Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• SPH BS 851: Applied Statistics in Clinical Trials I
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHBS723) or consent of instructor. - This is an intermediate statistics course, focused on statistical issues applicable to analyzing efficacy data for clinical trials. Topics include design and analysis considerations for clinical trials, such as randomization and sample size determination, and the application of statistical methods such as analysis of variance, logistic regression and survival analysis to superiority and non-inferiority clinical trials. This course includes lectures and computer instructions. Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to have a working knowledge of how to collect and manage clinical trial data; will be to analyze continuous, dichotomous, and time-to-event clinical trial data; and will be able to contribute to the statistical portions of a clinical trial study design. The student will also gain the overall knowledge required to interpret clinical trial statistical results.
• SPH BS 852: Statistical Methods in Epidemiology
  Graduate Prerequisites: SPH BS 723 or SPH BS 730;or consent of instructor. It is not recommend ed that BS805 and BS852 be taken concurrently, unless with the approva l of the instructors of both courses. - This course covers study design and intermediate-level data analysis techniques for handling confounding in epidemiologic studies. Confounding is carefully defined and distinguished from interaction. Course content covers stratification and multivariable techniques for controlling confounding in both matched and independent sample study designs, including analysis of covariance, logistic regression, and proportional hazards models. Model fit and prediction are discussed. Students are required to apply these methods with the aid of computerized statistical packages. The course will use statistical software R and SAS. Students cannot take both BS852 and BS835.
• SPH BS 853: Generalized Linear Models with Applications
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHPH717 & SPHBS805) or consent of instructor - This course introduces statistical models for the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, of the types usually encountered in health science research. The statistical models discussed include: Logistic regression for binary and binomial data, Nominal and Ordinal Multinomial logistic regression for multinomial data, Poisson regression for count data, and Gamma regression for data with constant coefficient of variation. All of these models are covered as special cases of the Generalized Linear Statistical Model, which provides an overarching statistical framework for these models. We will also introduce Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) as an extension to the generalized models to the case of repeated measures data. The course emphasizes practical applications, making extensive use of SAS for data analysis.
• SPH BS 854: Bayesian Methods in Clinical Trials
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHBS851 OR SPHBS861) or consent of instructor. - Bayesian statistical methods use prior information or beliefs, along with the current data, to guide the search for parameter estimates. In the Bayesian paradigm probabilities are subjective beliefs. Prior information/ beliefs are input as a distribution, and the data then helps refine that distribution. The choice of prior distributions, posterior updating, as well as dedicated computing techniques are introduced through simple examples. Bayesian methods for design, monitoring analysis for randomized clinical trials are taught in this class. These methods are contrasted with traditional (frequentist) methods. The emphasis will be on concepts. Examples are case studies from the instructors' work and from medical literature. R will be the main computing tool used.
• SPH BS 857: Analysis of Correlated Data
  Graduate Prerequisites: SPH BS 805 and (SPH BS 852 or BS820); or consent of instructor. - The purpose of this advanced seminar is to present some of the modern methods for analyzing tricorrelated observations. Such data may arise in longitudinal studies where repeated observations are collected on study subjects or in studies in which there is a natural clustering of observations, such as a multi-center study of observations clustered within families. Students start with a review of methods for repeated measures analysis of variance and proceed to more complicated study designs. The course presents both likelihood-based methods and quasi-likelihood methods. Marginal, random effects and transition models are discussed. Students apply these methods in homework assignments and a project.
• SPH BS 858: Statistical Genetics I
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHBS723 OR SPHBS730) or consent of instructor - This course covers a variety of statistical applications to human genetic data, including collection and data management of genetic and family history information, and statistical techniques used to identify genes contributing to disease and quantitative traits in humans. Specific topics include basic population genetics, linkage analysis and genetic association analyses with related and unrelated individuals.
• SPH BS 859: Applied Genetic Analysis
  Graduate Prerequisites: SPH BS 723 or SPH BS 730; or consent of instructor. - Statistical tools used to perform genetic association analysis are used to help unravel the genetic component of complex diseases. Investigators interested in the genetic analysis of complex traits need a basic understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of these methodologies. This course will provide the student with practical, applied experience in performing genome wide association analyses (GWAS) and in using the results of GWAS to better understand the biologic basis of disease. Additional special topics may include analysis of mitochondrial DNA and genetic methylation. Special emphasis is placed on understanding assumptions and issues related to statistical methodologies. The course is taught in a computer lab; in-class time will include didactic lecture and hands on applications using the linux BU shared computing cluster (SCC), R, and specialized genetics software for homework assignments.
