Clinical Epidemiology Courses
To view the times of the courses listed below, please refer to the corresponding term schedule:
Fall term schedule
Spring term schedule
Summer term schedule
Please contact Jennifer Kuklinski if you have any questions about the course timetable or any of the courses offered below.
Courses offered by the Clinical Epidemiology Unit of the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE) and PhD degree programs:
EPID 510 - Introductory Epidemiology
Summer Term, (second half)
1 course unit
Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor
Instructor: James Lewis, MD, MSCE
This course is a series of lectures and workshops, designed to teach basic principles of epidemiologic research design. The course provides an overview of the types of research questions that can be addressed by epidemiologic methods. Topics covered include: definitions of epidemiology; measures of disease frequency; measures of effect and association; epidemiologic study designs, both experimental and non-experimental; and an overview of analysis of epidemiologic studies.
EPID 526 - Biostatistics for Epidemiologic Methods I
Summer/Fall Term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor
Instructor: Justine Shults, PhD and Andrew Cucchiara, PhD
The first half of this will cover graphical methods, probability, discrete and continuous distributions, estimation, confidence
intervals, and one sample hypothesis testing. Emphasis is placed on understanding the proper application and interpretation of
the methods. The second half of this course will cover two sample hypothesis testing, nonparametric techniques, sample size
determination, correlation, regression, analysis of variance, and analysis of covariance. Emphasis is placed on understanding
the proper application and underlying assumptions of the methods presented. Laboratory sessions focus on the use of the STATA
statistical package and applications to clinical data.
EPID 527 - Biostatistics for Epidemiologic Methods II
Fall/Spring Term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor
Instructor: J. Richard Landis, PhD and Mary Sammel, ScD
The first half of this will cover graphical methods, probability, discrete and continuous distributions, estimation, confidence
intervals, and one sample hypothesis testing. Emphasis is placed on understanding the proper application and interpretation of
the methods. The second half of this course will cover two sample hypothesis testing, nonparametric techniques, sample size
determination, correlation, regression, analysis of variance, and analysis of covariance. Emphasis is placed on understanding
the proper application and underlying assumptions of the methods presented. Laboratory sessions focus on the use of the STATA
statistical package and applications to clinical data.
EPID 532 - Database Management for Clinical Epidemiology
Spring term
.50 course units
Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor
Instructor: John Holmes, PhD
This course provides students with an introduction to the techniques of database management as they apply to clinical research. Students learn how to design and implement computerized databases, perform basic query and reporting operations, migrate data between various file formats, prepare databases for statistical analysis, and perform quality assurance procedures. This course focuses on the practical issues of database management and is intended to support each student’s planned research enterprise.
EPID 540 - Injury and the Public's Health
Spring term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor
Instructor: Charles Branas, PhD
This course offers students an introduction to the relatively new field of injury and violence prevention. As a major cause of death and disability throughout the world, injury is a leading public health problem. Prominent types of injuries to be discussed include those relating to motor vehicles, falls, and firearms. Behavioral, biological, economic, and social issues concerning the implementation of injury reduction policies also are emphasized through case studies of specific injury scenarios and interventions. The effect of injuries in the workplace, in the home, and during recreation also are emphasized.
The course includes guest speakers who are experts in injury prevention practice and research. Students are expected to be prepared to discuss required readings for each lecture. These readings ground students in the historical and contemporary issues of the class topic at hand while also offering controversial articles to generate debate. In some cases, this debate is formalized and students are assigned to argue in favor of a particular side. Additionally, students are encouraged to complete optional readings. Each student also completes an in-class oral presentation at the end of the course on an injury subtopic of interest to the student. Students complete the course with an understanding of injuries and the many issues involved in preventing injuries.
EPID 542 - Measurement of Health in Epidemiology
Fall term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor
Instructor: Douglas J. Wiebe, PhD
This course is a series of lectures and discussion sessions designed to introduce the student to the concepts of health measurement as applied to epidemiologic studies. Topics covered include: the basics of health measurement theory; critical evaluation of the current status of health measurement in a chosen field; and techniques for developing and using measurement scales, including item analysis, validity and reliability testing, and qualitative methods.
