Epidemiology

• SPH EP 714: Introduction to Epidemiology
  Graduate Prerequisites: Can't be taken together with SPH PH 717 for credit - Epidemiology is the study of population differences in health. The field seeks to understand why some groups of individuals have better health than others; these insights can be used to improve health and reduce health inequities. The goals of this course are to: (1) introduce the basic principles and methods of epidemiology; (2) demonstrate their applicability to public health and research; and (3) provide fundamental skills needed to begin to interpret and critically evaluate literature relevant to public health professionals. Topics include measures of disease frequency and association, epidemiologic study designs, bias, confounding, random error, screening and causation.
• SPH EP 722: Data Collection Methods for Epidemiologic Research
  This interactive and team oriented course will introduce students to common and uncommon data collection sources and methods used currently in epidemiological research. Existing medical, insurance, and vital records data sources will be discussed, along with traditional self, telephone, and in-person survey research methods. More novel approaches that include internet based surveys, ecological momentary assessments, and social media will be covered as well. For all methods, issues associated with data quality control, validity and reliability will be covered. Students will practice developing their own surveys and other data collection tools and will evaluate data collection methods published within the scientific literature. Students will also learn how to conceptualize and write as their final assignment the entire data collection methods section of a NIH or similar grant proposal.
• SPH EP 730: Epidemiology of Vaccine Preventable Diseases
  Graduate Prerequisites: SPH EP 714 or SPH PH 717 - This course provides students with a fundamental understanding of the epidemiology and control of vaccine-preventable diseases. This will be accomplished by focusing on a different vaccine-preventable disease each week, and using that disease to illustrate epidemiologic principles and methods to measure vaccine safety, efficacy, and impact; and to understand current issues around public acceptability. Vaccines examined in depth include those for Measles, Rubella, Pneumococcus, COVID, Chicken Pox and Rotavirus. Emphasis is placed on study design, sources of bias, and current controversies. The majority of class time is focused on in-class discussions where students take turns presenting to their peers. The course gives students experience in the critical review of epidemiologic studies in this area.
• SPH EP 748: Drug Epidemiology (formerly EP830)
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHEP770 OR SPHEP813) SPH EP 714 or SPH PH 717; concurrent enrollment in EP 770 or EP 813 re commended. - With the participation of active researchers in pharmacoepidemiology, this course addresses a range of study designs and analytic techniques for observational studies on the utilization, safety and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals. Students will develop an understanding of how to plan, implement, analyze and criticize pharmacoepidemiologic studies. Lectures will provide methodological background and will cover applied issues typically encountered in pharmacoepidemiology. In addition, students will become acquainted with the drug approval process in the United States, and with issues particularly relevant or unique to the epidemiologic study of medications (e.g., risk management, post marketing surveillance).
• SPH EP 749: Applications to Introductory Epidemiology
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHEP714) SPH EP714 (prior or concurrent enrollment) or equivalent or permission of instructor. - This course is designed for students who want to gain practical experience articulating epidemiologic research questions, analyzing data, and reporting results. This course is closely synchronized with EP714 (Introduction of Epidemiology) and applies knowledge of introductory epidemiologic principles to the analysis of observational data. The goals of this course are to (1) conceptualize research questions and develop testable hypotheses; (2) access and utilize data to calculate, interpret, and present disease measures; (3) apply introductory concepts of study design to evaluate peer-reviewed research; and (4) practice synthesizing and summarizing data through class assignments and projects, and critiquing and editing the work of peers.
• SPH EP 752: Cancer Epidemiology
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHPH717 OR SPHEP714) or equivalent - This intermediate-level course centers on the discipline of cancer epidemiology. It focuses on descriptive data on cancer incidence and mortality, risk factors, and methods related to the design, conduct, and analysis of studies on cancer. Students completing this course will develop the skills to critically evaluate and interpret the published literature on environmental, genetic, and behavioral determinants of cancer incidence and mortality. Students will be able to apply the principles of cancer epidemiology when reviewing the literature and participating in research projects.
• SPH EP 755: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHPH717 OR SPHEP714) - This course introduces students to the biology, epidemiologic methods, and mathematical models needed to study infectious diseases in populations. In addition to lecture presentations on biologic and clinical aspects of infectious diseases, their distribution within populations, and their control, the course also covers study design issues specific to infectious diseases and simple infectious disease modeling. The course includes analysis of actual infectious disease outbreaks and studies through workshops and article reviews.
