This course will examine the epidemiology of chronic diseases to assess etiology, prevention and control. It will analyze details of epidemiologic studies in cardiovascular disease, cancer and other major chronic diseases. Pertinent literature will be critically reviewed. Prerequisite: EPI 610 (Principles of Epidemiologic Research) or permission of the instructor. 3 hours. Fall. This course is also available online.

Concepts and methods of epidemiology applied to injury; epidemiology of major injury types, utilization of injury data sets; development and evaluation techniques of preventive strategies. Prerequisite: EPI 600 or EPI 610 recommended but not required. 3 hours. Spring.

The goal of this course is to introduce students to the basic principles of infectious disease epidemiology, including, critical analysis of the magnitude, distribution, and risk factors of selected infectious diseases in community and institutional settings. This course will also discuss the public health significance of infectious disease surveillance and control, and introduce infectious disease research methodology. While the primary geographic focus is the U.S., international comparisons and perspectives will be offered. Prerequisites: EPI 600, EPI 610, an equivalent introductory epidemiology course, or permission of instructor. Spring. 3 hours. This course is also available online.

This course will provide an overview of principles and practices related to the study of determinants and outcomes of medical interventions. Methods for conducting epidemiologic research in the "clinic", assessing the validity of diagnostic and screening tests, measuring therapeutic efficacy and safety, and describing the natural history of disease will be reviewed. Prerequisite: Introductory training in epidemiology (e.g., EPI 600 or EPI 610) is recommended but not required. 3 hours. Spring. This course is only offered online.

This course is open to graduate students registered in the masters or doctoral program at the UAB School of Public Health and residents and fellows in the School of Medicine, and it may also be of interest to students from graduate health-related programs outside the UAB School of Public Health. The course provides an overview of epidemiologic methods applied to the study of utilization and safety of drugs in large numbers of individuals and an overview of issues and methods used in comparative effectiveness research on drugs, other medical interventions and medical care delivery. Lecturers will present examples of methodological problems and studies based on ongoing research at UAB. 3 hours. Prerequisites: EPI 610, BST 601 or BST 611 recommended but not required. Fall.

Concepts and methods of epidemiology.  Measures of disease frequency, association and impact; study design and analysis, indices of disease and health; overview of major categories of acute and chronic disease, analysis of epidemiologic data sets.  Track requirement for EPI majors. 3 hours. Fall. The course is only offered online.

This course will focus on methodological issues pertaining to the design, analysis and interpretation of comparative effectiveness research studies. Special focus will be placed on comparative effectiveness research studies using a non-experimental design and large data base analyses. Prerequisite: EPI 610, BST 611 and BST 612; or permission of instructor. 3 hours. Spring.

Design and conduct of studies examining health effects of environmental exposures.  Strengths and limitations of research strategies and interpretation of study results. Areas of interest include air and water pollution, lead, and biological marker outcomes. Prerequisite: EPI 600 or EPI 610. 3 hours. Course offered even calendar year in Summer.

The course will provide students with a basic understanding of the area of hospital epidemiology and infection prevention. Notably, the course will cover a review of basic epidemiological methodology, and will then focus on the main areas of surveillance that are critical to infection prevention in addition to methodologies that are specific to hospital epidemiology. Prerequisites: EPI 600, EPI 600Q, EPI 610, EPI 610Q or equivalent introduction to epidemiology course as approved by the course master. 3 hours. Spring.

Basic biology and pathogenesis, historical and current trends, domestic and international epidemiology, determinants of spread, immunogenetics and host susceptibility, options for prevention, surveillance and control of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS. 3 hours. Fall.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the basics of SAS programming. Topics covered will include creation/importation of datasets, working with SAS variables, manipulation of datasets (e.g., combining and sub-setting datasets), and SAS syntax to produce descriptive statistics (e.g., frequencies, means) and perform basic statistical procedures (e.g., chi-square, t-test). At the end of the course, the student will have an understanding of the SAS programming environment and a basis upon which to build in subsequent courses (e.g., EPI 625 and 627). Spring. 2 hours. This class is also available online.

