Doctoral students and candidates in our PhD program in Epidemiology will collaborate on funded research grants and contracts alongside their Major Professor, a faculty member in epidemiology whose expertise aligns with the student’s interests and career goals. Throughout their program, many students will also have the unique opportunity to apply their skills across diverse projects, gaining hands-on experience in various research domains, and working with other faculty across the concentration, college, and university.

Examples of these experiential learning opportunities include, but are not limited to:

• Analysis of Large Databases: Work with disparate administrative datasets, such as hospital discharge records and insurance claims databases, and clinical datasets, including electronic health records, to and causal questions that uncover important health insights. 
• Community-Engaged Research: Collaborate with local communities to address public health challenges and develop evidence-based interventions. For example, our faculty and students have worked closely with REACHUP, Inc. for two decades to determine the most effective strategies, programs and systems for reducing disparities in illness, disability and death among vulnerable maternal and child health populations. 
• Methodological Research: Contribute to the advancement of epidemiological methods and statistical techniques. Two of our faculty currently run the Causal Inference in Public Health Research (CIPHR) lab, which is focused on the evaluation and application of causal inference methods in public health research.

Students are actively encouraged and supported to present their work at various academic and professional platforms, including university symposiums, local and state health meetings, regional and national conferences, and international forums. This exposure to experts on the cutting edge of science not only grows their professional network but also improves their communication and presentation skills, preparing them to be confident, respects contributors to our field.

Our graduates have been incredibly successful in various arenas, such as:

• Academia: Engage in teaching, mentoring, service, and original research that advances the field of public health. 
• Government Agencies: Serve in local, state, or federal public health departments where experts analyze population health data, develop public health policies, and implement and evaluate programs to prevent disease and promote health and well-being.  
• Research Institutes: Conduct groundbreaking research to advance public health knowledge.
• Healthcare Industry: Lead public health initiatives and research in the private sector, including pharmaceutical companies or healthcare organizations. Provide expert epidemiological advice to businesses and private firms to health them understand and mitigate health risks. 
• Non-Governmental Organizations: Work with international health organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) to conduct field research, manage disease outbreaks, and implement public health interventions in resource-limited settings. 
• Data Science and Technology: Leverage your advanced statistical and computational skills to analyze large health databases, contribute to the development of health informatics tools, develop predictive models for personalized medicine, and create innovative health surveillance systems.