UNC Department of Epidemiology
EPID 160 - Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health
EPID160 course schedule, Fall 2005

  Date Day Activity
  8/22 Mon Blackboard course website opens

I. 

Orientation and introduction
  By 8/29 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 1 – The Approach and Evolution of Epidemiology
      Recorded lecture - Introduction
  By 8/31 Wed Case study due - The epidemiologic tradition
  9/1-9/5 Thu-Mon Discussion Forum dates (facilitator emails summary to TA by 9/7) -Web of causation
 

II. 

Studying populations

  By 9/5 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 4 – Sources of Public Health Data; chap. 5 – Descriptive Epidemiology
  Recorded lecture - Studying populations
  By 9/7 Wed Case study due - Population perspective
  9/8-9/12 Thu-Mon Discussion Forum dates (facilitator emails summary to TA by 9/14) - Studying populations
 
III. 

Measuring disease; incidence and prevalence

  By 9/12 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 2 – Measures of Disease Frequency, chap. 3 – Comparing Disease Frequencies
  Recorded lecture - Measuring disease
  By 9/14 Wed Case study due - incidence and prevalence
  9/15-9/19 Thu-Mon Discussion Forum dates (facilitator emails summary to TA by 9/21)
IV. 

Natural history of disease; population screening
By 9/19 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 16 – Screening in Public Health Practice
Recorded lecture - Natural history
  By 9/21 Wed Case study due - population screening
  9/22-9/26 Thu-Mon Discussion Forum dates (facilitator emails summary to TA by 9/28)
By 9/23 Fri 1st peer evaluation due (via webform)
By 9/23 Fri 1st student evaluation of TA due (via webform)
V. 

Study designs: intervention studies
By 9/26 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 6 – Overview of Epidemiologic Study Designs; chap. 7 – Experimental Studies
Recorded lecture - Intervention trials
By 9/28 Wed Case study due - Intervention trials
  9/29-10/3 Thu-Mon Discussion Forum dates (facilitator emails summary to TA by 10/5)
9/30 Fri 1st examination posted on course web site
VI. 

Study designs: cohort studies
By 10/3 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 8 – Cohort Studies
Recorded lecture - Cohort studies
By 10/5 Wed Case study due - Cohort studies
  10/6-10/10 Thu-Mon No Discussion Forum (work on Exam 1)
By 10/10 Mon 1st examination due (via webform) [extended to 10/12] (by end of day in your choice of time zone)
VII. 

Study designs: case-control studies
By 10/10 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 9 – Case-control Studies
Recorded lecture - Case-control studies
By 10/12 Wed Case study due - Case-control studies
  10/13-10/17 Thu-Mon Discussion Forum dates (facilitator emails summary to TA by 10/19)
By 10/17 Mon Begin writing final paper
VIII. 

Study designs: cross-sectional and ecologic studies
By 10/17 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 12 – Random Error
Recorded lecture
By 10/19 Wed Case study due - Cross-sectional studies
  10/20-10/24 Thu-Mon Discussion Forum dates (facilitator emails summary to TA by 10/26)
IX. 

Error: selection bias
By 10/24 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 10 – Bias
Recorded lecture - Selection bias
By 10/26 Wed Case study due - Selection bias
  10/27-10/31 Thu-Mon Discussion Forum dates (facilitator emails summary to TA by 11/2)
10/28 Fri 2nd examination posted on course web site
X. 

Error: information bias
By 10/31 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 14 – Guide to the Critical Review of Epidemiologic Studies
Recorded lecture - Information bias
By 11/2 Wed Case study due - Information bias
  11/3-11/7 Thu-Mon No Discussion Forum (work on Exam 2)
By 11/7 Mon 2nd examination due (via webform) (by end of day in your choice of time zone)
XI. 

Multicausality: confounding
By 11/7 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 11 – Confounding
Recorded lecture - Confounding
  By 11/9 Wed Case study due - Confounding
  11/10-11/14 Thu-Mon Discussion Forum dates (facilitator emails summary to TA by 11/16)
XII. 

Data analysis and interpretation; causal inference
By 11/14 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 13 – Effect Measure Modification; chap. 15 – The Epidemiologic Approach to Causation
Recorded lecture - Data analysis and interpretation
By 11/16 Wed Case study due - Causal inference
  11/17-11/21 Thu-Mon Discussion Forum dates (facilitator emails summary to TA by 11/23)
11/21 Mon Finish final paper (due next Wednesday)
11/24 Thu Thanksgiving Holiday
XIII. 

Outbreak investigation
By 11/28 Mon Recorded lecture - Outbreak investigation (guest lecture by David Weber, M.D.,M.P.H.)
By 11/30 Wed Exercise - outbreak investigation (on-line)
By 11/30 Wed Final paper due (via webform) (by end of day in your choice of time zone)
  12/1-12/5 Thu-Mon Discussion Forum dates (facilitator emails summary to TA by 12/7)
XIV. 

Role of epidemiology in public health
By 12/5 Mon Recorded lecture - Role of epidemiology in public health
By 12/7 Wed 2nd peer evaluation due
By 12/9 Fri Course evaluation form available

rev. 11/10/2005vs, 12/6/2005vs