what can i do with a phd in epidemiology

• Current Students

Epidemiology PhD

Epidemiology is concerned with the study of factors that determine the distribution of health and disease in human populations.

The purposes of epidemiological research are to discover the causes of disease, to advance and evaluate methods of disease prevention, and to aid in planning and evaluating the effectiveness of public health programs. Epidemiologists are interested in the study of infectious and noninfectious diseases. In recent years, they have turned their attention increasingly toward the study of conditions affected by forces in the social and physical environment.

Our program takes most students four and one half years to complete. In addition to the required courses, students identify an area of scientific knowledge in which they develop competence. Qualifying examinations as well as a dissertation are required for completion of the program. Students who are interested have the opportunity to complete a Designated Emphasis (DE) in Computational and Genomic Biology .

Qualifications

The amount of coursework necessary for each doctoral student varies greatly, depending on a student’s previous coursework, experience and background. A master’s degree in epidemiology or a related field is preferable. Successful applicants often have work experience in a public health setting or in epidemiologic research.

Graduates are prepared for academic careers in research and teaching.

Admissions Statistics

Care faculty.

• See us on twitter
• See us on facebook
• See us on youtube

PhD in Epidemiology and Clinical Research

The PhD program in epidemiology and clinical research provides methodologic and interdisciplinary training to equip students to carry out cutting-edge epidemiologic research. The program trains students in the tools of modern epidemiology, with heavy emphasis on statistics, computer science, genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics. We welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds.

Pre-Application Sessions and Recordings

We are EPH: Meet Sam Jaros

Sam Jaros is a fourth year PhD candidate in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health. His current research and thesis projects are focused on finding actionable patterns in opioid addiction to better spend limited public health resources on improving care. Sam developed a passion for improving care for opioid addiction while working in Appalachia in previous mining towns. 

Read the Q&A with Sam

Student Bios

The Department of Epidemiology and Population Health is committed to fostering a diverse community in which all individuals are welcomed, respected, and supported to achieve their full potential.  

Stanford recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

The Department of Epidemiogy and Population Health welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. The review process is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, prior research experience, and admissions essays to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field and how they might enrich the learning community at Stanford.

Biomedical Graduate Studies

Epidemiology and biostatistics graduate group.

• Epidemiology

PhD Program in Epidemiology

The mission of the PhD Program in Epidemiology is to train independent researchers in the development and application of epidemiologic methods and to prepare them for positions as scientific leaders in academia and industry. The PhD is a research degree; it indicates the highest attainable level of scholarship, and a commitment to a research career. The PhD does not represent merely the accumulation of course credits, but rather, the development and completion of a well-designed and conscientious program of scientific investigation that makes a unique contribution to the field of epidemiology.  

The PhD program in Epidemiology requires basic and advanced courses in epidemiology, statistical methods, as well as electives drawn from other departments and schools that serve the student's research interests. The program also requires separate oral qualifications and candidacy examinations, and the successful public defense of a doctoral dissertation, in accordance with University of Pennsylvania policy.  

The PhD program typically requires the equivalent of at least four years of full-time study, in three defined phases:  coursework, pre-candidacy, and candidacy . The coursework phase typically takes two years of full time study, and is intended to provide the student with the knowledge needed to pursue advanced, independent study and investigation in epidemiologic research. This phase culminates in the oral  Qualifications Examination , normally taken after most or all of the student's coursework has been completed. The pre-candidacy phase focuses on the preparation of a scientifically unique, methodologically sound, and feasible dissertation proposal. This phase ends with passing the oral  Candidacy Examination, at which time the student is recognized as a Candidate for the PhD and focuses his or her effort on performing the research for and writing the dissertation. A successful public defense of the dissertation then completes the academic requirements for the PhD.  

The PhD Program in Epidemiology is administered by the Graduate Group in Epidemiology and Biostatistics (GGEB) and is led by the Chair of the Doctoral Program in Epidemiology, working with the PhD Program Executive Committee. The Office of  Biomedical Graduate Studies  (BGS) provides oversight and coordination for the GGEB and six other graduate groups offering PhD degrees in the biomedical sciences. BGS provides centralized support to the graduate groups for admissions, student fellowships, curricular oversight, record-keeping, and other operations.

The current standard course sequence for PhD students consists of up to seven core courses (see below). Additional course units are taken in electives (advanced epidemiology and/or biostatistics courses and courses outside the department and school, as needed to serve the student’s specific interests). In addition, a minimum three semesters of lab rotations (EPID 699) and one unit of dissertation research (EPID 995) are required. They are:

• EPID 7010: Introduction to Epidemiologic Research, 1.0cu
• EPID 7020: Advanced Topics in Epidemiologic Research 1.0cu
• EPID 6000: Data Science for Biomedical Informatics 1.0cu
• BSTA 6300: Statistical Methods and Data Analysis I*  1.0cu
• BSTA6320: Statistical Methods for Categorical and Survival Data (Methods II)* 1.0cu
• EPID 5340: Qualitative Methods in the Study of Health, Disease and Medical Systems, 1.0cu
• HPR 6080: Applied Regression Analysis for Health Policy Research*  1.0cu
• EPID 7000: Doctoral Seminar 1.0cu
• Ethics course 1.0cu (or MSCE workshops)

* Students can either take BSTA 6300 and BSTA 6320  OR HPR 6080.  They do not need to take all three. 

Additional requirements include:

• Participation in a monthly Career Development Workshop Series
• Attendance at the weekly epidemiology seminars
• Participation in a weekly Works in Progress (WIP) session
• Participation in the Responsible Conduct of Research Course
• Completion of web-based seminars in CITI and HIPAA training
• Teaching support as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for an Epidemiology or Biostatistics course
• Successful completion of all PhD examinations

Course descriptions can be found at:  http://www.cceb.med.upenn.edu/course-descriptions

All students are expected to develop and maintain a current course plan developed with and monitored by their mentor. This course plan must be approved by the Program Chair, and will be reviewed semi-annually in order to monitor the student's progress and identify potential delays in completing the program. A typical course plan is provided below.

Department of Epidemiology

Doctoral program.

• Academic Programs

Ready to apply?

Start the next chapter of your career by studying epidemiology at Brown University.

Epidemiology Department Doctoral Program Handbook

This Handbook is intended to give an overview of the Epidemiology doctoral program at Brown University’s School of Public Health.

Doctoral candidates undergo rigorous training in epidemiologic methods. We prepare students to become leading, independent investigators. Our graduates excel in academia, industry, government and public health practice.

The Doctoral Program in Epidemiology’s mission is to prepare students to become leading, independent investigators with rigorous training in epidemiologic methods, able to excel in academia, industry, government or public health practice.  Using sophisticated study designs, statistical analyses, field investigations, and laboratory techniques, epidemiology students investigate the cause of a disease, its distribution (geographic, ecological, and social), method of transmission, and measures for control and prevention. 

All students in the Doctoral Program in Epidemiology are required to demonstrate mastery of advanced epidemiologic methods, which is assessed via coursework and examinations. For more information about our program, please check out our Doctoral Program Handbook:

Epidemiology Department Doctoral Program Handbook 2024-2025

Courtney Choy, pictured answering questions about her Public Health Research Day poster, conducts data collection for the Ola Tuputupua’e study and supports the research efforts of the Obesity Lifestyle and Genetic Adaptation (OLaGA) group in Samoa.

Professor Eric Loucks, Director of the Mindfulness Center at Brown, studies the impacts of mindfulness and early life adversity on adulthood well-being.

The doctoral dissertation defense is the culmination of at least four years of study and research. A major academic and career milestone presented before a live audience, successful PhD defenses are celebrated with colleagues, friends, family, and a champagne toast.

• Faculty who are leaders in the field
• Outstanding student to faculty ratio
• Numerous research possibilities
• Emphasis on teaching
• Training in grant writing (more than half of our recent F31s submitted received funding in their first round)
• Guaranteed funding
• Opportunities to work on applied projects at RI State Department of Health; nearby RI hospitals

Upon completion of the PhD program, students are expected to have proficiency in the following areas:

•  Develop a strong foundation in contemporary approaches to epidemiologic methods, and major observational study designs
•  Design a research study that can appropriately and efficiently examine an epidemiologic research question of interest; write and submit a proposal to support this research
•  Use causal diagrams to identify threats to study validity and potential approaches to mitigating such threats
•  Conduct appropriate analyses of epidemiologic data using standard regression models in SAS or R
•  Distinguish between association and causation based on counterfactual theory to make causal inference using data obtained from observational studies
•  Represent a priori subject- matter knowledge and hypotheses with causal diagrams
•  Understand the difference between effect modification and interaction
•  Learn to interpret and integrate multiple lines of scientific evidence concerning a particular topic of importance to the field of epidemiology
•  Effective communication of scientific findings
•  Demonstrate a basic understanding of human physiology and pathophysiology
•  Demonstrate mastery of a substantive area
•  Review, critically analyze and synthesize existing epidemiologic literature to identify meaningful gaps in current knowledge and formulate research objectives
•  Strong understanding of what scientific misconduct is and the impact unethical conduct can cause within and outside of the research community.

All students in the PhD program in Epidemiology are required to take 13 courses for credit, including 8 core courses, 2 or 3 more methods selective courses, and 2 or 3 more substantive selective courses. Each of these courses must be taken for credit and for a grade. PhD students are also required to: a) take PHP1001, an online, noncredit introductory course b) take a noncredit online introductory course on SAS data management, c) participate in the journal club series (course credit optional), and d) take the noncredit Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) course.

Core Courses:

• PHP 2150 – Foundations in Epidemiologic Research Methods 
• PHP 2200 – Intermediate Methods in Epidemiologic Research
• PHP 2250 – Advanced Quantitative Methods for Epidemiologic Research
• PHP 2180 – Interpretation and Application of Epidemiology 
• PHP 2510 – Principles of Biostatistics and Data Analysis 
• PHP 2511 – Applied Regression Analysis
• PHP 2090 – Research Grant Writing for Public Health 
• PHP 2130 – Human Biology for Epidemiology

Our Commitment to Program Diversity and a Culture of Respect

The Brown University Department of Epidemiology is committed to ensuring that we admit students from diverse socioeconomic, cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. 

The Department of Epidemiology is committed to creating an inclusive, collaborative climate centered on mutual respect, with the goal of cultivating a productive work and learning environment.

Ph.D. funding

As a result of Brown’s commitment to high quality education, all students admitted into the Ph.D. program receive full scholarships that include tuition, healthcare and a research-assistant-based stipend for five years of graduate study.

Graduate Program Director

William Goedel

William C. Goedel, PhD [he/him] is an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health. He is a social epidemiologist, with significant methodological expertise in the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to guide public health policy and practice. His research uses spatial analytical techniques to quantify the burden of many of the United States' most pressing public health challenges varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, with a particular interest in identifying areas that are overburdened and underserved as points of focus when resources are limited. He currently teaches "Fundamentals of Epidemiology" (PHP 0850), "Foundations of Spatial Analysis in Public Health" (PHP 2015), and "Interpretation and Application of Epidemiology" (PHP 2180). As a scholar of teaching and learning, Dr. Goedel is interested in the implementation and evaluation of graduate admissions review processes and novel grading systems that value both a learner's accomplishments to date and their potential for growth over time regardless of their background. He received his undergraduate degree with a joint major in global public health and sociology from New York University's College of Global Public Health in 2017 and his doctoral degree in epidemiology from Brown University's School of Public Health in 2020.

• Degrees Offered

PhD in Epidemiology

Description.

The doctoral program in Epidemiology is intended to produce future academicians, highly qualified as independent investigators and teachers, and well-trained practitioners of epidemiology. The program includes coursework in epidemiology and biostatistics, and also requires the development and execution of an independent dissertation research project. The PhD program in Epidemiology includes a series of courses in epidemiologic methods and biostatistics, and electives.

Likely Careers

Academia, Research Institutes and organizations, HMOs; Local, State and National government.

Applicants must have completed prior graduate training to the master's (or research doctoral) degree level in a health-related field by the time of enrollment. (A clinical doctorate alone is inadequate.) Direct postdoctoral entry without required degree is not allowed.

The GRE has been permanently eliminated from admissions for all Department of Epidemiology graduate programs; goal statement demonstrating good understanding or Epidemiology and role of training in career; excellent references that speak to qualifications for training/career in epidemiology; Personal History Statement; Resume/CV; Transcripts. The program is competitive.

Application Deadline:   Dec. 1 for Autumn Quarter admissions

Competencies

Upon satisfactory completion of the PhD in Epidemiology, graduates will be able to:

• Meet the learning objectives for the MS in Epidemiology, General Track;
• Formulate study questions that will advance scientific knowledge about a topic of public health importance;
• Develop a research proposal that presents the study aims, scientific background, public health significance, and the detailed methods for carrying out the epidemiologic study;
• Develop study procedures for the protection of rights of human subjects;
• Apply regression, classical methods of analysis of categorical data, logistic regression, survival analysis and other appropriate statistical approaches to analyze epidemiologic data;
• Make a clear oral presentation on the design and results of an epidemiologic study;
• Write a clear description of the rationale, methods, results, and interpretation of an epidemiologic investigation that would be acceptable for publication in a scientific journal; 
• Demonstrate expertise in a substantive area of disease etiology, disease prevention, or clinical epidemiology; and
• Design and implement data collection, quality control and data management procedures for an epidemiological study.

Poll: Massachusetts Voters Support Increased Alcohol Taxes to Fund Key Programs

New Study Identifies Two Proteins That May Contribute to Stroke Recurrence

Doctor of Philosophy in Epidemiology .

The Epidemiology PhD program provides advanced professional training in epidemiology to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for leadership in epidemiologic research and methodology. The goal of the doctoral program is to educate candidates to become independent, productive, and creative research scientists in the field of epidemiology.

Program Competencies

Upon completing the requirements for the PhD in Epidemiology, graduates are able to:

• formulate research hypotheses that can be evaluated through empirical epidemiologic investigation
• critically evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of epidemiologic study designs applied to particular etiologic associations
• analyze and interpret epidemiologic studies using appropriate methods
• explain the theoretical underpinnings of epidemiology, including new and traditional study designs
• demonstrate understanding of sources of bias and approaches to evaluating and controlling bias
• demonstrate proficiency in data collection, data analysis, and written summaries of statistical analyses
• demonstrate expertise in at least one substantive area of epidemiology and apply that expertise to preparation of the dissertation proposal
• perform all the steps of conducting a hypothesis-driven epidemiologic study, from developing hypotheses, to designing, analyzing, and interpreting results, to writing up findings in the form of a publication-quality manuscript, as demonstrated by the PhD dissertation, which requires three manuscripts judged to be suitable for publication.

Program of Study

Program requirements.

Students complete 32 credits beyond the master’s degree. It is expected that at least 24 of these courses be from the epidemiology and biostatistics course offerings at the School of Public Health. Students may also choose from other courses offered at the School and pertinent graduate courses at Boston University. The intent of the coursework is to provide a firm foundation in epidemiologic principles and methods, biostatistic methods, and general public health knowledge.

Qualifying Exams

Students must pass comprehensive written examinations in epidemiology and biostatistics, to evaluate their readiness to begin dissertation research.

Dissertation

Students are required to develop a written proposal outlining the nature of their dissertation research. The dissertation is prepared and written under the direction of the candidate’s dissertation committee (comprised of the dissertation chair and at least two other members). When the dissertation is completed, the candidate defends their work before the dissertation committee and other faculty.

Our PhD students have researched a wide array of dissertation topics, such as:

• Maternal Medical History, Psychosocial Stress, and Birth Outcomes
• Environmental Heat in Relation to Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes
• Substance Use Among LGB Populations: The Role of Neighborhood, School and Family
• Methods to Predict and Explain New-Onset and Ongoing Depression in National Guard Members: A Lifecourse Perspective
• Applications of Big Data Approaches to Topics in Infectious Diseases Epidemiology
• Male Risk Factors for Subfertility: A Prospective Cohort Study
• Exploration of Structural and Statistical Biases in the Application of Propensity Score Matching to Pharmacoepidemiologic Data
• Examining Outcomes Associated with a Community Intervention on Smoking Cessation in a Low-Income Population
• Pregnancy Associated Changes in Maternal Nutritional Status
• Evaluating South Africa’s Antiretroviral Treatment Guidelines
• Impact of Physical Function on Health Outcomes in Older Community-Dwelling Women, Accounting for Age, Competing Risks, and Time-Varying Exposure
• Effects of Common Pharmacologic Agents on Reproductive Outcomes Among Male and Female Pregnancy Planners
• In Vitro Fertilization: Investigating the Risk of Ischemic Placental Disease and Novel Methods for Quantifying Success
• Environmental and Psychosocial Risk Factors for Sub-Fertility
• Iron Deficiency in Blood Donors: Causes, Symptoms, and Mitigation Strategies

Seminars, Journal Clubs, Etc.

Students attend monthly doctoral seminars conducted throughout the academic year. An important purpose of the seminars is for doctoral students to present their dissertation research in progress. These presentations provide an excellent forum for sharing research with fellow student and faculty colleagues. Other topics covered in the doctoral seminars may include: professional conduct, grant writing, networking, etc.

A journal club is organized and conducted by the doctoral students.

Teaching Opportunities

The Epidemiology PhD program is committed to providing doctoral students with opportunities for teaching and to fostering the development of their teaching skills. Most of the students enrolled in the program serve as Teaching Assistants. After gaining experience as a TA, interested doctoral students are offered the chance to lecture in a course. Students also have access to teaching workshops sponsored by the Boston University Center for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching.

Time to Completion

Students who matriculated into the program between 2010 and 2015 have had an average length to completion of 5.1 years (range, 3.5-7.5 years), with 70% completing their training in five years or less.

View the BU Bulletin for course requirements

Students entering the program receive a full-funding package, which includes tuition, health insurance and fees, and a stipend for four years. Support for the stipend is provided via research fellowships or training grants.

Student Profiles

Student body statistics.

Between 2016 and 2020, 24 students matriculated into the Epidemiology Doctoral Program. During this period, the average annual acceptance rate was 7%.

• Average Undergraduate – 3.53
• Average Graduate – 3.87

Student Publications

Adrien N , Hyde TB, Gacic-Dobo M, et al. Differences between coverage of yellow fever vaccine and the first dose of measles-containing vaccine: A desk review of global data sources. Vaccine 2019;37(32):4511‐4517.

Barber L.E ., Bertrand K.A., Rosenberg L., et al. Pre- and perinatal factors and incidence of breast cancer in the Black Women's Health Study. Cancer Causes Control 2019;30(1):87-95.