EPID 550 - Clinical Economics and Clinical Decision Making
Spring term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor
Instructors: Sankey Williams, MD and Henry Glick, PhD
This course focuses on the application of decision analysis and economic analysis to clinical and policy research. The course begins with material about the selection, use, and analysis of diagnostic tests using two by two tables, likelihood ratios, and ROC curves. The course continues with the introduction of more general tools for decision analysis, including decision trees and other mathematical models. Special emphasis is placed on the assessment and use of utilities in these models. A major focus of the course is the application of economic principles to the evaluation of health outcomes. During seminars, students will carry out practical exercises that include problem solving, critically analyzing published articles, and learning to use computer software that facilitates decision and economic analyses.
EPID 560 - Issues in Research Protocol Development
Spring term
.25 course unit
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Instructors: Charles Branas, PhD, Nicolas Stettler, MD, MSCE, Kurt Barnhart, MD, MSCE, Gregory Bisson, MD, MSCE , Jennifer Pinto-Martin, PhD, Theo Zaoutis, MD, MSCE
This is a seminar that focuses on major issues in research protocol development, including methodological issues regarding different research designs, development of research questions, and plans for analysis. Each student will present his or her research proposal for open discussion during one of the seminar sessions.
EPID 570 - Critical Appraisal of the Medical Literature
Spring term
.25 course units
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Instructors: Jason Christie, MD, MSCE , Ebbing Lautenbach, MD, MPH, and Samir Shah, MD, MSCE
This seminar focuses on techniques for critical appraisal of the medical literature. Each student will be responsible for at least one critical appraisal session covering different epidemiologic topics (including the evaluation of diagnostic tests, clinical course and prognosis of disease, disease etiology or causation, therapy, quality of clinical care, economic evaluation, and meta-analysis). For his/her session, each student will appraise critically a journal article and lead the discussion concerning that article.
EPID 575 - Introduction to Genetic Epidemiology
Spring term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Instructor: Timothy Rebbeck, PhD
Recent advances have made it feasible to incorporate data on potential genetic risk factors into traditional epidemiologic studies. Hence, there is an increasing need for epidemiologists to understand the genetic basis of disease, read, and interpret genetic studies, and incorporate the collection and analysis of genetic information into studies of disease etiology. The objectives of this course are to provide epidemiologists with an understanding of: 1) basic genetics, 2) the tools used by geneticists and genetic epidemiologists, and 3) the integration of genetic data into traditional epidemiologic study designs. After completing this course, students will be able to read and interpret genetic epidemiologic studies. In addition, they will be able to design epidemiologic studies that incorporate genetic data collection and analysis.
EPID 580 - Outcomes Research
Fall term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 520 or equivalent, EP 521 or equivalent, and permission of instructor
Instructor: Jeffrey Silber, MD
This course is divided into two main parts. The first part addresses issues related to the measurement of quality in health care. Included is a review of the classical structure-process-outcome quality paradigm. The paradigm's strengths and limitations are addressed. This part especially focuses on outcome measures of quality, and examine the validity of alternative measures. The second part deals with observational, or quasi-experimental, research studies. It addresses the advantages and limitations of alternative designs, and covers the role of clinical risk adjustment in observational studies of medical interventions. It focuses on the problem of selection bias, and reviews recent methods for dealing with this bias, such as instrumental variables.
EPID 610 - Tutorial in Epidemiologic Research
Fall and Spring and Summer terms
1 course unit
Prerequisite: MSCE students only, permission of instructor
Instructor: CCEB faculty
This is a tutorial given by each student's advisor. Advisor and student meet regularly, usually weekly. Topics include: discussion and review of epidemiologic concepts and principles, guided readings in the epidemiology of a specific health area, and the development of the research protocol. Credit for this course is awarded upon completion of a research project proposal, the one to be used to fulfill the MSCE thesis requirement, which must be approved by the student's advisor. Evaluation is based on the grade received for the proposal.
