Infectious disease epidemiology aims to improve health globally by assessing and quantifying the impact of infection of viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal organisms and the use of control, treatment and prevention interventions to manage, eliminate and eradicate these diseases.
Overview
Infectious diseases have increasing importance in our current era of climate change and global commerce.
Students with the following topic interests are encouraged to explore this research interest area:
- microbiology, immunology, vaccinology, entomology, ecology
- statistical modeling
- global health
- behavioral, environmental health
- pharmacoepidemiology including antimicrobial resistance
- clinical trials
Faculty
Faculty members primarily working in this area
Collaborating faculty
- Wade Aldous, Iowa Department of Public Health, State Hygienic Laboratory
- Kelly Baker, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health
- Maggie Carrel, Department of Geography, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Lucy DesJardin
- Loreen Herwaldt, Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine
- Jesse Hostetter, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, VPATH
- Andrew Kitchen, Department of Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Jeff Meier, Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine
- Eli Percenivich, Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine; Comprehensive Access & Delivery Research & Evaluation (CADRE), Iowa City VA Health Care System
- Marin Schweizer, Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine; Comprehensive Access & Delivery Research & Evaluation (CADRE), Iowa City VA Health Care System
- Mary Wilson, Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine; and Microbiology
Curriculum
Featured Courses
- EPID:6550 Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
- EPID:5570 Zoonotic Diseases
- EPID:6570 Infectious Causes of Chronic Diseases
- EPID:5550 Diagnostic Microbiology for Epidemiology
- EPID:5300 Food Safety
- EPID:5320 Exotic and Emerging Diseases of Animals
Learning Objectives
Students interested in infectious disease epidemiology are preparing for a career in which they will:
- Advance methods for infectious disease surveillance and be able to assess the method’s ability to detect infectious disease at different disease stages and source samples.
- Apply basic techniques of microbiology and immunology as well as social and behavioral health to understand the risk factors behind of infectious disease transmission within populations.
- Contribute to optimizing modeling and prediction of disease transmission by understanding the unique nature of different microbes in varied hosts.
- Inform clinical and healthcare practice and policy though infectious disease surveillance and study of possible interventions, including behavioral change, vaccination, pharmaceutical therapy and/or education.
- Collaborate and lead multidisciplinary teams to design and conduct observational and interventional research
Centers and Resources