Esposito D , Titievsky L, Beachler DC, et al. Incidence of outcomes relevant to vaccine safety monitoring in a US commercially-insured population. Vaccine. 2018;36(52):8084-8093.

Harlow AF, Willis SK, Smith ML , & Rothman EF. Bystander prevention for sexual violence: #HowIWillChange and gaps in Twitter discourse. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 2018.

Jiang T , Farkas DK, Ahern TP, et al. Posttraumatic stress disorder and incident fractures in the Danish population. Osteoporosis International 2018;29(11):2487-2493.

Petersen JM , Parker SE, Tinker S, et al. One-carbon cofactor intake and neural tube defect risk among women meeting folic acid recommendations: a multi-center case-control study. Am J Epidemiol 2019.

Rader B *, Astley CM*, Sy KTL , et al. Geographic access to United States SARS-CoV-2 testing sites highlights healthcare disparities and may bias transmission estimates. Journal of Travel Medicine, in press.

Ranker LR, Petersen JM , Fox MP. Awareness of and potential for dependent error in the observational epidemiologic literature: A review. Annals of Epidemiology 2019.

Rodriguez CA, Milstein MB, Guglielmetti L, et al. Barriers and facilitators to early access of bedaquiline and delamanid for drug resistant tuberculosis: a mixed methods study. Public Health Action. 2019;9(1):32-41.

Smith ML , Heeren TC, Ranker LR & Fredman L. Assessing the role of selection bias in the protective relationship between caregiving and mortality: the Caregiver-Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. American Journal of Public Health 2019.

Stanley TL *, Fourman LT*, Feldpausch MN, et al. Effects of Tesamorelin on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial. Lancet HIV. 2019;6(12):e821-e830.

Willis S ., Hatch E., Wesselink A., et al. Female sleep patterns, shift work, and fecundability in a North American preconception cohort. Fertility and Sterility 2019.

Student Presentations and Awards

Presentations.

Crowe HM , Wise LA, Wesselink AK, et al. Preconception Use of Asthma Medication and Fecundability: A Prospective Cohort Study. 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society for Perinatal Epidemiologic Research. . Minneapolis.

Esposito DB , Russo L, Lamy FX, et al. Development of Predictive Models to Identify Advanced-Stage Cancer Patients in a US Administrative Claims Database. 34th International Conference on Pharmacoepidemiology & Therapeutic Risk Management (ICPE). Prague, Czech Republic, August 22-26, 2018.

Gopalakrishnan C , Desai RJ, Franklin JM, et al. Predicting Persistent High-Dose Opioid Use After Total Knee Replacement. European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) 2020 E-Congress, Frankfurt, Germany.

Harlow A.F., Hatch E., Rothman K., Wise LA. Electronic Cigarette Use and Fecundability among Female Pregnancy Planners. 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research. Minneapolis.

Jiang T , Lee DJ, Rosellini AJ, et al. Machine Learning Models for Prediction of Suicide Attempts Among Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. Anxiety and Depression Conference. Chicago, March 2019.

Petersen JM . Depicting the Relationship Between Short Birth Spacing and Preterm Birth Using Causal Graphs: Challenges and Opportunities. 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research. Minneapolis.

Ranker LR, Smith ML , Strunin L, et al. Caregiving Intensity and Functional Decline in Older Women, Accounting for Time-Varying Caregiver Status: The Caregiver Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research. Minneapolis.

Schrager NL , Adrien N , Werler M, et al. Trends in First Trimester Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy and Use of Select Treatments: Findings from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research. Minneapolis.

Smith ML , Kormendine Farkas D, Lash TL, & Gradus JL. Subsyndromal Stress Disorders and Risk of Arterial and Venous Cardiovascular Events. 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research. Minneapolis.

Willis S., Harlow A.F., Rodriguez, C ., Fox, M. Misclassification of a Collider: A Simulation Study. 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research. Minneapolis.

Tammy Jiang – Society for Epidemiologic Research Travel Award 2018

Marlon Joseph – Faculty Member of the Year, 2018, St. Francis College, Brooklyn, NY

Julie Petersen – SERDigital Fall 2018 Student Winner Presentation “Application of Machine Learning to Identify Potential Risk Factors for Gastroschisis”

Rebecca Song – First Prize Poster Winner. Society for Epidemiologic Research 2018

Sydney Willis  – American Society of Reproductive Medicine 2018 Nutrition Special Interest Group Prize Paper

Alumni Profiles

Post-graduate positions.

Upon graduation, students work in a wide range of positions. Below is a list of places where recent graduates have been employed.

2016–2020 Graduates

• Academia (40%) – faculty, post-doctoral fellowships, research associates
• BU School of Public Health, BU Medical School, Cornell University, Emory University, University of Washington, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
• Research Institutions (20%)
• BU Slone Epidemiology Center, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, American Red Cross Blood Services
• Private Companies (30%)
• Ironwood Pharma, Abt, TriNetX Inc, Vertex, Edwards Lifesciences, IQVIA
• Government Agencies (10%)
• Veteran’s Administration, MA Department of Health, Department of Defense

PhD in Epidemiology Admissions Requirements

Learn more about the PhD in Epidemiology's full admissions requirements and application deadlines.

For inquiries regarding the PhD program, please contact Marcus Garrant , Academic Program Administrator in Epidemiology.

Take a leadership role in public health.

Areas of Specialization

Students in an SM/PhD program in Epidemiology can select any of the twelve Areas of Specialization. Students are then required to complete elective courses and conduct thesis or dissertation research in this area. Each of the 12 areas of specialization have corresponding competencies and required coursework which can be found at the link below. AOS Competencies and required courses

Cancer Epidemiology and Cancer Prevention

Cancer epidemiology and cancer prevention faculty.

• Introduces students to epidemiologic research methods, as well as the basic concepts and issues relating specifically to cancer epidemiology
• Includes a breadth of courses on cancer research methodology, substantive courses on cancer epidemiology and prevention, as well as courses on genetic epidemiology and biomarkers.
• The courses are aimed at enhancing the skills and training of cancer epidemiologists through the integration of biologic and environmental factors into a deeper understanding of disease etiology and for translation into cancer control.
• Research covers a broad array of malignancies including breast, colorectal, lung, nasopharyngeal, hematologic, ovarian, endometrial, and prostate cancers. A major focus of the work is integrative and multidisciplinary, conducted with colleagues in biostatistics, molecular pathology, cancer biology, genetics, and immunology.

Cardiovascular Epidemiology

Cardiovascular epidemiology faculty .

• To determine the etiologies of and effective preventive measures for cardiovascular disease.
• To take advantage of complementary strengths of observational, metabolic, and clinical trial paradigms, and foster translational collaborations with animal and cellular investigations.
• To expand understanding of cardiovascular disease determinants and prevention in both U.S. and international settings

Clinical Epidemiology

Clinical epidemiology faculty.

• How do we learn what we know in clinical medicine? How do we quantify disease burden, identify risk factors for a health condition, and determine whether an intervention is effective for the treatment or prevention of disease? Clinical epidemiologists use epidemiologic methods for the generation, analysis, and interpretation of data for clinical research.
• The Department of Epidemiology with its degree programs and its close alliance to the Summer Program in Clinical Effectiveness is the training hub for Clinical Epidemiology research at Harvard and its affiliated teaching hospitals. Faculty members at the Department of Epidemiology, many of them based in Harvard-affiliated hospitals, make the department a hot spot for Clinical Epidemiology research.

Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology

Environmental and occupational epidemiology faculty.

• Closely associated with the concentrations in exposure, epidemiology, and risk and in occupational health in the Department of Environmental Health
• Students take courses in epidemiology, environmental health, occupational health, biostatistics, toxicology, genetics, and environmental exposure assessment
• Doctoral research is focused on substantive or methodologic areas related to environmental or occupational health

Epidemiologic Methods

Epidemiologic methods faculty .

• Provides training in the development and application of new methods in epidemiologic research
• Provides training in biostatistical areas most relevant to epidemiologic research
• Students learn to use and justify classical epidemiologic methods in study design, data analysis, and interpretation of results
• Advanced courses and tutorials introduce recent innovations in epidemiologic methodology

Epidemiology of Aging

Epidemiology of aging faculty.

• Focus on diseases and conditions, as well as research methods, specific to older populations
• Local expertise includes researchers involved in studying the epidemiology of cognitive decline, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, depression, age-related macular degeneration, musculoskeletal disorders, frailty, osteoporosis, urinary incontinence, successful aging, and others.
• Faculty and mentors are available at Harvard Chan, as well as collaborating institutions, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Hebrew Senior Life.

Genetic Epidemiology and Statistical Genetics

Genetic epidemiology and statistical genetics faculty .

• Genetic epidemiology studies how genetic differences contribute to disease risk and outcome, in order to better understand disease biology and inform prevention and treatment strategies
• Statistical genetics combines the principles of molecular genetics with modern statistical methods, including tools to infer causality from observational data or analyze billions of data points
• Core training: basic molecular biology; statistical genetics ; design and analysis of studies of variation in germline DNA and other biomarkers; methods for the study of gene-environment interplay

Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Infectious Disease Epidemiology Faculty

• Research focused on biological and dynamic features of infectious diseases
• Emphasis on epidemiologic approaches to social, behavioral, and biological determinants of infectious disease emergence, transmission, pathogenesis, and immunity
• Students in this area ordinarily join the interdisciplinary concentration in the epidemiology of infectious disease

Neuro-Psychiatric Epidemiology

Neuro-psychiatric epidemiology faculty .

This increasingly integrated program is comprised of two areas of concentration. Students typically elect one of the two areas:

Neuroepidemiology

• Provides training in research methodology and the epidemiology of neurological diseases
• Includes research on the roles of diet, infections, and environmental exposures in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis integrating biomarkers and genetic factors

Psychiatric Epidemiology

• Introduces students to concepts and methods for studying genetic and psychosocial factors related to the prevalence, incidence, and outcome of different types of psychiatric illnesses
• Emphasis on issues of reliability and validity in studying such disorders among children, adolescents, and adults

Nutritional Epidemiology

Nutritional Epidemiology Faculty

• Through courses in the Departments of Epidemiology and Nutrition, students in this area learn methods of nutritional assessment and their related strengths and weaknesses
• Includes advanced training in the nutritional determinants of disease and in methods for analysis specific to research in nutritional epidemiology
• Students can conduct research within several large prospective ongoing studies at HSPH and Harvard Medical School

Pharmacoepidemiology

Pharmacoepidemiology faculty.

• Pharmacoepidemiology studies the determinants of both intended and unintended effects of drugs, vaccines, biologics, medical procedures, and medical devices.
• Important secondary themes include patterns of utilization and adherence, safety signal detection, comparative effectiveness, and cost-benefit and benefit-risk analyses.
• Training focuses on the application of pharmacoepidemiologic design and analysis methods and causal thinking to address important clinical questions in real-world data.
• The Department serves as the major training hub for the Program in Pharmacoepidemiology with faculty and research opportunities based in and around the Harvard system.

Reproductive and Perinatal  Epidemiology

Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology Faculty 

• This area focuses on the determinants of health and disease in reproduction, childhood, and adolescent development
• Many faculty have expertise in global issues of maternal health and child development
• Strong emphasis on methodological issues pertaining to reproductive and perinatal outcomes, epigenetics, and methods for collecting information from and about children and across the lifespan

News from the School

U.S. bird flu response builds on lessons learned from COVID

Experiencing gratitude associated with greater longevity among older adults

Insurance coverage disruptions, challenges accessing care common amid Medicaid unwinding

‘Linear urban forest’ project aims to mitigate heat, improve health in cities

Skip to content

Read the latest news stories about Mailman faculty, research, and events. 

Departments

We integrate an innovative skills-based curriculum, research collaborations, and hands-on field experience to prepare students.

Learn more about our research centers, which focus on critical issues in public health.

Our Faculty

Meet the faculty of the Mailman School of Public Health. 

Become a Student

Life and community, how to apply.

Learn how to apply to the Mailman School of Public Health. 

Epidemiology

For detailed information about our PhD program, including advising, program requirements, and dissertation, please consult the Department of Epidemiology Doctoral Guidelines .

The goal of the PhD program in epidemiology is to train students for future careers as research epidemiologists in academic, not-for-profit, governmental, and private sector settings.

Upon completion of the PhD, students will be able to identify important public health issues that merit epidemiologic study and conduct independent, scholarly research that advances knowledge about the causes, prevention, and amelioration of human disease.

The successful PhD graduate will be prepared to teach graduate students and health professionals in academic and other settings and to work collaboratively with health professionals in other disciplines on research and applied projects that include epidemiologic elements.

Doctoral Dissertation

Doctoral students are required to complete and defend a dissertation to be awarded the PhD. After completing their qualifying exams, students identify a topic and a dissertation sponsor, who then appoints other members of the dissertation committee.

The dissertation committee usually consists of the sponsor, a chair, and a second reader all in the Epidemiology Department, as well as two other members extraneous to the Department. Working closely with their sponsors, students develop and defend a research proposal first to their committee and then at a public seminar.

Having successfully met these challenges, the students complete a literature review relevant to their specific aims, undertake the appropriate analyses, and usually complete the dissertation in the form of at least two empirical and publishable papers with associated introductions and appendices. They defend the final dissertation before their committee in closed session. 

Doctoral Required Courses

For detailed information about required courses, please consult the Department of Epidemiology Doctoral Guidelines .

Admissions Information

Deadline for applications is December 1.

PhD in Epidemiology

The mission of the PhD program in Epidemiology is to train and educate graduate students, so they are on a path to becoming independent scientists who can formulate original research questions, lead epidemiologic related research, as well as teach and communicate epidemiologic methods and research findings to scientific and lay groups. PhD students receive further training in advanced epidemiologic and biostatistical methods, develop content expertise in an area relevant to their research interests, gain experience and practice communicating via coursework, seminars, research experience, and serving as Teaching Assistants.

The first year is largely devoted to required course work in epidemiology, biostatistics, and developing content expertise of individual research interests via elective courses and directed study. There is a comprehensive written exam at the end of the first year on core epidemiologic and biostatistical methods to ensure basic mastery.

The second year has further coursework in advanced epidemiologic methods and concepts, further biostatical training, and continued development of content expertise specific to individual research interests with elective courses and directed study courses. Most to all coursework is complete after two academic years and the student is expected to advance to candidacy sometime during the third year by presenting and defending a PhD thesis proposal to the faculty.

The remaining time with the program is largely devoted to completing the thesis. The formal defense of the thesis is a public event. The overall course of study is expected to be three to five years. Graduates typically go on to post-doctoral academic positions, research scientist positions, faculty positions, or positions in government or industry.

Learning Outcomes

• Define, calculate and interpret measures of disease frequency and measures of association between exposures and outcomes; 
• Describe the major epidemiologic research study designs and their advantages and limitations;
• Describe the major sources of bias in epidemiologic research (confounding, selection bias and measurement error) and the ways to evaluate and reduce the bias;
• Define and evaluate effect modification;
• Understand and differentiate between commonly used terms in epidemiology, including chance, bias and confounding, and approaches to mitigate the effects of each;
• Effectively communicate methods, assumptions and results of an epidemiologic study, both orally and in writing;
• Competency to plan and conduct a review of the existing peer-reviewed literature and of other sources in order to describe the current evidence for a specific scientific question;
• Apply regression, classical methods of analysis of categorical data, and other appropriate statistical approaches to analyze epidemiologic data;  
• Demonstrate proficiency with a statistical software package, such as SAS or R to analyze and interpret epidemiologic data; and 
• Develop a research proposal that presents the study aims, scientific background, public health significance, and the detailed methods for carrying out the epidemiologic study.
• Formulate study questions that will advance scientific knowledge about a topic of public health importance;
• Develop study procedures for the protection of rights of human subjects;
• Competency to responsibly conduct research and to align with all relevant ethical standards and laws;
• Make a clear oral presentation on the design and results of an epidemiologic study;
• Demonstrate expertise in a substantive area of disease etiology, disease prevention, or clinical epidemiology;
• Perform all the steps of conducting a hypothesis-driven epidemiologic study, from developing hypotheses, to designing, analyzing, and interpreting results, to writing up findings in the form of a publication-quality manuscript, as demonstrated by the PhD dissertation, which encourages production of two to three manuscripts judged to be suitable for publication.

Time to Degree

Nominal time to the PhD degree is four to five academic years of full-time study.

Career Opportunities

If you are interested in pursuing a PhD in epidemiology as a part of the UCI Medical Scientist Program (MSTP), learn more about the MSTP program ›

Please note that this degree is not yet accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. UC Irvine is a member of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and it’s graduate programs are fully accredited by the WASC Senior Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WSCUC), California’s regional accrediting agency.

• For Current Students
• For Faculty & Staff

colorado school of public health

Colorado sph.

PhD in Epidemiology

In this program, you'll gain advanced skills in analytical methods, biostatistics, and field research methods. In addition, you’ll learn about grant writing and research ethics and have the opportunity to select a minor course of study. Our department has a strong base of funded research projects providing students with many opportunities for research support and data for dissertation projects. Our faculty are studying everything from food safety, to diabetes, to gene-environment interactions, which means you can find the mentor who’s right for you.

Quick facts, careers, and skills

When you leave this program, you’ll be able to rigorously investigate the genetic, behavioral, environmental, and physiological factors that underlie complex human diseases and effective preventive measures.

Quick facts

Program location: CU Anschutz Credit hours: 68 Est. time to complete: 5-7 years

Sample careers

Staff scientist Principal investigator Instructor & more

Skills you'll gain

Grant writing Study design Data analysis and interpretation & more

In this program, you’ll take courses in epidemiology, biostatistics, research methods, analytical methods, and research ethics. You'll also complete a dissertation based on work completed under the supervision of one of our world-class researchers.

Core epidemiology coursework

Core biostatistics coursework

Research methods

*A minimum of 4 credits of advanced analytic coursework in biostatistics or epidemiologic methods from the ColoradoSPH

Additional coursework

**A minimum of 6 credits of basic science coursework at the graduate level related to the student's thesis topic.

Dissertation

Total credits: 68

Download the information packet >

Download the program plan of study >

View the course book and course schedule >

Competencies

Colorado School of Public Health

CU Anschutz

Fitzsimons Building

13001 East 17th Place

Mail Stop B119

Aurora, CO 80045

• School at a Glance
• Mission & Vision
• Equity, Diversity & Inclusive Excellence
• Strategic Planning
• Administrative Units
• Accreditation
• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Faculty/Staff
• CU Anschutz Medical Campus
• Colorado State University
• University of Northern Colorado
• Calendar of Events
• Media Relations

Epidemiology, PhD

Bloomberg school of public health, doctor of philosophy degree program.

