Public Health was defined by C-E.A. Winslow as the science and the art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical health and efficiency through organized community efforts with the goal of enabling every citizen to realize his/her birthright of health and longevity.
The disciplines of epidemiology and biostatistics are essential to achieving the goals of public health, and combining these two disciplines in a single department creates synergies for both training and research. Epidemiologists study the distribution and determinants of health and disease in populations. Biostatisticians develop and apply statistical theory, methods and techniques to public health research data and the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health programs. Given the strong overlap, epidemiologists and biostatisticians often collaborate to work toward the shared goal of generating and analyzing data to advance the public’s health.
Within the department, the degree programs are administered under two separate streams, the Division of Epidemiology and Division of Biostatistics.
Find out more about the department and what we offer in our welcome from the Chair.
We offer eight advanced degrees in epidemiology and biostatistics. Each graduate degree has specific application deadlines and requirements.
Director:
Dr. Robert Moran, Graduate Director for Biostatistics
Directors:
Directors:
Nansi Boghossian and Melissa Nolan, both associate professors in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, have been awarded more than $600K each from The Duke Endowment to lead projects that improve access to health care for underserved populations.
Ally Hucek (Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior) and Katherine Brown (Epidemiology and Biostatistics) have been selected to join the 2023-2024 Cohort of the This Is Public Health Ambassadors program for the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health.
Alexander McLain and Edward Frongillo were acknowledged for their role in developing the analytic methods used for estimating overweight and stunting trends among children around the world.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has awarded about $1.6 million to Arnold School faculty to launch a training program aimed at preparing underrepresented minority students to pursue careers in health data science.
USC features the work of epidemiology professor Angela Liese, whose two decades of research into diabetes among youth and young adults has revealed food insecurity as one of the biggest challenges this group faces.
New research led by Nansi Boghossian has investigated the relationship between sickle cell disease and severe maternal morbidity (i.e., adverse outcomes such as heart failure, blood transfusions, and hysterectomy after delivery).