Courses
Course Offerings
Spring 2018
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PHC 6000: Epidemiology Methods I | |
| Instructor: Lusine Yaghjyan, MD, MPH, PhD | ||
| Credits: 3 | Thursdays, 9:35a-12:35p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | COM C1-4 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6001 and PHC 6050 or PHC 6052, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course provides an understanding of the methods of epidemiological study designs and their analyses, including issues of bias, confounding, and effect modification. The goal of this class is to provide a strong background in analytic reasoning and research design, study execution, analysis, and result interpretation. | ||
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PHC 6001: Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health | |
| Instructor: Kelly K. Gurka, MPH, PhD | ||
| Credits: 3 | Online | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | ||
| Prerequisites: None. | ||
| This course is an introduction to epidemiology for students majoring in any aspect of the health sciences. This course presents the principles and methods of the epidemiological investigation of both infectious and non-infectious diseases. The purpose of this course is to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to explain the place of epidemiology in the general health thinking and to communicate and apply the basic principles of epidemiology. | ||
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PHC 6003: Epidemiology of Chronic Disease | |
| Instructor: David S. Sheps, MD, MSPH | ||
| Credits: 3 | Tuesdays, 3:00p-6:00p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP 1102 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6001 and PHC 6052 or PHC 6050, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course is an overview of the epidemiology of chronic diseases and disabilities prevalent in various populations; it includes the introduction of contemporary methods for surveillance, including risk factors, etiology, and changes over time. | ||
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PHC 6008: Epidemiology and Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases | |
| Instructor: David S. Sheps, MD, MSPH, and Thomas A. Pearson, MD, MPH, PhD | ||
| Credits: 2 | Mondays, 3:00p-4:55p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP 1102 | |
| Prerequisites: GMS 6800, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| The purpose of this course is to enable the participant to become familiar with the distribution and determinants of cardiovascular diseases in populations and the research methods used in this field of study. Students and faculty will review the population burden of the main categories of cardiovascular diseases, the factors that influence their distribution and clinical outcomes, and the methods used in public health-oriented and epidemiologic research of subclinical and clinical cardiovascular disease and of vascular health. | ||
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PHC 6194: Spatial Epidemiology | |
| Instructor: Instructor: Hui Hu, PhD | ||
| Credits: 3 | Wednesdays, 12:50p-3:50p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-108 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6000, PHC 6011, PHC 6052, and PHC 6053 (or equivalent), or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course introduces the concepts and methods of spatial epidemiology. Students will gain hands-on experience in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial data analyses. Recent developments in location intelligence applied to healthcare and public health research will also be introduced. | ||
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PHC 6370: Public Health Biology | |
| Instructor: Cindy Prins, PhD, MPH, CIC, CPH | ||
| Credits: 3 | Mondays, 3:00p-4:55p; Wednesdays, 9:35a-10:25a | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-201 | |
| Prerequisites: None. | ||
| This course will offer an understanding of the biological basis of public health issues. It is intended for students in all concentration areas of the Public Health Program regardless of their backgrounds in the biological sciences. Lectures will include the appropriate background material in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and immunology to allow students to understand the biological mechanisms of disease prevention and progression at a molecular level. Specific topics will include diseases and conditions that are most frequently discussed in current public health settings, including infectious diseases, genetic illnesses, cancer, environmental illnesses, and vaccines. | ||
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PHC 6937: Topics in Precision Medicine and Public Health Informatics | |
| Instructor: Mattia Prosperi, MEng, PhD | ||
| Credits: 1 | Every other Monday, 10:30a-12:30p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | CTRB 4217 | |
| Prerequisites: None. | ||
| This course covers topics in precision medicine and public health informatics. The course was inspired by the White House 2015 initiative in precision medicine which stated that its mission is “to enable a new era of medicine through research, technology, and policies that empower patients, researchers, and providers to work together toward development of individualized care.” Students will learn how the initiative is being concretized since its inception, by studying real-world examples, and deepening on both the methodological and translational aspects. | ||