EPID 621 - Longitudinal and Clustered Data
Fall Term 2008
1 course unit
Lecture and labs
Prerequisite: Completion of EPID 525 or equivalent. Completion of semester course in principles of epidemiology. Good working knowledge of Stata and access to Stata v10 license (intercooled or SE). Familiarity with principles of first-year calculus and matrix algebra. Permission of instructor.
Instructor: Russell Localio, PhD
An introduction to the principles of and methods for longitudinal and clustered data analysis with special emphasis on clinical, epidemiologic, and public health applications. Designed for advanced MS and PhD-level students in epidemiology and related fields. Marginal and conditional methods for continuous and binary outcomes. Mixed effects and hierarchical models. Special emphasis on missing data and dropouts. Each student will identify a project at the start of class and then develop that project into a publication-quality analysis. Software will include Stata and R. Maximum enrollment 15 students
EPID 622 Applied Regression Models for Categorical Data
Fall Term (first half of term)
.5 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 510 and EP 520
Instructor: Andrea Troxel ScD
This course will provide in-depth treatment of several topics in categorical data analysis. After a brief review of methods for contingency tables, we will introduce the idea of generalized linear models, and focus on two special cases – multiple logistic regression and loglinear models. Each topic will be presented in detail by stating the model and covering parameter estimation and interpretation, inference, model building, regression diagnostics and assessment of model fit. Finally, we will cover extensions to both models, including models for multinomial data, analysis of matched-pair data, and random effects models. Topics will be illustrated in class with examples, and we will discuss the use of Stata to conduct the analyses.
EPID 623 Survival Data Analysis
Fall Term (second half of term)
.5 credit unit
Prerequisites: EP 510 and 520
Instructor: Scarlett Bellamy, ScD
This course will focus on the specialized issues related to the analysis of survival or time-to-event data. The course begins by closely examining the features unique to survival data which distinguishes these data from other more familiar types. Topics include non-parametric survival analysis methods, common survival functions, parametric survival models, the proportional hazards model, and common model checking methods. All methods will be illustrated by in class examples and homework sets.
EPID 630 - Clinical Trials
Spring term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 510 or equivalent and EP 520 or equivalent, and permission of instructor
Instructor: David Margolis, MD, PhD
This course is to serve as a general introduction to clinical trials. This course will emphasize trial design issues. This is not a course on the biostatistics of clinical trials. It is expected that at the conclusion of the course, a student will be able to plan a critical trial. Each class will consist of a two-hour Lecture: followed by a one-hour discussion. The weekly session will focus on either a group discussion of the assigned reading or on a practical application based on the material presented during the two-hour lecture. Students will be evaluated on their participation in class (20%); a clinical trial document (50%), which should include the rational for a study, study design, objectives and endpoints, sample size and analysis sections, and consent form; and a class presentation of their trial or another topic (30%).
EPID 632 - Medical Informatics
Summer term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Instructor: John Holmes, PhD
This course is designed to provide an overview of the major topic areas in medical informatics, especially as they apply to clinical research, and more specifically to clinical epidemiology. Through a series of lectures and demonstrations, students will learn about topics such as databases, natural language, clinical information systems, networks, artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, decision support, imaging and graphics, and the use of computers in medical education. The course materials include a text (Handbook of Medical Informatics, J. H. van Bemmel and M. A. Musen, eds.) and selected readings from the medical informatics literature appropriate for each class session. Short weekly assignments, intended to demonstrate familiarity with a given topic area, will contribute 50% of the grade. These will be hands on exercises performed using the computer and/or selected websites. A short paper (10-15 pages) that demonstrates the students' ability to synthesize at least one specific topic area with clinical epidemiology will contribute to the balance of the grade.
