UNC Department of Epidemiology
EPID 160 - Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health
Course schedule, Summer 2004

Date Day Activity

I. 

Orientation and introduction
 
5/3
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 1 – The Approach and Evolution of Epidemiology
 
Recorded lecture
      Case study - The epidemiologic tradition
 
5/5-5/11
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
 
5/10
 Mon Case study due
 
5/12
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
 

II. 

Population perspective

 
5/10
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 4– Sources of Public Health Data; chap. 5 – Descriptive Epidemiology
 
Recorded lecture
      Case study - Population perspective
 
5/12-5/18
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
 
5/17
 Mon Case study due
 
5/19
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
 
III. 

Measuring disease; incidence and prevalence

 
5/17
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 2 – Measures of Disease Frequency, chap. 3 – Comparing Disease Frequencies
 
Recorded lecture
 
Case study - incidence and prevalence
 
5/19-5/25
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
 
5/24
 Mon Case study due
 
5/26
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
IV. 

Natural history of disease; population screening
5/24
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 16 – Screening in Public Health Practice
Recorded lecture
 
Case study - population screening
 
5/26-6/1
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
 
5/31
 Mon Case study due
 
6/2
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
6/2
 Wed 1st examination posted on course web site
6/2
 Wed 1st peer evaluation due (via webform)
6/2
 Wed 1st student evaluation of TA due (via webform)
V. 

Study designs: intervention studies
5/31
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 6 – Overview of Epidemiologic Study Designs; chap. 7 – Experimental Studies
Recorded lecture
Case study - Intervention trials
 
6/2-6/8
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
6/7
 Mon Case study due
 
6/9
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
VI. 

Study designs: cohort studies
6/7
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 8 – Cohort Studies
Recorded lecture
Case study - Cohort studies
 
6/9-6/15
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
6/14
 Mon Case study due
 
6/16
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
6/18
 Fri 1st examination due
VII. 

Study designs: case-control studies
6/14
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 9 – Case-control Studies
Recorded lecture
Case study - Case-control studies
 
6/16-6/22
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
6/21
 Mon Case study due
 
6/23
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
6/21
 Mon Begin writing final paper
VIII. 

Study designs: cross-sectional and ecologic studies
6/21
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 12 – Random Error
Recorded lecture
Case study - Cross-sectional studies
 
6/23-6/29
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
6/28
 Mon Case study due
 
6/30
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
7/2
 Fri 2nd examination posted on course web site
IX. 

Error: selection bias
6/28
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 10 – Bias
Recorded lecture
Case study - Selection bias
 
6/30-7/6
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
7/5
 Mon Case study due
 
7/7
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
X. 

Error: information bias
7/5
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 14 – Guide to the Critical Review of Epidemiologic Studies
Recorded lecture
Case study - Information bias
 
7/7-7/13
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
7/12
 Mon Case study due
 
7/14
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
7/15
 Thu 2nd examination due
XI. 

Multicausality: confounding
7/12
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 11 – Confounding
Recorded lecture
 
  Case study - Confounding
7/14-7/20
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
7/19
 Mon Case study due
 
7/21
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
XII. 

Data analysis and interpretation; causal inference
7/19
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 13 – Effect Measure Modification; chap. 15 – The Epidemiologic Approach to Causation
Recorded lecture
Case study - Causal inference
 
7/21-7/27
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
7/26
 Mon Case study due
 
7/28
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
(no new topic)
7/26
 Mon Finish up final paper and do 2nd peer evaluation
7/29
 Thu Final paper due
8/2
 Mon 2nd peer evaluation due
XIII. 

Role of epidemiology in public health
8/2
 Mon Recorded lecture
 
8/4-8/10
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
8/9
 Mon Exercise - outbreak investigation (on-line)
 
8/11
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)

rev. 3/20/2004 vs, 4/10/2004 vs