Epidemiology & Public Health

“Epidemiology and Public Health” is a field of research and practice that underlies determinants (risk factors) of disease, as well as predictors of wellness and preventive healthcare. Scientists and practitioners in this discipline aim to improve health at both the individual and population level. The focus can be local (neighborhoods, villages, cities) and global (countries, continents, planet), or laboratory-based (e.g., molecular, genetic, metabolic). Statistics, informatics, and systems science tools are used to map patterns of disease transmission, herd immunity, and incubation period, and to characterize susceptible individuals and populations.

Areas of study include infectious diseases, environmental exposures, disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, preventive medicine, violence/trauma, sports injuries, cardiovascular health, cancer, diabetes, ageing, chronic health conditions, aberrant brain function, post-trauma stress disorder, vascular disorders, musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, disruptive sleep, and military exposures. Investigations may be retrospective or prospective, controlled trials, or pragmatic research designs utilizing electronic medical records and informatics systems. Often, mathematical models and computerized algorithms are used to improve understanding around the target(s) of investigation.