Epidemiology

Understanding and reducing the burden of disease in human populations through research, education and service.

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From genetic predisposition to nutritional epidemiology

The Department of Epidemiology encompasses every facet of life that can affect a population’s health.

Welcome to the Department of Epidemiology. The faculty, students, staff, and alumni of Epidemiology have a shared mission to reduce the burden of disease in human populations. Our department accomplishes this goal through excellence in research, education, and service.

Epidemiologists play a vital role in disease prevention and control by studying the determinants and patterns of disease in populations. Through rigorous coursework, we prepare our students to confront some of the most consequential health conditions affecting our local and global communities. Many faculty and graduates of our epidemiology programs are leading experts in both chronic and infectious diseases, helping to extend life expectancy, advance health equity, improve quality of care, and pave the way for innovations in how we address future health events.

Although teaching and academic programs are the engines that drive our department, research is the fuel that keeps the intellectual engines running. Epidemiology is committed to excellence in research and affecting positive changes in the quality of health around the world. Some of our research enterprise is conducted in specialized research centers housed within the department. The Center for Infectious Diseases (CID) is committed to conquering the emerging infectious diseases that result from close contact between humans and other species or poor sanitation and inappropriate food handling. The Human Genetics Center (HGC) utilizes the latest genomic and multi-omic technology to understand the pathobiology of many common chronic diseases that plague human populations. The Center for Health Equity (CHE) is building sustainable solutions that promote health across diverse communities. The Michael and Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living advances health and healthy living for children and families through cutting-edge research and community programs. Finally, the Hispanic Health Research Center leads research efforts to support the health and well-being of Rio Grande Valley residents since 2003. Many of our faculty are affiliated with or collaborate with research centers in other departments. Our faculty contribute tremendously to epidemiologic research through these centers.

As you consider your options, I encourage you to explore our website and learn more about how our graduate programs can help launch you on the path to a successful public health career. For more information, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].

Professor Alanna Morrison, PhD

Department Chair

Epidemiology

The foundation of public health.

Epidemiologists play a vital role in maintaining health and in disease prevention and control by studying the determinants and patterns of disease in populations. Through rigorous coursework, the Department of Epidemiology prepares our students to confront some of the most consequential health conditions affecting our local and global communities. Many faculty and graduates of our epidemiology programs are leading experts in chronic and infectious diseases, helping to extend life expectancy, advance health equity, improve quality of care, and pave the way for innovations in addressing future health events.

Epidemiology Research

We offer a supportive and thriving research culture, including many grant-funded projects and high-profile partnerships with other health and community organizations. Our department includes research centers within the department and collaborates with the Center for Infectious Diseases, the Human Genetics Center, the Center for Health Equity, the Michael and Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, and the Hispanic Health Research Center on a wide range of topics.

Our research interests and efforts include a focus on the following areas, as well as many others:

Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
Cancer Epidemiology
Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and other Chronic Diseases
Genetic Epidemiology
Genomics and Bioinformatics
Global Health Epidemiology
Health Disparities
Health Services and Outcomes Research
Human Genetics
Infectious Diseases & Immunology
Injury Epidemiology
Nutritional Epidemiology
Mental Health
Microbiology
Molecular Epidemiology
Nutrition & Obesity
Pediatric, Perinatal & Reproductive Health
Tobacco Control and Substance Use

Degree programs

The Department of Epidemiology offers the following degrees:

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Doctor of Philosophy in Epidemiology

Graduate Certificates offered

The Department of Epidemiology offers the following graduate certificates:

Genomics and Bioinformatics Certificate: This certificate is intended for professionals in academic, clinical, and research settings who are now or soon to be faced with genomic and related data. The goal is to enable a generation of investigators and academicians capable of integrating state-of-the-art genomic and related high-dimensional data seamlessly into population and personalized health research.

Coordinator: [email protected]

Infectious Disease Epidemiology Certificate: This certificate is intended for students to gain skills and expertise in infectious disease epidemiology, covering fundamental concepts of infectious disease epidemiology, outbreak investigation, microbiology and immunology, and tropical infectious diseases. The goal is to prepare students for public health positions that require knowledge and expertise in infectious disease epidemiology.

Coordinators: [email protected], [email protected]

Global Health Certificate: This certificate is intended for students interested in exploring how globalization is affecting the determinants of health, the health status of the population, and the capacity of nation-states to deal with the determinants of health and disease. The goal is to prepare students for positions that involve public health decision-making and research in a changing world.

