Environmental Epidemiology

Environmental Epidemiology --- This course will serve as an introduction to topics in environmental epidemiology, covering major areas of current inquiry in this field.  It will convey the basic tools required to critically read the literature and to develop appropriate study designs in light of intended applications.  The class meeting will include lectures and student-led discussions.  This course will review epidemiologic methods used in evaluating the health effects of physical, biological and chemical agents in the environment and the available evidence in the health effects of such exposures.  We will also consider policy and public health applications of the scientific evidence.  Topics include lectures of methodology and major environmental exposures, discussions based on review and critiques of current literature, and presentations by outside experts on specific environmental epidemiology issues of current interest.  After taking this course, students should have a better understanding of the scope, limitations, applications and future of environmental epidemiology.