Epidemiology and Biostatistics Chair's Welcome
Welcome to the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics! This is an exciting time in our Department's history. Our educational programs are growing rapidly; our research activities and partnerships with prominent public health organizations are expanding; we have created numerous student work and award opportunities; and we are continuing to recruit new and talented faculty. We invite you to read on, learn more, and participate in the growth and evolution of our Department. The mission of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics is to:
We are well-positioned to address this mission, with 15 Department faculty members at the Foggy Bottom campus... nine faculty at the Biostatistics Center in Rockville, Maryland... 13 faculty who have secondary appointments... and 18 adjunct professors and professorial lecturers. Our Educational Foundation: Our highly regarded and well-subscribed academic programs give us a strong educational foundation on which to build. In the 2008 academic year, there are 265 graduate students enrolled in the Department's masters and doctoral level programs. Currently, more than 1,100 students enroll in more than 40 Department courses offered in the fall, spring and summer semesters, and there are 40 instructional assistants who support the faculty in teaching these courses. As we recognize new needs, we regularly develop new programs and courses to address them. For example, we have recently introduced new courses on molecular epidemiology, spatial analysis, HIV/AIDS surveillance, and ethnographic methods, and launched a new Graduate Certificate Program in HIV/AIDS in 2007. View our Academic Programs to learn more about our programs and how to apply. Research Portfolio: We are especially proud of our broad and expanding research portfolio. Foggy Bottom faculty members are exploring topics as diverse as cancer, HIV/AIDS, and sexually transmitted infections... cardiovascular epidemiology, behavioral epidemiology, and health disparities... surveillance, aging, and biodefense... and geographic information systems and spatial analysis. Recognizing the value of partnerships as an essential tool to leverage resources and expertise, and to provide faculty and students opportunities for public health practice, we have forged links with organizations that include:
Faculty members at the renowned Biostatistics Center in Rockville, Maryland, which coordinates large NIH-sponsored clinical trials, hold their primary appointment in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Major clinical trials focus on diabetes, cardiovascular disease and maternal-fetal health research. Biostatistics Center faculty has a variety of interests in applied research and in the development of new biostatistical methodology (e.g., survival analysis with time-dependent covariates, Poisson regression with unusual high frequencies of small counts). Read more about Departmental research activities by visiting our Faculty and Research sections. Student Research and Practice Opportunities: Graduate students in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics have numerous opportunities to learn by doing in the DC area and beyond. Paid opportunities to work on faculty research projects, and a required capstone practicum experience, provide hands-on experience in conducting epidemiologic and biostatistical research. Through their practicum placements, Departmental students have worked closely with scientists at dozens of different agencies and organizations involved with public health, including:
Increasingly, graduate students are also participating in practicums in international settings, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Our Research Seminar series, where students join faculty to hear invited speakers, represents another opportunity to involve students in the cutting-edge research of their chosen field. As well, Departmental student research awards support participation in national scientific and public health conferences. More information about all of these activities is available on this website. Vibrant and growing, the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics is deeply committed to helping graduate students and faculty develop their educational, research, and practice skills in the core quantitative sciences of public health. We invite you to learn more about our Department, and to join us as we pursue academic excellence here in the nation's capital. Alan E. Greenberg, MD, MPH |
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