The objective of this course is to introduce students to commonly-used analytical techniques in modern epidemiological research, and to provide experience in drafting analysis-related portions of a manuscript and present the results to an audience. Prerequisites: The course requires students to have taken EPI 610, EPI 626, BST 601, and/or BST 611; or permission of instructor. 3 hours. Summer.

An introduction to multivariate techniques and survival analysis as they pertain to epidemiologic data and critical reading of corresponding literature, specifically, logistic regression, log-linear modeling, Poisson regression, life tables, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and Cox proportional hazards modeling. Track requirement for EPI majors. Prerequisites: EPI 610 and EPI 626; or permission of instructor. 3 hours. Summer.

The purpose of this course is to have students apply their epidemiology and biostatistics skills by designing and analyzing an epidemiologic research question from start to finish, and present their data for both scientific and lay audiences. Prior experience with epidemiologic study design and statistical analysis is required. Prerequisites: EPI 610, EPI 625, BST 611, and BST 612; or permission of instructor. Fall. 3 hours. This class is also available online.

This course will provide a topical overview of issues in public health genetics. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the complex issues involved in applying and integrating genetic technology and information into public health. Through a series of lectures, students will learn about the history of public health genetics, the role that genetics play in public health, and issues involved in applying genetic technology in clinical and research settings. Lectures will also address the ethical, legal, and social implications of genetic testing in populations and research designed to identify susceptibility genes in diverse ethnic and racial groups. Prerequisites: Currently enrolled in a Master’s program. Undergraduates will need permission of instructor. 2 hours. Course offered every odd calendar year in Summer.

Provide health sciences professionals interested in clinical trials, clinical epidemiology, and other forms of population research with both essential principles and specific technical knowledge in a variety of areas relevant to the conduct of biological and behavioral investigation of human subjects.  Prerequisite: Limited to health professionals planning clinical research careers who have been accepted into the MSPH in Clinical Research Program. 2 hours. Irregular course that starts in January and ends in June. Register for this course during the Summer term.

Discussion of infectious disease research and practice encompassing design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation. Students participate in supervised research and/or in research design. Prerequisite: EPI 605 and permission of instructor for enrolling in EPI 681, and permission of instructor for enrolling in EPI 781. 3 hours.

Hands-on exposure to tropical diseases and emerging pathogens in various teaching formats: didactic lectures, roundtables, laboratory work, clinical and hospital rounds, case conferences, computer training, field trips and independent study. Course is held in the Spring Term in Lima, Peru. 9 hours (3 or 6 hours are also accepted with evaluation restricted to selected sections of the course). Study Abroad course offered in Spring.

The purpose of this class is to provide an opportunity for students interested in population and health outcomes research to participate in seminars related to methodology and career development and to present their work. This course may be counted as an elective for MPH or MSPH programs in the School of Public Health. Pass/No Pass. 1 hour. Fall and Spring.

This lectureship series is a forum for scientific dialogue on current topics in epidemiology, biostatistics and public health. The course will promote the development of knowledge about epidemiology methods, analytic approaches, disease etiology as well as natural history and current issues related to the application of these concepts to conducting epidemiologic research and public health practice. Pass/No Pass. 1 hour. Fall and Spring.

Field experience under joint direction of appropriate public health faculty member and qualified specialists working in selected aspects of public health. Pass/No Pass. 3 hours (180 contact/working hours required). Fall, Spring, Summer.

Independent study with guidance of appropriate public health faculty. Pass/No Pass. 1 - 9 hours. Fall, Spring, Summer.

Research for project under direction of research committee. Pass/No Pass.1 - 9 hours. Fall, Spring, Summer.

