Division of Intramural Research

The Division of Intramural Research (DIR) is a component of NIAID, one of the largest Institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). For more than 65 years, DIR has been at the forefront of research on immunologic, allergic, and infectious diseases. Our purpose is to make scientific discoveries that promote the development of new vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics that improve human health. DIR Research goals are to expand knowledge of normal immune system components and functions, define mechanisms responsible for abnormal immune function (immunodeficiency, allergy, and autoimmunity), understand the biology of infectious agents (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites) and the host response to infection, and develop strategies to prevent and treat immunologic, allergic, and infectious diseases. DIR scientists study all aspects of infectious diseases, including the causative agents and their vectors, and pathogenesis in human and animal hosts. Clinical research also is integral to the DIR mission, enabling key lab discoveries to be rapidly translated into methods to prevent, diagnose, or treat disease. DIR researchers conduct more than 180 clinical trials at the NIH Clinical Center on the Bethesda, Maryland, campus and at collaborating U.S. and international sites