The  PhD program in Epidemiology  is anchored in public health and quantitative population research and analysis. Students approach research using epidemiologic methods to understand complex human health problems. The PhD comprises two years of coursework followed by two (or more) years of research. Students are required to complete a teaching training curriculum and serve as teaching assistants for methods and topical courses. Additionally, students must successfully complete a written comprehensive exam, a practice oral exam, a preliminary oral exam, multiple oral and poster presentations, and a final dissertation including presentation and defense. The doctoral degree program is designed for individuals with specific career goals in public health research, teaching, and/or leadership.

PhD students focus on the creation of new and innovative knowledge through their research. Training is offered through a core methodologic sequence with the addition of more focused courses in specialized areas. Students are expected to tailor their curricula, working with their advisers to create a comprehensive plan of study and research. PhD dissertations must be based on original research, worthy of publication, and approved by the Department and a committee of thesis (dissertation) readers. PhD students must also be engaged in primary data collection as a component of their dissertation research or embedded in other research during their training here.

Program Highlights

The PhD program requires that students:

• Complete at least 64 credits of coursework with a cumulative 3.0 GPA (B or higher average in required courses),
• Successfully pass the written comprehensive examination at the doctoral level,
• Complete the teacher training (TA) curriculum, including serving as a TA in 3 departmental courses,
• Present their proposed doctoral research as a professional seminar to the Department,
• Pass the Departmental Oral Examination,
• Pass the Graduate Board Preliminary Oral Examination,
• Fulfill the primary data collection requirement,
• Develop and conduct independent research culminating in a doctoral dissertation,
• Present their completed dissertation research in a formal seminar (open to the public),
• Successfully defend their dissertation during the Final Oral Examination.

Students work closely with their advisers and Thesis Advisory Committee to develop their research questions and design their projects to address those questions and to conduct the dissertation research.

Funding for the PhD program

The PhD program in Epidemiology grants four years of tuition support, stipend, individual health insurance including dental, vision, and other benefits; provided the PhD students progress as expected and required by the academic program. 

PhD Student Employee Union and Collective Bargaining Agreement

Information about the TRU-JHU PhD Student Union and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) can be found here . 

• PhD students in the Epidemiology PhD program who receive work appointments and/or health insurance premium subsidy through Johns Hopkins University are defined as PhD Student Employees under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) dated March 29, 2024-June 30, 2027.
• This agreement has established regulations regarding stipends and wages, work hours, benefits, and conditions of appointment, many of which, but not all, are described below.
• Eligible PhD students will be contacted by the Union and may elect to join the union and pay dues or pay agency fees if they do not join the union. All eligible PhD students are under the CBA, regardless of Union membership.
• The CBA only covers work, which is limited to a max of 20 hours per week on average for stipend funding. A PhD Student Employee may voluntarily elect to participate in supplemental-funded activities beyond the 20 hours per week on average, in alignment with their funding sources and visa guidelines (for international students).
• Academic policies for the PhD program are not part of the CBA and are defined elsewhere in this website and in the Student Handbook.

This is just a summary, not the actual terms of the CBA. To review the actual terms of the CBA please click on this link .

CBA Summary

• The minimum guaranteed funding for the first 4 years for all BSPH PhD student employees. Some departments and programs may provide more in their offer letters.
• Academic year (AY) 24-25: guaranteed minimum stipend of $47,000 effective July 1, 2024.
• The minimum hourly appointment rate for AY 24-25 is $25.41/hour for supplemental appointments and hourly wage earners. 
• PhD student employees with external awards paid through the University will have their compensation increased to the minimum stipend, if it is below the guaranteed minimum, during the period of guaranteed funding. 
• Enrollment information will be available through HR Benefits for Students and Learners and communications will be sent in advance of benefits election periods.
• The University will pay the premiums for University Student Health Benefits Plan (SHBP), including dental and vision coverage, employee coverage for employees in full-time resident status during the terms of full appointments.
• PhD student employees will receive subsidies of $4,500 per child per year for eligible children under 6 years and $3,000 per child aged 6-18 years or adult dependent, with a maximum of $12,000 per family per year, in installments throughout the year. Enrollment information will be available during the benefits election period.
• The University will pay the cost of the health insurance premiums for eligible dependent children and spouses unable to work in the US, including dental and vision. Reimbursement procedures will be available on the HR Benefits website .
• International students will be eligible to apply to a yearly fund to cover required visa fees.  Further information will be made available once the application site is set up.
• Students will be eligible for reimbursement for MTA All Access College Transit Passes or DC U-Passes. Registration and enrollment information will be available on the HR Benefits website .
• All University holidays are recognized, dates can be found here and here . 
• PhD student employees can take up to 15 vacation days per year. Additional time can be given by a supervisor. 
• PhD student employees can take up to 15 sick days per year with an additional 5 days per dependent. 
• PhD student employees can take up to 5 days of bereavement leave for the passing of immediate and extended family members and close friends, with 1 additional day for those needing international travel. 
• International PhD student employees who are required to travel out of the country in order to maintain their immigration status necessary to be able to continue their program at the University are eligible for up to fourteen (14) days with pay during the period of such travel.
• PhD student employees who are new parents are eligible for 8 weeks of paid leave following birth or adoption, with an additional 4 weeks for birthing parents  NOTE: PhD students who want to take academic leave following the birth or adoption of a new child should use the New Child Accommodation policies .
• Leaves of Absence (LOA), including family leave, medical leave, and personal leave, are governed by the University leave policies. Students who need to take a leave-of-absence begin the discussion with the Senior Academic Program Manager.
• No PhD student employee shall be required to perform work for more than 20 hours/week on average.
• Teaching Assistantship (TA) hours are included in the 20 hours of work that may be assigned regardless of whether the TA is part of an academic learning experience or not.
• Academic coursework, exams, and research related to your academic learning and dissertation are not considered work and are not included in the work hour limitations.
• There are no restrictions on work external to Hopkins except when decreed by funding source or visa status, as long as academic progress is not impeded.
• All work appointments (stipend or supplemental funding) require an appointment letter. Appointment letters will define the expectations and requirements of the teaching, research, or other University activity appointment. The first set of appointment letters will be generated in mid-to-end of August 2024. A PhD student employee can expect to receive an appointment letter for each work activity, which may result in multiple appointment letters during the course of the year.  Students should contact their department/program administrator with any questions.
• All PhD student employee directory information will be sent to the Union unless restricted. Supplemental information will require a FERPA consent form available on SIS self-service.
• Union Representatives are current PhD Student Employees who are elected/selected to help their fellow PhD Student Employees navigate work-related disciplines, grievances, and other procedural/policy issues. Contact TRU-JHU with questions about your division’s specific Union Representatives.
• Website: https://trujhu.org/
• Phone: (443) 281-9462
• Address: TRU-UE Local 197, PO Box 41149, Baltimore, MD 21203
• Email: [email protected]

Additional Department Funding Sources

Nih training and research programs.

The Department offers a limited number of NIH-supported, pre- and postdoctoral fellowship opportunities for U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents:

• Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Aging Training Program,
• Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control Training Program,
• Cardiovascular Epidemiology Institutional Training Program,
• Johns Hopkins HIV Epidemiology Prevention Sciences Training Program,
• NHLBI Training Program in Pharmacoepidemiology,
• Research in Practice: Translating Infectious Disease Epidemiology (RIP-TIDE),
• Renal Disease Epidemiology Training Grant (postdoctoral only),
• Clinical Research and Epidemiology in Diabetes and Endocrinology.

Further, the Department encourages each eligible graduate student to apply for NIH F-Level Individual Predoctoral National Research Service Awards (NRSAs). Interested students should first talk with their adviser(s) and the Student Financial Coordinator.

Non-NIH Training and Research Programs

The Department offers two non-NIH sponsored training programs open to all PhD students:

• MD-GEM: The Maryland Genetics, Epidemiology, and Medicine Training Program (predoctoral only)
• Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health Training Program

Endowed Scholarships and Awards

The Department is grateful to receive and pleased to bestow 10-15 Endowed Scholarships and Awards each year.

Program Requirements

Doctoral students in the Department of Epidemiology train to be public health leaders and educators. By following an apprenticeship model, students take courses, learn to teach methods and concepts to a wide audience, conduct a rigorous examination of the existing science, and discover and contribute new knowledge to the field. Thus we require students to complete a residency and participate fully in journal clubs, research-in-progress meetings, programmatic activities, and scientific poster sessions and conferences. Doctoral students serve as teaching assistants, conduct research, and prepare a dissertation of the caliber expected of graduates of Johns Hopkins University. 

A minimum of 64 credits is required to complete a doctoral degree. The residency requirement (completed by maintaining full-time registration of four consecutive terms of at least 16 credits each) must be completed during the first year of the program. To broaden perspective and to enhance the student’s capabilities for work in public health or disease-related fields, at least 18 credits of coursework are required in courses from at least two other departments outside the student’s primary department. At least nine of these credits must be taken at BSPH. Students who have completed a master’s degree at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and are continuing into the doctoral program, must complete 18 new credits outside of Epidemiology, in at least two different departments of the school  and  complete 18 credits within the Department of Epidemiology, to establish the grade point average. Of note: University and Schoolwide requirements do not count toward the 18 credits outside of the department.

PhD students are expected to complete the core required courses for a letter grade and earn a B or better in required courses. The minimum grade point average for PhD students is 3.0 on the 4.0 scale.

Track Specific Activities

Each Track holds journal clubs, research-in-progress meetings, and other activities, which Track students are expected to attend. PhD students should take on leadership roles after their first year of study. These activities are opportunities to engage and interact with Track faculty, fellow students, and post-doctoral fellows, and to participate and present in the topic area of the Track.  All doctoral students are expected to participate in their Track. If a student wishes to switch tracks during the course of their degree program, they must schedule a meeting with the Senior Academic Program Manager, Frances Burman ( [email protected] ), and the intended track director to ascertain whether a switch is feasible to still meet graduation requirements in time and to complete a formal form.

Quarterly Doctoral Meetings

Doctoral students and the Doctoral Program Directors meet quarterly. These meetings provide a forum to learn about academic policies and deadlines, raise questions and concerns, and to connect. All doctoral students are expected to attend.

Annual Advising and Planning Meetings with Adviser (Individualized Development Plan)

PhD students must meet at least annually with their primary academic adviser for a formal review of their progress with written feedback and discuss plans for the upcoming year. This is accomplished using the Individualized Development Plan  (IDP). A critical part of any learning is the ability to review knowledge and skills gained, identify gaps, and identify ways to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for academic and professional success. Therefore, each PhD student is expected to review their goals and objectives for pursuing the program, evaluate the progress they have made in obtaining the training desired, and set forth goals for the upcoming academic year. Each student reviews these with their academic adviser to discuss their progress and address any suggested areas for exploration. The IDP is not a graded assignment but rather a guidepost for personal growth and reflection. The Johns Hopkins University Provost's Office  provides resources  on its website and a  guided form  for use. Additionally, a handy and thorough example designed by Science Careers is  linked here .  

Any template for an IDP may be used; however, the form must include sections for the student to complete on the following topics. There must also be space for adviser comments and feedback:

• Academic and/or thesis research progress of the past year and specific academic and/or research goals for the upcoming year;
• Ideas for ways in which the adviser can help the student achieve the student’s academic or research goals for the coming year;
• Short and long-term professional goals and the types or range of professional sectors of possible interest;
• Specific skills the student wants to develop, or professional areas about which the student wants to learn more; and
• Provide ways the adviser can help the student achieve, or connect the student to resources for, these professional goals.

Doctoral Teaching Assistant (TA) Curriculum Requirements

Purpose of the doctoral ta curriculum.

Learning how to be an effective teacher and communicator about epidemiologic principles and methods is an integral part of doctoral education in epidemiology. Teaching is an opportunity for students to meet several Departmental doctoral program core competencies, enabling students to:

• Interpret and critique epidemiological studies;
• Interpret epidemiologic data and make valid inferences from study findings;
• Communicate effectively in oral and written formats with students, professionals, and the public on issues related to epidemiology and public health; and
• Provide epidemiologic critique and advice by advising students and professionals on epidemiologic concepts and methods and conducting peer review activities

Practicing these skills also prepare students for Department and Preliminary Oral Examinations and for their future careers, whether in academia or in other venues. 

Course Requirements

Academic & research ethics (and avoiding plagiarism) course requirement.

All doctoral students must enroll in PH.550.860 Academic & Research Ethics at JHSPH during the first term of doctoral enrollment at the School. The Avoiding Plagiarism at JHU training developed by JHU's Sheridan Libraries course material is contained within the PH.550.860 Academic & Research Ethics at JHSPH course. This online course is administered through CoursePlus. All students are required to complete this online course by the end of their first term enrolled. In the course, students are asked to upload two certificates to a CoursePlus DropBox showing completion of both parts of this course:

• Certificate from JHU for the Avoiding Plagiarism module
• Certificate from SPH for completion of the Responsible Conduct of Research module

Students must also send a copy of the certificates to the Senior Academic Program Manager, Frances Burman ( [email protected] ) with their name and “Academic & Research Ethics Requirement” in the subject line of the e-mail.

Responsible Conduct of Research Course Requirement

All doctoral students must fulfill the Responsible Conduct of Research requirement. Please note, while there is a Responsible Conduct of Research module within the PH.550.860 Academic & Research Ethics at JHSPH .82, this is a separate requirement and is not fulfilled by that module contained within PH.550.860 Academic & Research Ethics at JHSPH .82.  

Additionally, doctoral students who are supported by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) training grant, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, or dissertation research grant (including D43, D71, F05, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F37, F38, K01, K02, K05, K07, K08, K12, K18, K22, K23, K24, K25, K26, K30, K99/R00, KL1,  KL2, R36, T15, T32, T34, T35, T36, T37, T90/R90, TL1, TU2, and U2R) must repeat this in-person requirement every four years.

This requirement can be met by completing either of the following two courses:

• PH.550.600 Living Science Ethics - Responsible Conduct of Research (1st term) or
• PH.306.665 Research Ethics and integrity  (3rd term)

CEPH Cells to Society Courses

The Council on Education in Public Health designates core knowledge for all public health professionals. The list of courses and term offerings is located  online . Epidemiology degree students are required to complete 8 of the 12 sessions as listed below. Each course is 0.5 credits and is offered only online. Many of these courses can be used as introductions to full-term courses offered in multiple modalities throughout the year. Incoming doctoral students who have completed CEPH accredited degree programs prior to enrollment do not have to retake the CEPH Cells to Society courses. 

Departmental Core and Required Courses [*]

The Doctoral Level Core Requirements are listed by year and term for all Epidemiology doctoral students. Students complete CEPH Cells to Society Courses , Core Courses ,  Track-Specific Courses , a  course outside of their track , and recommended courses appropriate to provide a base for their intended research. Students who group their electives and recommended courses in a cohesive theme may wish to complete one of the many  Certificates  offered by the Department and School. Doctoral students who have a strong interest in methodology may apply for and complete the  Concurrent MHS in Biostatistics  while enrolled in the doctoral program.

REQUIRED: Core Courses for all doctoral students in Epidemiology

Core Courses should be completed during the first year of enrollment in preparation for the Written Comprehensive Examinations and as preparation for the Teaching Curriculum.

May be waived if student holds MPH from a CEPH accredited program in past 10 yrs

Courses approved for the "OUTSIDE OF TRACK" requirement

All students must complete one introductory topical epidemiology course outside of the chosen track. Courses approved by the Curriculum Committee to meet this requirement are listed below:

DEPARTMENT-WIDE RECOMMENDED COURSES

1 term, can be taken in any term 1 through 4

Recommended for all four terms during year 2

Specific track requirements will be cross-referenced with the course directory and course system database before listing below.

Track Course Requirements (*)

In addition to the Department-wide Core Requirements, each track requires additional coursework specific to their fields to prepare students to conduct research and serve as leaders. Please see the track-specific requirements and recommended courses listed below. Additionally, the first-year course content is covered in the annual Written Comprehensive Exams. All students may take courses in any of the tracks listed and are encouraged to do so.

Cancer Epidemiology

Courses required  for doctoral students in cancer epidemiology.

Second Year

Additional Recommended Courses for doctoral students in Cancer Epidemiology 

[Terms and offerings change each year. Always check the course directory for the most up-to-date offerings]

PH.140.651 Methods in Biostatistics I PH.340.616 Epidemiology of Aging   (fulfills an out-of-track requirement) PH.340.696 Spatial Analysis I: ArcGIS PH.340.660 Practical Skills in Conducting Research in Clinical Epidemiology and Investigation  ideally taken in year 2  PH.340.728 Advanced Methods for Design and Analysis of Cohort Studies  should be completed in year 2 or later

PH.140.652 Methods in Biostatistics II PH.340.774 Advanced Theory and Methods in Epidemiology PH.140.630 Introduction to Data Management PH.180.650 Fundamentals of Clinical Oncology for Public Health Practitioners (becomes recommended only when used in addition to Cancer: Cause to Cure) PH.330.603 Psychiatric Epidemiology (fulfills an out-of-track requirement) PH.340.645 Introduction to Clinical Trials (fulfills an out-of-track requirement) PH.340.666 Foundations of Social Epidemiology (fulfills an out-of-track requirement) PH.340.682 Pharmacoepidemiology Methods (fulfills an out-of-track requirement) PH.340.697 Spatial Analysis II: Spatial Data Technologies

PH.140.653 Methods in Biostatistics III PH.140.655 Analysis of Multilevel and Longitudinal Data PH.140.664 Causal Inference in Medicine and Public Health I PH.340.606 Methods for Conducting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses PH.340.694 Power and Sample Size for the Design of Epidemiological Studies I

PH.140.632 Introduction to the SAS Statistical Package PH.140.654 Methods in Biostatistics IV PH.140.656 Multilevel and Longitudinal Models - Data Analysis Workshop PH.340.644 Epidemiology of Diabetes and Obesity PH.340.600 Stata Programming I (Basic) PH.340.680 Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology (fulfills an out-of-track requirement) PH.120.624 Cancer Biology (becomes recommended only when used in addition to Cancer: Cause to Cure) PH.380.664 Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology (fulfills an out-of-track requirement)

Cardiovascular and Clinical Epidemiology

Courses required   for doctoral students in cardiovascular and clinical epidemiology.