• SPH EP 758: Nutritional Epidemiology
  Graduate Prerequisites: SPH PH 717 or SPH EP 714. - The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the discipline of nutritional epidemiology. In the class, we will focus on methodological issues relating to design, dietary assessment, and data analysis of studies on diet and disease. We will also review some of the literature relating nutrition to certain disease states, including coronary heart disease and cancer, in which we highlight methodological issues and interpretation of findings in nutritional epidemiologic research. Students completing this course will understand the basic principles of nutritional epidemiology and will be able to apply them in reading the literature and participating in nutrition research projects.
• SPH EP 759: Reproductive Epidemiology
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHPH717 OR SPHEP714) - This course takes a broad view of reproduction and therefore surveys current knowledge concerning the epidemiology of reproductive heath across the life course. Topics vary from year to year but may include adolescent development, contraceptive use, abortion care in the post-Dobbs era, infertility, miscarriage, birth defects, menopause, uterine fibroids, gynecologic cancers, and reproductive health among assigned males at birth. Reproductive justice issues are also discussed. The course emphasizes epidemiologic methods and gives the student experience in critiquing published articles, conducting a literature review, writing a research proposal and public speaking.
• SPH EP 764: The Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in the Developed and Developing World
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHPH717 OR SPHEP714) - This course is designed to introduce students to an important global public health field - the epidemiology and control of HIV and AIDS. It is designed for those students who have a keen interest in HIV/AIDS in both the developed and developing world. This course will survey state-of-the art knowledge of the epidemiology of HIV and will emphasize epidemiologic principles and methods including: estimating the incidence of HIV infection and AIDS, study design, and sources of bias. The use of epidemiologic data to construct and implement treatment and prevention of HIV will also be highlighted. In addition, the course will give the student experience in the critical review of epidemiologic studies in this area.
• SPH EP 770: Concepts and Methods in Epidemiology
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHPH717 OR SPHEP714) Can^t be taken together with SPH EP 813 for credit - This course develops the methodologic concepts and principles of epidemiology introduced in the MPH Quantitative Core course. The material covered is intended to extend the student's understanding of the elements of study design, data analysis, and inference in epidemiologic research, including issues related to bias, confounding, and stratified analysis. The course consists of lectures and workshop sessions. The workshop sessions are designed to reinforce the concepts/topics covered in the lectures. This course is not appropriate for students who have completed EP813.
• SPH EP 775: Social Epidemiology
  Graduate Prerequisites: SPH PH 717 or SPH EP 714. - The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the major social variables that affect population health, including socio-economic status, race and ethnicity, gender, discrimination, neighborhood environment, corporate practices, religion, political ideology, and the criminal justice system. This course will cover the theoretical underpinnings of each construct, and is intended to guide students in in-depth discussions of the empirical evidence and methods linking social determinants to population health. This course will include didactic lectures, journal club, and culminate in a group project.
• SPH EP 784: The Epidemiology of Tuberculosis in the Developed and Developing World
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHPH717 OR SPHEP714) - This course is designed for those students who have an interest in the epidemiology and control of tuberculosis, the single largest cause of global infectious disease mortality. The course will survey state of the art knowledge of tuberculosis, including molecular epidemiologic techniques, and will emphasize epidemiologic principles and methods underlying TB control strategies. The course focuses on study design, selection and information bias, and confounding. The course will also give the student experience in the critical review of epidemiologic studies in this area.
• SPH EP 790: Mental Health Epidemiology
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHPH717) or SPH EP 714 - Mental Health Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of mental health disorders among populations. This course begins with an overview of the history and development of the field, also referred to as psychiatric epidemiology, using several classic studies. We will examine mental health and mental illness across the life span: child, adolescent, adult and older adult. Students will learn about the major risk factors for and etiologic models of mental disorders. This will include examination of social factors, biological factors, genetic factors and their interactions. Special attention will be paid to the unique methodological and analytical issues highlighted by mental health epidemiologic research, and recent changes to clinical and research classifications (e.g., DSM-V, RDoc). Based on the research covered in this course, students will be asked to consider the implications for public health programs and interventions.
