Applied Epidemiology and Surveillance

This culminating unit integrates epidemiologic methods, surveillance, and disease-control strategies across infectious, chronic, occupational, and environmental health contexts. Students synthesize historical case studies and modern data sources to design questionnaires and surveillance systems, analyze epidemiologic data, and develop evidence-based interventions while exploring public health roles and teamwork.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze historical and contemporary epidemiologic studies (e.g., Framingham, Ramazzini, smoking and lung cancer investigations) to identify study designs, measures of association, common biases, and implications for causal inference
• Design a surveillance system and data collection instrument (questionnaire) that leverages vital statistics, surveillance data sources, and laboratory/vector information to detect and monitor airborne, vector-borne, parasitic, sexually transmitted, and heavy-metal–related diseases
• Apply quantitative data-analysis techniques, including use of a scientific calculator and basic analytic methods, to compute and interpret rates, ratios, and temporal trends from epidemiologic datasets and case investigations
• Evaluate prevention and control strategies and the roles of public health professionals (data analyst, program manager, chief medical officer, research associate), and communicate evidence-based recommendations in collaborative, team-based projects