Term 1:       

Term 2:     

Term 3:     

Please consider recommended courses appropriate to augment your knowledge in fields of interest

Additional Required Courses for Doctoral Students focusing on Cardiovascular Epidemiology

Additional Required Course for Doctoral Students focusing on Clinical Epidemiology

Term 2      

Recommended Courses for Doctoral Students in Cardiovascular and Clinical Epidemiology

Term 1 PH.340.687 Epidemiology of Kidney Disease    2 PH.340.731 Principles of Genetic Epidemiology 1  (fulfills and out of track requirement) 4 PH.340.616 Epidemiology of Aging ​  (fulfills and out of track requirement)  3

Term 2 PH.340.624 Etiology, Prevention, and Control of Cancer  (fulfills and out of track requirement)  4 PH.340.627 Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (fulfills and out of track requirement) 4

Term 3 PH.180.640 Molecular Epidemiology and Biomarkers in Public Health 4  PH.340.606 Methods for Conducting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses * 4 *usually taken in Year 2 

Term 4 PH.340.644 Epidemiology of Diabetes and Obesity (fulfills and out of track requirement) 3 

Skills Courses  (can be taken Year 1 or later with commensurate progress in Biostats series)

Term 4 PH.340.600 Stata Programming I (Basic)   2 PH.140.632 Introduction to the SAS Statistical Package 3

Advanced Methods Courses (recommended in Year 2, review course catalogue for prerequisites)

Term 1 PH.140.641 Survival Analysis 3 PH.140.776 Statistical Computing 3 PH.340.660 Practical Skills in Conducting Research in Clinical Epidemiology and Investigation 3 

Term 2 PH.340.717 Health Survey Research Methods  4

Term 3 PH.140.655 Analysis of Multilevel and Longitudinal Data 4 PH.140.664 Causal Inference in Medicine and Public Health I  4

Additional Recommended Courses for Doctoral Students with a focus in Cardiovascular Epidemiology

Term 1 PH.140.651 Methods in Biostatistics I 4

Term 2 PH.140.652 Methods in Biostatistics II   4 PH.340.620 Principles of Clinical Epidemiology 2

Term 3 PH.140.653 Methods in Biostatistics III  4

Term 4 PH.140.654 Methods in Biostatistics IV 4

Additional Recommended Courses for Doctoral Students with a focus in Clinical Epidemiology 

PH.340.607 Introduction to Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology  4 PH.340.730 Assessment of Clinical Cardiovascular Disease 2

Term 4 PH.340.803 Advanced Topics in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology 2  PH.340.855 SS/R: Biological Basis of Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology  2

Clinical Trials and Evidence Synthesis

Courses required   for doctoral students in clinical trials and evidence synthesis.

Recommended  Courses  for Doctoral Students in Clinical Trials and Evidence Synthesis

Term 1 PH.140.651 Methods in Biostatistics I 4 PH.221.722 Quality Assurance Management Methods for Developing Countries 4 PH.340.653 Epidemiologic Inference in Outbreak Investigations 3 PH.340.660 Practical Skills in Conducting Research in Clinical Epidemiology and Investigation 3 PH.340.728 Advanced Methods for Design and Analysis of Cohort Studies 5 PH.390.631 Principles of Drug Development 2 PH.390.673 Emerging Ethical and Regulatory Issues in Clinical Research 3 PH.317.600 Introduction to the Risk Sciences and Public Policy 4

Term 2   PH.140.630 Introduction to Data Management 3 PH.140.652 Methods in Biostatistics II  4 PH.340.717 Health Survey Research Methods 4 PH.410.710 Concepts in Qualitative Research for Social and Behavioral Sciences 3

Term 3 PH.140.634 Non-Inferiority and Equivalence Clinical Trials 2 PH.140.642 Design of Clinical Experiments 3 PH.140.653 Methods in Biostatistics III 4 PH.223.664 Design and Conduct of Community Trials 4 PH.340.694 Power and Sample Size for the Design of Epidemiological Studies I 1 PH.340.775 Measurement Theory and Techniques in Epidemiology  4 PH.140.664 Causal Inference in Medicine and Public Health I  4

Term 4  PH.140.654 Methods in Biostatistics IV  4 PH.140.632 Introduction to the SAS Statistical Package 3 PH.140.656 Multilevel and Longitudinal Models - Data Analysis Workshop 4 PH.221.616 Ethics and Global Public Health Practice 2 PH.223.705 Good Clinical Practice: A Vaccine Trials Perspective 4 PH.224.691 Qualitative Data Analysis  3 PH.390.675 Outcomes and Effectiveness Research 3

Summer Inst PH.330.621 Mixed Methods for Research in Public Health 2

Environmental Epidemiology

Course required  for doctoral students in environmental epidemiology.

PH.340.680 Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology

Recommended Courses for Doctoral Students in Environmental Epidemiology

Term 1   PH.182.615 Airborne Particles 4 PH.187.610 Public Health Toxicology 4 PH.188.680 Fundamentals of Occupational Health 3 PH.317.600 Introduction to the Risk Sciences and Public Policy 4

Term 2   PH.182.625 Principles of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 4 PH.317.610 Risk Policy, Management and Communication 3 PH.340.624 Etiology, Prevention, and Control of Cancer   4 PH.340.717 Health Survey Research Methods 4

Term 3   PH.180.601 Environmental Health 5 PH.180.640 Molecular Epidemiology and Biomarkers in Public Health   4 PH.317.605 Methods in Quantitative Risk Assessment 4

Term 4   PH.188.681 Onsite Evaluation of Workplace and Occupational Health Programs 5 PH.317.615 Topics in Risk Assessment 2

Epidemiology of Aging

Course required   for doctoral students in epidemiology of aging.

PH.340.616 Epidemiology of Aging

PH.340.699 Epidemiology of Sensory Loss in Aging

Recommended Courses for Doctoral Students in Epidemiology of Aging

each term PH.330.802 Seminar on Aging, Cognition and Neurodegenerative Disorders 1

Term 1   PH.140.641 Survival Analysis 3 PH.380.604 Life Course Perspectives on Health 4

Term 2   PH.340.620 Principles of Clinical Epidemiology 2 PH.340.666 Foundations of Social Epidemiology 3 PH.380.603 Demographic Methods for Public Health 4

Term 3   PH.340.699 Epidemiology of Sensory Loss in Aging 3 PH.260.665 Biological Basis of Aging ++  3

Term 4  PH.330.623 Brain and Behavior in Mental Disorders 3 PH.140.656 Multilevel and Longitudinal Models - Data Analysis Workshop 4 PH.330.618 Mental Health in Later Life ++ 3 ++offered every other year

Term 1    PH.330.657 Statistics for Psychosocial Research: Measurement  4 PH.340.728 Advanced Methods for Design and Analysis of Cohort Studies   5

Term 2    PH.140.658 Statistics for Psychosocial Research: Structural Models 4 PH.309.605 Health Issues for Aging Populations   3

Term 3    PH.140.655 Analysis of Multilevel and Longitudinal Data 4

General Epidemiology and Methodology

Courses required  for doctoral students in general epidemiology and methodology.

PH.340.731 Principles of Genetic Epidemiology 1   4 (recommended for year 1 but may be taken in year 2, satisfies the out-of-track requirement as well)

PH.340.682 Pharmacoepidemiology Methods    3 (recommended for year 1 but may be taken in year 2)

PH.340.682 Pharmacoepidemiology Methods    3 (Required for students with Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety Focus only)

Terms 1 - 4

PH.340.875 GEM Research  Seminar  1 (required for each student each term in year 1)

Does not have to be in Year 2; can be taken any time after year 1 and prior to graduation: 

CHOOSE AT LEAST TWO  of these 3 courses in Public Health Research Skills:

Term 1:  PH.340.660 Practical Skills in Conducting Research in Clinical Epidemiology and Investigation   3  Term 2:  PH.340.717 Health Survey Research Methods 4 Term 3:  PH.340.648 Clinical Trials Management   3

Recommended Courses for Doctoral Students in General Epidemiology and Methodology

Doctoral students with a methodology focus:.

Term 1   PH.330.657 Statistics for Psychosocial Research: Measurement 4 PH.340.646 Epidemiology and Public Health Impact of HIV and AIDS 4 PH.340.616 Epidemiology of Aging 3 PH.340.653 Epidemiologic Inference in Outbreak Investigations 3

Term 2   PH.140.658 Statistics for Psychosocial Research: Structural Models 4 PH.183.631 Fundamentals of Human Physiology 4 PH.260.631 Immunology, Infection and Disease 3 PH.330.603 Psychiatric Epidemiology 3 PH.340.620 Principles of Clinical Epidemiology 2 PH.340.624 Etiology, Prevention, and Control of Cancer 4 PH.340.666 Foundations of Social Epidemiology * 3 PH.340.732 Principles of Genetic Epidemiology 2 3

Term 3   PH.140.640 Statistical Methods for Sample Surveys 3 PH.180.640 Molecular Epidemiology and Biomarkers in Public Health 4 PH.222.647 Nutrition Epidemiology 3 PH.224.690 Qualitative Research Theory and Methods 3 PH.309.616 Introduction to Methods for Health Services Research and Evaluation I 2 PH.340.607 Introduction to Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology 4 PH.340.609 Concepts and Methods in Infectious Disease Epidemiology 3 PH.340.733 Principles of Genetic Epidemiology 3 3

Term 4 PH.140.656 Multilevel and Longitudinal Models - Data Analysis Workshop 4 PH.224.691 Qualitative Data Analysis 3 PH.309.617 Introduction to Methods for Health Services Research and Evaluation II 2 PH.340.641 Healthcare Epidemiology 4 PH.340.677 Infectious Disease Dynamics: Theoretical and Computational Approaches 3 PH.340.680 Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology 4 PH.380.664 Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology 4 PH.390.675 Outcomes and Effectiveness Research 3

*alternates online and in-person every other year ++ alternate year course

Second Year courses:

Term 1     PH.340.728 Advanced Methods for Design and Analysis of Cohort Studies 5

Term 2     PH.340.774 Advanced Theory and Methods in Epidemiology 4

Term 3     PH.140.664 Causal Inference in Medicine and Public Health I 4 PH.140.655 Analysis of Multilevel and Longitudinal Data 4 PH.340.606 Methods for Conducting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 4

Recommended statistical programming computing courses:

Term 1 PH.140.776 Statistical Computing  3

Term 4   PH.140.632 Introduction to the SAS Statistical Package 3 PH.340.600 Stata Programming I (Basic) 2

Doctoral Students with a Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety Focus:

Strongly recommended courses for doctoral students with a pharmacoepidemiology focus:.

Term 1   PH.317.600 Introduction to the Risk Sciences and Public Policy 4 PH.390.631 Principles of Drug Development 2

Term 2    PH.317.610 Risk Policy, Management and Communication 3

Term 3   PH.140.664 Causal Inference in Medicine and Public Health I 4 PH.340.684 Pharmacoepidemiology: Drug Utilization 3  (alternate year format) PH.221.610 Pharmaceutical and Supply Chain Management: Realities from the Field 3

Term 4  PH.410.680 Social Ecological Approaches to Health Regimen Adherence in Chronic Conditions 3

Recommended courses for Doctoral Students with a Pharmacoepidemiology Focus:

Term 1   PH.317.605 Methods in Quantitative Risk Assessment 4

Term 4   PH.317.615 Topics in Risk Assessment  2

the following courses are offered outside of BSPH and require interdivisional registration and instructor permission AS.410.651 Clinical Development of Drugs and Biologics 4 AS.410.627 Translational Biotechnology: From Intellectual Property to Licensing 4 ME.330.809 Analytic Methods for Clinical Pharmacology variable NR.110.508 Clinical Pharmacology 3

Individualized Focus:

Students designing their own educational programs should, in conjunction with their advisor, choose three to four graduate-level courses (taken for a letter grade) in their field from among the offerings of the University in addition to taking the GEM Required courses listed above.

Genetic Epidemiology

Courses required   for doctoral students in genetic epidemiology.

Terms 1-4 PH.340.872 Genetic Epidemiologic Seminars in Current Research and Methodology  1 Term 1  PH.340.731 Principles of Genetic Epidemiology 1  4  

Term 2   PH.340.732 Principles of Genetic Epidemiology 2   3

Term 3   PH.340.733 Principles of Genetic Epidemiology 3   3

Term 4  PH.340.734 Principles of Genetic Epi 4: Emerging and Advanced Methods 2

Terms 1-4 PH.340.872 Genetic Epidemiologic Seminars in Current Research and Methodology  1 Term 1    PH.140.776 Statistical Computing (Pass/Fail, or Grade)  4

PH.140.776 Statistical Computing 3 (Students with a strong background in programming should take 140.636.)

Recommended Courses for Doctoral Students in Genetic Epidemiology

Analytic methods courses (ideal for year 2).

Term 1    PH.140.641 Survival Analysis  3 PH.140.651 Methods in Biostatistics I * 4 PH.140.776 Statistical Computing 3

Term 2    PH.140.638 Analysis of Biological Sequences 3 PH.140.652 Methods in Biostatistics II 4 PH.140.778 Statistical Computing, Algorithm, and Software Development 3 PH.340.774 Advanced Theory and Methods in Epidemiology * 4

Term 3    PH.140.644 Statistical Machine Learning: Methods, Theory, and Applications 4 PH.140.653 Methods in Biostatistics III 4 PH.140.655 Analysis of Multilevel and Longitudinal Data 4

Term 4   PH.140.688 Statistics For Genomics 3

Biology and Molecular Methods Courses

Term 1   PH.260.611 Principles of Immunology I 4

Term 2  PH.260.612 Principles of Immunology II 4 PH.183.631 Fundamentals of Human Physiology 4 (*For non-physician trained students only)

Term 3    PH.180.640 Molecular Epidemiology and Biomarkers in Public Health 4

Term 4  PH.120.608 Gene Editing, Therapy and Manipulation 3

Topic-Specific Electives

Term 3 PH.340.775 Measurement Theory and Techniques in Epidemiology 4

Term 4  PH.330.619 Psychiatric Genomics 3 PH.415.624 Ethical, Legal and Social Implications in Genetics and Genomics Over Time  (offered in alternate years) 

Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Courses required   for doctoral students in infectious disease epidemiology.

Students must complete at least one course in each of the four disciplinary sections below:  

Section one: general electives (choose 1).

Section two: Skills in Research (Choose 1)

Section three:  Biology and Pathogenesis of Disease (Choose 1)

Section four: Immunology: choose one set (recommended to complete in year two)

                             *students requesting pass/fail for these two courses only must seek permission from their adviser and the track director

For additional information regarding policies and requirements, please view our departmental Academic Guide published August of each academic year and located on the intranet portal. Updates regarding course availability can be found on the BSPH Course Directory System.

Department Comprehensive Examination

A two-day written Department comprehensive examination is administered to all students enrolled in Epidemiology degree programs in late May of the first academic year. All students are required to sit for the exam on the scheduled dates—no alternate exams will be offered.

By the time of the examination, students should have completed 64 credits (one full year of residence),  the required first-year coursework in their Track with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0,  and in these courses:

The first day of the exam (Part A) includes testing on the following topics:

• Knowledge and application of epidemiologic concepts and methods (and related biostatistics)
• History of epidemiology
• Contemporary issues in public health
• Research ethics

The second day of the exam (Part B) is Track-specific and tests knowledge of concepts and methods presented in the required courses and activities for each Track, as well as the Department core courses as applied to the Track.

Students must pass both Part A and Part B of the comprehensive examination. Doctoral students must attain at least 75% on Part A and at least 75% on Part B to pass. A repeat examination may be allowed but is not guaranteed. If a repeat is granted, it must be completed before starting the second academic year.

Failure to pass one or both sections of the comps may result in dismissal from the doctoral program or from the Department.

Additionally, PhD students may not enroll in Doctoral Seminars courses (340.863) until they have successfully passed the written comprehensive exams at the doctoral level. 

Dissertation Steps

Timing of activities / milestones.

• Years one and two: Complete academic preparation for dissertation through coursework, special studies, and research with the adviser, attend seminars, journal clubs, and research-in-progress activities of interest. Students should meet at least once per term with their adviser and possibly weekly while completing special studies and research (PH.340.840).
• Year two: Students develop their specific aims, add a co-adviser, and produce a working draft of their dissertation research proposal prior to or during the fourth term of the second year. Students, in combination with their advisers, select a third member for the Thesis Advisory  Committee and present their proposed research at a public seminar to the department during the fourth term of year two or the first term of year three. Students also begin to fulfill their Teaching Requirements during year two and begin assuming leadership roles within the department or school.
• Year three:  Students hold their departmental and preliminary oral exams and begin research. Many students continue their teaching requirements and begin submitting papers for publication in conjunction with their advisers or other faculty mentors. Students should schedule a minimum of two weeks between the doctoral proposal seminar and the departmental oral exam and must schedule a minimum of four weeks between the departmental oral exam and the preliminary (school-wide) exam. Students may schedule all three activities simultaneously or wait to pass one before scheduling the next. Students may elect to take up to six months to prepare for each exam. Students must successfully pass their Preliminary Oral Exam within three academic years of enrollment in the doctoral degree program. 
• Year four: Students conclude data collection and analysis, complete their dissertations, and hold the defense of their research. This timeframe varies from student to student depending on a wide variety of factors. 
• The University permits as many as seven years or 28 terms to complete the PhD degree requirements; however, the financial support granted PhD students by the Department of Epidemiology will not extend beyond that specified in the original offer of the acceptance letter. 

Thesis Advisory Committee

The role of the Thesis Advisory Committee is to provide continuity in the evaluation of the progress and development of the doctoral student. The Thesis Advisory Committee is assembled by the doctoral student and their adviser(s). The Thesis Advisory Committee consists of the dissertation (thesis) adviser and at least two additional faculty members who hold either primary or joint appointments in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology. If the student selects a co-adviser, the co-Adviser serves on the Thesis Advisory Committee. Additional faculty within and outside of the School may also be recruited. Committee membership is permitted to change during the research period. The Thesis Advisory Committee is not the same as the Preliminary or Final Oral Examination Committees. The Thesis Advisory Committee decides when the student is ready to proceed through each of the milestones needed to complete the degree requirements, including the Doctoral Proposal Seminar, the Departmental and School-wide Preliminary Oral Examinations, and the Final Oral Examination (“defense”). Bi-annual formal meetings of the Thesis Advisory Committee are required, but meetings may and should occur more frequently. It is the student's responsibility to schedule meetings.