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PHC 7000: Epi Seminar II: Critical Evaluation, Research Proposals, and Methods | |
| Instructor: Linda B. Cottler, PhD, MPH, FACE, and Volker Mai, PhD, MPH | ||
| Credits: 2 | Tuesdays, 8:30a-10:25a | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | CTRB 4217 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6001 and PHC 6000, one semester of biostatistics, and PhD student status in epidemiology, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course is taken in the second year of the epidemiology PhD program curriculum. The seminar series is designed to introduce students to a range of advanced epidemiologic concepts and research methods to help PhD students advance their dissertation ideas and obtain the skills needed for a PhD in epidemiology. | ||
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PHC 7007: Cancer Epidemiology | |
| Instructor: Volker Mai, PhD, MPH | ||
| Credits: 3 | Mondays, 11:45a-12:35p; Wednesdays, 10:40a-12:35p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-105 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6001 and PHC 6050 or PHC 6052, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course is designed to help students develop the interdisciplinary skills required for evaluating various existing and hypothetical public health interventions aimed at reducing the burden of cancer in the US and worldwide. The course will familiarize students with various exposures associated with the risk of developing cancer with emphasis on a population perspective. While a focus will be on opportunities for prevention; we will explore cellular mechanisms contributing to the development of various cancers and describe associated pathologies. Cancer epidemiology is taught in a combined lecture and discussion format. | ||
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PHC 7017: Advanced Epidemiologic Methods III | |
| Instructor: Xinguang (Jim) Chen, MD, PhD, FACE | ||
| Credits: 3 | Fridays, 9:35a-12:35p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-105 | |
| Prerequisites: GMS 6800 and GMS 6810, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This advanced course will focus on the application of six advanced analytical and modeling methods through lectures, actual data analysis, student presentation and discussion to expand the methodology inventory by introducing advanced and new statistical and modeling methods to address measurement, descriptive, comparative, associative and causal relations in modern epidemiology. | ||
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PHC 7038: Psychiatric Epidemiology | |
| Instructor: Catherine W. Striley, PhD, MSW, ACSW, MPE | ||
| Credits: 3 | Thursdays, 1:55p-4:55p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | COM C2-33 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6000 and PHC 6011, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This advanced epidemiology methods course in Psychiatric Epidemiology will cover concepts, history, measures, methods and analytic techniques to study the risks, prevalence and incidence, course, comorbidities and consequences of major mental disorders (mood and anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, personality disorders, alcohol and drug abuse and dependence). Psychiatric epidemiology studies in general and specific populations internationally will be discussed for their methods, measures and findings. | ||
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PHC 7065: Critical Skills in Data Manipulation for Population Science | |
| Instructor: Hui Hu, PhD | ||
| Credits: 2 | Mondays, 12:50p-2:45p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-109 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6052 and PHC 6000 or the equivalent and PhD student status, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course focuses on providing basic knowledge and skills needed in data manipulation for population science. Included will be: data context and concepts; relational databases; data collection and extraction; Parallel manipulation of massive datasets; NoSQL systems and concepts. The course is designed for advanced students to learn the “code of best practice” for data engineering in population science. | ||
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PHC 7902: Scientific Writing for Peer Reviewed Publications for Population Science | |
| Instructor: Linda B. Cottler, PhD, MPH, FACE | ||
| Credits: 1 | Mondays, 6:00p-7:30p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | CTRB 4240C | |
| Prerequisites: PhD student status, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course will prepare students to perform peer review and to think critically. In weekly class discussion sessions, students will review each other’s work and bring work to edit and share. Feedback will be given by student peers and the course instructor. The principal goals of this Epidemiology Writing Circle are to: 1) improve the student’s academic writing style, 2) write, complete, and submit papers – with at least one as a first author, and 3) edit colleague’s manuscripts, regardless of topic area. | ||
⇧ Return to all course offerings.
