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 Epidemiology department 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

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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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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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.

2

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
The Boston Globe

Opinion: What to do with opioid settlement funds? Open overdose prevention centers.

In this op-ed, Brown University Professor of Epidemiology Brandon Marshall, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology Alexandra Collins and Research Associate in Public Health Abdullah Shihipar make the case that opioid settlement funding provides a critical opportunity to turn the tide on overdose deaths. They urge policymakers across the nation to support opening overdose prevention centers as part of a comprehensive and evidence-based response to the crisis.
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The Providence Journal (Paywalled)

New Brown University research aims to predict, prevent pandemics

Brown School of Public Health epidemiologist Mark Lurie discusses the Center for Mobility Analysis for Pandemic Prevention Strategies, or MAPPS. The goal of MAPPS is to stop a deadly disease outbreak from becoming a pandemic by accurately predicting how the outbreak left unchecked might unfold, allowing policymakers and medical and public-health officials to counter the outbreak long before it reaches crisis stage. (Paywalled article)
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