clinical epidemiology

Kent State University’s College of Public Health (COPH) faculty are engaged in community-based, relevant research and public health programs, continuing the tradition of excellence and service that began when Kent State was founded as a public research university in 1910. In this post, we introduce you to three of the COPH professors who are actively engaged with their communities and their students, and with advancing knowledge in their areas of expertise.

I am a professor and the associate dean for Research and Global Affairs. I teach undergraduate, master, and doctoral-level courses. Most courses I teach focus on applying theory to developing, implementing, and evaluating community-based public health programs. I direct doctoral dissertations and advise MPH students. In my role as associate dean, I facilitate the research enterprise in the College, including pre and post-award activities, research compliance, and serve on university research-related committees. In addition, I develop research projects with other institutions abroad, faculty and student exchanges, and promote faculty and student research.

The American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) is one of the core professional journals for the field, reflecting the profession’s diversity and addressing current public health issues.1 If you’re seeking growth and advancement in a public health role, you’ll want to become familiar with this journal and other professional development resources. Read more here about the American Journal of Public Health, other notable professional resources, current issues in public health, and public health careers.

Public health careers are broad and varied, and for those who are passionate about changing lives for the better, they present an immense opportunity to fill growing needs in the field. A Master of Public Health degree demonstrates your pursuit of advanced knowledge, desire to lead, and a set of professional skills needed to succeed in a variety of healthcare careers and public health roles.

Organized public health efforts began in seventeenth-century Europe in response to the plague. Modern western public health systems, including hospitals for the ill and public sanitation services, started developing alongside scientific advances in the early nineteenth century and continue to evolve alongside science and culture today.1

Public health experts have never been more important than they are in the world today. From cancer to Ebola to COVID-19, major health events affect us all. As globalization, climate disasters and economic and social disruptions expand, we need trained professionals to help mitigate those threats. To meet health needs, public health professionals continue to serve and protect through research, policymaking and administration in the field of infectious disease preparedness and prevention. Specialists in the field of epidemiology are responsible for some of today’s most important public health research and data analysis.

As 2021 comes to a close, we’re taking a look at some of the top public health problems that faced the world in the past year. While some are more obvious than others, they all tie together to form a picture of the biggest challenges facing humanity today and give us a clue as to what to expect in the future.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define epidemiology as the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states and events in specified populations.1 To complete this study of “health-related states and events”, scientists use a tool called the epidemiologic triangle, or the epidemiologic triad.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that healthcare positions will grow by 4.6 million by the year 2029 and that six out of the 10 fastest-growing occupations will be related to healthcare.1 Given recent global health events, it stands to reason that jobs in public health would be growing as well.

Epidemiologists are public health workers who investigate patterns and causes of disease and injury.