EPID 633 – Advanced Database Management for Clinical Research
Summer term – May/June
1 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 532, Permission of Instructor
Instructor: John Holmes, PhD
This course is intended to provide in-depth, practical exposure to the design, implementation, and use of secondary data resources in clinical research. Topics to be covered include Enhanced Entity-Relationship (EER) modeling, Unified Modeling Language (UML), client-server database architectures, Structured Query Language (SQL) programming, data security, database integrity, accessing and tailoring secondary data, creating data use agreements and data management plans, writing data management-related sections for grant applications, selecting appropriate analytic tools, and interacting with database and analysis personnel. The course will be presented as a series of weekly lectures with corresponding laboratory sessions, during which students will have the opportunity to practice techniques based on concepts presented in the lectures. The text for the course will be an eBook, prepared by the course director, as well as selected readings from the literature. The eBook will support multimedia (animations, movies, and sound) as well as graded, interactive exercises with computerized feedback; it will be available as a standalone application for personal computers as well as for Blackboard, a popular learning management system. In addition to weekly assignments, the main deliverable of the course will be a grant proposal that focuses on the use of secondary data analysis to address a clinical research question. This proposal will include a feasibility study describing the access to and use of a secondary data resource as well as a preliminary analysis.
EPID 634 - Clinical Trial Outcomes: Measurement, Analysis, and Interpretation
Fall term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 510 or equivalent and permission of instructor
Instructor: John Farrar, MD, PhD
This course is intended to teach students the skills necessary to select and/or design appropriate outcomes for a clinical trial. Students will focus on recent changes in our understanding of clinical trial outcome measurements, analyses, and interpretation for both subjective and objective phenomenon, such as adherence, use of multiple outcomes, and clinical importance. While design issues for clinical trials are the main focus, other types of clinical studies will be considered as appropriate. Students will be expected to learn about the problems inherent in the design of outcome measures of health and how to apply different epidemiologic and biostatistical concepts toward a solution. It is expected that at the conclusion of the course, students will be able to plan a clinical trial with a valid, responsive and interpretable outcome. The class will meet once weekly for a 60-minute lecture on a topic, followed by a 60 to 90-minute discussion of how that topic applies to the specific issues of interest of the students or the instructor. Students will be evaluated on their participation in class (25%); a paper describing the application of one of the methods to an area of interest (50%); and a class presentation of their topic (25%).
EPID 636 - Epidemiology Methods of Acute Care
Fall term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 510 or equivalent and permission of instructor
Instructor: Jeremy Kahn, MD, MSc and Jesse Pines, MD, MSCE
This is an advanced course addressing epidemiological issues as they apply to important clinical topics in acute care, including emergency, hospital, and critical care medicine. Lectures and discussions will have two primary goals: 1) to explore epidemiologic methods specific to acute care settings (i.e., choice of outcomes, risk adjustment); and 2) to explore the epidemiology of particular diseases (e.g., sepsis, acute lung injury, hospital acquired infections) and research questions of current importance in these areas. This course will acquaint students with the classic literature in the field of adult and pediatric urgent care, emergency medicine, and critical care epidemiology, teach advanced epidemiological principles using a problem-based approach, and demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of epidemiological research methodologies as they have been applied to acute care.
EPID 640 - Advanced Topics in Clinical Epidemiology
Summer Term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 510 or equivalent, EP 520 or equivalent, EP 521 or equivalent, and permission of instructor
Instructors: Peter Kanetsky, PhD, MPH
This course is designed to introduce students to advanced epidemiologic methods through a series of readings and discussions. The course aims to deepen the students' understanding of important concepts and controversies in contemporary epidemiology and to enhance their ability to think critically about empirical epidemiologic research. The course is intended for students who already are familiar with the fundamentals of epidemiology and biostatistics, and who wish to gain an understanding of the complex issues underlying epidemiologic study design and interpretation. Each week, one student will be responsible for leading a portion of the discussion of the assigned readings, in conjunction with a faculty member. Topics include: causal inference; study designs; use of large databases for research; predicting outcomes; and complex sampling methods.
