EPIDEMIOLOGY
PBHL 530
Introduces and applies the principles of epidemiology and study design needed to support population-based and community-health assessment and evaluation. Basic and more advanced methods are covered as appropriate, with applications to public health and community contexts, and integration with biostatistics.
4 credits
INTERMEDIATE EPIDEMIOLOGY
PBHL 630
This course expands on basic methods used in epidemiologic thinking and research – with a focus on observational studies of disease risk factors. Topics covered include: basic principals of causal inference; observational study designs; bias; confounding; effect modification; stratified analysis; and the epidemiologic approach to multivariable modeling. An emphasis is also placed on critically reading the epidemiologic literature.
3 credits
APPLIED SURVEY RESEARCH IN EPIDEMIOLOGY
PBHL 632
This course addresses theoretical/practical aspects pertinent to the conduct of survey research in human populations. Topics include sampling, recruitment, and enrollment strategies; selection, definition, and measurement of study variables; instrument development/design; data collection techniques/requirements; data file development/management activities; and issues related to the influence of survey study design/execution on epidemiological effect measures.
3 credits
CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY
PBHL 633
This course will provide students with training in the methods and topics specific to the epidemiology of cancer. Students will learn about cancer surveillance, etiologic studies, therapy trials, and prevention/screening studies of cancer.
3 credits
EPIDEMIOLOGY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE
PBHL 634
This course is designed to enable the student to understand epidemiology as a health discipline and how epidemiology provides information for infectious/non-infectious disease prevention and control. Topics cover public health surveillance, outcomes research, health services research, principles of cancer registration, and a variety of practice-related exercises.
3 credits
SOCIAL AND PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOLGY
PBHL 635
The course addresses the content and methods of social epidemiology and the clinical, methodological, and epidemiologic aspects of psychiatric illness. Students are required to explore theoretical and empirical aspects of disease etiology and disease course that extends beyond a biomedical model.
3 credits
INFECTIOUS DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY
PBHL 636
This course introduces epidemiologic methods specific to infectious disease epidemiology within the context of the study of several major classes of infectious diseases with global impact on public health. Students will learn about techniques in outbreak investigations as well as surveillance and disease reporting. They will learn how biological characteristics of infectious diseases such as transmission and immunity alter the more familiar approaches to descriptive and analytic epidemiology developed in the chronic disease setting.
3 credits
PERINATAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
PBHL 638
Introduces topical issues and methodological approaches to studying maternal and child health outcomes during the perinatal period. The focus is on study designs and data sources most relevant to perinatal epidemiology and examples of epidemiologic research on common perinatal health issues. Current research areas in perinatal epidemiology and future directions for research are also presented.
3 credits
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY
PBHL 639
This course provides a forum for in-depth discussions of one of the main public health issues. Topics include the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD), trends in coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension and heart failure mortality/morbidity, well-established and emerging CVD risk factors, and major strategies for CVD prevention/control.
3 credits
METHODOLOGIC CHALLENGES: ADVANCED EPI 2
PBHL 834
This course is designed to provide a theoretical foundation and the practical tools necessary for addressing challenges to causal inference in epidemiological research. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to understand causal inference problems through the framework of potential outcomes and assignment mechanisms; identify challenges to causal inference, including missing data, measurement error, confounding, and selection bias; address identified challenges using analytical methods, such as multiple imputation, regression calibration, propensity score adjustment, and marginal structural models; and assess sensitivity of inferences to complex methodological problems, such as those listed above. This is a PhD level course.
3 credits
CAUSAL INFERENCE IN EPIDEMIOLOGY
PBHL 826
Provides an in-depth theoretical foundation on epistemology and models of disease causation in epidemiology. Students will be expected to answer the question how can we know that A causes B from diverse perspectives ranging from theoretical models, statistical conventions around identifying causation, and mitigating bias. This is a PhD level course.
3 credits
ADVANCED EPIDEMIOLOGY
PBHL 830
This course covers more advanced methodologic issues in analytic epidemiology including: in-depth discussions of cohort, case-control, and case-cohort studies, missing data and methods of single/multiple imputation, theoretical basis of and analytic methods for using intermediate endpoints/surrogate markers, repeated measures analysis, the use of DAGS, and propensity scores to mitigate confounding. This is a PhD level course.
4 credits
PHD SEMINAR 1
PBHL 831
This seminar provides the opportunity for entering PhD students to review intermediate-level concepts in epidemiology. The weekly one-hour seminar will be led by the current instructor of PBHL 630 Intermediate Epidemiology and will quickly review basic concepts (study design, measures of disease frequency, measures of association, confounding, interaction, selection bias, information bias, stratified analysis, and multivariable model-building) highlighting areas that tend to involve variable terminology or that tend to be presented differently in different textbooks and at different institutions. This seminar is required of all 2nd year epidemiology doctoral students. Other students will need the permission of the instructor.
PHD SEMINAR 2
PBHL 833
This course is a doctoral-level seminar designed to: introduce students to epidemiologic methods and substantive topics that were not covered in other courses, and offer practical skills that students can use when applying for funding and conducting their own research. A number of learning approaches will be used, including instructor lecture, group discussion, paper reading, and writing, and use of statistical software. This seminar is required of all 2nd year epidemiology doctoral students. Other students will need the permission of the instructor.
PROPOSAL WRITING SEMINAR
PBHL 835
This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the methodologic and logistic problems involved in designing and conducting epidemiologic studies. The course also offers students opportunities to critically evaluate the adequacy and scientific merit of research protocols. The seminars consist of student presentations of plans for collection and analysis of epidemiological data, with discussion by students and faculty. Students will prepare a research protocol for study in a human population using the SF424 (R&R) form developed by The National Institutes of Health. The emphasis is on conceptual issues necessary for the development of a feasible and informative epidemiological study. This seminar is required of all 2nd year epidemiology doctoral students. Other students will need the permission of the instructor.
3 credits
DISSERTATION GUIDANCE: EPIDEMIOLOGY
PBHL 999
Directed guidance of dissertation research including base-building and consent, data collection and intervention, analysis and interpretation of data, and implications for future research, policy, and practice. The guidance will also include preparation for presenting dissertation research to colleagues at the dissertation seminar and preparation for the final defense. This is a PhD level course.
1-9 credits