COURSE INFORMATION
Interdepartmental

ID202 Physical Growth and Development
Spring 2
Department of Society, Human Development and Health and the Department of Nutrition
Dr. K. Peterson
2.5 credits
Course not offered 2009-2010. Offered alternate years.
Lectures, seminars. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

Provides an in-depth treatment to the principles and assessment of physical growth, development and maturation that are the basis for monitoring the health of populations of mothers and children from conception through adolescence. Selection, measurement, and interpretation of anthropometric indicators of growth and body size are discussed in detail. Public health implications of the study of growth and development are also considered, including reference growth curves, secular trends in obesity, maturation, and stature; and strategies for individual and population-based growth monitoring and implications for design of nutrition interventions and primary care in the U.S. and in international settings.
Course Activities: Seminar participation.
Course Note: Knowledge of basic biology recommended.


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID205 Societal Response to Disaster
Spring 1
Department of Population and International Health and the Department of Society, Human Development and Health
Dr. J. Leaning
2.5 credits
Spring 1
Lectures, case studies. Two 2-hour session each week.

Course held in Cambridge. 14 Story Street 2nd Floor.

Designed for physicians, public health officers, or others who may be charged with responsibility for intervention during disasters. The focus will be on public health implications of disasters well as decision-making under stress, examining U.S. and international case studies within the theoretical framework of disaster planning, response, and assessment.

Course Activities: Requirements include readings from syllabus and short list of required tests as well as four 5-page critiques of selected disasters.

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID206 Scientific Writing in Nutrition and Epidemiology
Spring
Department of Nutrition, Department of Epidemiology
Dr. F. Sacks
2.5 Credits
Seminars. One 2-hour session each week.

This course is designed for nutrition/epidemiology doctoral degree students. Others may be admitted after discussion with the instructor. The course will cover organization of scientific papers, presentation of data in graphical and tabular forms, and style. The course is designed for advanced students who are beginning to work on a paper for publication. Each section of a paper will be discussed extensively. The goal is for each student to have a manuscript ready for submission to a peer review journal at the end of the course.
Course Activities: Principles of scientific writing will be taught. Students will work on their papers independently, under the overall supervision of their own faculty advisors. Each student will critique the papers of classmates. The instructor will guide the discussion and use the paper to make additional points of constructive criticism, which will serve to illustrate the principles enunciated at the beginning of the class. Guidelines for journals and co-author criteria will be discussed. Approach to revisions based on reviewers' comments will be covered.
Course Note: Enrollment limited to 6 students; signature of instructor required. (5.06)


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID209 Nutrition in Child Growth and Development
Spring
Department of Society, Human Development, and Health and the Department of Nutrition
Dr. J. Dwyer
2.5 credits
Course not offered 2009-2010. Alternate year course.
Lectures, case studies. One 2-hour session each week.

Examines principles and practical problems encountered in developing policies and programs involving nutritional issues, growth and development. Lectures on general principles or elements of nutrition provide background setting for policy and are designed to help students base their judgments on scientific evidence. Discussions involve case studies of recent relevant policy issues in industrialized and developing countries. Student papers, presentations and discussions focus on either policy or scientific issues of importance.
Course Activities: Lectures, video presentations, case studies, and discussion, student presentations. (5.06)

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID214 Nutritional Epidemiology
Spring
Department of Nutrition and the Department of Epidemiology
Dr. R. Van Dam, Dr. W. Willett
2.5 credits
Lectures. One 2-hour session each week.

Reviews methods for assessing the dietary intake of populations and individuals. Students gain experience in the actual collection, analysis and interpretation of dietary intake. The course also reviews several specific diet/disease relationships, integrating information from international studies, secular trends, clinical trials, analytical epidemiology, and animal experiments.
Course Note: BIO 200, BIO 201 or BIO 200s and BIO 200t, and EPI 200, EPI 201 or EPI 208 required; familiarity with regression/ANOVA recommended; signature of instructor required for students who have not taken a course in nutrition. (6.06)


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID215 Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology
Spring
Department of Environmental Health and the Department of Epidemiology
Dr. F. Laden, Dr. M. Weisskopf
2.5 credits
Lectures, case studies. Five 2-hour sessions each week.

