Teaching
*New Course Will Be Offered in Spring 2026 within Population Health Sciences*
PHS 810: Epidemiology and Global One Health
Course Description:
This course examines the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health within the context of modern-day challenges. We are currently in an era in which human activity is the dominant influence on climate and the environment. Drawing on the One Health framework, we will explore how globalization, ecological change, and human activity contribute to health disparities, the emergence of infectious diseases, and shifts in global public health priorities. Topics include the epidemiology of infectious diseases, health determinants across diverse populations, and the ecological, social, behavioral, and economic factors that facilitate disease transmission and emergence. Students will engage with case studies on zoonotic diseases, historical and modern pandemics, and management responses to infectious disease outbreaks, developing a comprehensive understanding of how environmental and societal changes impact global health.
Through lectures, discussions, fieldwork, and group projects, students will critically evaluate health data, apply epidemiological models, and assess intervention strategies in response to global health challenges. This course integrates perspectives from veterinary science, human medicine, public health, geographic information systems, ecology, and epidemiology, emphasizing the need for cross-disciplinary approaches to address complex global health issues of today and the future.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Analyze and use global health data to identify public health disparities and monitor trends in emerging infectious diseases (EIDs).
Define key concepts and terminology related to EIDs, such as hosts, vectors, zoonosis, reservoirs, and transmission cycles, and differentiate between EIDs and endemic diseases.
Describe the role of epidemiology in addressing global health challenges, with a focus on applying epidemiological principles to improve population health and reduce disparities.
Explore the ecological and environmental conditions that promote disease emergence and assess how factors such as climate change, land use change, and demographic shifts impact the domestic-agricultural-wildlife interface.
Critically evaluate past infectious disease outbreaks (e.g., Zika, Ebola, West Nile virus, and malaria) and assess the success and failures of various management and intervention strategies.
Understand and apply basic quantitative models of infectious disease transmission, including concepts like R0 and compartmental modeling.
Discuss the role of public health, veterinary, and agricultural agencies in the management and prevention of EIDs, and propose future strategies to mitigate the impact of global environmental change on disease emergence.
Investigate ethical and practical considerations in global health research, particularly related to One Health principles, and explore how interdisciplinary approaches can address emerging public health issues.
This course prepares students to think critically about the complex relationships between human activity, ecological change, and global health - equipping them with the tools to develop strategies for addressing health disparities and emerging diseases in a rapidly changing world.
Detailed readings and course schedule will be available in Fall 2025