Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology
Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology
encompasses the study of genetic and environmental factors that
determine the distributions and dynamics of health outcomes in populations.
Investigating such outcomes entails using tools from both the field
of human genetics and the field of epidemiology. Numerous human
disorders appear to result from the joint action of genes and environment,
providing the genetic epidemiologist with ample opportunity for
making important contributions to the study of human disease.
The graduate program in
the genetic and molecular epidemiology division focuses on the
theory and application of the tools essential to this emerging
field. Primary attention is given to statistical and scientific
methodologies. Courses offered in the program include: principles
of genetic epidemiology, statistical methods in human genetics,
genetic epidemiology of common diseases, linkage analysis, population
genetics, and computational methods in genetic epidemiology. Students
may specialize in developing methodology, in which case additional
courses from the biostatistics program would be relevant, or in
substantive research, in which case additional courses from the
epidemiology program would be relevant. Plentiful research opportunities
exist within the program, and ongoing research is discussed during
seminar and frequent informal meetings with faculty.
For more information, please click here to download the official handbook for the Division of Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology.
- Degree Programs
- Master of Science
Doctor of Philosophy
M.D./Ph.D.
Master of Science
- Information & Application Materials
- Requests for information and application
materials for our Master of Science and Ph.D. Graduate Programs
should be sent to:
Alicia Boscarello
Department
of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Case
Western Reserve University
10900
Euclid Ave.
Cleveland,
OH 44106-4945
Phone:
(216) 368-5957; E-mail: alicia.boscarello@case.edu
Graduate Studies Committee
- The Department's Graduate Studies Committee
consists of one faculty member from each division, as well
as a faculty member chosen to act as Chair. The committee
oversees the department's curricula, academic and degree requirements,
and acts as a liaison between the department and the Office
of Graduate Studies.
- Academic Advisor
- The student will be assigned an academic
advisor to help the student throughout his/her program with
course selections and general advice.
- Research Advisor
- Also called a mentor, leads the student
through his/her thesis requirements. A faculty member may
be both an academic advisor and a mentor. The student may
change academic advisors and mentor at any time by notifying
in writing the present advisor and obtaining a letter of approval
from the new advisor.
- General Requirements
- Students must satisfy the requirements of
the School of Graduate Studies as stated in the University's
General Bulletin as well as those outlined by the specific
division. To complete the M.S. degree program under Plan A,
students must conduct a research project and write and defend
a thesis. Under Plan B, students must pass a written comprehensive
examination.
- Credit Hour Requirement
- The Master's degree requires 36 hours of
credit.
- Core Courses
- Nine hours of basic core courses are required
of all students. All courses are 3 credit hours unless noted
otherwise.
EPBI 431 Statistical Methods I
EPBI 432 Statistical Methods II
EPBI 490 Epidemiology: Intro to Theory/Methods
In addition, students under Plan A are required to take a
minimum of 6 credit hours of EPBI 651 (M.S. Thesis),
and students under Plan B are required to take 3 credit hours
of EPBI 602 (Practicum).
- Courses within the Divisions
- Each student selects one of the following
divisions: Epidemiology, Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology,
Health Services Research (all Plan A only) or Biostatistics
(Plan B or optional Plan A).
- General Electives for All Divisons
- Electives should be chosen in consultation
with the student's academic advisor to arrive at the required
number of semester hours when combined with core requirements.
Some suggested electives include:
EPBI 408 Public Policy and Aging
EPBI 411 Introduction to Behavioral Medicine
EPBI 450 Clinical Trials and Intervention Studies
EPBI 454 Population Genetics for Genetic Epidemiology
EPBI 462 Computational Methods in Genetic Epidemiology
EPBI 465 Clinical Decision Analysis
EPBI 467 Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Health Care
EPBI 468 The Continual Improvement of Healthcare: An
Interdisciplinary Course
EPBI 487 Pharmacoepidemiology
EPBI 488 Gender, Ethnicity and Health Research
EPBI 489 Biomedical Perspectives on Women's Health
EPBI 496 Mathematical Models of Disease
EPBI 497 Epidemiologic Studies of Cancer Etiology and
Prevention
EPBI 498 Cancer Epidemiologic Analyses of National
Data
EPBI 514 Advanced Statistical Computing
EPBI 515 Secondary Analysis of Large Health Care Data
Bases
EPBI 535 Topics in Advanced Survival Analysis
EPBI 563 Pattern Recognition Techniques in Biomedical
Research
- Waiver Procedure
- To waive a prerequisite the student will
need to submit a written request to their advisor. Upon approval
of the advisor, a memo should be sent to the director of the
division outlining the reason(s) for the request. If approved
by the division director, the memo should be forwarded to
the secretary of the Graduate Studies Committee, Joan Marold,
for the committee's review and formal approval. On approval
by the full committee, the committee chair will write a formal
letter of approval to the student and their advisor. A copy
of this letter will be placed in the student's file, and the
waiver will be noted in the student's progress report.
