Courses Taught by Elizabeth Levin-Sparenberg
EPID590: Epidemiological Methods
- Graduate level
- Online MPH only
- This is a first year course for Online students
- Spring-Summer term(s) for online MPH students;
- 3 credit hour(s) for online MPH students;
- Instructor(s): Sara Adar (Online MPH);
- Prerequisites: BIOSTAT 501, PUBHLTH 512
- Description: In this course, we will teach how epidemiologists study the frequency, patterns, and determinants of health in different populations. Students can expect to learn: The terminology, principles, and methods of population-based epidemiologic research; How to critically appraise epidemiological research. The course will be divided into the following three sections: Section 1 will serve as an introduction as to the way in which epidemiologists measure and describe trends in morbidity and mortality as well as the risk factors for these endpoints. In this section we ask: What are the trends? Do they differ by time or place? Where do we get the data to study these trends and how do we know if our information is any good? In Section 2, students will learn how epidemiologists conduct studies to try to understand causality. Here we address the following questions: What is causality? How do we design studies to determine if something increases or reduces the risk of morbidity or mortality? What are the measures that we use to characterize associations and how certain we are in those estimates? Section 3 teaches students to identify situations in which the data that we collect in epidemiological studies can mislead us and lead us to reach the wrong conclusions. Students will learn different types of problems that can bias our conclusions and will develop instincts as to the directionality and magnitude of these biases.
- Learning Objectives: Calculate and interpret measures of event frequency to describe population patterns of health-related risk factors and health-related outcomes in terms of person, place, and time. Identify an unusual occurrence of disease or illness (e.g., an outbreak or disease cluster); Recognize the characteristics that help to define causality; Describe the characteristics of different study designs; Choose an appropriate study design for a research question; Calculate and interpret measures of association between risk factors and outcomes; Compare the strengths and weaknesses of different study designs to assess causality; Identify sources of bias that can influence epidemiological findings; Predict directionality of known biases; Understand basic tools of causal inference in epidemiology; Critically appraise and analyze the weight of evidence for causal associations.
| Department | Program | Degree | Competency | Specific course(s) that allow assessment | Population and Health Sciences | MPH | Compare population health indicators across subpopulations, time, and data sources | PUBHLTH515, BIOSTAT592, EPID590, EPID592, EPID643, BIOSTAT595, BIOSTAT501 |
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EPID602: Epidemiologic Data Analysis
- Graduate level
- Online MPH only
- This is a second year course for Online students
- term(s) for online MPH students;
- 0 credit hour(s) for online MPH students;
- Instructor(s):
- Offered Every Year
- Prerequisites: Epid 600, and EPID 639, or permission of the instructor.
- Description: A practicum in epidemiologic data analysis designed to integrate and apply concepts learned in previous biostatistics and epidemiologic methods courses. Students learn practical skills to analyze and interpret epidemiologic data with continuous and dichotomous outcome variables through lectures and hands-on exercises.
- Syllabus for EPID602
| Department | Program | Degree | Competency | Specific course(s) that allow assessment | EPID | General Epidemiology | MPH | Describe population patterns of health-related risk factors and health-related outcomes in terms of person, place, and time | EPID600, EPID602 | EPID | General Epidemiology | MPH | Compare the relative strengths and weaknesses of common epidemiologic study designs (e.g., cross-sectional, cohort, case-control, randomized experiments) | EPID600, EPID602 | EPID | General Epidemiology | MPH | Interpret the impact of bias, confounding, and effect modification on causal inference in epidemiologic research | EPID600, EPID602 |
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EPID604: Applications Of Epidemiology
- Graduate level
- Residential
- Fall, Winter, Spring, Spring-Summer, Summer term(s) for residential students;
- 1-6 credit hour(s) for residential students;
- Instructor(s): Ella August, James Buskiewicz, Sara Adar, Matthew Boulton, Andrew Brouwer, Melissa Beck, Kelly Bakulski, Miatta Buxton, Joseph Eisenberg, Marisa Eisenberg, Nancy Fleischer, Betsy Foxman, Aubree Gordon, Alexis Handal, Jennifer Head, Jihyoun Jeon, Spruha Joshi, Sharon Kardia, Carrie Karvonen-Gutierrez, Lindsay Kobayashi, Peter Larson, Aleda Leis, Elizabeth Levin-Sparenberg, Lynda Lisabeth, Juan Marquez, Emily Martin, Briana Mezuk, Alison Mondul, Lewis Morgenstern, Belinda Needham, Marie O'Neill, Sung Kyun Park, C. Leigh Pearce, Laura Power, Alex Rickard, Jennifer Smith, Eduardo Villamor, Abram Wagner, Xin Wang, Douglas Wiebe, Zhenhua Yang, Jonathan Zelner, (Residential);
- Prerequisites: Instructor Permission
- Description: Application of epidemiological methods and concepts to analysis of data from epidemiological, clinical or laboratory studies. Introduction to independent research and scientific writing under faculty guidance.
- This course is cross-listed with .
- Syllabus for EPID604
EPID619: Computational Epidemiology: Analyzing Real-world Data
- Graduate level
- Residential
- Fall term(s) for residential students;
- 4 credit hour(s) for residential students;
- Instructor(s): Elizabeth Levin-Sparenberg (Residential);
- Prerequisites: None
- Description: Students will learn practical skills to analyze and interpret epidemiologic data with the use of the statistical software, R. This course will introduce statistical techniques for the analysis of continuous and dichotomous outcome variables through lectures and hands-on exercises.
