The culminating experience of the Public Health Sciences Major, this course is designed for students to synthesize and integrate their learning from previous coursework, internship, and extra-curricular activities in the discipline. Course leads to a project, presentation, initiative, or research paper that is present at the Statewide Research Conference. Class also helps develop skills in teamwork, communication and leadership. Satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BS-PubHlth majors.
- Teacher: David Chin
What is the air we breathe composed of and where do various pollutants come from? How does exposure to air pollutants manifest in chronic disease? What level of exposure is too much and how can I minimize my exposure? The goal of this course is to answer these questions and provide you with tools to quantify the environmental risks of air pollution. Exposure to air pollution is unavoidable and ranks as one of the top ten global health risks in the development of non-communicable diseases. Air pollution represents a complex mixture of thousands of gaseous and particulate chemicals. Case studies will be used to illustrate the environmental health concerns surrounding major air pollution emission sources, including vehicle emissions, activities in our homes and from energy generation. We will explore methods to measure exposure to air pollutants, trace the fate of these pollutants in the body and discuss the biological mechanisms which underpin the onset of pollutant-induced respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological diseases. Through readings and discussions, this course will explore why certain populations are more vulnerable to air pollution as well as contrast pollutant exposure and disease risk across developed and developing nations.
- Teacher: Raphael Arku
Introduction to the physical, chemical, and biological implications relating to human exposures to a variety of environmental contaminants, including air, water, and soil pollution, infectious disease, and a lot more! There are no prerequisite requirements for this class but we do recommend a background in the basic sciences, such as biology, chemistry, or physics. The course is a science-based topical class and introduction to the major areas of environmental health science.
- Teacher: Richard Peltier
The course introduces topics on organization, power, and leadership in public health and has grown out of existing coursework in Commonwealth Honors College.
- Teacher: Deborah Keisch
This course will provide a comprehensive overview of issues related to health in women, addressing areas including but not limited to biology, psychology, geography, economics, health policy, and social issues.
- Teacher: Sara Bernier
This introductory course is designed to give students the basic skills to organize and summarize data, along with an introduction to the fundamental principles of statistical inference. The course emphasizes an understanding of statistical concepts and interpretation of numeric data summaries along with basic analysis methods, using examples and exercises from medical and public health studies. The course does not require a high-level mathematics background, and will highlight the use and integration of statistical software, spreadsheets and word processing software in conducting and presenting data summaries and analyses.
- Teacher: Scott Chasan-Taber
This is a lecture and discussion-based course where a range of topic areas in chronic disease epidemiology (e.g., heart disease, cancer) will be reviewed and discussed. Topics will most often focus on areas of recent interest or where significant differences of opinion related to scientific findings have existed. Substantial time will be devoted to reviewing publications to improve student skill in reading and interpreting epidemiologic literature published in this arena.
- Teacher: Susan Sturgeon
U.S. health care system with emphasis on issues relating to unequal access to health services. An analysis of how the system should work. Special attention to controversial issues, including managed care and health insurance. How other countries design health systems. (Gen.Ed. SB, DU)
- Teacher: Eugene Garland
This course introduces undergraduate students to the field of reproductive epidemiology - population level research into aspects of human reproductive health, with a focus on their public health significance, descriptive epidemiology, etiology and prevention. Using a combination of lectures and small group discussions of published peer reviewed research, this class addresses both methodologic and substantive challenges to reproductive and perinatal epidemiological research.
- Teacher: Aimee Kroll
This course examines comparative international experiences to better understand the challenges related with delivering healthcare and maintaining health through health insurance, financing, delivery of health care services, access, and cost of health services and pharmaceuticals in countries around the world. We study the US health system and compare it to other health systems globally trying to determine "Which country has the Best Health Care" and what we can do to improve the US system.
Two fun projects the class will do 1. is studying in depth the healthcare system of one country of your choice and then 2. after what we have learned in class about other systems and the US, the students will design their own health system from scratch.
Two fun projects the class will do 1. is studying in depth the healthcare system of one country of your choice and then 2. after what we have learned in class about other systems and the US, the students will design their own health system from scratch.
- Teacher: Evan Benjamin