To waive a core course, the student must provide material
(i.e., a syllabus) to show that the course requirements have
been met by the completion of either another course or through
relevant work experience. This material should be submitted
with a memo to the academic advisor who will then forward
it to the division director. If approved by the division director
the request must be approved by the instructor of the course
to be waived. A waived course will need to be replaced by
another approved course to fulfill the credit hour requirement.
- Transfer of Credit
- A student may petition to transfer credit
from another university to reduce the credit hours of course
work necessary to receive his/her degree. Transfer of credit
from another university toward a master's degree is limited
to six semester hours of graduate-level course work taken
in excess of degree requirements at that university. No thesis
credit may be transferred.
Transfer of credit requires approval from the student's academic
advisor, the chairperson, and the dean of graduate studies.
The course work must have been taken within five years of
matriculation at Case Western Reserve University and passed
with a grade of B or better.
- Masters Thesis (Plan A)
- Students in Plan A (Epidemiology, Genetic
and Molecular Epidemiology, and Health Services Research)
are required to register for at least six hours of EPBI 651
(M.S. Thesis Research). A thesis committee, consisting of
three faculty members, customarily chaired by the student's
research advisor with the other members appointed upon his/her
recommendation by the Graduate Studies Committee. To complete
this requirement, the student must submit and successfully
defend a thesis.
- M.S. Degree with Thesis
- M.S. students pursuing the thesis option
(Plan A) must:
1) Present a thesis proposal to their thesis committee, consisting
of the mentor and two other department faculty members who
have agreed and been approved to serve on the thesis committee.
The proposal must be approved unanimously.
2) Register for thesis credit (EPBI 651
- M.S. Thesis Research). A student must continue such registration
each succeeding semester until the thesis is accepted. The
minimum acceptable registration for thesis credit is three
credit hours per semester until the thesis is complete.
However, a master's candidate who has already completed
six credit hours of EPBI 651 may, with the approval of his/her
research advisor, enroll in EPBI 651 for one credit hour,
for a maximum of two semesters. Thereafter, the student
must resume registration for a minimum of three credit hours
each semester until the thesis is accepted.
3) Defend the thesis in an oral examination
which is open to the public. The student is responsible
for distributing the announcement of the oral exam to the
department faculty at least two weeks prior to the exam.
All faculty members and students are invited to attend the
oral examination. The oral examination will be conducted
within the context of the University regulations and scheduled
at the completion of the M.S. thesis. The examining committee
is to consist of the mentor and the faculty members on the
thesis committee. A final bound copy of the thesis should
be placed in the department's library. Plan A graduation
materials, including thesis signature sheets may be obtained
from the Office of Graduate Studies.
4) Be registered during the semester in
which any part of the oral examination (master's defense)
is taken. If not registered for other courses, the student
will be required to register for one credit hour of EXAM
600 - Master's Comprehensive Exam - prior to taking the
examination.
Degree Requirements
-
Prerequisites:
(waivable; up to 3 credit hours can be included in the 36-hour
degree program)
-
3 credit hours in one of the following scientific
areas: biology, human behavior, social science
EPBI 414 Introduction to Statistical Computing
Core Courses: (24 credit hours)
- EPBI 431 Statistical Methods
I
EPBI 432 Statistical Methods II
EPBI 451 Principles of Genetic Epidemiology
EPBI 452 Statistical Methods in Human Genetics
EPBI 455 Genetic Epidemiology of Complex Diseases
EPBI 457 Linkage Analysis
EPBI 480 Intro to Mathematical Statistics
EPBI 490 Epidemiology: Introduction to Theory/Methods
- Noncredit Requirements:
(each semester)
- EPBI 501 Graduate Seminar
- Noncredit Requirements:
(each semester after the first year)
- EPBI 502 Genetic and Molecular
Epidemiology Seminar
- Elective: (3 credit hours)
- 1 elective course selected with the approval
of the faculty advisor
-
Thesis and Defense: (a minimum of 6 credit
hours)
-
EPBI 651
M.S. Thesis
Doctor
of Philosophy
- Information and Application Materials
- Requests for information and application materials
for our Master of Science and Ph.D. Graduate Programs should
be sent to:
José
Lozada
Department
of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Case
Western Reserve University
10900
Euclid Ave.
Cleveland,
OH 44106-4945
Phone:
(216) 368-5957; E-mail: jsl7@case.edu
Graduate Studies Committee
- The Department's Graduate Studies Committee
consists of one faculty member from each division, as well as
a faculty member chosen to act as Chair. The committee oversees
the department's curricula, academic and degree requirements,
and acts as a liaison between the department and the Office
of Graduate Studies.
