch. I had the Fulbright Scholarship, and I was still anxious about whether I’d get in, because the name and reputation of Harvard are so big… But with this degree, you’re going to be able to go places.”

For James, the real lesson of the Master of Medical Sciences in Immunology program is about possibility—how curiosity, mentorship, and access can transform a career. From Sydney to Boston and back again, his work bridges continents and disciplines, carrying forward the same conviction that brought him here: that science and medicine, when united, can change lives.

Written by Bailey Merlin