Tips for doctoral students for successful formal meetings of the Thesis Advisory Committee:

• Prior to each meeting, draft an agenda with adviser input and distribute a one-page description of progress, including any key results
• After each meeting, send a written report of the items discussed, decisions reached, and the action items to be completed by the next meeting to the members for approval
• Maintain a log of the meetings to aid in writing the annual progress report and financial support documentation

Once the Thesis Advisory Committee is formed, submit the signed “Thesis Committee Approval Form” (on the Epi Intranet ) to Fran Burman (franburman@ jhu.edu) and Ebony Moore ( eamoore@ jhu.edu ).

Dissertation Research Proposal

The 12-page single-spaced dissertation research proposal is developed during the second year, during terms 1 – 3 of PH.340.863 Doctoral Seminars in Epidemiology , and is the final project for the course PH.340.715 Problems in the Design of Epidemiologic Studies: Proposal Development and Critique . The dissertation proposal must be reviewed and approved by the Thesis Advisory Committee prior to scheduling the Doctoral Research Proposal Seminar.

Doctoral Research Proposal Seminar

After the Thesis Advisory Committee has approved the student's 12-page dissertation research proposal, the student must orally present the proposal in a Doctoral Proposal Seminar to the Department. Students should present a prepared presentation of approximately 40-45 minutes in length followed by approximately 15-20 minutes of questions and discussion. The Proposal Seminar is presented during the Department-wide Epidemiology Seminars (PH.340.860 Current Topics in Epidemiologic Research) on Fridays during terms 1-4. Seminars are not permitted during the Summer. The dissertation (thesis) adviser must attend, and the Thesis Advisory Committee members and the Track Director are strongly encouraged to attend. Doctoral Proposal Seminars are advertised to the Department at large, and students and their adviser(s) should personally invite any other colleagues they would like to attend. The best ways to prepare for this seminar include attending Doctoral Research Proposal Seminars presented by peers and by presenting in a track research-in-progress meeting. Students should plan to conduct a ‘dress rehearsal,’ prior to the actual proposal (in the same room reserved for the defense to familiarize themselves with the surroundings and test all technology) for use during the Doctoral Research Proposal Seminar.

After the Thesis Advisory Committee has approved the student to present their Doctoral Proposal Seminar, the student should work with the adviser and Thesis Advisory Committee to select a seminar date. Once the Advisory Committee and adviser(s) have confirmed readiness, the student can proceed with reserving a date and room. To schedule a date, students should contact the Epidemiology Academic Support Core Office to discuss open dates and submit the “Doctoral Proposal Seminar Form” (on the Epi Intranet ), which includes preferences for seminar dates (1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices). This form requires the signature of the adviser and the Track Director.

Tips to keep in mind:

• Students cannot schedule their doctoral proposal seminars without the approval of their adviser(s) and the Thesis Advisory Committee,
• Doctoral students are required to propose during the academic year (Terms 1-4), in Department-wide Friday Epidemiology Seminars,
• Seminars start at 12:15 pm, with an introduction by the student’s adviser,
• Students should test their presentations prior, report early on the day of, and have their presentations saved in more than one place for back-up.

Departmental Oral Examination

After the Thesis Advisory Committee has approved the Dissertation Research Proposal and the student has presented the Doctoral Proposal Seminar, the next step is to schedule and sit for the Departmental Oral Examination. The primary purpose of the Departmental Oral Examination is to prepare the student for the Preliminary Oral Examination. As such, the Departmental Oral Examination shares the purpose of the Preliminary Oral Examination:

To determine whether the student has both the ability and knowledge to undertake significant research in the general area of interest, including:

• the student's capacity for logical thinking;
• their breadth of knowledge in relevant areas; and
• their ability to develop and conduct research leading to a completed dissertation (thesis).

Discussion of a specific research proposal, if available, may serve as a vehicle for determining the student's general knowledge and research capacity. However, this examination is not intended to be a defense of a specific research proposal.

Students are encouraged to practice discussing epidemiologic methods, ethics, and public health knowledge at the level of a doctoral student with their adviser and thesis advisory committee in preparation for the oral exams. Professionalism, communication skills, and solid comprehension of epidemiologic methods are key in conveying the student's knowledge and readiness to conduct independent research.

Meeting with the Senior Academic Program Manager

In preparation for scheduling the Department Oral Examination, students should meet with the Senior Academic Program Manager, Fran Burman ( [email protected] ), to confirm that the student has met all Track, Department, and Schoolwide course requirements and has assembled a valid set of proposed committee members for the Thesis Advisory Committee, and the Department and the Preliminary Oral Examinations.

Department Oral Examination Committee Membership

The Department Oral Examination Committee is comprised of the adviser (primary), two other members, and one alternate member, all of whom have primary appointments in the Department of Epidemiology. Thesis committee members, including co-advisers, are not permitted to serve on the Departmental Oral Examination committee with the exception of the student’s adviser, who must participate. Eligible faculty roles are from tenure and non-tenure professor tracks, research/practice & teaching professor tracks, and scientist tracks and updated on the Epi Intranet . Students are not expected to meet with members of the Committee prior to the examination and should not expect that committee members will discuss what questions they will be asked.

While the above describes the necessary committee, in any case where the student or advising team wants to have an additional faculty member present, the examiners and student must decide  in advance whether  the extra faculty member may ask questions and if yes, whether the student’s responses will count toward the final dispensation of the exam. In any case, the extra person may not vote but may contribute feedback to the student. Students considering this should first check in with the academic office.

DEPARTMENT ORAL EXAMINATION FORM

The “Department Oral Examination Form” (on the  Epi Intranet ), is due to the Senior Academic Program Coordinator, Ebony Moore ( [email protected] ), at least 14 days prior to the date of the proposed exam. With the approval of the Dissertation (thesis) Adviser, the form should be submitted after presenting the Doctoral Proposal Seminar and incorporating any key input from the Seminar into the Dissertation Research Proposal.

The Senior Academic Coordinator, Ebony Moore ( [email protected] ), will schedule the room and send a memo to examiners prior to the examination date. For hybrid or Zoom-based exams, the adviser will provide the Zoom link.

CONDUCT OF THE EXAMINATION

Prior to the exam, students submit to the Department Oral Examination Committee members a single-page summary of the dissertation proposal, including the specific aims, hypotheses, and methods. Committee members may request the longer 12-page Dissertation Research Proposal. The examination should be scheduled for and completed in one and a half hours but may be concluded earlier or later as determined by the Committee. At the start of the exam, students will present a brief talk of no more than 10 minutes that concisely summarizes the aims, hypothesis, methods, limitations, and significance of their proposed dissertation research. This presentation may be a distillation of the Doctoral Proposal Seminar. 

The faculty will ask questions all second-year Epidemiology PhD students should be comfortable discussing. The students may use their research proposal for examples. However, the exam is not a determination of the viability of the proposed research but rather a determination of whether the student is ready to commence guided independent research.

Department Oral Examination Outcome

The possible outcomes of the oral examination are Unconditional Pass, Conditional Pass, or Failure (retake). Conditional Pass requires the student and Department Oral Examination Committee to agree on remedial action designed to be completed within two weeks of the date of the examination. The adviser must communicate the conditions in writing to the PhD student and the Epidemiology Academic Support Core Office within 48 hours of the exam. Students who fail the exam (require more remedial work than can be reasonably completed within two weeks (10 business days) will be required to re-take the Department Oral Examination within six months. Two failures of the Departmental Oral Examination will result in dismissal from the degree program. For more information about the Departmental Oral Examination, please review the Department of Epidemiology Student Guidelines for the Departmental Oral Examination” (on the Epi Intranet ).

Preliminary Oral Examination (aka School-wide Exam)

This is also colloquially known as the “Schoolwide Oral Examination.”  Students and their adviser(s) are responsible for initiating arrangements for the preliminary doctoral examination. The University Graduate Board oversees these exams.

After the student has passed the Departmental Oral Examination, the next step is the Preliminary Oral Examination. The purpose of the Preliminary Oral Examination is to determine whether the student has both the ability and knowledge to undertake significant research in their general area of interest, including:

• their ability to develop and conduct research leading to a completed dissertation.

Discussion of a specific research proposal, if available, may serve as a vehicle for determining the student's general knowledge and research capacity. However, this examination is not intended to be a defense of a specific research proposal.  The preliminary oral examination is 90 minutes to two hours in duration.

Preliminary Oral Examination Committee Membership

• Two members must be from the epidemiology department; one of these is the adviser. 
• Limit of 3 members from sponsoring department.
• Thesis Advisory Committee members may serve on the Committee.
• The adviser must be among the members present; an alternate may not serve in place of the adviser.
• The only instance when the faculty member can serve in their joint appointment capacity is if they are the student’s adviser.
• Adjunct, emeritus, or scientist track faculty may participate but may only represent up to 2 of the total members of the committee
• All members of the Committee must be present at the scheduled exam location; teleconference is permitted on a case-by-case basis.
• The committee must be comprised of three Departments of the University, two being from the Bloomberg School of Public Health.
• The selection of alternates is very important for ensuring the exam can take place at the originally scheduled date/time. If a student has two members on their committee from epidemiology, the student should have one alternate from epidemiology and one from a non-sponsoring department.
• If a student has three members on their committee from epidemiology, then two alternates should be selected from two different non-sponsoring departments.
• At least two weeks prior to the exam, students submit to the Preliminary Oral Examination Committee members a single-page summary of the dissertation proposal, including the specific aims, hypotheses, and methods. Committee members may request the longer 12-page Dissertation Research Proposal. 

Preliminary Oral Examination Form

• Graduate Board Preliminary Oral Examination Request Form .
• Students may not submit this form until after they have successfully passed the Departmental Oral Examination.
• The Registration Coordinator ([email protected]) will not approve the form unless it is submitted a minimum of 30 days prior to the proposed examination date. There are no exceptions.
• This form requires signatures from Senior Academic Program Manager, the adviser, and the Department Chair or a Vice Chair. The form should be moved from draft to submitted at least 3-4 days prior to the due date (30 days prior to the exam).
• The exam is not considered officially scheduled and cannot be held until the student and examiners received notification from the Dean of the approval of the exam.

The student is responsible for scheduling the room  for the exam, requesting Multimedia support if needed, and sending a memo to examiners confirming the date, time, and location of the exam prior to the exam date. The Department recommends scheduling the examination in E6130 or W6015. 

Examination Outcome

The outcome of the examination is Unconditional Pass, Conditional Pass, or Failure. Should the student receive a conditional pass, the Committee remains standing until the conditions, specified in writing, have been met. The consequence of a failure is decided by the Committee:

• no re-examination;
• re-examination by the same committee;
• re-examination in written form and conducted by the same committee; or
• re-examination by a new committee.

Primary Data Collection Requirement

Primary data collection is defined as:

• instrument design;
• data collection; or
• data management, quality assurance, and quality control.

Primary data collection is required for all PhD students. This requirement may be met through dissertation research or is satisfied through work on projects distinct from the dissertation. It may be obtained through work with a single epidemiologic study, or it can be a compilation of several experiences that together fulfill the requirement. Primary data collection may be obtained as part of paid work. Students must document their plan for obtaining experience with primary data collection and submit this plan to their Thesis Advisory Committee with their 12-page dissertation proposal.

The Thesis Advisory Committee may approve primary data collection that occurred prior to matriculation to the doctoral program, but this approval is not guaranteed. Any questions regarding primary data collection will be directed from the Thesis Advisory Committee to a Vice Chair. Students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of primary data collection processes in the epidemiologic study (or studies) utilized for their dissertation. This includes knowledge of the forms, instruments, and measurement processes relevant to their research; knowledge of quality control/assurance procedures of the study (or studies); and an evaluation of the potential threats to validity in the processes extending from primary measurement to the analytic dataset. If primary data collection is not a direct component of the dissertation research, doctoral students should include their primary data collection experience as an appendix to the dissertation. 

Doctoral Dissertation

Doctoral students must complete an original investigation presented in the form of a dissertation. The dissertation should be based on original research involving the generation of new knowledge by the student, worthy of publication, and acceptable to the Department of Epidemiology and to the Final Oral Examination Committee (Thesis Readers). Doctoral students have two options for the format of their dissertation, the traditional format, and the 3 manuscripts format. The Department recommends the manuscript format to accelerate the time to submission of manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Manuscript Format

The manuscript format must meet the following criteria:

• The dissertation includes at least three manuscripts, linked by a common theme,
• The doctoral student must be the first author of each of the manuscripts to be included in the dissertation,
• A manuscript will not be accepted as part of the dissertation if it was submitted before the student's dissertation topic was approved by the Thesis Advisory Committee,
• The manuscripts must be acceptable for publication based on usual substantive area peer review expectations, and
• The body of the dissertation should include a series of papers that are linked by a common theme (i.e., the student's dissertation topic)
• The first chapter may be a comprehensive critical literature review suitable for publication. It should introduce the scientific hypothesis for the dissertation
• Chapters two and three (or more) are the manuscripts, possibly with a transitional short chapter between each relating one to the other
• A final chapter should integrate and discuss the findings reported in the manuscripts. It should include a discussion of the conclusions drawn from research, a synthesis of the findings, and should make recommendations for further studies
• The dissertation may include an appendix outlining the details of study methods and any accompanying data tables deemed necessary to fully understand the data

Traditional Format

The traditional format includes:

• An introductory chapter, outlining the theme, hypotheses, and/or goals of the dissertation coupled with a review of the literature,
• Research chapters that are coherently structured for the research aims, each providing a reader enough detail to apply similar methods in another study, and
• A concluding chapter with an overall analysis and integration of the research and conclusions of the dissertation in light of current research in the field.

Regardless of the format, it is expected that the student will work with their adviser and any co-advisers to develop drafts of their dissertation chapters and receive constructive substantive and editorial feedback. Together, they will decide when drafts are ready for wider distribution to other members of the Thesis Advisory Committee and, if necessary, to other project collaborators. Follow the School’s guidelines for the preparation of the dissertation. The dissertation is a requirement for partial fulfillment of the PhD degree. Students may consult the School’s Policy and Procedures Memoranda (PPM) for the PhD program.

Final Defense

Appointment of thesis readers/final defense form.

• Appointment of Thesis Readers/Final Defense Form 
• [email protected] must receive the form at least  30 days prior  to the anticipated exam date.  There are no exceptions.
• The form requires signatures from the Senior Academic Program Manager, the adviser, and the Department Chair. The student is responsible for obtaining the required signatures in that order. The form should therefore be submitted to Frances Burman ( [email protected] ) at least 3 to 4 days prior to the date of submission to the [email protected] for processing.

As a culminating experience for the doctoral student, the student will present a formal, public seminar. This requirement provides experience for the student in preparing a formal seminar; provides the faculty and Department with an opportunity to share in the student’s accomplishments; and gives the student a sense of finality to the doctoral experience. Students typically present a formal public seminar in conjunction with the Final Oral Examination. If possible, students are encouraged to give their Final Defense Seminars during the Department-wide Friday Epidemiology Seminars series (Current Topics; please contact Frances Burman ( [email protected] ) regarding scheduling), but the seminar may be alternately scheduled during normal working hours.

The student is responsible for scheduling the room for the defense, and for  requesting Multimedia support if needed (unless they will be presenting as part of the Department-wide Friday Epidemiology Seminars series (Current Topics), coordinating with their adviser(s) to be briefly introduced, and inviting any additional outside guests.

Examination Purpose

The purpose of the Final Oral Examination is to ensure that the Candidate is able to present and defend the dissertation and its underlying assumptions, methodology, results, and conclusions in a manner consistent with the doctoral degree being sought.

The final oral examination is up to three hours in total (one for seminar/presentation and up to two for exam by committee)

Committee Membership (Dissertation (Thesis) Readers) and Appointment of Thesis readers / final defense examination request form

• Two members must have a primary faculty appointment in Epidemiology.
• The other two members must have appointments in two different departments other than Epidemiology.
• Alternates are not permitted to serve in place of the adviser.
• If the adviser is unable to attend the Final Oral Examination, co-advisers may serve in this role.
• Co-advisers may not serve as Chair.
• The committee is comprised of duly appointed faculty members of a University department and must hold, at the time of selection, a JHU faculty appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher. 
• Either one scientist track or one adjunct faculty member may serve on the Exam Committee, but not both.
• The fifth member may serve on the Final Oral Examination Committee but that individual does not have voting privileges.
• All members of the Committee must be present at the scheduled exam location; teleconference/remote participation may be permitted on a case-by-case basis.
• It is permissible to have three different BSPH departments represented on the committee.
• The selection of alternates is very important for ensuring the exam can take place at the originally scheduled date/time. 
• Choose alternates that will fulfill the committee composition requirements, regardless of who is able to attend.
• One alternate should be from the Department of Epidemiology and the other from a non-sponsoring department.

The Department recommends scheduling the examination in E6130 or W6015. The exam may be held virtually (subject to change by university COVID guidelines). If held virtually, the adviser provides the Zoom link for the seminar and the exam.

Distribution of Dissertation to Dissertation (Thesis) Readers

Committee members are encouraged and expected to communicate to the student specific recommendations for changes in the dissertation prior to the Final Oral Examination. The student is, therefore, expected to distribute the dissertation to the Committee at least four weeks before the date of the Final Oral Examination. The Dissertation Approval Form signed by the student’s adviser should accompany the dissertation at the time it is distributed to the committee members.

Conduct of the Examination

If one of the officially appointed Committee members fails to appear on the Final Oral Examination date/time, the previously approved alternate will serve as an examiner. A Final Oral Examination may not be held with fewer than four officially approved faculty members present in the room. The adviser must be among the members present; an alternate may not serve in the place of the adviser. Only approved Committee members are permitted to participate as examiners. During the Final Oral Examination, the Committee will evaluate:

• the originality and publication potential of the research,
• the candidate's understanding of the details of the methodologic and analytic work, and
• the final quality of the written dissertation document.

The examination committee chair along with the examiners will determine the details of how the Final Oral Examination is conducted.

The possible outcome of the Final Oral Examination based on the student’s performance and written dissertation is determined by closed ballot as Acceptable, Conditionally Acceptable, or Unacceptable. If one or more members require substantive changes to the dissertation (Conditionally Acceptable), the specific nature of these changes and the time expected for the student to complete them will be provided to the student in writing. The appropriately revised dissertation must be submitted to each of the members for final approval. If one or more members feel that the candidate’s understanding of the written dissertation is inadequate (Unacceptable), or that the dissertation in its present form is not acceptable, then the candidate has failed. Re-examination would be in order unless there is a unanimous recommendation to the contrary. Re-examination is normally conducted by the same committee, but a new committee may be selected by the School’s Chair of the Committee on Academic Standards if petitioned by the student.