- Academic Advisor
- The student will be assigned an academic advisor
to help the student throughout his/her program with course selections
and general advice.
- Research Advisor
- Also called a mentor, leads the student through
his/her thesis requirements. A faculty member may be both an
academic advisor and a mentor. The student may change academic
advisors and mentor at any time by notifying in writing the
present advisor and obtaining a letter of approval from the
new advisor.
- General Requirements
- Students must satisfy the requirements
of the School of Graduate Studies as stated in the University's
General Bulletin. See also Courses within the Division for
further details. Additional requirements for the department
include:
1) Students entering without a departmentally approved master's
degree must complete all requirements for a master's degree
other than the thesis or comprehensive examination.
2) Students entering with a departmentally approved master's
degree may begin taking advanced courses in their division.
Such students are considered responsible for knowledge of Common
Core Courses for the Master's, and will be examined on these
materials prior to advancement to candidacy.
- Credit Hour Requirement
- A minimum of 18 credit hours of course work
beyond a departmentally approved master's degree is required.
Additionally, a minimum of 18 credit hours of dissertation research
(EPBI 701) is required. Advanced course work for the
Ph.D. is determined on an individual basis in conjunction with
a student's research advisor or mentor.
- General Examination
- See also General Examination under the
specific division for further details. The student must complete
18 credit hours of Ph.D. course work, and no later than the
completion of 6 credit hours of EPBI 701 - Dissertation
Research, Ph.D.
A student must be registered during the semester in which the
general examination is to be taken. If not registered for other
courses, the student must register for one credit hour of EXAM
700 - General/Qualifier Exam, prior to taking the examination.
Each student will have at most two chances
to pass the Ph.D. general examination.
- Requirements for each Division
- Biostatistics General
Examination
- The exam is administered by three faculty
members of the department and chaired by the student's academic
advisor. The examination covers Ph.D. course work within the
discipline and should include at least three areas of concentration.
The General Examination may also cover areas of weakness in
Master's level core courses.
- Epidemiology
General Examination
- The examination is administered
in two parts. Part I consists of an 8-hour "in-class"
exam which will cover the methodological areas in the following
courses: EPBI 490, 491, 492, 431,
432, and 508. It is recommended that the student
take this portion of the examination after the 3rd semester.
This part of the general examination will be conducted once
a year during the spring semester (usually in early January).
Part II will test students on epidemiological substantive
areas (i.e. cardiovascular, infectious or chronic disease,
screening programs) and methodological issues (study design,
survey design, measurement, bias). Part II is "take-home",
usually distributed at 5 p.m. on a Friday to be returned
by 5 p.m. the following Monday (3 days). Part II should
be taken after successful completion of Part I of the general
examination and EPBI 450, EPBI 451,
EPBI 463, EPBI 494. This part
of the general examination will be conducted once a year
during the summer semester.
All students, even those coming in with
a previous M.S. degree, must take and pass Parts I and
II of the general examination in order to advance to candidacy.
See the Epidemiology Handbook for further details concerning
the General Examination.
- Genetic and Molecular
Epidemiology General Examination
- The exam will consist of two parts. One
part, to be taken by all students, will be specifically
on genetic epidemiology and cover the material in EPBI
451, 452, 455, and 457. For
the other part, students who are more interested in developing
methodology will take a second part in general biostatistics.
Those students more interested in substantive studies will
take a second part in general epidemiology. Students who
fail the General Examination on the first attempt must obtain
a Master's degree before petitioning to take the examination
a second time.
- Health
Services Research Examination
- The health services research faculty develops
the general examination. It consists of a series of written
examinations covering the division's core curriculum. Students
prepare a portfolio presenting work related to their elective
and area of concentration courses.
- EPBI 701 - Dissertation Research,
Ph.D.
- Upon written notification to the Dean of Graduate
Studies, via the Ph.D. "checklist," identifying the
university faculty member selected as a doctoral student's principal
research advisor, and with the endorsement of the department
chair, the student in pre-candidacy status will be eligible
to register for one, but not more than six, credit hours of
EPBI 701 (Dissertation Research, Ph.D.), and must
continuously maintain the limited registration for EPBI
701 until advancement to candidacy occurs.
- Advancement to Candidacy
- A literature review in the proposed
area of research and a written dissertation proposal must be
defended before a Dissertation Examination's Committee consisting
of the student's dissertation advisor, two additional members
of the department, and one member from outside the department.
Once the proposal is approved, the student advances to candidacy
(with the exception of Epidemiology) and may commence independent
research on his/her topic, leading to a written dissertation
which must represent a significant independent contribution
to existing knowledge.
In the semester following advancement to candidacy, the student
is permitted to register for up to nine credit hours of 701.
