Courses Taught

My usual courses that I teach are Epidemiology, Cancer & Society and Urban Health. In addition to my regular teaching during fall and spring terms, I usually teach over summer and winter breaks. In the course of a year, I typically teach 6 sections of Epidemiology, 3 sections of Cancer and Society, and 2 sections of Urban Health.

Syllabi for my current courses and teaching evaluation data with student comments are available under Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness.

Epidemiology 10:832:335

This course covers the principles and methods of epidemiology, the study of the distribution and determinants (causes) of disease and injury in human populations. Upon completion of this course, students will have an understanding of common study designs, be able to calculate typical outcome measures, and be able to critically read the public health literature and evaluate the results of epidemiologic studies.

Note: Epidemiology is a required course for the major, and students need both a course in basic statistics as well as Principles of Public Health (10:832:210) as prerequisites.

Cancer & Society 10:832:405

The goal of this course is to give students a broad understanding of cancer from a public health perspective, and draws from the sub-fields of epidemiology, biomedicine, and health planning and policy. The first half of the course explores the who, what, when and where of cancer. This section contains lectures providing a global perspective on the magnitude and burden of cancer, with special attention given to the pattern and distribution of disease in U.S. subpopulations. It also contains information on the basic biology of the disease. Surveillance, screening and cancer survivorship are also addressed in this section. The second half of the course examines the how and why of cancer. This section includes lectures on risk factors associated with specific cancers, such as genetics, hormones, tobacco and alcohol use, as well as the role of oncogenes in carcinogenesis. Information on specific cancers relevant to that week’s lecture or discussion are presented throughout the entire semester.

Urban Health 10:832:235

Urban areas are complex environments, differing in size, diversity, and density from one another. According to the World Health Organization more than half of the world’s population currently lives in an urban area, with the greatest growth projected to occur in upcoming decades in emerging economies such as China, India, and Brazil. Important patterns of disease and disability have been noted in urban populations that require the adaptation of traditional public health practices and methods. This course is designed to help students identify those patterns, understand the factors contributing to them, and the policies intended to reduce the burden of disease. Some of the key factors include traffic, noise, pollution, climate change, crowding, poverty, violence, family structure, and racial bias. Related to this, the policy issues we will focus on include air quality, water quality, food security and nutrition, health disparities, vulnerable populations, mental health and substance abuse, disaster preparedness, social capital, and environmental justice.