• SPH BS 860: Statistical Genetics II
  Graduate Prerequisites: SPH BS858 or BS859; or consent of instructor - This course covers current topics in statistical genetics, with emphasis on how statistical techniques can be used with various types of genetics data to identify genes and genetic variants contributing to complex human diseases. Topics such as gene mapping in experimental organisms, advanced linkage analysis methods, statistical approaches for the analysis of genome-wide high density SNP scans in unrelated and family samples, post genome-wide association analyses and genetic risk prediction will be discussed.
• SPH BS 861: Applied Statistics in Clinical Trials II
  Graduate Prerequisites: SPH BS851; or consent of instructor - This course covers a variety of biostatistical topics in clinical trials, including presentation of statistical results to regulatory agencies for product approval, analysis of safety data, intent-to-treat analyses and handling of missing data, interim analyses and adaptive designs, and analyses of multiple endpoints. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to make and defend decisions for many study designs and for issues faced when analyzing efficacy and safety data from clinical trials. Students will also be able to present, in a written format following standard guidelines accepted by the clinical trials' community, results of such efficacy and safety analyses to the medical reviewers and statistical reviewers of regulatory agencies.
• SPH BS 862: Race and Racism in Biostatistics
  Prerequisites: SPHBS851 or 852. - This course examines the history of race and racism in the development and practice of biostatistics. We will: Study the foundations of demography and race as a categorization and social construct; Recount histories of Galton, Pearson, Fisher, and others as founders of biostatistics and proponents of eugenics; Examine the development of fundamental biostatistics methods (correlation analysis, regression, hypothesis testing) within the context of the times and beliefs of the founders of the field; Deconstruct the implications of race as a covariate or predictor in a model; Explore the impact of racism encoded in collected data and how to mitigate or overcome this bias; Discuss how statistics are wielded in modern discourse surrounding race and reflect on our authority and responsibility as data analysts
• SPH BS 880: Biostatistics Capstone: Design and Analysis of Investigations
  This course provides an overview of the biostatistician's role in a team science environment and will provide training in biostatistical research methods. Students will be introduced to the concepts and best practices for conducting reproducible research, gain experience integrating and applying biostatistical methods learned in the MS in Biostatistics required courses, and experience in communicating with statistical and non-statistical colleagues. This course is to be taken by current students in the MS in Biostatistics program during their final year in the program.
• SPH BS 901: Directed Studies in Biostatistics
  Directed Studies provide the opportunity for students to explore a special topic of interest under the direction of a full-time SPH faculty member. Students may register for 1, 2, 3, or 4 credits of BS901 by submitting a paper registration form and a signed directed study proposal form. Directed studies with a non-SPH faculty member or an adjunct faculty member must be approved by and assigned to the department chair. The Directed Study Proposal Form lists the correct course number per department; students are placed in a section by the Registrar's Office according to the faculty member with whom they are working. Students may take no more than eight credits of directed study, directed research, or practica courses during their MPH education.
• SPH BS 902: Directed Research in Biostatistics
  Directed Research sections in Biostatistics provide the opportunity for students to explore a special topic of Biostatistics research under the direction of a full-time SPH faculty member. Students may register for 1, 2, 3, or 4 credits. Directed studies with a non-SPH faculty member or an adjunct faculty member must be approved by and assigned to the department chair. To register, students must submit a paper registration form and signed directed research proposal form. Students are placed in a section by the Registrar's Office according to the faculty member with whom they are working. Students may take no more than eight credits of directed study, directed research, or practica courses during their MPH education.
• SPH BS 910: Practical Training
  Completion of a minimum of 400 hours (for instance: 40 hours per week for at least 10 weeks) of practical training will be required to obtain the MS in Applied Biostatistics degree. Students are expected to register for this practical training during the summer term, as a final requirement for degree completion. Practical training can be based on extension of the research rotations, industry-based internships or employment in the field of biostatistics. Students are required to write a research paper based on the practical training.
• SPH BS 980: Continuing Study in Biostatistics
  Graduate Prerequisites: For students in the doctoral program in Biostatistics who are approved for dissertation work. Students must be registered for this course b y the GRS Registrar. - Doctoral students in Biostatistics register each summer and fall for Continuing Study in Biostatistics until they have graduated from their doctoral program. Students will participate in a dissertation workshop and other activities while they are preparing their dissertation. Students are charged for 2 credits equivalent of tuition, for student medical insurance, and all relevant fees. They are certified full time. Students must be registered for this course at GRS.