EPID 644 - Cardiopulmonary Epidemiology
Summer term (alternating years)
1 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 510 or equivalent, EP 520 or equivalent, and permission of instructor
Instructor: Stephen Kimmel, MD, MSCE
This is an advanced course that addresses epidemiological research issues as they apply to important clinical topics in cardiovascular and pulmonary medicine. Lectures and workshops are designed to acquaint students with the classic literature in the fields of cardiovascular and pulmonary epidemiology, to use a body of literature to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of epidemiological research designs as they have been applied to cardiovascular and pulmonary medicine, to expose students to the range of topics studied, to teach advanced epidemiological principles using a problem-based approach, and to stimulate students to develop independent research questions.
EPID 645- Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention
Summer Term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 510 or equivalent, EP 520 or equivalent, EP 521 or equivalent, and permission of instructor
Instructors: Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH
Research in cancer etiology, prevention, treatment, and control includes a wide range of subject matter science, from the initial molecular changes which precede the development of cancer to issues of primary care guidelines for cancer survivors. The course reviews the possible study designs applied to cancer etiology, prevention, treatment, and control. These include randomized controlled trials and multiple types of observational studies (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional). Other topics will include causal inference, bias, and effect modification.
EPID 646 - Reproductive Epidemiology
Spring term (even numbered years)
1 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 510 or equivalent, EP 520 or equivalent, EP 521 or equivalent, and permission of instructor
Instructor: Kurt Barnhart, MD, MSCE
This is an advanced course that addresses epidemiological research issues as they apply to important clinical topics in obstetrics and gynecology and related clinical disciplines. Lectures and workshops are designed to acquaint students with seminal issues in the field of reproductive epidemiology, to use a body of literature to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of epidemiological research designs as they have been applied to obstetrics and gynecology and related clinical disciplines, to expose students to the range of topics studied, to teach advanced epidemiologic principles using a problem-based approach, and to stimulate students interested in reproductive epidemiology to develop independent research questions.
EPID 648 - Topics in Pharmacoepidemiology I
Fall and Spring terms, summer sessions
.33 course units
Prerequisite: EP 510 or equivalent, EP 520 or equivalent, EP 521 or equivalent, and permission of instructor
Instructor: Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH
This is an advanced seminar course introducing students to the methods and approaches used in the field of pharmacoepidemiology, i.e., the application of epidemiologic methods to study the use and effects of pharmaceuticals. Topics range from an introduction to the utility of the field; to an overview of the different automated databases frequently used in pharmacoepidemiology research; to selected novel applications of pharmacoepidemiology, e.g., the study of beneficial drug effects, pharmacoeconomics, quality-of-life studies, and N-of-1 trials; to advanced epidemiologic methods used within pharmacoepidemiology, e.g., nested case-control studies and case-cohort studies.
EPID 649 - Topics in Pharmacoepidemiology II
Fall and Spring terms, summer sessions
.33 course units
Prerequisite: EP 510 or equivalent, EP 520 or equivalent, EP 521 or equivalent, EP 648 or equivalent, and permission of instructor
Instructor: Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH
These seminars serve as follow-up to Topics in Pharmacoepidemiology I, continuing with topics presented in that course.
EPID 650 - Topics in Pharmacoepidemiology III
Fall and Spring terms, summer sessions
.33 course units
Prerequisite: EP 510 or equivalent, EP 520 or equivalent, EP 521 or equivalent, EP 648 or equivalent, and permission of instructor
Instructor: Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH
These seminars serve as follow-up to Topics in Pharmacoepidemiology I and Topics in Pharmacepidemiology II, continuing with topics presented in those courses.
