Description of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Epidemiology is the study of diseases from a population-based perspective; it involves the factors affecting disease rates and the distribution of disease and disabilities in populations. As a fundamental science of preventive medicine and public health, epidemiologic research has traditionally focused on questions of disease causation through population studies for both infectious and chronic diseases. The range of topics now addressed by epidemiologic methods includes health promotion, disease prevention, and assessing the quality of health care.

Biostatistics involves the application of statistical techniques in health related fields, including biological sciences, medicine, and public health. The focus is on training students to design studies, manage data collection, process and analyze data within a context of health science research. Examples of its diverse range of application includes testing new drugs to combat AIDS, evaluation of interventions to reduce infant mortality, determination of major risk factors for heart disease or drug abuse, assessment of cost effectiveness in health care services and establishing policy basis for environmental regulations. Since the turn of the 20th century, Biostatistics has formed the quantitative core of scientific research in terms of designing studies and analyzing data.

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