To provide the student with information about grant proposal writing and practice in preparing a grant proposal for submission.  The proposal must relate to an epidemiologic topic.  Human subject issues are discussed. Prerequisite: Must be a doctoral student or with permission of instructor. 3 hours.

This course provides an advanced introduction to fundamental epidemiologic concepts and methods, including causal inference, bias, and study design. This course is the first course in the sequence of the three required core epidemiology courses for doctoral students in epidemiology. 3 hours. Fall.

This course is designed to provide doctoral students in epidemiology with practical experience in the analysis and interpretation of data from case-control studies.  Specific aims are: To outline a strategy for data analysis and review relevant methodologic issues and to apply stratified analysis methods and regression models in the study of diseases of multifactorial etiology. Prerequisites: Permission of instructor. 3 hours. Spring.

This course will address methodology and substantive issues in cancer epidemiology. Content will include definitions, biological origins and pathological and clinical aspects of cancer; an introduction to information sources and methods in cancer epidemiology; the global burden of cancer; descriptive epidemiology and major risk factors for various forms of cancer; strategies for cancer prevention and the role of epidemiology developing and evaluating those strategies. Prerequisite: Doctoral student status in any Public Health discipline. Permission of instructor for students in other programs and schools. 3 hours. Summer.

Designed to provide doctoral students in epidemiology with practical experience in the analysis and interpretation of data from follow-up studies.  Specific aims are: to outline a strategy for data analysis and review relevant methodologic issues and to apply stratified analysis methods and regression models in the study of diseases of multifactorial etiology. Prerequisites: Permission of instructor. 3 hours. Summer.

Basic biology and pathogenesis, historical and current trends, domestic and international epidemiology, determinants of spread, immunogenetics and host susceptibility, options for prevention, surveillance and control of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS. Doctoral students will be responsible for writing a critical review paper or a grant application based on a STD/HIV topic of significant public health importance. Prerequisite: Clinical doctoral degree (MD, DDS, DVM, DSN, or other similar degrees with approval); or be at least a second year masters student, or permission of instructor. 3 hours. Fall.

This course will cover core concepts of designs, methods and statistical tools in genetic epidemiology studies for determining the contribution of genes to disease risk. Methods for incorporating genetic markers into conventional epidemiologic study designs as risk factors including genetic risk models, familial correlations, migration and admixture, quantitative and qualitative traits, association and linkage analyses in family based designs, allele/haplotype frequency estimation, Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium and linkage disequilibrium and application in both family and population based studies will be discussed. Methods for gene-gene and gene-environment interaction assessment, genome wide association studies are also presented.

Prerequisites: College level genetics course; basic biostatistics (BST 601 or BST 611 or BST 621 or equivalent); and basic epidemiology (EPI 600 or EPI 610 or equivalent).  Students not meeting these pre-requisites may enroll only with the permission of the instructor. 4 hours. Course offered every even calendar year during the Spring.

Genetic EPI lab. Co-requisite: Lab must be taken concurrently with EPI 731. 0 hours. Spring.

Discussion of infectious disease research and practice encompassing design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation. Students participate in supervised research and/or in research design. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor for enrolling in EPI 781. 3 hours.

In depth study and discussion of several areas of epidemiologic methodology not covered in other courses.  Students are responsible for selecting and presenting topics.  Considerable reading and outside preparation required.  Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Pass/No Pass. 2 hours. Fall and Spring.

This lectureship series is a forum for scientific dialogue on current topics in epidemiology, biostatistics and public health. The course will promote the development of knowledge about epidemiology methods, analytic approaches, disease etiology as well as natural history and current issues related to the application of these concepts to conducting epidemiologic research and public health practice. Pass/No Pass. 1 hour. Fall and Spring.

Independent study with guidance of appropriate faculty. Pass/No Pass. Fall, Spring, Summer. 1 - 9 hours.

Research for dissertation under direction of dissertation committee. Pass/No Pass. Fall, Spring, Summer. 1 - 9 hours.