Contact Information

Preventive Medicine and Biometrics


Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics
4301 Jones Bridge Road
Bethesda, Maryland 20814-4799

Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

The Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics offers academic coursework in support of the MPH and DrPH degree programs. For a more detailed description of these programs see the PMB Graduate Student Handbook.

Medical Education Programs

The Epidemiology and Biostatistics division supports the goal of providing the USU medical student with a solid foundation in the epidemiologic approach to clinical and public health practice as well as giving the student a working knowledge of basic clinical biostatistics and fundamental epidemiologic principles and concepts. Applications of evidence-based clinical decision-making, epidemiologic study design and disease outbreak investigation are covered in lectures, seminars and labs. In addition, a review of the principles of disease and injury prevention applicable to both military and community public health environments is covered. Fundamental skills learned in epidemiology, biostatistics, and other basic science courses are used to examine specific disease and injury risk patterns. Emphasis is on identifying preventive medicine interventions that contribute to the health and fitness of military personnel and their families. Instruction also provides students with the fundamentals of health policy in general and the military system in particular. Approaches to primary prevention and health promotion are introduced in lectures, seminar discussions, and laboratory sessions. Students develop the necessary skills to recognize common public health problems, to formulate practical solutions, and to make recommendations for implementing those solutions during laboratory exercises.

Graduate Education Programs

The MPH degree program is a one year rigorous, quantitatively oriented curriculum which provides a broad didactic experience in preventive medicine and its principal subspecialties, and is primarily designed for individuals planning careers in Preventive Medicine and Community Health within the Uniformed Services. Core requirements for the completion of the MPH degree can be found in the PMB Graduate Student Handbook. Five concentrations are available to an MPH candidate, including the Epidemiology / Biostatistics concentration.
 
Students completing the Epidemiology / Biostatistics concentration will acquire an understanding of advanced concepts in acute and chronic disease epidemiology and will have the ability to select and apply appropriate analytic methods in planning and carrying out population-based studies.
 
Specific competencies for the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Concentration within the MPH Program:

  • 1) Identify the major causes of morbidity and mortality regionally, nationally and internationally with emphasis on both chronic and infectious diseases and injury and know public health practices for disease control including surveillance, screening, and outbreak investigation.
  • 2) Identify key sources of data for population-based studies.
  • 3) Apply epidemiologic and statistical methods to the investigation of public health problems.
  • 4) Distinguish among different epidemiologic study designs including their strengths, weaknesses, and their appropriateness to address specific research questions.
  • 5) Demonstrate the ability to investigate the association between a risk factor and a health outcome by identifying a data source, designing a study, explaining the risk factor measurement issues, and applying the appropriate methods to analyze the data.
  • 6) Identify the appropriate statistical models for the research question and study design at hand. Understand the statistical principles underlying models commonly used in the analysis of epidemiologic data and perform a sound analysis including evaluating assumptions, assessing model fit, and interpreting results.
  • 7) Identify ways to minimize bias in epidemiologic and statistical studies.
  • 8) Demonstrate how to assess confounding and interaction using techniques such as stratified analyses and regression models.
  • 9) Demonstrate proficiency in computer based data collection, management and analysis using major statistical software and fundamental strategies for statistical analysis.

Courses offered by the Division of Epidemiology / Biostatistics include:

PMO502 Introduction to SAS (1 credit)
PMO503 Biostatistics I (4 credits)
PMO504 Biostatistics II (4 credits)
PMO508 Biostatistics III (5 credits)**
PMO505 Microcomputer Applications in Public Health (1 credit)
PMO511 Introduction to Epidemiology (4 credits)
PMO512 Epidemiologic Methods (4 credits)*
PMO513 Advanced Epidemiologic Methods (4 credits)*
PMO514 Epidemiology and Control of Infectious Diseases (2 credits)**
PMO515 Chronic Disease Epidemiology (2 credits)**
PMO516 Design and Analysis of Epidemiologic Studies (3 credits)
PMO519 Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology (2 credits)**
PMO520 Molecular Epidemiology (2 credits)
PMO521 Concepts in Molecular Biology and Immunology (2 credits)
PMO522 Meta-Analysis (1 credit)**
PMO595 Introduction to Complex Sample Survey Analysis (2 credits)
PMO611 Classic Studies in Epidemiology (2 credits)**
PMO701 Advanced Biometrics Tutorial
PMO811 Independent Study in Epidemiology
PMO911 Research in Epidemiology
PMO997 Field Epidemiology (3 credits)
 
Recommended coursework for the Epidemiology / Biostatistics Concentration includes (*) PMO 512, PMO513 plus at least four of (**) PMO508, PMO514, PMO515, PMO519, PMO522, PMO611