- Learning Objectives: To apply epidemiologic theory and methods to data analysis 2. To select appropriate biostatistical tools for epidemiologic data analysis 3. To use Rprogramming for epidemiologic data analysis 4. To be able to critically interpret results from epidemiologic studies.
EPID698: Ms Capstone In Epidemiology
- Graduate level
- Residential
- Fall, Winter term(s) for residential students;
- 3 credit hour(s) for residential students;
- Instructor(s): Staff, Sara Adar, Ella August, Kelly Bakulski, Melissa Beck, Matthew Boulton, Andrew Brouwer, James Buskiewicz, Miatta Buxton, Carol Chenoweth, Philippa Clarke, Marisa Eisenberg, Joseph Eisenberg, Nancy Fleischer, Betsy Foxman, Aubree Gordon, Alexis Handal, Sioban Harlow, Michael Hayashi, Jennifer Head, William Herman, Kirsten Herold, Tyler James, Jihyoun Jeon, Spruha Joshi, Sharon Kardia, Carrie Karvonen-Gutierrez, Mark Katz, Devon Keen, Lindsay Kobayashi, Peter Larson, Aleda Leis, Paul Lephart, Elizabeth Levin-Sparenberg, Lynda Lisabeth, Juan Marquez, Emily Martin, Dan McConnell, Briana Mezuk, Eve Mokotoff, Alison Mondul, Arnold S Monto, Hal Morgenstern, Lewis Morgenstern, Belinda Needham, Duane Newton, Gilbert Omenn, C. Leigh Pearce, Patricia A Peyser, Laura Power, Meza Rafael, Sarah Reeves, Paul Resnick, Julia Richards, Alex Rickard, Aruna Sarma, Jennifer Smith, Evan Snitkin, Howard Stein, Michael Swain, Eduardo Villamor, Abram Wagner, Xin Wang, Douglas Wiebe, Mark L Wilson, Zhenhua Yang, Jonathan Zelner, (Residential);
- 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).
- Syllabus for EPID698
PUBHLTH512: Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health
- Graduate level
- Both Residential and Online MPH
- This is a first year course for Online students
- Fall, Winter term(s) for residential students; Fall term(s) for online MPH students;
- 3 credit hour(s) for residential students; 3 credit hour(s) for online MPH students;
- Instructor(s): Alison Mondul, Elizabeth Levin-Sparenberg, (Residential); Carrie Karvonen-Gutierrez, C. Leigh Pearce, (Online MPH);
- Prerequisites: SPH MPH and SPH MHSA Residential Students Only or By Instructor Permission
- Advisory Prerequisites: BIOSTAT 501 or equivalent course
- Description: This course provides a foundation to the principles of epidemiology for applications to public health. This introductory epidemiology course is for students who are NOT pursuing an Epidemiology MPH. The course will overview the fundamental concepts of epidemiology including measures of frequency and association, study design, data collection and interpretation. This course will have a hybrid style (online & in-class) of instruction.
- This course is required for the school-wide core curriculum
- Syllabus for PUBHLTH512
| Department | Program | Degree | Competency | Specific course(s) that allow assessment | EHS | Industrial Hygiene | MS | Analyze, interpret, and apply statistical and epidemiological data | PUBHLTH512, EPID601, Thesis |
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PUBHLTH680: Applied Practice And Integrative Experience I
- Graduate level
- Online MPH only
- This is a second year course for Online students
- Fall term(s) for online MPH students;
- 2 credit hour(s) for online MPH students;
- Instructor(s): Elizabeth Levin-Sparenberg, Alexa Eisenberg, Alexa Eisenberg, Elizabeth Levin-Sparenberg, (Online MPH);
- Prerequisites: PubHlth 512, Biostats 501
- Description: Students will partner with a community organization to develop, complete, and submit two written products that are needed for the real world of public health, fulfilling the program’s applied practice experience (APEx) requirements. Students will also launch the integrated learning experience (ILE) that will be completed in PUBHLTH 681.
- Learning Objectives: At the end of this fall-semester course, students should: - Have partnered with a community partner to complete two APEx written products that achieve specific purpose(s) for the real world of public health, are appropriate for specific audience(s), and are written in a particular public health style. - Demonstrate and apply core public health competencies that they identify. - Have identified the focus and competencies they will apply to develop their integrated learning experience/capstone product in PUBHLTH 681, the culmination of their experiences and learning in the MPH program. - Have further developed their public health communication skills (writing and verbal) through reflection, discussion, and trying new approaches. - Have gained experience collaborating with their peers and have connected these collaborative activities to public health practices.
- Syllabus for PUBHLTH680
PUBHLTH681: Applied Practice And Integrative Experience Ii
- Graduate level
- Online MPH only
- This is a second year course for Online students
- Winter term(s) for online MPH students;
- 2 credit hour(s) for online MPH students;
- Instructor(s): Elizabeth Levin-Sparenberg, Alexa Eisenberg, Elizabeth Levin-Sparenberg, Alexa Eisenberg, (Online MPH);
- Prerequisites: PubHlth 512, Biostats 501
- Description: Students will continue with research, analysis, evaluation and writing to complete their capstone project. They will also explore different professional writing formats.
- Learning Objectives: Objectives: - Complete integrated learning experience project, through research, analysis and evaluation - Produce a written capstone in a professional format - Understand how to tailor written product (aka your capstone) to a specific audience (intended readers of student's work) - Be able to develop effective written and oral communications - Get practice using conventions specific to practice-based and/or academic writing - Further develop writing process through reflection and trying new approaches - Revise own writing based on feedback from advisor - Explain the critical importance of evidence in advancing public health knowledge