Summer 2018
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PHC 6001: Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health | |
| Instructor: Krishna Vaddiparti, PhD, MPE, MSW | ||
| Credits: 3 | Summer C: Online | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | ||
| Prerequisites: None. | ||
| This course is an introduction to epidemiology for students majoring in any aspect of the health sciences. This course presents the principles and methods of the epidemiological investigation of both infectious and non-infectious diseases. The purpose of this course is to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to explain the place of epidemiology in the general health thinking and to communicate and apply the basic principles of epidemiology. | ||
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PHC 6002: Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases | |
| Instructor: Jerne Shapiro, MPH | ||
| Credits: 3 | Summer A: M, W, R, 5:00p-8:00p; Summer C: Online | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-110 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6001 and PHC 6052 or PHC 6050, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This is an intermediate-level course that will introduce the student to the unique aspects of infectious disease and epidemiological methods used in their study, prevention and control. The student will gain knowledge through lectures, case studies, simulated outbreaks, readings, exercises, and an individual project. The course covers: sexually transmitted diseases, vector-borne diseases, zoonotic diseases, tuberculosis, diarrheal diseases, hepatitis, HIV, food-borne diseases, hospital transmission and control, and emerging and re-emerging pathogens. | ||
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PHC 6009: Epidemiology and Biology of HIV/AIDS | |
| Instructor: Robert L. Cook, MD, MPH | ||
| Credits: 3 | Summer C: Online | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | ||
| Prerequisites: None. | ||
| In this course, students will: 1) Examine the biological process by which HIV causes infection and AIDS, including the physiologic and cellular processes involved in HIV infection and treatment; 2) Develop skills in finding and interpreting current epidemiologic data on HIV/AIDS, including risk factors, comorbid health issues, special populations, and health outcomes; and 3) Learn an overview of HIV prevention strategies and their effectiveness, with a special emphasis on epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in the rural south. | ||
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PHC 6011: Epidemiology Methods II | |
| Instructor: Lusine Yaghjyan, MD, MPH, PhD | ||
| Credits: 3 | Summer A: Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:30a-1:45p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-114 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6000, PHC 6052, and PHC 6053, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course describes the implementation of common analytic methods in epidemiology. A course project helps build a foundation in applied epidemiologic analysis and develop experience in peer-review productivity based on secondary data. This course builds upon PHC 6000 (Epidemiology Methods I) to extend the understanding of epidemiologic concepts and methods by providing applied training in the conduct of secondary data analysis studies. | ||
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PHC 6041: Landmarks in Psychiatric Epidemiology | |
| Instructor: Catherine W. Striley, PhD, MSW, ACSW, MPE | ||
| Credits: 1 | Summer C: Online | |
| Grading Scheme: S/U | ||
| Prerequisites: None. | ||
| Landmarks in psychiatric epidemiology are reviewed with an emphasis on student discovery of studies with enduring value. | ||
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PHC 6937: Genetic Epidemiology | |
| Instructor: Jinying Zhao, MD, PhD | ||
| Credits: 3 | Summer A: Mondays and Wednesdays, 2:00p-5:00p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-110 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6000, PHC 6011, and PHC 6050, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| The course will provide students with a focused exposure to major concepts and theories in genetic epidemiology for human diseases. At the completion of this course, students should be able to critically review and discuss genetic epidemiologic literatures, provide input on the design of genetic epidemiologic studies, identify and apply appropriate tests for genetic analysis for both qualitative and quantitative outcomes using either families or unrelated individuals, and interpret the results of genetic linkage and association analysis. | ||
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PHC 7083: Computational Epidemiology in Population Science | |
| Instructor: Mattia Prosperi, MEng, PhD | ||
| Credits: 1 | Summer A: Tuesdays, 10:00a-12:15p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-108 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6000, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course covers topics in statistical and computational learning techniques tuned for “big data” and applied to epidemiology and clinical diagnosis. The course will blend both methodological and translational science aspects. Students will learn how to identify the best modeling strategies for large datasets made upon epidemiological study designs, including multi-source and heterogeneous data. | ||
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PHC 7427: Ethics in Population Science | |
| Instructor: Catherine W. Striley, PhD, MSW, ACSW, MPE | ||
| Credits: 2 | Summer A: Tuesdays, 12:30p-4:45p | |
| Grading Scheme: S/U | COM C2-33 | |
| Prerequisites: Advanced degree or PhD candidacy, or permission of the instructor. | ||
| This course covers federally mandated topics in the responsible conduct of research: data acquisition, management, sharing, and ownership; conflict of interest/commitment; human subjects; animal welfare; research misconduct; publication practices and responsible authorship; mentor/trainee responsibilities; peer review; and collaborative science. This ethics course is for those enrolled in research intensive graduate programs. | ||
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PHC 7727: Grant Writing for Population Health Research | |
| Instructor: Linda B. Cottler, PhD, MPH, FACE, and Volker Mai, PhD, MPH | ||
| Credits: 2 | Summer C: Fridays, 9:30a-12:00p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | CTRB 4240C | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6011, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course provides practical instruction in the grant writing process with a specific focus on National Institutes of Health (NIH) procedures. It provides students with experience in writing a full grant application and in reviewing others’ grant applications. It also contains a mock grant review session to assist students in understanding the process and content of grant review. | ||
⇧ Return to all course offerings.