A student must register for at least 18 credit hours of EPBI
701. When a cumulative total of 18 credit hours of 701
is earned, the student may subsequently register for a minimum
of one credit hour of EPBI 701 each semester until
the dissertation is complete and defended. Once registered for
EBPI 701 hours a student must continue such registration
each succeeding regular semester until the dissertation is complete
unless granted a leave of absence.
- Leave of Absence
- The student must request in writing a leave
of absence for a period not to exceed one calendar year. This
request must be submitted to the dean of graduate studies with
the written endorsement of the student's academic department.
During the leave of absence the student must avail himself/herself
of neither aid from faculty members nor use the facilities of
the university. A leave of absence does not extend the maximum
time permitted for the completion of the degree requirements.
At the expiration of the leave the student must resume registration
unless formally granted an extension.
A doctoral student who is granted a maternity or paternity leave
of absence related to infant care will receive an extension
of the five-year limit associated with completion of the doctorate.
The length of the extension will correspond to the length of
the leave.
-
Final Oral Examination (Dissertation Defense)
- The final oral examination, chaired by the Ph.D.
mentor, consists of a defense of the dissertation in the presence
of the members of the Dissertation Examination Committee. The
defense must be scheduled with the Office of Graduate Studies
no later than three weeks before the date of the examination.
The candidate must provide a copy of the completed dissertation
to each member of the committee at least 10 days before the examination.
The student is also required to submit at least one article to
a peer-reviewed journal from their dissertation research prior
to the chairperson's authorization for awarding of degree. All
faculty and students are encouraged to attend and participate
in a student's Ph.D. examination. Scheduled defenses are announced
through the Campus
News.
The candidate will be certified as passing the final oral examination
if no more than one member of the Committee dissents. Additional
work or corrections may be required based on the results of the
examination.
- Residency
Requirement
- The doctoral residency
requirement is intended in insure a period of intensive academic
interaction with faculty and peers, and of sustained independent
research.
Graduate students are considered to be in residence when they
are fully engaged in academic work. The student's regular presence
at the university is required during fulfillment of the residency
requirement.
The formal fulfillment of residency requires
continuous registration in at least six consecutive academic
terms (fall, spring and/or summer) from the beginning of matriculation
to a period not exceeding five years after the first credited
hour(s) of dissertation research (701).
- Time Limitation
- Doctoral students have five consecutive calendar
years from the semester of the first credited 701 registration
to complete all requirements for the doctorate. Those who fail
to complete the requirements within five years may petition
for an extension of a maximum of one academic year upon recommendation
of the research advisor and the approval of the department chairperson
and the Dean of Graduate Studies. The minimum acceptable registration
during this extended period is three credit hours of 701 in
each of the two semesters.
- Graduation
- A candidate for a degree awarded by the School
of Graduate Studies must make application for the degree to
the Office of Graduate Studies by the deadline established for
that semester, which is approximately two months before the
commencement date at which the degree is expected to be awarded.
The candidate must meet all the deadlines for completion of
degree requirements set forth in the calendar. All candidates
must be registered for credit and in good standing during the
semester in which the degree is awarded.
Degree Requirements
-
Prerequisites:
(12 credit hours beyond core courses required for the Master's
degree)
-
EPBI 454: Population Genetics for Genetic
Epidemiology
and
EPBI 462 Computational methods in Genetic Epidemiology
EPBI 481 Theoretical Statistics I
EPBI 482 Theoretical Statistics II
or
EPBI 491 Epidemiology: Application of Theory/Methods
EPBI 492 Epidemiology: Statistical Methods
and one of the following:
EPBI 493 The Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Disease
EPBI 494 Infectious Disease Epidemiology
EPBI 497 Epidemiologic Studies of Cancer Etiology
and Prevention
-
Non-credit Requirements:
(each semester)
-
EPBI 501 Graduate
Seminar
-
Non-credit Requirements:
(each semester after the first year)
-
EPBI 502 Genetic and Molecular
Epidemiology Seminar
-
Electives:
(6 credit hours)
-
Elective courses selected
with approval of the faculty advisor
-
One Course on Ethical
Issues:
-
IBMS 500 Scientific
Research Ethics or
ETHC 2001 Ethics & Genetics or
EPBI 508 Ethics, Law & Epidemiology
-
General Examination:
-
Written examination must
be passed
-
Ph.D. Dissertation
and Defense: (18 credit hours)
-
EPBI 701: Dissertation
research
Presentation and approval of dissertation proposal
Oral dissertation defense
M.D./Ph.D.
Students in the M.D./Ph.D. track will pursue
their Ph.D. and M.D. degrees concurrently during their first two years.
Years 3-5 will be spent exclusively on Ph.D. course work and dissertation
preparation and defense. Typically, students will complete their Ph.D.
five years after matriculation and their M.D. seven years after matriculation.
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