Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health
71-254 Center for Health Sciences
Box 951772
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772
Epidemiology
310-825-8579
Karin B. Michels, MPH, PhD, ScD, Chair
Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease in human populations. Epidemiologists study variations of disease incidence in relation to factors such as age, sex, race, environmental factors, lifestyle, demographic variables, occupational and social characteristics, place of residence, susceptibility, exposure to specific agents, or other pertinent characteristics. Also of concern are the temporal and special distribution of disease, examination of trends, and intervals between exposure to causative factors and onset of disease. The scope of the field extends from study of the patterns of disease to the causes of disease with the goal of the control or prevention of disease. What distinguishes epidemiology from other clinical sciences is the focus on health problems in populations rather than in individuals, with the focus on public health.
Epidemiology is a young field with constantly expanding boundaries. The range of activities includes identifying determinants of population health, investigation and control of disease outbreaks, study of environmental and industrial hazards, evaluation of preventive or curative programs or treatments, and evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of intervention or control strategies. Many tools of epidemiology are shared with other fields such as microbiology, immunology, medicine, statistics, demography, and medical geography.
There is a growing core of epidemiologic methodology that includes the principles of study design and conduct, and statistical methods. Epidemiologic tools have become relevant for many other fields that study groups of people, e.g., genetics and epigenetics, global health, pharmacology, medicine, and many others.
Epidemiologists work in many settings, including academia, international health agencies, state and local health departments, federal government agencies and health programs, health maintenance organizations, and numerous research projects privately and publicly sponsored.
The objectives of the Department of Epidemiology fall into three broad categories—research, teaching, and community service.
