Epidemiology and Human Genetics, Master's, Doctoral/PhD

The Program is interdisciplinary and provides training leading to both the PhD and MS degrees. Students admitted into the PhD Program choose one of three different research tracks: Epidemiology, Molecular Epidemiology Track, or Human Genetics. Each track has its own curriculum that provides for a rich training experience. Students enrolled in the Program typically take courses and do research rotations during the first 1-2 years and identify a research mentor during the second year. Students choose from a wide variety of research areas for their dissertation work. Faculty mentors in these tracks are leaders in their respective fields and reside in various departments, centers, and institutes in the School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Dental School, Institute for Genome Sciences, and the Institute of Human Virology. Research areas in the Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine track include complex disease genetics, biochemical genetics, gene mapping and function, infectious disease genetics, psychiatric genetics, pharmacogenetics, DNA instability, and cancer cytogenetics. Research areas in the Epidemiology and Molecular Epidemiology tracks include vaccine evaluation, hospital epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance, issues in long-term care, disability in older adults, complementary and alternative therapies, global health and health disparities, veterinary epidemiology, injury epidemiology, cancer epidemiology, and genetic epidemiology of cardiovascular and other diseases.