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Traditionally, medical education focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of individual patients. The disciplines of biostatistics, epidemiology, genetic and molecular epidemiology, and health services research, however, deal with the diagnosis and analysis of health issues in large human populations. The results of human studies in these fields have had an enormous impact on the health related behavior of the American population. One example is the decrease in cigarette smoking and the elimination of cigarette smoking from public buildings in our society. Another visible example is the change in the American diet, away from fat and cholesterol.
Individuals completing the Master's degree qualify for a variety of job opportunities in industry, public health departments, health care settings, and health services research facilities. The Ph.D. program prepares individuals for independent and collaborative research, teaching, or management roles in health care delivery, health care systems or local, state and national public health departments.
The Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics has five divisions that form the scientific foundation for public health research and education. These include:
Biostatistics - Mireya Diaz-Insua, Ph.D., Director
Probability is the basis for the design and analysis of biomedical
research in humans and in laboratory experiments. Biostatistical
methods form the basis for the analysis of data in experiments
in humans and the generalization of the results to all human
beings. Visit the Biostatistics section
for more information, and visit Funded
Grants or the Biostatistics
faculty for current research.
The search for factors causing disease in humans and the study
of the occurrence and distribution of diseases in human populations.
The field of epidemiology is also concerned with the education
of the public and strategies for adopting good health behavior
practices. A relevant subspecialty is infectious disease epidemiology
where the impact of infections and immunization on populations
and the importance in preventing infectious diseases is studied.
The results of large epidemiological studies have formed the
basis of intervention programs that have reduced the incidence
of disease, increased the quality of life and extended life.
Visit the Epidemiology section for more
information, and visit Funded Grants
or Epidemiology faculty for
current research.
Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology - Robert
Elston, Ph.D., Director
The study of genetic factors that determine the distributions
and dynamics of disease in populations. Genetic epidemiology
is an emerging field that synthesizes epidemiologic, quantitative
genetic and molecular approaches to the study of disease. Visit
the Genetic and Molecular Epidemiolgy
section for more information, and visit Funded
Grants or the Genetic Epidemiology
faculty for current research.
The description, analysis, and evaluation of the organization,
staffing, financing, utilization, and delivery of health care,
with an emphasis on equity of access, cost effectiveness, and
quality of care to populations and patients. Visit the Health
Services Research section for more information, and visit
Funded Grants or Health
Service Research faculty for current research.
The program leads to a Master of Public Health degree. It is
designed to prepare students to address the broad mission of
public health, defined as "enhancing health in human populations,
through organized community effort," utilizing education, research,
and community service. Public health practitioners are prepared
to identify and assess the health needs of different populations,
and then to plan, implement and evaluate into programs to meet
those needs. Visit the Public Health
section for more information, and visit Funded
Grants or the Public
Health faculty for current research.
The Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics maintains a Scientific Computer Center comprised of servers and computer labs located at Case in the School of Medicine. The Center provides computer services and maintains facilities at the site to meet the Department's instructional and research needs. These facilities, including statistical applications, are used routinely by students interested in quantitative research. The Center's servers and all personal computers are connected to CWRUnet, the campus-wide computer network at Case.
The faculty, with grants this year exceeding 11 million dollars, are engaged in numerous research projects in these disciplines. The faculty conducts collaborative research with the basic and clinical science departments of the School of Medicine. The Department provides a broad based, integrated environment for graduate students to develop a background in these scientific disciplines in the area of public health. This training will provide graduates with an opportunity to pursue a career in research, teaching, medical schools and service in various institutions such as departments of public health, hospitals, the pharmaceutical industry, health care providers, or schools of public health.
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