EPID 652 - Renal and Urologic Epidemiology
Summer term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 510 or equivalent, EP 520 or equivalent, EP 521 or equivalent, and permission of instructor
Instructors: Harold I. Feldman, MD, MSCE and J. Richard Landis, PhD
The objective of this course is to prepare students to function as effective, independent researchers in the fields of renal and urologic epidemiology by providing the students an understanding of how epidemiologic research can and has advance(d) the knowledge of diseases in treatments of renal and urologic medicine. The structure of the course consists of a lecture series, accompanying workshops, and student presentations. The courses goals are: to acquaint students with some of the classic literature in the fields of renal and urologic epidemiology, to use a body of literature to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of epidemiologic research designs as they have been applied to renal and urologic medicine, to teach advanced epidemiologic principles using a problem-based approach, to expose students to the rationale of topics studied by faculty in the CCEB and the adult and pediatric nephrology and urology divisions at Penn and CHOP, and to stimulate students interested in renal and urologic epidemiology to develop independent research questions.
EPID 654 - Aging for Epidemiologists: What it is, is not and how we measure it
Fall term
.5 course unit
Seminar: Time TBD
Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor
The goal of this class is to introduce MSCE students to the concepts of aging and aging research. The course uses seminar style format that employs readings to guide students’ presentations and discussions. This course focuses on the various approaches to measuring aging.
EPID 656 - Epidemiological Research Methods in Infectious Diseases
Summer I term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 510 or equivalent, EP 520 or equivalent, a course that covers logistical regression, such as EP 521 or equivalent, and permission of instructor
This will be an advanced course addressing epidemiological issues as they apply to important clinical topics in infectious diseases. Lectures and discussions will serve two primary goals: 1) to explore epidemiologic methods specific to infectious diseases (e.g., adherence to therapy) or which have important applications to infectious diseases (e.g., molecular epidemiology); and 2) to explore the epidemiology of particular infectious diseases or syndromes (e.g., HIV). This course will acquaint students with the classic literature in the field of infectious diseases epidemiology, teach advanced epidemiological principles using a problem-based approach, and demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of research methodologies as they have been applied to infectious diseases.
EPID 658 - GI Epidemiology
Fall term (not every year)
1 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 510
Instructors: Yi-Xiao Yang, MD, MSCE
This course provides an in-depth presentation of advanced methodological issues in conducting clinical epidemiological research in the field of gastroenterology.
EPID 664 - Methods in Neurologic Clinical Epidemiology
Spring term
.5 course unit
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Instructors: Laura Balcer, MD. MSCE; John Farrar, MD, PhD
This course/ seminar will introduce students to methods and study design principles that are specific
or unique to clinical research and trials in neurology, child neurology, neuro-ophthalmology, neurosurgery, and related fields.
EPID 666 - Pharmacoepidemiology Research
Summer term
1 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 510 or equivalent; EP 520 or equivalent; a course that covers logistic regression, such as EP 521 or equivalent; and permission of instructor
Instructor: Sean Hennessy, PharmD, PhD
The purpose of this course is to explore and integrate concepts and considerations that are key to the conduct of pharmacoepidemiologic research. The format will be a mixture of seminar, instructor-led discussion, student-led discussion, and student presentations. Recent and classic papers from the biomedical and methods literature will be used extensively to illustrate concepts and as springboards for discussion. Topics covered include use of automated databases, pharmacogenomics, and approaches to statististical modeling.
EPID 675 - Advanced Methods for Analysis of Complex Genetic Traits
Term TBA
1 course unit
Prerequisite: EP 575 or equivalent; Linear Models, Multivariate Analysis preferred; and permission of instructor
Instructors: Timothy Rebbeck, PhD
The recent explosion in the availability of molecular level data coupled with technological advancements allowing for large-scale sequencing creates an exciting opportunity to tailor treatment decisions to the specific genetic characteristics of a patient. Epidemiological studies will provide the tools to draw from this vast array of molecular data as well as well-established environmental risk factors to predict disease outcomes. However, understanding analytic methods for characterizing the complex interactions among genetic polymorphisms, biomarkers, environmental factors, and disease outcomes is imperative to draw meaningful and relevant conclusions from these studies. Through this course, students will understand and present advanced statistical methods and how they can be applied to the study of complex genetics traits.
