School of Health Sciences - HSCI 547: Environmental Epidemiology

Description

The use of epidemiological methods to study the effects of environmental exposures in human health. Study designs, association and causation, statistical analyses, bias and confounding, modeling of exposure response relationships, molecular epidemiology, investigation of disease outbreaks. The course emphasizes analytical studies, quantitative measures of association and critical readings of current literature. Case studies are used to illustrate fundamental principles, discuss methodological problems and focus on contemporary issues in environmental health. The format of the course combines lectures, problem solving exercises, student presentations and seminar style discussions. Students work on simulated population data sets and a semester team project.

Textbooks:

There is no single textbook for the course. The following books will be used for readings and reference. These will be supplemented by assigned readings from the research literature.

• Lillienfeld: Foundations of Epidemiology
• Timmreck: An Introduction to Epidemiology (3rd Edition).
• Hernberg: Introduction to Occupational Epidemiology
• Rothman and Greenland: Modern Epidemiology
• Aldrich and Griffith: Environmental Epidemiology and Risk Assessment
• Albohm: Biostatistics for Epidemiologists.
• Maussner: Introduction to Epidemiology

Statistical Software

Several statistical applications are useful in epidemiology. This course uses Epi-Info (available in public domain) and SAS (available on various on computers on campus).

Topics covered:

• Application to risk assessment and standards setting in community and occupational environments
• Study designs for hypothesis testing
• Bias and confounding
• Statistical modeling of exposure-response relationships
• Molecular epidemiology
• Investigation of disease outbreaks
• Ethical issues in epidemiological research