This course examines application of epidemiologic methods to environmental and occupational health problems. Objectives are to review methods used in evaluating the health effects of physical and chemical agents in the environment, to review available evidence on the health effects of such exposures, and to consider policy questions raised by the scientific evidence. Topics include lectures on methodology, seminars on the review and criticism of current literature, and presentations by outside experts on specific environmental and occupational health issues of current interest.
Course Note: EPI 200, 201, 208 or 500 AND BIO 200, 201, 202 or 206 are required (concurrent enrollment permitted).

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.

Course Evaluations

ID215 Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology
Summer 1
Department of Environmental Health and the Department of Epidemiology
Dr. F. Laden
2.5 credits
Lectures, case studies. Five 2-hour sessions each week.

This course examines application of epidemiologic methods to environmental and occupational health problems. Objectives are to review methods used in evaluating the health effects of physical and chemical agents in the environment, to review available evidence on the health effects of such exposures, and to consider policy questions raised by the scientific evidence. Topics include lectures on methodology, seminars on the review and criticism of current literature, and presentations by outside experts on specific environmental and occupational health issues of current interest.
Course Note: EPI200, EPI 201 or EPI208 and BIO200, BIO201or BIO205 are required (concurrent enrollment permitted).

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID221 Nutritional Epidemiology II
Fall
Department of Nutrition and the Department of Epidemiology
Dr. A. Ascherio, Department Members
2.5 credits
Course not offered 2006-2007. Offered alternate years.
Lectures, case studies. One two-hour session each week.

This course addresses methodological aspects of research in nutritional epidemiology. Topics include validation studies, adjustment for energy intake, and correction of measurement error. Theoretical as well as practical aspects will be covered. This course is intended primarily for students interested in doing epidemiologic research.
Course Activities: Review of original articles, data analyses, computer simulations.
Course Note: BIO 210 or equivalent required; ID214 required. (5.06)


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID236 Social Epidemiology
Spring 1
Departments of Society, Human Development, and Health and the Department of Epidemiology
Dr. D. Williams
2.5 credits
Course offered 2007-2008; offered alternate years.
Lectures, seminars. One 3-hour session each week.

The course will focus on understanding the social determinants of health. Readings and discussion center on understanding the theories, measurement and empirical evidence related to specific social conditions and experiences such as socioeconomic position, discrimination, social networks and support, work conditions, ecological level neighborhood and community social conditions, and social and economic policies. Biological and psychological mechanisms by which social conditions influence health will be discussed. The course builds on a basic understanding of society and health and of epidemiology. Students will be required to present in class and evaluate methods and measures.
Course Activities: Assigned readings; class presentations and discussions; term paper.
Course Note: Enrollment limited to 20 students; SHH 201, EPI 200 or EPI 201 and EPI 202 required; no auditors. (5.06)

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID238 Programs and Principles of Public Health Nutrition
Spring 2
Department of Nutrition and Department of Society, Human Development and Health
Dr. K. Peterson
2.5 credits
Course not offered 2009-2010. Offered alternate years.
Lectures. Two 2-hour sections each week.

The ability to translate nutrition and public health research to practical applications on the community and population level is increasingly becoming critical in the practice of public health nutrition. This course is designed for both masters and doctoral level students interested in acquiring skills for linking nutrition research to action in US and international settings; post-doctoral fellows with relevant applied research interests are welcomed. The course provides an introduction to research and practice of public health nutrition in both the US and abroad by presenting conceptual and methodological perspectives on topics ranging from existing nutrition programs and policies to planning and evaluation, to nutritional surveillance. Participatory, interdisciplinary approaches to research and practice are discussed and incorporated into student workgroup activities.
Course Activities: Discussions, assigned readings, class exercises, class presentations and written group project.
Course Note: Enrollment limited to 30 students. Prior coursework recommended in one or more of the following areas: nutrition, exercise physiology, program and policy implementation and evaluation, participatory and community-based public health practice and research.


