Department of Epidemiology

Epidemiology

Epidemiology

A cornerstone of public health

Epidemiologists study and analyze the incidence and distribution of diseases. We look at defined populations, considering the possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health.

Epidemiology's impact extends beyond the classroom: it shapes policy decisions and identifies targets for preventive healthcare. The work we do is fundamental to the practice of evidence-based public health and medicine and affects the lives of millions of people worldwide.

Explore Epidemiology at Brown

Discover the programs and people that make up the Department of Epidemiology at Brown University

Fields of Research

Research areas include cancer, environmental health, global health, mental health, infectious disease, maternal and child health, molecular, health disparities, obesity, substance use, mindfulness, and epidemiologic methods
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Faculty

Faculty in the Department of Epidemiology are world-renowned researchers whose expertise include cancer, environmental health, global health, mental health, infectious disease, maternal and child health, molecular, health disparities, obesity, substance use, mindfulness, and epidemiologic methods.
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Seminar Series

The Department of Epidemiology hosts an annual seminar series that brings speakers from across the country to lecture on the pressing epidemiological issues of our time.
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Centers and Institutes

Innovative research centers conduct epidemiological studies from disease outbreaks to the effects of environmental toxins

International Health Institute

The IHI's mission is to apply interdisciplinary perspectives to research and training to improve the health of populations in developing countries.
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The Mindfulness Center

Dedicated to rigorous research and student-centered education, our goal is to offer programs that improve individual lives and organizational effectiveness.
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The Pandemic Center

The Pandemic Center works to ensure that the world better understands these catastrophic threats, their far-reaching casualties, and develops the tools, policies, and practices to mitigate and prevent their impact.
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People, Place & Health Collective

A diverse team of staff, students, postdocs, and faculty who are tackling the most pressing challenges in America today, from the nation’s overdose crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, to the synergistic effects of overlapping infectious disease and substance use epidemics.
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Survey Research Center

The Survey Research Center is dedicated to conducting high-quality survey research in partnerships with universities, hospitals, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. From proposal to analysis, we are available to advise and assist investigators during every step of the survey process.
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Degree Programs

Study epidemiology with world-renowned faculty

Brown's Epidemiology graduate program offers a doctoral degree and a MPH concentration which will prepare students for careers in research or public health which require knowledge of advanced epidemiologic methods.

Doctoral Program

Doctoral candidates undergo rigorous training in epidemiologic methods. We prepare students to become leading, independent investigators. Our graduates excel in academia, industry, government and public health practice.

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Whether it is investigating an infectious disease outbreak, assessing the impact of in-utero exposure to environmental pollutants and endocrine disrupting chemicals, or the relations of nutritional, genetic, stress-related factors to cardiometabolic health, epidemiology is the foundational discipline underpinning many public health stories in the headlines every day.

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Unique Degree Paths

We offer a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and support an MPH Epidemiology Concentration

21

Primary Faculty Members

With over 50 Secondary and Adjunct Faculty Members

Over 50 %

of our recent F31s submitted received funding in their first round

Comparatively, F31 success rate was 27.8% across all NIH institutes in FY2020

Recent News

 All Epidemiology News
NBC News Think

It’s not just Covid. Flu and RSV mean masks need to come back.

An opinion piece by Abdullah Shihipar, research associate at the People, Place and Health Collective, William Goedel, assistant professor of epidemiology and Abigail Cartus, postdoctoral research associate in epidemiology.
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Associated Press

US overdose deaths may be peaking, but experts are wary

Those few states, which have had some of the nation’s the highest overdose death rates, appear to be at the root of the national improvement this year, said Brandon Marshall, a Brown University public health researcher who tracks overdose trends.
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