Prerequisites: Enrolled in Epidemiology MS programs
Description: This capstone research project course is designed for Epidemiology MS students (30-credit or 48-credit CESM programs). Working with their mentor, students are expected to develop an original research project to address public health problems using epidemiologic methods.
Students will have the opportunity to apply what they learned in their coursework to important public health questions. Students will work with a faculty mentor to conduct a literature review, develop a research project, develop and implement an analysis plan, write up the results and discuss the implications of the findings, and present their work in the annual Epidemiology Poster Day.
Students are expected to begin their capstone project in their first term and complete it in the second term of their final year (or only, for one-year programs) of training (three credits per term, for a total of six credits). The Epidemiology Master’s committee will help students find an appropriate mentor. Details regarding the structure of capstone writing products and evaluation guidelines will be provided in the MS Student Handbook.
Learning Objectives: The learning objectives of and skills employed in this course are determined by the specific research project. The list below (which is not exhaustive) provides examples of learning objectives for this course:
1. Assess knowledge gaps in the scientific literature;
2. Develop a scientific research question designed to address a gap in the scientific literature
3. Identify appropriate data sources to address a research question;
4. Better understand the role of data in understanding public health problems;
5. Create a data collection instrument and/or collect data;
6. Analyze data (quantitative or mixed data – including both quantitative and qualitative) to test research hypotheses relevant to public health in a manner that reflects principles of epidemiology (e.g., study design, measurement, confounding, etc);
7. Generate appropriate data visualizations and/or presentations;
8. Communicate the significance, approach, and implications of epidemiological research in a written format appropriate for the target audience;
9. Complete research ethics training through the Program for the Education and Evaluation of Responsible Research and Scholarship (PEERRS). Two modules are required: Human Subjects Research Protections and Responsible Conduct of Research and Scholarship (RCRS).
Advisory Prerequisites: Recommended: An undergraduate degree in a health-related subject.
Undergraduates are allowed to enroll in this course.
Description: Infectious diseases, in their regular occurrence and in pandemics, are a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally, as such, their control is a major concern of public health. This course will describe the major infectious threats to the population and will discuss methods of control in the past, currently as well as developments in the pipeline. As the most effective control measure, the emphasis will be on vaccines, their development, use and how their effectiveness is evaluated. Other approaches which complement vaccine use will be described, emphasizing antivirals and non-pharmaceutical interventions. Special attention will be directed to pandemics, such as influenza, including avian influenza, HIV/AIDS and Covid-19.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the course, students should be able to:
1. Identify many of the infections for which interventions are available
2. Understand why interventions are not currently available for infections of public health importance
3. Understand the basics of how vaccines protect both the individual and the population
4. Be able to identify the different types of vaccines and their advantages and disadvantages
5. Understand why vaccines are intended for different segments of the population, based on patterns of disease occurrence
6. Describe, in general terms, the way vaccines are evaluated before and after approval for use
7. Recognize the controversies that have developed about appropriate use of certain vaccines
8. Understand why interventions such as antivirals have been developed and how they can be used when no vaccine is available or to complement vaccines
9. Be able to identify the most recent pandemics and, in general terms, how vaccines, antivirals and non-pharmaceutical interventions can be used.