After the Final Defense

Please consult the Registrar's Office portal site for dissertation format and submission, procedures to follow upon completion of the defense, and additional policy matters.

The Registrar's Office handles all aspects of graduation and degree verification .  We encourage all graduates to participate in Convocation!

The Policy and Procedures Manual for the Doctor of Philosophy

The Department of Epidemiology reserves the right to augment the   PPM  for BSPH.  The Admissions and Credentials Committee handles most policy concerns as described above. The Curriculum Committee handles exceptions to requirements.  Current students can access the Epidemiology Student Handbook on the PhD program page on the BSPH website.

Policy Components for Metrics

• Communicate effectively in oral and written formats with students, professionals, and the public on issues related to epidemiology and public health
• Provide epidemiologic critique and advice though advising students and professionals on epidemiologic concepts and methods and conducting peer review activities.
• Practicing these skills also prepares students for Department and Preliminary Oral Examinations and for their future careers, whether in academia or in other venues. 

COMPONENTS OF THE DOCTORAL TA CURRICULUM

All doctoral students are required to complete the TA Curriculum after passing the Department Comprehensive Examination and before graduation. Training and feedback are an important part of this curriculum, which includes:

• Formal didactic training;
• In-classroom training through experience as a TA in Department courses
• Feedback from instructors

Students will share their goals for TA training with course instructors prior to the start of each course taught. After TA-ing a course, students will document their TA experience for their resume or CV following the BSPH CV model.  Formal Didactic Training Elements 

• Teaching practicums
• Teaching as research fellowship appointments
• The following didactic trainings and activities are flexibly designed to give doctoral students the skills and tools necessary to be successful TA and to meet teaching and learning goals. Please note, that while all students are welcome to attend the training and activities at any time, it may behoove them to do so after the first year, but in advance/at the start of the second, as that is when most doctoral students will begin the TA Curriculum. Required: Department of Epidemiology Student-led In-Person Training Session This student-led in-person 1.5-hour training covers the basics of TA-ing in the Department, including TA roles, benefits, and expectations. This session is held during lunchtime at the beginning of 1st term. Information regarding the date and location is distributed via the Department’s student listserv. Required: Teaching Assistantship Training (Online Course) This online course offered through the BSPH Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)  “orients Teaching Assistants to the roles and responsibilities of their position, relevant policies and regulations, technical tools, teaching tips, and other important information . " Students can complete it when time allows but must have completed it in advance of starting the In-classroom portion of the TA Curriculum. To sign up, visit:  https://sites.google.com/site/ctltteachingtoolkit/teaching-assistants/ta-training . Recommended: Teaching Academy Activities https://cer.jhu.edu/teaching-academy Offers additional resources around the pedagogy of teaching. To prepare graduate students so they may thrive in higher education as academic professionals once they graduate, this academy offers teacher training and academic career preparation opportunities.
• CTL’s “Teaching Assistantship Training” covers the learning objectives required to align with the completion of Phase I of the Teaching Academy’s " Preparing Future Faculty Teaching (PFFT) Certificate Program .”  

In-classroom Training

As part of the TA Curriculum, doctoral students will serve as TA's. Students are required to TA for 3 courses: 2 epidemiologic methods courses and 1 topical epidemiology course (see list below for courses). No more than 1 of the 3 courses TA-ed as part of the TA Curriculum may be an online course.

To document the in-classroom training on the academic transcript and to receive academic credit, doctoral students should register for  PH.340.865 Teaching Epidemiologic Methods and Concepts At the Graduate Level .01 for up to 6 credit hours during the term that they are TA-ing. Credit hours depend on the level of TA-ship. Students will receive instructions prior to the start from the Academic Office as to the allowed number of credits. If the course is being TA-ed in the Summer term, the credit hour(s) should be registered for in the following 1st term, to avoid additional tuition fees.

Department of Epidemiology epidemiologic methods courses are:

*Summer Institute courses do not count towards the TA in-classroom training requirement. A student may TA for the Summer Institute prior to the completion of their TA training requirements.

All other Department of Epidemiology courses (PH.340.xxx) eligible to have a TA are considered topical epidemiology courses for the purpose of the TA Curriculum. ​​​

To fulfill the 2 methods courses of the TA Curriculum, students are encouraged to TA:  PH.340.751 Epidemiologic Methods 1 ,  PH.340.752 Epidemiologic Methods 2 , and/or  PH.340.753 Epidemiologic Methods 3 , although any of the courses listed above may be used to fulfill the requirement.

Students are eligible to TA as part of this curriculum once they have successfully passed the Department Comprehensive Examination. Students may TA  PH.340.601 Principles of Epidemiology  during the summer term immediately following completing the comps. Students are expected to complete the TA Curriculum during their second and third years of training.  Students are responsible for coordinating with course administrators and/or course instructors for each course they wish to TA. The Department recommends students proactively, directly contact faculty once they have identified a course that they would like to TA as part of the Curriculum. Course faculty take many factors into consideration in selecting TAs for a course (sometimes including performance in the course), and some courses may have more TA requests than can be accommodated. Students may not always be able to serve as a TA for their first choice of courses, so they should keep several courses in mind and be flexible. TA responsibilities vary by course, and students are expected to work with course faculty to understand their responsibilities prior to the start of the course. Responsibilities may include but are not limited to: preparing for lab/activities and office hours, attending instructors’ meetings, attending lectures and lab/activities, holding office hours, and assisting with assessment writing and piloting. TAs are expected to devote 5-19 hours per week to each course; the wide range reflects the variability in responsibilities by course.

Prior to the start of each course TAed as part of the TA Curriculum, students are required to provide to course instructor(s) 3 goals for the TA experience in writing via email. The purpose of these goals is to provide a basis for reflection by TAs on their current skills and knowledge, as well as their future professional teaching/communication goals, in order to improve student achievement. Progress toward achieving goals over the term will be evaluated by the course instructor(s) as part of the feedback process.

Feedback from Instructors

As part of the TA Curriculum, students will receive feedback from course and/or lab instructors. If applicable, TAs will also receive student feedback recorded as part of the School’s online course evaluation system. Students are responsible for sending the feedback form complete with the student’s goals from the start of the term to course instructor(s) no later than 2 weeks following the end of the term. Faculty are not obligated to honor requests for feedback that occur more than 2 weeks after the end of the course. TAs are encouraged to document feedback from instructors and from students (if applicable) in their CV or resume.

Compensated TA Positions

Additional TA opportunities may be available for a pre-specified fixed payment after the TA Curriculum has been completed. As with the TA Curriculum, students are responsible for coordinating with course administrators and/or course instructors for each course they wish to TA for pay. Students should proactively contact faculty directly once they have identified a course that they would like to TA. Course faculty take many factors into consideration in selecting TAs for a course and students should be aware that some courses may have more TA requests than can be accommodated.

Students holding a Departmental TA position should expect that there will be approximately two weeks of light preparatory work in advance of the course start date, and light conclusory work in excess of the course start and end dates.

DOCUMENTATION OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE FOR A RESUME OR CURRICULUM VITAE

Doctoral students are encouraged to document their TA experience, including teaching responsibilities and feedback, using the “Guide to Documentation for a Resume or Curriculum Vitae” template.  

A written request for a waiver to any aspect of the TA Curriculum due to exceptional circumstances, including the in-classroom training (i.e., being a TA), should be submitted to the Academic Office ( [email protected] ).   

Comprehensive Examination Grading Policy

The completed Comprehensive Examination is graded by the Department of Epidemiology faculty according to a rubric determined by the Comprehensive Examination Committee. Final results are distributed to students via CoursePlus by mid-July.  Doctoral students whose results fall below 75% are allowed to formally request in writing a re-grade of specific questions. Re-grade requests must include a justification for a change in points allocated for each question being contested; requests without appropriate justification will not be considered. Re-grade requests must have the adviser’s endorsement, and they need to have reviewed and approved the student’s request. Re-grade requests are handled by the faculty on the Comprehensive Examination Committee. Adviser-approved requests can be e-mailed to the current year’s Comprehensive Examination Committee Chair and must include a copy to the adviser. For approved requests, a new score will be assigned for each question that is re-graded. This score may be equal to, greater than, or less than, the original score awarded and cannot be contested a second time.

Comprehensive Examination Retake Policy

Students who do not pass the Comprehensive Exam at the appropriate level for their degree program may be granted an opportunity for a retake in August immediately following the May Exam. Students who do not pass the Comprehensive Exam at the appropriate level are not automatically granted a retake. To request a retake, students must submit an official request within two weeks of notification of the not passing grade. This request should include a detailed timeline and study plan to make the case for passing a retake. This request and plan must be endorsed by and developed with the adviser. Retake requests are reviewed via the Department’s Admissions and Credentials Committee. Adviser-approved requests can be e-mailed to the current year’s Admissions and Credentials Committee Chairs and must include a cc to the adviser and Senior Academic Program Manager. For approved requests, students are granted one retake only, and it must be in August following the May Exam. A student cannot continue in the degree program without passing the Comprehensive Examination at the appropriate level, prior to the start of the second year.

Recommendations for Special Studies versus Thesis Research

Special Studies and Research in Epidemiology, PH.340.840.xx, is offered during terms 1, 2, 3, and 4. Thesis Research, PH.340.820.XX is offered terms S, 1, 2, 3, and 4.

SPECIAL STUDIES AND RESEARCH: PH.340.840.XX

All first-year PhD students should take 1 credit special studies and research each term during terms 1 -3.

The following list of activities may be approved for independent study or special studies and research and is not inclusive:

• Directed readings and discussions leading up to preparing for the research proposal,
• Literature searches and meta-analyses,
• Secondary data analysis,
• Self-guided focused study on a particular methodology or a disease of interest.

THESIS RESEARCH: PH.340.820.XX

Doctoral students take 340.820 once they successfully pass their School-wide Preliminary Oral Exam and begin working on their research thesis.

CALCULATING CREDITS FOR A VARIABLE CREDIT COURSE

• Students must remember that the 1 hour – in class, 2 hours – outside of class ratio still applies: e.g., Students should think about the time the faculty member will be involved in guiding them (see faculty contact hours below) as well as how much time the student uses to conduct outside readings and work.

What constitutes Faculty Contact Hours

• Individual one-on-one meetings.
• Faculty revisions of writing projects (faculty members spend considerable time editing, proofreading, and otherwise providing written feedback to students).
• Mentoring and networking preparation and discussion.
• Time spent in group settings with faculty mentors e.g. journal clubs or weekly “lab/group” meetings. Students should make every effort to attend the group meetings for their track and adviser.

REGISTERing for thesis or research credits

• Students must communicate their intent to register with and receive approval from the faculty mentor in writing, prior to registering for credits for the special studies or thesis research and include the content/activities to be conducted and the number of credits.
• Students may take 1-3 credits while taking a full load of courses.
• Students may take up to 8 credits per term while taking a partial load of courses with the approval of the faculty mentor.

Adviser/Advisee Manual

Each student in the Department is assigned an adviser and selects co-adviser(s) as they move through the program; Adviser(s) have the responsibility of serving as a guide and mentor. This manual is intended to guide the student and the faculty member(s) in making the adviser/advisee relationship as successful as possible. The Advisor/Advisee Manual is included in the Student Handbook which can be found on the PhD in Epidemiology program page . Students and faculty have the right to request a change to the adviser/advisee relationship in consultation with the Academic Office. 

According to the requirements of the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), all BSPH degree students must be grounded in foundational public health knowledge. Please view the list of specific CEPH requirements by degree type .

Epidemiology   Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program  competencies are designated by track and are charted below. Mastery is achieved by completing the  program requirements . 

1. Formulate an epidemiological research question and design a research study that helps answer it, including identifying the target population, appropriate source and study populations, adequate exposure, outcome, and covariate assessments, and plans to address threats to validity such as confounding and bias in the design and analysis phases.

2. Apply core statistical concepts and methods; display and communicate statistical data.

3. Develop and deliver a presentation on at least one common cancer and effective strategies for cancer prevention and control at the population level.

4. Perform genetic association tests in population-based samples, in either prospective or retrospective designs, to address cancer-specific research questions.

5. Present a proposal to a scientific audience that covers a current problem in modern cancer epidemiology, including a research plan to address that problem.

6. Formulate, refine, and critique a conceptual framework in cancer epidemiology.

7. Critically evaluate the adequacy and scientific merit of research proposals, including those related to cancer epidemiology.

8. Teach core epidemiological principles at the graduate level, including the incorporation of feedback from faculty instructors.

Cardiovascular and clinical epidemiology

3. Evaluate and critique designs, data sources, analytic methods (including risk prediction and physical activity assessment), data presentations, and conclusions of studies commonly used in clinical and cardiovascular epidemiology.

4.  Assess pathophysiologic processes involved in common cardiovascular diseases, including the biological mechanisms through which cardiovascular risk factors affect different parts of the cardiovascular system (e.g., heart, kidneys, peripheral arteries) and appropriate uses of different techniques (e.g., echocardiography, CT scan, and MRI) used to detect and quantify the presence of clinical and cardiovascular diseases.

5. Develop a specific hypothesis to answer a relevant question in clinical and cardiovascular epidemiology, integrate knowledge of the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases to evaluate biological plausibility, and assemble relevant literature to evaluate the hypothesis.

6. Formulate, refine, and critique a conceptual framework in cardiovascular disease epidemiology.

7. Critically evaluate the adequacy and scientific merit of research proposals, including those related to cardiovascular disease epidemiology.

Clinical Trials and evidence synthesis

3. Evaluate the historical development of research ethics and assess the role of ethical guidelines in the design and conduct of clinical trials. Appraise the process of obtaining informed consent and consideration of privacy in the clinical trial setting.

4. Conduct, present, and interpret the results of meta-analyses and critique the methodologic rigor of systematic reviews.

5.  Make reasonable decisions about how to collect and manage data for studies of various sizes and budgets and integrate data management activities into the conduct of a research project.

6. Formulate, refine, and critique a conceptual framework in clinical trials and epidemiological methods.

7. Critically evaluate the adequacy and scientific merit of research proposals, including those related to clinical trials and epidemiological methods.

3.  Delineate, assess, and apply the concepts and methods of exposure and dose in epidemiologic research and in validation studies.

4. Analyze and interpret environmental and occupational health problems, and discuss exposure-disease relationships in human populations.

5.  Interpret, critique, and summarize the design, quantitative methods, and findings of major published studies and peer-reviewed manuscripts in environmental and occupational epidemiology research.

6. Formulate, refine, and critique a conceptual framework in environmental epidemiology.

7. Critically evaluate the adequacy and scientific merit of research proposals, including those related to environmental epidemiology.

3. Evaluate opportunities for the prevention of diseases and syndromes in the context of the aging phenotypes of older adults.

4. Assess policy programs, financing considerations, and workforce issues that pertain to meeting the economic, health, and social needs of aging societies.

5. Evaluate potential explanations for epidemiologic associations between sensory impairments and gerontologic outcomes.

6. Formulate, refine, and critique a conceptual framework in the epidemiology of aging.

7. Critically evaluate the adequacy and scientific merit of research proposals, including those related to the epidemiology of aging.

1. Formulate an epidemiological research question and design a research study that helps answer it, including identifying the target population, appropriate source and study populations, adequate exposure, outcome, and covariate assessments, and plans to address threats to validity, such as confounding and bias in the design and analysis phases.

3. Develop a plan for conducting clinical research, and categorize and interpret the effects of complex mechanisms involving bias and variability.

4  Appraise methods for estimating causal effects in randomized designs and alternative designs to randomization in public health sciences.

5. Evaluate and critique the ways in which inequality is measured and how measures influence the interpretation of data.

6. Formulate, refine, and critique a conceptual framework in epidemiology methodology.

7. Critically evaluate the adequacy and scientific merit of research proposals, including those related to epidemiology methodology.

3. Integrate an understanding of key components of molecular biology, such as the structure of DNA and molecular mechanisms of the central dogma into genetic epidemiology.

4. Apply various design strategies for genetic studies considering the advantages and disadvantages of each, and perform genetic association tests in population-based samples, in either prospective or retrospective designs.

5. Describe various cutting-edge analyses of large-scale genome-wide association studies to inform biology, causality, and prediction.

6. Formulate, refine, and critique a conceptual framework in genetic epidemiology.

7. Critically evaluate the adequacy and scientific merit of research proposals, including those related to genetic epidemiology.

3. Incorporate the main epidemiological characteristics of the major infectious diseases of humans into development and evaluation strategies to prevent epidemics or endemic transmission.

4. Discuss and appraise methods and techniques to address challenges unique to infectious disease epidemiology, including network analysis, methods for determining contact rates, and the heterogeneity of host responses to pathogen exposure.

5. Conduct an outbreak investigation and use the epidemic curve to identify the epidemic type, incubation period, and potential mode of transmission.

6. Formulate, refine, and critique a conceptual framework in infectious disease epidemiology.

7. Critically evaluate the adequacy and scientific merit of research proposals, including those related to infectious disease epidemiology.

PhD in Epidemiology

Drive advances in epidemiology and its impact on public health with our phd program..

Epidemiology is scientific, systematic, data-driven, and a rewarding academic path for public health professionals who aspire to do research, teach, or lead a health or health-related agency where research is an important function. 

UMass Amherst’s PhD in epidemiology will provide you with the skills and knowledge to move forward. In addition to providing extensive training in epidemiologic methods and biostatistics, our program allows you to develop a minor that serves as a foundation for your dissertation research. The minor area may be content- or methods-related in areas such as human reproduction, genetics, health disparities, nutrition, cancer, and environmental epidemiology. You’ll apply our pioneering use of multimodality methods in your research.

Students in the PhD degree program can expect to take two years for coursework and one to two additional years for completion of the dissertation.

Benefits list

Funding Your Education

Many PhD students are supported with research assistant (RA) positions funded by faculty grants. Doctoral students are also provided financial support via teaching assistant (TA) positions. Typically, a doctoral student will have both types of assistantships to develop their post-graduation careers.

Partner With Research Centers and Institutes

You’ll find a wealth of opportunities in our campus research centers, including state-of-the-art research hubs like the  Institute for Applied Life Sciences , and international collaborations with researchers in the  Institute for Global Health , to support a wider breadth of research inquiries.

Make the Program Your Own

With faculty expertise spanning the full spectrum of epidemiology, including human reproduction, genetics, and nutrition, we offer a wide array of courses from which to design the best doctorate in epidemiology program for your unique interests.

Featured class

This course provides an overview of the epidemiology of population mental health throughout the life course. Students will explore how epidemiologic methods are used to study major mental disorders in populations. 

