Peter Parham is a professor in the departments of structural biology as well as microbiology and immunology at Stanford University. Dr. Parham’s research has focused on proteins of the human immune system that vary greatly between individuals and populations. These differences, the consequence of natural selection, not only modulate the immune response to infection and cancer, but also influence the success of reproduction and therapeutic transplantation of cells, tissues, and organs. He was elected fellow of the Royal Society in 2008.

Praise for the Second Edition: "...Appealing and relevant for those students who approach the study of the immune system through a clinical lens, including students of medicine, pharmacology, midwifery, or nursing; it would also be appropriate in an introductory immunology course." –Clinical Immunology“The concise yet thorough account makes it an ideal read for the intended audience....Each section and chapter is clearly documented in a detailed contents section, and each chapter is concisely summarized, creating an accessible and understandable book....The Immune System is a thorough and coherent overview of the modern understanding of immunity.” –Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine

• 1. Elements of the Immune System and their Roles in Defense2. Innate Immunity: The Immediate Response to Infection3. Innate Immunity: The Induced Response to Infection4. Antibody Structure and the Generation of B-Cell Diversity5. Antigen Recognition by T Lymphocytes6. The Development of B Lymphocytes7. The Development of T Lymphocytes8. T Cell-Mediated Immunity9. Immunity Mediated by B Cells and Antibodies10. Preventing Infection at Mucosal Surfaces11. Immunological Memory and Vaccination12. Coevolution of Innate and Adaptive Immunity13. Failures of the Body’s Defenses14. IgE-Mediated Immunity and Allergy15. Transplantation of Tissues and Organs16. Disruption of Healthy Tissue by the Immune Response17. Cancer and Its Interactions with the Immune System