• SPH EH 705: Toxicology for Public Health
  Graduate Prerequisites: *Can^t be taken together for credit with SPH EH 768 - This course designed to introduce the basic concepts of toxicology to students from multiple fields and disciplines. The objectives of the first part of the course are to detail the routes of exposure to xenobiotics (chemicals and drugs) and to trace the pathways through which xenobiotics are absorbed, metabolized, distributed, excreted and biomonitored. In the second section of the course, we examine the effects of molecular/cellular changes on the function of key organ systems. Students are also introduced to regulatory toxicology and food toxicology. At the completion of the course students are expected to have an extensive toxicology vocabulary and a working knowledge of: 1) general toxicological principles, 2) inter-species and inter-individual differences in responses to toxicants, 3) the effects of several key toxicants on the normal function of several organ systems, and 4) the basic approach to regulatory toxicology. The overall objective of this course is to provide the student with an introduction to the language and principles of toxicology such that these principles may be applied to public health situations, as well as to efforts to improve sustainability and reduce toxics use, and be communicated to the general public.
• SPH EH 707: PHYSIOLOGY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
  This course provides a foundation in the basic mechanisms required for human health. Students will learn the fundamentals of human physiology, from the molecular/cellular level to the level of the various organs and organ systems. The integration of organ system functions to maintain good health is considered in depth. After completing this course, students will be able to participate knowledgeably in discussions of diseases of public health concern. Moreover, upon entering the workforce as practitioners, they will be able to effectively communicate with and educate the public about actually how public health activities and interventions serve to promote healthy lives. This course is designed for students who have little or no background in the biological sciences.
• SPH EH 710: Physiological Mechanisms of Health and Disease
  This course provides students with a detailed working knowledge of the normal mechanisms of human body function in both health and disease states. It is most appropriate for MS and PhD students, though it is available to all undergraduate and graduate students. Physiological mechanisms are studied from the molecular level to the level of organ systems, and emphasis is placed on understanding how body processes are regulated and integrated so as to achieve homeostasis characteristic of a normal, healthy individual. Students will become acquainted with both the gross and histological anatomy of major organs. For each system covered, a case studies of a diseases of significant public health interest are used to reinforce application of basic physiological principles, and to acquaint students with physiological measurements commonly used in clinical settings. This course is recommended for all students who need a substantive understanding of human physiology for subsequent coursework. This course will be of special value to students whom expect their careers to involve close interaction with health care providers.
• SPH EH 713: Essentials of Genetic Technologies and the Future of Public Health
  You are all behind! Science and technology change so fast that you can't possibly keep up...unless you take this course. The last 10 years has seen an explosion in genetics, molecular biology, and the understanding of how our environment influences disease. These stunningly rapid advances have important implications for future public health approaches. Therefore, an understanding of the principal concepts of how genetic technologies can be adapted for public health is critical to the public health practitioner. This course will equip students with the ability to understand the potential applications of emerging technologies for various health specialties. In particular, the course introduces the very basic concepts of biology and molecular genetics and investigates the use of powerful biologic technologies impacting public health including RNA COVID vaccines, cancer genomics, gene therapy, GMOs, stem cells, molecular footprinting of environmental chemical exposure, and mining of the human genome. Right to privacy, discrimination on the basis of genetic makeup, human cloning, modifying the human genome, patenting genetically modified animals, and other ethical issues related to emerging technologies are addressed. This course is negotiable by any student showing a high level of enthusiasm for scientific discovery.
• SPH EH 720: Climate Change and Public Health
  Climate change is a defining challenge of our time. Since the 1970s the Earth has experienced steadily rising average temperatures, with associated increases in extreme heat events, sea level, storm intensity, and drought events. Downstream impacts affecting public health include catastrophic winds and floods, deadly heat waves, population displacement, crop failures and food insecurity, altered ecology of infectious organisms, and more intense air pollution and pollen. Mounting evidence has documented the adverse human health consequences of these changes, including how health effects are mediated by social and economic vulnerability factors. The course begins with lectures on climate science as it relates to patterns of weather extremes. It then examines the range of human health impacts that are associated with climate change, with emphasis on identifying vulnerable populations and communities. Specific topics include changes in air quality, natural ecosystems, water quantity and quality, food security, ecosystem services, and built infrastructure. Throughout, students will present case studies evaluating adaptation and mitigation strategies to prevent health problems resulting from climate-related environmental issues, with focus on the sustainability of interventions. Outside subject matter experts join the classroom to discuss their real-world involvement in climate change and public health.