Coordinator: [email protected]

Maternal and Child Health Certificate: This certificate is designed to equip students with skills to professionally promote and enhance the health of women, children, and their communities on a local, state, federal, and international level while working asinstitutions, and other public and private organizations. An in-depth diverse curriculum provides skills development in reproductive, perinatal, child, and adolescent health.

Coordinator: Courtney E. Byrd-Williams, PhD

Contact: [email protected]

Nutrition and Public Health Certificate: This certificate provides opportunities and training for students to focus on dietary assessment methodology, nutritional epidemiology, food policy and systems, behavioral nutrition interventions, and medical nutrition therapy. The goal is to prepare students to understand the role of nutrition in disease prevention and health promotion, dietary assessment, nutritional epidemiologic methods, nutritional physiology, and food and nutrition policy.

Coordinator: Shreela V. Sharma, PhD

Physical Activity and Health Certificate: This certificate provides opportunities and training for students to focus on physical activity assessment, epidemiologic methods, intervention planning, physiologic mechanisms and health outcomes, and policy development. This certificate also focuses on the possible causes and consequences of physical inactivity on health in individuals and populations and provides hands-on opportunities for skills development in the areas of measurement, intervention, and environmental and policy change.

Coordinators: Natalia I. Heredia, PhD, Timothy Walker, PhD, and Augusto Cesar Ferreira de Moraes, PhD

Culinary Nutrition and Public Health Certificate: This certificate is designed to prepare those in the public health and health care workforce to understand the role of nutrition in disease prevention and health promotion, nutrition assessment, nutritional physiology, nutritional health policy, and culinary medicine.

Coordinator: Shreela V. Sharma, PhD

Contact us

Epidemiology Admissions

JR F. Bright

Epidemiology Academic and Admissions Advisor II
713-500-9361
[email protected]

Eric L. Brown, PhD

Epidemiology Faculty Admissions Representative
713-500-9355
[email protected]

Stay in Touch

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Past Newsletters

New research suggests the risk of Mendelian diseases in consanguinity populations

A new study co-led by Assistant Professor Zeynep Coban-Akdemir, PhD, at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and researchers from Baylor College of Medicine uncovered a link between occurrences of complex genetic disorders and inherited disease traits in a Turkish population with increased levels of consanguinity, a term referencing the theory of clan genomics, or, coming from the same ancestors.
Read MoreNew research suggests the risk of Mendelian diseases in consanguinity populations
School of Public Health Ranked Top 25 Best Public Health School by U.S. News

UTHealth Houston School of Public Health has achieved top 25 ranking among 209 graduate schools of public health, according to the U.S. News & World Report.

Among publicly-funded institutions offering graduate-level degrees in public health, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health ranks No. 9 nationally, and holds its position as No. 1 in Texas.
Read moreSchool of Public Health Ranked Top 25 Best Public Health School by U.S. News
Heart healthy indicators and behaviors in adolescents linked to better cognitive function

Cardiovascular health behaviors and overall cardiovascular health were directly associated with adolescent brain development and cognitive function, according to UTHealth Houston research published recently in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity.
Read moreHeart healthy indicators and behaviors in adolescents linked to better cognitive function, according to UTHealth Houston research
Researchers Awarded $1.2 Million from AHA for Food is Medicine Research

The American Heart Association (AHA) awarded a cumulative $1.2 million to UTHealth Houston School of Public Health researchers to test the effectiveness of Food is Medicine interventions to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.

These awards are part of the AHA's $7.8 million national initiative to expand Food is Medicine projects under its Health Care by Food program. Public health researchers have embarked on groundbreaking efforts to enhance health outcomes by way of nutrition.
Read MoreResearchers Awarded $1.2 Million from AHA for Food is Medicine Research
Sarnowski and BU School of Public Health Identify Novel Genetic Variants Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease

Assistant Professor Chloé Sarnowski, PhD, was the co-lead and corresponding author on a new study identifying the novel genetic variants associated with Alzheimer's disease in regions previously described as linked with the disease. Data collected from the study, done in collaboration with Boston University School of Public Health, can inform researchers of specific genetic variants that put people at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and tailor future treatment plans.
Read moreSarnowski and BU School of Public Health Identify Novel Genetic Variants Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease

Epidemiology

Understanding and reducing the burden of disease in human populations through research, education and service.

From genetic predisposition to nutritional epidemiology