EPID 680 - Causal Inference in Epidemiology: Theory and Practice
Term TBA
1 course unit
Lecture/Seminar: TBA
Prerequisite: EP 510 or equivalent, EP 520 or equivalent, EP 521 or equivalent, and permission of instructor
Instructor: Marshall Joffe, MD, MPH, PhD
This course focuses on statistical methods for causal inference in epidemiology, and aims to show how recent ideas can be used to conceptualize problems and to analyze data in epidemiology and clinical research. The course will have two parts, dealing with the effects of simple and of time-varying treatments or exposures. The first part of the course will discuss how and when one can justify causal inference from familiar methods of data analysis and will introduce some alternative approaches. The second part of the course will deal with time varying treatments and exposures, discuss problems with some currently popular methods, and introduce alternatives. In particular, the course will look at how to estimate the effects of treatment received in randomized trials with noncompliance and in observational studies in which a confounding variable is affected by the study treatment or exposure.
EPID 710 - Research Design Consultation
Fall, Spring, and Summer terms
1 course unit
Consultation Service, meeting times TBA
Prerequisite: Candidates for the PhD Degree in Epidemiology only
Instructor: John Holmes, PhD and CCEB faculty
Students are expected to spend at least 100 hours working with faculty on projects related to the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics' Consultation Service.
EPID 714 – Grant Writing
Summer II Term
.5 course unit
Prerequisite:EP 575 or equivalent; Linear Models, Multivariate Analysis preferred; and permission of instructor
Instructor: John Farrar, MD, PhD
This course is designed to provide background and guidance on writing and submitting NIH grants. Students will submit a mini proposal at the beginning of the term. Each proposal will be reviewed by a group of 3 students from the class and scores will be given. The final project will be a full NIH proposal ready for submission.
EPID 730 - Advanced Topics in Clinical Trials
Fall term
1 course unit
Instructor: Susan Ellenberg, PhD
This course will cover in some depth topics of interest in clinical trials that are not addressed, or discussed only minimally, in the introductory clinical trials courses. Topics will include methods of treatment allocation and blinding, adaptive trial designs,
large simple trials, methods for handling missing data, data monitoring committees, design of active control/noninferiority trials, constructed end points, controversies surrounding ethical guidelines, regulatory issues and other topics based on interest
of registrants.
EPID 775 - Special Topics in Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology
Term TBA
1 course unit
Meeting times are arranged
Prerequisite: EP 575 or equivalent, EP 675 or equivalent, and permission of instructor
Instructor: Timothy Rebbeck, PhD
This modular course meets the needs of students who require specialized instruction and hands-on training in specific topics that are not available in a traditional course setting. Multiple modules are available, providing advanced training in specific methods in genetic and molecular epidemiology, including the possibility of laboratory rotations to obtain hands-on laboratory experience. Each student may choose up to four modules for study during the semester-long course. Each module includes readings, meetings with faculty, problem sets, laboratory analysis, or analysis of data, as appropriate.
EPID 900 and EPID 990 - Masters Thesis
Fall, Spring, and Summer terms
.5 to 4 course units
Prerequisite: Candidates for the Master's in Clinical Epidemiology Degree only
Instructor: CCEB faculty
These are a series of tutorial sessions conducted by the student's advisor, which are to support the student's efforts in developing a research protocol, designing a research project, and completing the study.
EPID 992 - Dissertation Research
Fall, Spring, and Summer terms
.5 to 4 course units
Maximum enrollment: unlimited
Prerequisite: Candidates for the PhD Degree in Epidemiology only
Instructor: CCEB faculty
These are a series of tutorial sessions conducted by the student's dissertation advisor, which are to support the student's efforts in developing a research protocol, designing a research project, and completing the study.
EPID 999 - Independent Study in Clinical Epidemiology
Fall, Spring, and Summer terms
.5 to 4 course units
Maximum enrollment: unlimited
Prerequisite: Permission of faculty required
Instructor: CCEB faculty
This is a preceptorship that can be arranged with any of the CCEB faculty. The subject area and specific requirements are to be arranged as well.