Featured faculty

Susan hankinson.

Focus on breast cancer, prevention, hormones, biomarkers, and women’s health

Lisa Chasan-Taber

Focus on physical activity epidemiology; reproductive and perinatal epidemiology; gestational diabetes mellitus; Hispanic women

Andrew Lover

Focus on infectious disease epidemiology; vector-borne disease; malaria; global health; epidemiological study design

Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson

Women’s health; mental health

Susan Sturgeon

Focus on cancer epidemiology

In the spotlight

"Our professors are knowledgeable, prepared, and give us a solid foundation to succeed wherever we go, and that was an important part of the program for me."

Application information & deadlines

Prospective students must apply first through the SOPHAS site and then the UMass Graduate School Supplemental Application, which will be emailed to you upon completion of the SOPHAS application.

Priority Deadline

December 1, 2023.

Priority consideration is given to applicants who submit their applications by Dec. 1.

Application Deadline

February 1, 2024.

The application deadline is Feb. 1.

Epidemiology

Preparing our future workforce to confront myriad, complex public health challenges.

• Graduate Admissions in Epidemiology
• Financial Aid and Scholarships
• Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology

Global footer

• ©2024 University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Site policies
• Non-discrimination notice
• Accessibility
• Terms of use

• Patient Care

College of Public Health

Quick links, doctoral training, phd in public health with a concentration in epidemiology.

Epidemiology is a fundamental science of public health, defined as the study of the distribution and determinants of disease and disability in populations. Although epidemiology is historically rooted in the study of the causes of infectious diseases (epidemics), epidemiology now addresses a wide array of conditions that affect the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities.

Our PhD program is designed to impart the knowledge, skills, and professionalism needed to become independent researchers, educators, and leaders in public health. Our graduates are prepared for impactful careers in academia, research institutions, government agencies, and industry.

Please expand the sections below for more information about our faculty, research opportunities, and contact information.

View the Program

Tuition & Fees

View Tuition & Fee Info

Get Started!

Start Applying Now

• Chighaf Bakour
• Catherine Bulka
• Judith Rijnhart
• Jason Salemi  (Concentration Lead)
• Skai Schwartz
• Gillian Stresman
• Matthew Valente
• Roneé Wilson
• Janice Zgibor

Doctoral students and candidates in our PhD program in Epidemiology will collaborate on funded research grants and contracts alongside their Major Professor, a faculty member in epidemiology whose expertise aligns with the student’s interests and career goals. Throughout their program, many students will also have the unique opportunity to apply their skills across diverse projects, gaining hands-on experience in various research domains, and working with other faculty across the concentration, college, and university.

Examples of these experiential learning opportunities include, but are not limited to:

• Analysis of Large Databases: Work with disparate administrative datasets, such as hospital discharge records and insurance claims databases, and clinical datasets, including electronic health records, to and causal questions that uncover important health insights. 
• Community-Engaged Research: Collaborate with local communities to address public health challenges and develop evidence-based interventions. For example, our faculty and students have worked closely with REACHUP, Inc. for two decades to determine the most effective strategies, programs and systems for reducing disparities in illness, disability and death among vulnerable maternal and child health populations. 
• Methodological Research: Contribute to the advancement of epidemiological methods and statistical techniques. Two of our faculty currently run the Causal Inference in Public Health Research (CIPHR) lab, which is focused on the evaluation and application of causal inference methods in public health research.

Students are actively encouraged and supported to present their work at various academic and professional platforms, including university symposiums, local and state health meetings, regional and national conferences, and international forums. This exposure to experts on the cutting edge of science not only grows their professional network but also improves their communication and presentation skills, preparing them to be confident, respects contributors to our field.

Our graduates have been incredibly successful in various arenas, such as:

• Academia: Engage in teaching, mentoring, service, and original research that advances the field of public health. 
• Government Agencies: Serve in local, state, or federal public health departments where experts analyze population health data, develop public health policies, and implement and evaluate programs to prevent disease and promote health and well-being.  
• Research Institutes: Conduct groundbreaking research to advance public health knowledge.
• Healthcare Industry: Lead public health initiatives and research in the private sector, including pharmaceutical companies or healthcare organizations. Provide expert epidemiological advice to businesses and private firms to health them understand and mitigate health risks. 
• Non-Governmental Organizations: Work with international health organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) to conduct field research, manage disease outbreaks, and implement public health interventions in resource-limited settings. 
• Data Science and Technology: Leverage your advanced statistical and computational skills to analyze large health databases, contribute to the development of health informatics tools, develop predictive models for personalized medicine, and create innovative health surveillance systems.

To learn more, please contact a Pre-Admissions Advisor at (813) 974-6505 or [email protected]

• Doing a PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health

What Does a PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health Involve?

Studying a PhD in Epidemiology or a PhD in Public Health allows you to gain expert knowledge in the public health field and conduct original research into various aspects of the public health issues and preventative medicine. This is something which provides societal value and can help support your future career. Depending on the focus of your research project, you may spend your time developing novel approaches in population health, or evaluating current statistical models used to prevent and treat illnesses. Most PhDs in Epidemiology and Public Health involve data analysis, laboratory study, population based study or qualitative research.

Below is a list of the range of topics your research project may focus on:

• Public health policy
• Biostatistics
• Health economics
• Social influences on health
• Health inequalities
• Medical and Social Statistics
• Psychobiology
• Public health systems and health services
• Health behaviour
• Social care
• Urban health
• Human diseases

Within each of the topic above, there is a wide range of specialist areas your postgraduate study could focus on. For example, research students studying determinants of diseases could investigate chronic diseases, infectious diseases, respiratory diseases or cardiovascular diseases.

Browse Fully Funded PhD Programmes in Epidemiology and Public Health

A next-generation genetic technology to identify biotechnologically-valuable enzymes and transporters, development of fluorescent organic molecules for application in super-resolution imaging techniques, ubiquitin-dependent signalling pathways in ageing, speciation in facultatively sexual species, energy dissipation in human soft tissue during impacts, minimum entry requirements for a phd in epidemiology and public health.

The entrance requirements for prospective students applying to a PhD in Public Health are typically an upper second class (2:1) honours degree in a relevant subject, such as biology or medicine. However, many universities also consider applicants with a lower second class (2:2) honours degree if they also hold a Master’s degree with a Merit classification. Occasionally, academic supervisors want you to demonstrate competence in a particular field prior to admission into a doctoral programme. This may be through achieving certain grades on specific university modules or through preparing a research proposal on your topic.

Equivalent international qualifications are also accepted. However, beyond the academic requirements, international doctoral students who have not recently studied in the UK are likely to be asked to provide proof of their English Language ability. Commonly accepted English Language Qualifications include IELTS, TOEFL (iBT) or Pearson PTE scores. The exact score requirements differ between institutions, however the table below presents the typical requirements for international applications:

Due to the nature of some Public Health research projects, you may be required to undertake a disclosure and barring service (DBS) screening check. More information on this process can be read here .

How Long Does It Take to Get a PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health?

Epidemiology and Public Health PhD programmes in the UK usually involve up to 4 years of full-time study. Part-time study can take PhD students up to 8 years to complete.

Some PhD programmes include online courses covering theoretical concepts such as Research Design or Practical Research Ethics. The majority of the time will be spent conducting original research and completing a written thesis, before undertaking the Viva Voce, an oral examination where you will present your original contribution to an examination panel.

You may also have the opportunity to attend a training programme in transferable skills to support your professional development and career progression. These training courses are catered for early career professional and allow you to develop your commercial awareness, project management, technical writing and public engagement skills.

Costs and Funding for a PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health

Tuition fees for a UK doctoral student applying to a 2021/22 PhD programme in Epidemiology and Public Health are around £4,000 to £5,000 per annum. For EU and overseas students, annual tuition fees are normally around £20,000 to £30,000. Part-time tuition fees are normally proportioned according to the research programme length. The nature of the research project you apply for will influence costs greatly. Specialist research projects which are technically intensive or require large amounts of consumables typically have additional costs and thus higher tuition fees.

Many universities have Centres for Doctoral Training in Medicine, Public Health or Epidemiology. These CDTs often offer fully funded PhD programmes in Public Health and Epidemiology from the UK Research Councils e.g. Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

Funding is also available through other internal awards, UK Research Councils, charities and industry including:

• Medical Research Council (MRC)
• National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
• Cancer Research UK
• Wellcome Trust
• British Heart Foundation

These PhD in Public Health and Epidemiology scholarships, studentships and grants cover tuition fees, and can provide a maintenance stipend and research travel expenses. International students are also eligible for several funding opportunities. Competitive scholarships are reserved for exceptional students who have excelled during their graduate study.

Postgraduate research students may also be eligible for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan overseen by the UK Government, which can provide up to £25,000 for course fees and living costs associated with your research project.

PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health Salary and Career Paths

Career outlook for epidemiology and public health doctorates is excellent. According to HESA Graduate Outcomes 2020 , 90% of postgraduates from the School of Medicine secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation.

Many postdoctoral researchers in epidemiology and public health typically go into clinical roles within medicine, biostatistics and pharmaceuticals. Here, you can use your doctoral degree to actively address epidemical and public health challenges. For example, a biostatistician may use statistical methods to review data and identify possible determinants of health conditions. Typical employers in these fields include the NHS, hospitals and clinical trial units.

However, other public health professionals remain in research, either in industry or in academia (e.g. as a lecturer). Academic careers are ideal for those who wish to contribute to the training of future professionals. Here, you can join a supervisory team, propose your own postgraduate research programme, and supervise a postgraduate student during their doctoral study.

Other PhD in public health and epidemiology jobs include advisory roles in public health sciences and management careers within government departments, public health organisations or independent trusts, such as Public Health England. Having an advanced degree in epidemiology or public health shows to employers that you have expert epidemical and public health knowledge, which allows you to transition into leadership roles.

If you are wondering what you can do with a PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health, we have produced a detailed article on the different career options available, typical employers, and salaries. You can read this article here .

Browse PhDs Now

Join thousands of students.

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

• Skip to content
• Skip to search
• Accessibility Policy
• Report an Accessibility Issue

• Connecting climate change to fungal diseases

Q&A with Jennifer Head

• Epidemiology

August 9, 2024

Jennifer Head investigates how our changing climate has led to emergence and transmission of infectious disease with a particular focus on primary fungal infections.

Head, an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health , applies mathematical and statistical models to understand the transmission dynamics of zoonotic, emerging and environmentally mediated diseases.

Two of the epidemiologist’s main research interests are blastomycosis, a rare fungal infection that usually affects the lungs, and coccidioidomycosis—or more commonly known as Valley fever—a disease caused by a fungus that grows in the soil and dirt in some areas of California and the southwestern United States

Head, who grew up in Cincinnati, has a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s degree in Global Environmental Health from Emory University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, where she also minored in Environmental Engineering and Spanish.

Is there anything in your past that helped lead you to your interest in public health? 

I originally studied engineering because I was interested in the development of sanitation and water infrastructure for better health in a global context. I worked at the Washington University in St. Louis chapter of Engineers without Borders, where we partnered with a school for children who were blind in Mekelle, Ethiopia. Together with the school, we worked on designing and building a water tower and distribution system for the approximately 100 children who boarded at the school. After earning my bachelor’s degree, I did a nine-month Fulbright Research Fellowship in Ethiopia that focused on addressing vitamin A deficiency as a major cause of childhood blindness in Ethiopia.

What drew you to study epidemiology?

I got my start in engineering, but when it came time to graduate, I realized that while I loved the quantitative work of my engineering degree, my passion came from working in the field of health. Realizing that I might not want to be an engineer, I turned to an undergraduate professor of mine for support on what to do next. He suggested I consider public health and told me that public health was a highly quantitative field—something I had never realized before. I had never even heard of epidemiology, so I applied to get an MPH in Global Environmental Health from Emory University. I deferred admissions for a year to do a Fulbright Fellowship in Ethiopia. Only while getting my MPH did I really understand that epidemiology was a field! I turned toward epidemiology for future study because it felt like the fundamental backbone of public health where I could learn study designs and analyses that would be relevant across many disciplines.  

I hope that over time I will expand my work to be more global again, but now I feel that this is the area where I can best contribute to the health of the public and advance scientific understanding.”

— Jennifer Head on fungal infections

Where did you work before you came to Michigan? What attracted you to work at Michigan Public Health?

During my Fulbright Fellowship, I wanted to address vitamin A deficiency as a major cause of childhood blindness in Ethiopia. As part of this work, I worked with food manufacturers, university departments and nutrition-focused NGOs to understand and address barriers toward micronutrient fortification of oil and wheat flours. Local technology for fortification emerged as a theme that presented a barrier, so I worked with local engineers and manufacturers to build and test some mixing equipment locally. I continued to work globally in the field of nutrition as a survey consultant for Save the Children in Lao PDR.

Prior to my doctoral work, I did a two-year global health fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where I was the epidemiologic liaison to the CDC office in Kazakhstan. My immediate supervisor was a veterinarian, and I was involved in several One Health projects, including doing a serosurvey of sheep, cattle and livestock workers for evidence of infection with Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever—an emerging tick-borne disease with high fatality. I was also involved in work seeking to understand the role of wildlife reservoirs for Zika Virus in Brazil, Peru and Colombia. This work made me especially interested in zoonotic diseases and the intersection of human, animal and environmental health.

During my doctoral work at the University of California, Berkeley I loved being at a large public institution that had close ties to state public health. Michigan was very attractive for similar reasons, being among the best public health schools and having partnerships with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and other community organizations. Climate and disease work is inherently interdisciplinary, so I was also drawn by Michigan’s “excellence at scale.”

What is your main area of research and what drew you to work in that area?

I am interested in how climate and other environmental changes are changing where environmentally persistent pathogens live and how they spread. I’m generally interested in emerging, zoonotic or vector-borne pathogens. Right now, I am especially interested in environmentally transmitted fungal pathogens that can make otherwise healthy individuals sick, including Valley fever, histoplasmosis and blastomycosis. 

My interest in the intersection of environmental, human and animal health has been a theme since I was younger. When my sister and I were kids, my family would take road trips out West, and I fell in love with the outdoors. I’m happiest when I’m outdoors, so I have long understood that the environment has a profound influence on human health. With climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances to the environment, it’s also time to be concerned with the health of our environment. 

My involvement in fungal disease work was more serendipitous. The lab I joined for my PhD had just partnered with the California Department of Public Health to understand why Valley fever—an emerging fungal infection—was increasing so dramatically in California. As I got involved in that work, I realized how complex and mysterious the transmission of the Valley fever fungus (Coccidioides) is. As an example, we still don't know basic information such as whether the pathogen relies on rodents to survive in the soil, how far spores travel, the number of spores needed to cause infection, nor how many people have immunity towards this disease.

There is so much that we don't know about Valley fever and other fungal diseases, and not many people are studying the epidemiology or environmental ecology of human pathogenic fungi. I’ve continued to be interested in fungal diseases because there are a lot of mysteries that remain to be solved, and I feel positioned to be part of solving them. At the same time, I can see that my work has had some impact on spreading awareness about disease transmission and hopefully helping to motivate vaccine funding. I hope that over time I will expand my work to be more global again, but now I feel that this is the area where I can best contribute to the health of the public and advance scientific understanding. 

• Interested in public health? Learn more here.
• Learn more about the Epidemiology program.
• Read more stories about students, alumni, faculty, and staff.
• Support research and engaged learning at the School of Public Health.

Recent Posts

• WDIV-TV Detroit producer, alumna champions public health communication, journalism
• New chair aims to 'eliminate racial, ethnic, socioeconomic inequities in health'
• Alumna launches Genetic Counseling Training Program in Texas

What We’re Talking About

• Adolescent Health
• Air Quality
• Alternative Therapies
• Biostatistics
• Breastfeeding
• Child Health
• Chronic Disease
• Community Partnership
• Computational Epidemiology and Systems Modeling
• Disaster Relief
• Diversity Equity and Inclusion
• Engaged Learning
• Entrepreneurship
• Environmental Health
• Epidemiologic Science
• Epigenetics
• Field Notes
• First Generation Students
• Food Policy
• Food Safety
• General Epidemiology
• Global Health Epidemiology
• Global Public Health
• Graduation 2019
• HMP Executive Masters
• Health Behavior and Health Education
• Health Care
• Health Care Access
• Health Care Management
• Health Care Policy
• Health Communication
• Health Disparities
• Health Informatics
• Health for Men
• Health for Women
• Heart Disease
• Hospital Administration
• Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology
• Industrial Hygiene
• Infectious Disease
• Internships
• LGBT Health
• Maternal Health
• Mental Health
• Mobile Health
• Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology
• Pain Management
• Pharmaceuticals
• Precision Health
• Professional Development
• Reproductive Health
• Scholarships
• Sexual Health
• Social Epidemiology
• Social Media
• Student Organizations
• Urban Health
• Urban Planning
• Value-Based Care
• Water Quality
• What Is Public Health?

Information For

• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Alumni and Donors
• Community Partners and Employers
• About Public Health
• How Do I Apply?
• Departments
• Findings magazine

Student Resources

• Career Development
• Certificates
• The Heights Intranet
• Update Contact Info
• Report Website Feedback

Doctor of Philosophy in Biostatistics

Recent graduates hold the following positions:

• Data scientist, Google 
• Senior research statistician, AbbVie Inc.
• Biostatistics manager, Amgen
• Senior biostatistician, Boehringer Ingelheim
• Senior research investigator, Bristol-Myers Squibb
• Biostatistician, Duke Clinical Research Institute
• Aassistant professor, Medical College of Wisconsin
• Assistant professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
• Assistant professor, University of Florida
• Postdoctoral associate, University of Pittsburgh
• Mathematical statistician, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Program Information

PhD Degree Requirements Worksheet (PDF, 2023-24) Student Handbook (PDF, 2023-24)

Statistical Genetics

Doctoral students interested in statistical genetics can pursue that training through either the biostatistics PhD program or the human genetics PhD program. Within the biostatistics PhD program, statistical genetics students take the usual requirements for a biostatistical major but their electives are appropriately selected genetics courses. Students interested in statistical genetics should state that in their application.

A partial list of faculty with interest in statistical genetics

Department of Biostatistics Yong Seok Park Chien-Cheng (George) Tseng

Department of Human Genetics with secondary appointment in the Department of Biostatistics Daniel E. Weeks Eleanor Feingold

Application Deadline

The priority deadline for applications is December 15. The hard deadline for applications is January 5.  

Using   SOPHAS , the centralized application service for graduate schools of public health.

