Epidemiology, when correctly applied, uncovers patterns of disease in populations and can be used to effectively focus health resources and education to combat disease and evaluate existing healthcare systems. It provides a means to weigh environmental, cultural, genetic and lifestyle factors that influence the spread and experience of both chronic and infectious disease and bioterrorism. By choosing this concentration, students are seeking a deeper and more complete understanding of disease, its impact on society and how to extract disease trends from complex systems.
The epidemiology concentration aims to provide:
- Advanced training for students who wish to proceed to careers in the analytical aspects of global public health;
- The skills to conduct independent epidemiological research in the areas of infectious disease, allergy, cancer, bioterrorism and toxicology, as well as chronic disease;
- Theoretical and practical training in the newly developed field of genetic epidemiology
Karen Day (Concentration Leader), Alyssa Barry, Martin Blaser, Stuart Brown, William Chiang, Antionette Cirillo, Curt Dill, Joel Ernst, George Foltin, Chris Freyberg, Lewis Goldfrank, Robert Hoffman, Gregory Johnston, Florence Bodeau-Livinec, Stephen Menlove, Susan Montella, Pravene Nath, Lewis Nelson, Ingrid Peterson, Rama Rao, Rob Rosenwald, Roy Shore, Paolo Toniolo, Fred Valentine, Anne Zeleniuch-Jacquotte, Susan Zolla-Pazner
U10.2230 - Global Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Control
Spring, 3.0 credits
This course will focus on the considerable and increasing burden of disease due to chronic diseases, mental health, substance use (alcohol, tobacco, other drugs), risk factors (obesity, lack of physical activity), and injuries within the developing world. It will present methods for measuring the burden of non-communicable disease, review approaches to program and service development to modify risk factors, present lessons learned from successful developing country programs, and discuss implications for health services development and international development policies.
U10.2410 - Global Burden of Infectious Disease
Spring, 3.0 credits, Karen Day
Prerequisite U10.2106
Infectious diseases, especially HIV, TB, malaria and acute respiratory infections (ARI) contribute substantially to the global burden of disease. This course will focus on the biology, epidemiology and control of these infectious diseases. This is essential training for practitioners of global public health.
U10.2420 - Genetic Epidemiology
Spring, 3.0 credits, Karen Day
Prerequisite U10.2106
This course will examine the impact of genetic diversity on global health. It will provide the training to allow an investigator to explore why we are not equally susceptible to the same diseases and to incorporate pathogen genetics into epidemiologic analysis. Its aim is to provide the necessary background in genomics, bioinformatics and population genetics to practice genetic epidemiology. The course will teach basics in genomics and bioinformatics to utilize both pathogen and human genome diversity data. The principles of population genetics will be taught in the context of epidemiological analyses. Epidemiologic designs and statistical methods required for linkage studies and mapping genetic traits (both simple and complex) will be defined.
U10.2440 - Emerging Diseases and Bioterrorism
Fall, 3.0 credits, Karen Day
Prerequisite U10.2106
The emergence of new pathogens and drug resistance, as well as increased transmission opportunities caused by human migration, political instability and breakdown of healthcare infrastructure, has led to a rising prevalence of infectious disease. This course aims to provide training in the biology, epidemiology and control of emerging diseases. It will provide the necessary skills to analyze the interplay between human host and pathogen in both evolutionary ecology and statistical epidemiology frameworks. There will be a discussion of ÒDarwinian MedicineÓ. Specific bioterrorism pathogens will be discussed, as well as methods of identification and predictive modeling of a bioterrorism incident. In addition to lectures, class time will include practical data handling. Discussion of both methodological and substantive epidemiology papers from the recent literature will be led by the students.
U10.2450 - Advanced Epidemiology
Fall, 3.0 credits, Florence Bodeau-Livinec/Karen Day
Prerequisite U10.2106
This course will develop an understanding of epidemiologic concepts and methods that will be a backbone to in depth training in specialty areas. It will provide a technical and conceptual training in study design, multivariant analysis, sample size calculations and other key epidemiologic techniques. It will build on the basic core course. Students must enroll in a required lab section.
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| Fall Semester |
Spring Semester |
- Global Health Policy & Management
- Biostatistics I
- Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health
- Ethical Issues and Decision Making in International Public Health
- Integrative Seminar: Foundations of Global Public Health
- Global Health Informatics Workshop I
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- Biostatistics II
- Qualitative & Field Methods
- Introduction to Epidemiology
- Global Environmental Health
- Global Health Informatics Workshop II
- Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Control
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| Summer Semester |
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- Can be used to complete Internship fieldwork hours
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| Fall Semester |
Spring Semester |
- Advanced Epidemiology
- Emerging Diseases and Bioterrorism
- Capstone I
- Integrative Seminar: The Practice of Global Public Health I
- Internship in Global Public Health
- General Elective
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- Genetic Epidemiology
- Global Burden of Infectious Disease
- Capstone II
- Integrative Seminar: The Practice of Global Public Health II
- General Elective
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