Fall 2018
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PHC 6001: Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health | |
| Catalina Lopez-Quintero, MD, PhD | ||
| Credits: 3 | Tuesdays, 11:45a-1:40p or 1:55p-3:50p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | 11:45a: HPNP G-307; 1:55p: HPNP 1102 | |
| Prerequisites: None. | ||
| This course provides and understanding of epidemiologic methods frequently used to study disease patterns in community and clinic-based populations. Course topics include distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specific populations and application to control of health problems. | ||
| PHC 6003: Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases and Disability | ||
| Instructor: TBD | ||
| Credits: 3 | Online | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-110 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6001 and PHC 6052 or PHC 6050, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course is an overview of the epidemiology of chronic diseases and disabilities prevalent in various populations; it includes the introduction of contemporary methods for surveillance, including risk factors, etiology, and changes over time. | ||
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PHC 6016: Social Epidemiology | |
| Instructor: Krishna Vaddiparti, PhD, MPE, MSW | ||
| Credits: 3 | Thursdays, 8:30a-11:30a | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-108 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6000, PHC 6001, and PHC 6410, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course explores the social determinants of population health, including acute and chronic disease outcomes, and health behavior. The course introduces methodological approaches to the field of social epidemiology with specific attention to measurement issues. | ||
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PHC 6517: Public Health Concepts in Infectious Diseases | |
| Instructor: Diana Rojas Alvarez, MD, PhD | ||
| Credits: 3 | Mondays, 10:40a-11:30a; Wednesdays, 9:35a-11:30a | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-111 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6001 and PHC 6002, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| In this course, students will learn to analyze the epidemiologic research methods used to obtain evidence of emergence of infectious diseases, transmission pathways, prevention strategies, and the range of factors that influence the severity of individual health outcomes; will be able to systematically examine research evidence related to a number of relevant emerging and existing infectious diseases of the 21st century; and will design an original research study to answer a specific research question. | ||
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PHC 6711: Measurement in Epidemiology and Outcomes Research | |
| Instructor: Hui Hu, PhD | ||
| Credits: 3 | Mondays, 12:50p-3:50p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-108 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6001 and PHC 6050 or equivalent, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course focuses on principles of measurement in epidemiologic/health outcomes research studies, particularly in the use of primary data collection studies. Special emphases include: reliability and validity studies; ROC curves; reducing and adjusting for measurement error; questionnaire design and interviewing methods; use of record resources (e.g., medical records, administrative data); and measurement using biomarkers, environmental measures, and molecular methods. Measurement in outcomes research in infectious diseases, physical activity, neuropsychology, psychopathology, addictions, and environmental epidemiology will be examined as examples in the course. | ||
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PHC 6932: Psychiatric Epidemiology Online Seminar Series | |
| Instructor: Catherine W. Striley, PhD, MSW, ACSW, MPE | ||
| Credits: 1 | Online | |
| Grading Scheme: S/U | ||
| Prerequisites: None. | ||
| Epidemiology seminars from the Department of Epidemiology and other epidemiology departments, and associated publications, will be used to provide students with an understanding of new developments in the field of epidemiology as applied to psychiatric epidemiology. | ||
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PHC 6937: Hospital Epidemiology | |
| Instructor: Cindy Prins, PhD, MPH, CIC, CPH | ||
| Credits: 3 | Wednesdays, 11:45a-1:40p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-108 | |
| Prerequisites: At least two epidemiology courses (PHC 600 and PHC 6000) and two Biostatistics courses (PHC 6052 and PHC 6053). Students also need to have familiarity with basic microbiology terms and techniques, so other pre-requisites for this course are PHC 6370, PHC 6002, PHC 6517, or an undergraduate- or graduate-level microbiology course (with instructor approval). | ||
| This PhD-level course will cover topics in hospital epidemiology through online lectures that supplement in-class discussions of the literature and study designs in hospital epidemiology, and hands-on learning through tours of hospital units. | ||
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PHC 6937: Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology | |
| Instructor: Deepthi Varma, PhD, MPhil, MSW | ||