• SPH EP 800: Microbes and Methods: Selected Topics in Outbreak Investigation
  Graduate Prerequisites: BS723 or BS730 completed or concurrent. - This course provides an overview of the important concepts fundamental to the understanding, design, and conduct of infectious disease outbreak investigations. The course will cover 1. The epidemiology and pathophysiology of selected infectious diseases. 2. Methodological issues related to investigating different types of outbreak. 3. Practical aspects of outbreak investigations (environmental analyses and communicating risk to the public). The course will primarily address common causes of outbreaks in this country (such as foodborne, respiratory, and hospital-based) but will touch on issues pertinent to outbreak investigations in the developing world.
• SPH EP 813: Intermediate Epidemiology
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHPH717 & SPHEP714) Can't be taken together with SPH EP 770 for credit - The purpose of this course is to further develop student’s understanding of the methodologic concepts underlying the science of epidemiology. The material covered is intended to broaden and extend the student's knowledge regarding study design, bias, and inference in epidemiologic research. The primary aims of the course are to build on the concepts covered in introductory epidemiology courses, and further, to introduce students to concepts that are covered in more advanced study of epidemiologic methods. The course consists of lectures and workshop sessions. The workshop sessions are designed to reinforce the concepts covered in the lectures.
• SPH EP 816: A Guided Epidemiologic Study
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHEP714 & SPHBS723) or SPH BS 730 or SPH PH 760 or SPH BS 805 or SPH BS 835; AND consent o f the instructor. - This course prepares students to conduct original epidemiologic studies and write scholarly articles to disseminate their findings. It also equips students with skills for broader scientific communication and for reading published articles more efficiently and critically. Through lectures, discussions, written assignments, and oral presentations, students develop etiologic research questions, conduct literature reviews, perform data analyses using a real-world dataset. They will learn how to structure and write each section of a scientific manuscript and apply principles for concise and clear writing. The final project involves integrating all sections into a complete paper for journal submission. This seminar spans from the second half of the Fall Semester (EP816) to the first half of the Spring Semester (PH880).
• SPH EP 850: Applications of Intermediate Epidemiology
  Graduate Prerequisites: (SPHEP813 OR SPHEP770) and BS 723; or equivalent - This course is designed for students interested in applying their knowledge of intermediate epidemiologic methods to the statistical analysis of observational data. Topics include conceptualizing a data analysis proposal by defining a novel and addressable research question, utilizing directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) for confounder selection, choosing appropriate exposure and outcome measurements, performing the appropriate statistical analysis, and interpreting the results with respect to strengths, limitations, and biases. This hands-on course will put the concepts of intermediate epidemiology into application as the students perform a research data analysis project from start to finish. Data analysis will be performed using R and/or SAS. Statistical theory will not be a focus of this course.
• SPH EP 854: Advanced Epidemiology
  Graduate Prerequisites: SPH EP 770 or SPH 813; AND SPH BS 723 or SPH BS 730. - This course covers the theory and application of key principles and methods of epidemiologic research in depth. The topics include causal models, confounding, randomization, selection bias, information bias, interaction, mediation, statistical analysis and inference, and causal inference. Guidance is offered for determining objectives and strategies in study design and analysis, including for case-control research. Methods are presented for the assessment and control of confounding, misclassification bias, and selection bias. Special emphasis is given to the limitations of standard methods for dealing with various sources of bias and novel methods for reducing bias are detailed. In addition, there is a focus on the meaning and interpretation of p-values, confidence intervals, and likelihoods.
• SPH EP 855: Advanced Epidemiology Seminar: Issues in Study Design
  Graduate Prerequisites: Primarily for doctoral students. MPH students must have completed EP85 4 and have consent of the instructor. - This seminar-style course is intended to deepen students’ knowledge of study design features so that they can better recognize and hopefully either avoid or reduce the influence of common, but at times under-appreciated, sources of biases in measurement, effect estimation, and interpretation. Example topics include case-control studies, study efficiency, measures of effect, exposure misclassification, casual diagrams, and direct and indirect effects. At its essence, epidemiology comprises a set of tools for answering questions in public health. Accordingly, this course also attends to the theoretical frameworks we might use to inform our studies, e.g., what gets asked, what gets measured, what adjustments are made. Each topic entails reading and student-led discussions of methodological papers, historical and recent. Students also develop skills in writing and speaking through classroom discussion, writing assignments, and a written exam.