Questions? Contact  [email protected]

Biostatistics News

Recent dissertation titles.

Browse titles in D-Scholarship , the institutional repository for research output at the University of Pittsburgh

Graduates will be able to:

• Develop and implement advanced parametric and nonparametric methods, and the corresponding inference procedures  
• Formulate various linear and mixed models and master the statistical inference on these models
• Apply linear, generalized linear and non-linear regression models to analyze cross-sectional or clustered, or longitudinal data with applications to health sciences  
• Derive quantities and inference statistics for time-to-event data and apply nonparametric, parametric and semiparametric survival models to such data
• Contribute to the body of knowledge in the field of biostatistics by submitting article(s) for publication in peer-reviewed journal(s), or preparing book chapter(s) for publication

Requirements

72 credits, including:

• Coursework in fundamentals of statistical theory and applications
• A statistical consulting practicum
• Coursework in epidemiology and public health
• Advanced dissertation research in an area of specialization

Why Pittsburgh?

We’re in one of the best cities in the country, no lie... a “most livable” burgh, loved by tech nerds, foodies, outdoor adventurers, artists, and home-bodies.

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Biostatistics
• Environmental Health and Engineering
• Epidemiology
• Health Policy and Management
• Health, Behavior and Society
• International Health
• Mental Health
• Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
• Population, Family and Reproductive Health
• Program Finder
• Admissions Services
• Course Directory
• Academic Calendar
• Hybrid Campus
• Lecture Series
• Convocation
• Strategy and Development
• Implementation and Impact
• Integrity and Oversight
• In the School
• In the Field
• In Baltimore
• Resources for Practitioners
• Articles & News Releases
• In The News
• Statements & Announcements
• At a Glance
• Student Life
• Strategic Priorities
• Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity (IDARE)
• What is Public Health?

Why COVID Surges in the Summer

Hot weather, human behavior patterns, and an easily mutating virus create the perfect recipe for COVID’s peak in the summer.

Aliza Rosen

Fall and winter are known as the time when respiratory viruses surge. When COVID emerged in 2020, it joined flu and RSV as one of the common respiratory viruses that peaks during the colder months. Since then, COVID has transitioned from pandemic to endemic, but has also maintained dual seasonality, peaking twice a year.

Every summer since 2020, COVID rates have risen in July and August, due to a confluence of virological, behavioral, and environmental factors. While it’s still too early to say whether this dual seasonality will peter out or become the norm, understanding why these summer surges happen can help us better protect against infection, severe disease, and ruined vacations.

Why do we see waves of COVID infections in the summer?

Several factors drive summer COVID waves. By mid-to-late summer, many people’s immunity—either from their last vaccination in the fall or from a previous infection—has waned considerably. That, combined with the emergence of  more transmissible variants , makes the chance of infection more likely.

Human behavior also plays a major role. As the weather gets hot, we spend more time in air-conditioned indoor spaces, where most virus transmission occurs, explains  Andy Pekosz , PhD, a professor in  Molecular Microbiology and Immunology . With the windows closed to keep the cool air inside, we restrict ventilation and air circulation that has shown to reduce virus spread.

Many people travel more during the summer, with roughly half of Americans surveyed saying they planned to  travel more, farther, and for longer in 2024 than the year prior. Travelers are not only exposed to more people—including from regions with more COVID cases—but also may be more likely to write off mild symptoms as simply the result of jet lag, not illness. Tiredness, headache, or a sore throat—all common after a long flight—are also symptoms of COVID, and without testing to be sure, a traveler may unknowingly expose others.

Pekosz experienced this himself after an international trip in July. At first he chalked up feeling tired to the massive time change, but when he started sneezing, he tested at home and it was positive. “I could have easily blown that off and just attributed everything to jet lag,” he says. “With a mildly symptomatic case, I may not have registered that it could be COVID and gone about my business for another couple of days while I was infectious.”

Why are there summer waves of COVID infections but not other respiratory illnesses like flu and RSV?

COVID’s ongoing dual seasonality can be attributed to both the higher presence of the virus year-round and its ability to mutate.

“The number of COVID cases that are present year-round is so much higher than we see for flu or RSV,” Pekosz explains. With that higher baseline, when conditions make for easier transmission—like increased travel and heat driving people indoors—there are more cases to fuel a larger wave of infections. “With flu or RSV, there are so few baseline cases during the summer that these changes in behavior don’t cause the same spread.”

Even when COVID rates are relatively low, more cases circulating year-round means more opportunities for the virus to mutate, which SARS-CoV-2 has proven to do very easily. When this happens, new variants emerge that are often more transmissible and better able to evade immunity. “The virus has shown itself to be very malleable, very able to handle mutations,” Pekosz says.

How might summer COVID waves impact our vaccination strategies?

The 2023-24 respiratory virus season marked a shift in COVID vaccination strategy in the U.S. to one of  annual fall vaccination . That means that—just as with annual flu vaccines—governing bodies like the FDA and CDC use global surveillance data to predict which strains will be circulating and recommend a corresponding vaccine formulation. This happens in the spring so that manufacturers can prepare a vaccine for distribution in early fall.

But when infection rates increase, so do the chances for the virus to mutate. A wave of infections in the summer could result in new dominant variants that the vaccine may not protect against as effectively.

We saw this evolution play out in real time earlier this year. The FDA’s vaccine advisory panel was scheduled to meet in mid-May to make their recommendations for the fall, but they postponed the meeting to early June to allow more time to monitor the  FLiRT variants that had recently become dominant in the U.S. On June 6, the FDA recommended monovalent  JN.1 -lineage vaccines, and then a week later  updated their recommendations to a preference for the KP.2 strain , a member of the JN.1 family of variants.

“From a public health perspective, it would be great if we could send the same ‘go get your vaccines before respiratory season’ message at one time of year, with the updated vaccines timed to be available then,” Pekosz says. But consistent summer COVID waves could impact those recommendations. “It may end up that some individuals, particularly high risk individuals, are going to be urged to get vaccinated in early summer ahead of a presumed summer wave,” he says.

However, it’s unlikely that the upcoming season’s updated vaccines would be available by then, and those individuals would only have access to the previous season’s formulation. The previous season’s formulation would still provide some protection against severe disease and hospitalization, but it likely would have reduced effectiveness against newer variants.

Will COVID ever become seasonal like flu and RSV?

While the U.S. has experienced a wave of COVID cases every summer since 2020, it’s too early to say whether this is a long-term trend. Many public health experts still expect the virus’s annual spread will eventually look more like those of flu and RSV, which tend to peak during the winter. But exactly how long it will take to settle into that seasonal pattern is not clear.

“Historically, there are examples of viruses that do settle into a seasonal pattern after a transition period,” Pekosz says, pointing to the 1918 influenza pandemic, which he says took five or six years to take on the seasonal pattern we’ve come to expect. “We've got to hope that it'll settle into a more seasonal pattern, but we should also start thinking about strategies to deal with it if it doesn't.”

Can we expect COVID cases to drop before they rise again in the winter?

According to the  CDC’s wastewater surveillance , COVID activity is high or very high in many states, with levels in the South and West  nearing what they were in January . As students and teachers head back to school over the next few weeks, Pekosz expects cases will continue to spread before the fall vaccine formulation is rolled out.

While infection-induced immunity comes with higher risks than vaccine-induced immunity, this late summer wave will offer good population-level protection that will allow for case rates to trend back down. “I expect we’ll see a little bit of a lull starting around the middle of September or so, before we start seeing the late winter surge of COVID cases,” Pekosz says.

Aliza Rosen is a digital content strategist in the Office of External Affairs at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

• What to Know About COVID FLiRT Variants
• Understanding the CDC’s Updated COVID Isolation Guidance
• More Americans Could Benefit from Paxlovid for COVID Infection

Related Content

The Visible and Unseen Dangers Lurking in Floodwater

Public Health Prep for the 2024 Paris Olympics

The Problem with Pulse Oximeters: A Long History of Racial Bias

How Sickle Cell Disease and Malaria Defined Evolution

A Forgotten, Yet Life-Threatening Infection

College of Human Medicine

About the college, community campuses.

• Departments & Academic Units
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Organizational Chart
• Remembrance Conference

From the Dean

• About the Dean
• Dean's Town Hall

Dean's Update

College roadmap.

• Strategic Plan
• LCME Accreditation

Stay Connected

• Social Media
• College Newsletter
• College Store

60th Anniversary

• 60 Years of Excellence
• MSU People Finder
• Marketing & Media
• Degree Programs

Special Admissions Programs

• Early Assurance Program
• Mission SMART Initiative
• Advanced Baccalaureate Learning Experience (ABLE)

Certificate Programs

• Leadership in Rural Medicine
• Leadership in Medicine for the Underserved
• Medical Partners in Public Health

Prospective Students

• Admissions Requirements
• Letters of Evaluation
• Application Process
• Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• The Casper Test
• AAMC PREview™ Exam

Admitted Students

• Office of Student Affairs & Services
• Financial Aid & Scholarships

Medical Education

• Graduate & Certificate Programs
• Shared Discovery Curriculum
• Global Health Study
• Simulation Program
• Clinical Elective Clerkships
• Academic Affairs
• Academic Achievement

CME & GME

• Continuing Medical Education
• Graduate Medical Education
• Grand Rapids (Headquarters)
• Midland Regional
• Southeast Michigan
• Traverse City
• Upper Peninsula Region

Current Students

• JustInTime Medicine
• Student Resolution Advocate
• Health & Wellness
• Research Information
• Resources & Policies
• Career Advising Program

Outside the Classroom

• Organizations and Interest Groups
• Honor Societies
• Service Learning
• Stories of Student Success
• Student Affairs
• Tuition and Financial Aid
• Records & Enrollment Services

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

• Epidemiology
• Biostatistics

Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health

• Master of Public Health

Leaders in Research

• Research Impact
• Published Research
• Featured Research Stories

For Our Researchers

• College of Human Medicine Office of Research
• Health Colleges Research Services
• MSU Office of Research and Innovation

Research Innovation

• Innovation Park
• Institute for Quantitative Health Science & Engineering

MSU Researchers at Work

• MSU Cancer Research
• All of Us Program
• Flint Registry
• The MIRACLE Center

Student Research

• Student Research Funding
• Conferences & Research Days
• Finding a Mentor
• Statistical Support
• Student Publications
• Publication Funding Assistance
• Alumni Board
• Update Your Information
• News & Features
• MD Connects
• Giving Priorities
• Ways to Give
• Explore Tribute Funds
• Academic Goverance
• Awards & Recognition
• Community-Based Faculty Appointments
• Career Development
• Promotion & Tenure
• Policies and Procedures
• College Committees
• Marketing & Communications
• Commonly Used College Acronyms
• Human Resources
• Job Postings

College Events

• DEI Grand Rounds
• Your Health Lecture Series
• Commencement
• 60th Anniversary Events

Featured News

• Research and Scholarship
• Featured College News
• Submit News

August 9, 2024 - Aron Sousa, MD

Above: Aron convinces Mary Ellen to do a selfie with him. He takes a series.

It’s been a quiet week in our medical school, stretching out across the peninsulas. The college was founded by radical medical educators who came to Michigan in search of new opportunities and a place that would welcome a focus on communities, which was the topic of today’s Town Hall. In the coming weeks, our 60 th Anniversary Town Halls include the College of Human Medicine admissions and our social mission on August 30, and the founding of the Traverse City Campus in September. Time will not forget us, and we get better with each decade !

On Monday, I had the chance to meet the 2024 matriculating class. They are as talented and energetic as ever. We gather them all in Life Sciences 133 on the first day of orientation, and I try not to talk at them for too long. Alumni will remember LS133 well, and will probably remember their usual seat in that old auditorium-style classroom. As has always been the case for orientation, students meet the various deans and each other that first day, and then sort out everything from their student ID cards, to accessing health care, to doing a day of service during their fortnight of orientation. The White Coat Ceremony is a week from Saturday in Grand Rapids, which is the second happiest day of the academic calendar. But that is next week, making this week relatively quiet.

We need to fill some vacancies in the college’s academic governance. Voting emails went out to faculty members for university committees and additional members for the college’s admissions committee. Be sure to vote. Search for an email from the CHM CAC Steering Committee ( [email protected] ). Do not miss it if you can.

Also this week, Wednesday about noon to be more specific, I walked into the Fee Hall kitchen in search of a spoon for my yogurt. Just in front of the drawer of plasticware, I ran into Ann Schultz and Amy Pohl. They work in our Office of Assessment and have been with us for many years. Amy has worked in Academic Affairs almost as long as I have, and she has seen remarkable things in the offices of Fee Hall…including deer. As is our custom on Wednesdays, Amy and I wished each other a “Happy Wednesday!” It would be more interesting if we wished each other “Happy Wednesday” regardless of the day of the week, but we don’t; we are practical, observant, calendar following people.

The news had not been well shared, but Amy told me this particular Wednesday was Mary Ellen Shea’s last day before retirement. True to Mary Ellen’s nature, there was to be no fuss; if we could remove fuss from the world in her honor that would be a true gift to her. But Erica Farr smuggled in some balloons and Amy made sure those of us in the hallway knew it was Mary Ellen’s last “Happy Insert-the-day-here" at CHM and MSU. We all went to her office for hugs.

Mary Ellen started at MSU on April 10, 1985, and joined the College of Human Medicine on September 19, 2000. She has managed student performance data for so long I cannot recall when she took on that job. Way back in the aughts, I recall Janet Osuch warning me about the state of our student database, “ARON! It’s a nightmare! Mary Ellen is holding that database together with tape and string! JEEZ!” At that point, Mary Ellen’s office was across the tracks in Life Sciences, and I knew of her only through myths and spreadsheets. Later, she moved into the Office of Assessment in Fee Hall, and I got to know and appreciate her a bit better. In a post pandemic world in which people are in the office only occasionally, Mary Ellen is here every day keeping the improved database going with grit and determination, and, importantly for my visits to the suite, managing Fee Hall’s strategic reserves of peanut M&Ms.

I apologize to Mary Ellen for the fuss in this update. Some of this fuss is to celebrate her work and dedication, but I also want to recognize her suitemates Amy, Lora McAdams, and Ann Schultz, who work in the Office of Assessment under Heather Laird-Fick, MD (’97) MPH. Our curriculum produces copious data, and students have multiple attempts to demonstrate their competence across many milestones in preparation for review by the college’s Competence Committee. They do so much important work that may not always be in the news, but our student programs would not work without them.

Our college is filled with staff like Mary Ellen, Lora, Ann, and Amy. People who make our educational programs, research projects, clinical practices, buildings, IT, and departments run and excel. May you all get balloons and hugs.

Serving the people with you,

Dean's Update   Town Halls

Health Wanted: Extreme Heat—It’s Getting Hot in Here

HEALTH WANTED, a weekly radio show and podcast produced in partnership with WABE, brings need-to-know public health headlines and breaks down the science behind trending topics.

The Episode

The topic: Climate change is bringing the heat, and, along with it, volatile weather events and health hazards. On this week’s episode of Health Wanted , host Laurel Bristow hones in on the ways climate change and heat affect our lives. Her guest, Noah Scovronick, PhD, offers his perspective regarding climate research and ways to move toward a cooler world.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE NOW

The takeaway:

• This summer has been setting record-level heat, with June being the 13th month in a row where the monthly average temperature was the highest it’s been since the start of record keeping in 1850.
• The greenhouse effect is a process where heat gets trapped near Earth’s surface by certain gasses such as methane and carbon dioxide. This is a big cause of climate change, and humans have been adding more of these gasses for centuries.
• Extreme heat is dangerous! Our bodies can only do so much to keep cool, and heat makes it harder to stay hydrated and regulate important systems of the body involving kidney and heart function.
• Heat is only predicted to get worse since global warming is occurring faster than scientists and policy-makers had originally anticipated.
• Large-scale policy change and technological advances could still help us avoid some aspects of climate change.

The Interview

The guest: Noah Scovronick, PhD

The key takeaways:

• Heat-related illnesses extend beyond just heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and others that occur when our core body temperature increases. Heat can also increase the risk of other diseases that affect the heart, lungs, or even mental health. This can happen even when there is not a heat wave or heat advisory, because it depends on exposure.
• We can make a more immediate impact on climate change by focusing on reducing emissions of greenhouse gasses like methane, which is shorter-lived in the atmosphere, rather than only carbon monoxide, which persists in the atmosphere for a century or more.
• Climate policy can have a huge impact on human health, because policies that target emissions often also improve air quality by reducing pollution.
• Policy action is needed to combat climate change, but personal behaviors like eating less red meat or biking to work can also make an impact. Every bit of emissions that is not released into the atmosphere matters!

The Listener Questions 

How do i know if i am up to date on my covid vaccine.

There are not new vaccines yet for this year. If Bristow had to estimate, she’d say they’ll be ready by the first week of September.

This is because in June, at the independent advisory committee meeting for the FDA, Moderna and NovaVax both said they’d be ready to ship in mid-August, and Pfizer said they’d be ready to ship “as soon as the vaccine was approved.” Bristow said she assumes the vaccines will be ready in mid-August, and the FDA will review and hopefully approve them by the first week of September.

The good news is that the advisory committee for the CDC that decides who should get the updated vaccines already voted in June that they should be made available to everyone over 6 months of age. So, once the FDA approves the vaccines, they can go straight to the public and we don’t have to wait for another committee meeting to approve them.

Olympic surfers are staying on a cruise ship. Do cruise ships put you at risk for getting sick?

France does not have ideal surf in the summer, so the surfing competition is being held in Tahiti, and the surfers are staying on a 103-cabin cruise ship. In this case, Bristow says she thinks the cruise ship is safer, health-wise, than the regular Olympic Village.

There are only 48 athletes, and they each get their own private rooms . It’s also in a remote island and there aren’t millions of spectators coming to watch them. They could, of course, still have an outbreak of a gastrointestinal illness like norovirus, COVID, or sexually transmitted infections depending on how they celebrate, but we wouldn’t hear about those right away, if ever.

But there are so few of them, they’re like a little bubble out there. Bristow says she is more concerned about people in Paris. Athletes in Paris have already seen some COVID cases, and with so many visitors coming from overseas there’s a higher potential for outbreaks of things like measles or dengue.

Catch all the listener questions and Laurel’s answers on the full episode of Health Wanted by:  

• Streaming at wabe.org or the WABE app
• Subscribing on Apple or Spotify
• Watching on WABE's YouTube channel

Find full show notes and sources  here .

Associated Topics:

• Environmental Health
• Climate and Health
• Extreme Heat
• Rollins News
• In the Media
• Rollins Experts