| Credits: 2 | Thursdays, 12:50p-2:45p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-110 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6001, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course is designed to provide an understanding of how epidemiological concepts can be applied to the study of maternal and child mortality and morbidity. Course topics include health indicators, measures related to maternal and child mortality and morbidity, social and environmental determinants, and the impact of culture and societal norms on maternal and child health. The national- and global-level policies and programs for improving health will also be discussed. | ||
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PHC 7595: Introduction to Molecular Epidemiology | |
| Instructor: Lusine Yaghjyan, MD, MPH, PhD | ||
| Credits: 3 | Tuesdays, 9:35a-12:35p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP G-110 | |
| Prerequisites: PHC 6001 and knowledge of basic concepts in epidemiology and study designs, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course will explore theoretical concepts in molecular epidemiology and use of biomarkers in epidemiologic studies. Class topics include: basics of molecular epidemiology, potential uses and limitations of biomarkers, sample collection and storage, issues in epidemiologic study design and analysis, and discussion of specific research examples involving molecular markers. | ||
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PHC 7901: Epidemiology Literature Review and Critique (Journal Club) | |
| Instructor: Linda B. Cottler, PhD, MPH, FACE | ||
| Credits: 1 | Fridays, 9:35a-10:25a | |
| Grading Scheme: S/U | CTRB 4240C | |
| Prerequisites: Graduate student standing, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| This course will prepare students to perform peer-review and to think critically. In weekly class discussion sessions, students will review peer-reviewed, published research studies that demonstrate innovative or faculty epidemiologic content or methods. Feedback will be given by student peers and faculty. | ||
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PHC 7934: Seminar I: Epidemiology Past, Present, and Future | |
| Instructor: Lusine Yaghjyan, MD, MPH, PhD | ||
| Credits: 2 | Fridays, 10:40a-12:35p | |
| Grading Scheme: Letter | HPNP 1101 | |
| Prerequisites: PhD standing, or permission from the instructor. | ||
| The principal goals of this doctoral seminar include becoming familiar with major programs of research in epidemiology, discussing findings and implications of classic/prominent epidemiologic studies, reviewing the strengths and weakness of major epidemiologic study designs, and applying knowledge of epidemiologic study design to students’ formulation of their own research studies. | ||
⇧ Return to all course offerings.
Course Syllabi
Spring 2018 |
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| PHC 6000 | Epidemiology Methods I |
| PHC 6001 | Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health |
| PHC 6003 | Epidemiology and Prevention of Chronic Diseases |
| PHC 6008 | Epidemiology and Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases |
| PHC 6194 | Spatial Epidemiology |
| PHC 6370 | Public Health Biology |
| PHC 6937 | Topics in Precision Medicine and Public Health Informatics |
| PHC 6939 | CPE Psychiatric Grand Rounds |
| PHC 7000 | Epidemiology Seminar II: Critical Evaluation and Methods in Epidemiology |
| PHC 7007 | Cancer Epidemiology |
| PHC 7017 | Advanced Epidemiologic Methods III |
| PHC 7038 | Psychiatric Epidemiology |
| PHC 7065 | Critical Skills in Data Manipulation for Population Science |
| PHC 7902 | Scientific Writing for Peer Reviewed Publications for Population Science (Writing Circle) |
Fall 2017 |
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| PHC 6001 | Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health (Dr. Cheng) |
| PHC 6001 | Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health (Dr. Séraphin) |
| PHC 6016 | Social Epidemiology |
| PHC 6517 | Public Health Concepts in Infectious Disease |
| PHC 6937 | Hospital Epidemiology |
| PHC 7595 | Molecular Epidemiology |
| PHC 7901 | Epidemiology Literature Review and Critique (Journal Club) |
Summer 2017 |
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| PHC 6009 | Biology and Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS (online) |
| PHC 6937 | Computational Epidemiology in Population Science |
| PHC 6937 | Genetic Epidemiology |
| PHC 7727 | Grant Writing Skills for Clinical and Health Research |
Spring 2017 |
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| PHC 6000 | Epidemiology Methods I |
| PHC 6711 | Measurement in Epidemiology and Outcomes Research |
| PHC 6937 | Public Health Surveillance |
| PHC 7007 | Cancer Epidemiology |
| PHC 7065 | Critical Skills in Data Manipulation for Population Science |
| PHC 7902 | Epidemiology Writing Circle |
Fall 2016 |
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| PHC 6016 | Social Epidemiology |
| PHC 6517 | Public Health Concepts in Infectious Diseases |
| PHC 6937 | Psychiatry Grand Rounds |
| PHC 7595 | Molecular Epidemiology |
| PHC 7901 | Epidemiology Journal Club |
| PHC 7934 | Epidemiology Seminar I |
Summer 2016 |
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| PHC 6001 | Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health |
| PHC 6011 | Epidemiology Methods II |
| PHC 6937 | Computational Epidemiology |
| PHC 7727 | Grant Writing |
Looking for previous syllabi? Please fill out a contact form and our academic program staff will be in touch with you soon. |
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