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID240 Principles of Injury Control
Spring 1
Department of Health Policy and Management
Dr. D. Hemenway
2.5 credits
Seminar. One 3-hour session each week.

This course provides an introduction to a serious public health problem - intentional and unintentional injury - and provides a framework for examining control options. Specific categories of injuries, such as motor vehicle crashes and violence, and specific risk factors for serious injury such as alcohol and firearms, are examined in detail.

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID242 Politics and Strategies for Change in Health Policy
Spring 1
Department of Health Policy and Management and the Department of Society, Human Development and Health
Dr. R. Blendon
2.5 credits
Lectures. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

This is a course for public health professionals who want their work to have a real impact on health policy decision-making. You will learn how to develop political strategies for influencing health care policy, and how political analysis can improve health policy research and its implementation at the national, state and local levels. Topics include political strategy; lobbying and special interest groups; the media and public opinion; campaigns, elections, and health policy; building coalitions; and grass roots advocacy. (5.06)

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID250 Ethical Basis of the Practice of Public Health
Spring 1
Dr. D. Wikler
2.5 credits
Lectures, case studies. Two 2-hour sessions each week.
Evaluation: Exams plus one term project (case study term paper, in-class debate, or tutorial)

Provides students with a broad overview of some of the main philosophical and moral ideas that are used as a basis for resolving debates of public health policy. Helps students develop their own capacities to analyze, criticize, evaluate, and construct policy-oriented arguments

The practice of public health require moral reflection and argument for a number of reasons. Public health measures often make demands on the public, such as changes in lifestyles or restrictions of liberties, and these must be justified. Practitioners of public health frequently face ethical dilemmas, both in framing policy and in practice in the field, whose optimal resolution is uncertain. The work of public health practitioners is sometimes challenged on moral grounds, which must be examined and, when appropriate, countered.

The resources for moral argument and justification in public health are found in moral philosophy and philosophical theories of justice; and also in history, the social sciences, and in the science of public health itself. Students in this course will survey some of the principle philosophical approaches in addressing a number of ethical controversies in contemporary public health.

Issues and concepts discussed in the course will be drawn from this list:

Definitions of health
Ethical issues in health measurement: DALYs and QALYs
Ethical norms in public health and clinical medicine
Moral epistemology and the rational foundation of moral norms
Ethics and human rights
Ethical relativism
Consequentialist and deontological ethical theories
Contractualist and rival theories of distributive justice
State coercion and paternalism in public health
Individual and social responsibility for health
Ethics and emergency humanitarian interventions
Ethical issues in health resource allocation
Health disparities and inequalities
Ethical issues in international health research involving human subjects
Ethics of public health communication
Ethical integrity of practioners: conflict of interest and corruption

(5.06)


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID250 Ehtical Basis of the Practice of Public Health
Fall 1
Department of Health Policy and Management
Dr. M. Roberts
2.5 credits
Lectures, case studies. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

Provides students with a broad overview of some of the main philosophical and moral ideas that are used as a basis for resolving debates of public health policy. Helps students develop their own capacities to analyze, criticize, evaluate, and construct policy-oriented arguments.

Course Note: Instructor's signature required if student has not complete the prerequisite.

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID251 Ethical Basis of the Practice of Public Hlth: Hlth Care Delivery
Summer 1
Department of Health Policy and Management
Dr. M. Mello, Dr. D. Studdert
2.5 credits
Lectures, case studies. Five 2-hour sessions each week.

This course is intended to provide physicians and public health professionals with an understanding of how politics, economic concerns, law, and ethics interact in health care policy decisions in the United States. It also explores these issues internationally through a human rights framework. Through discussion of legal cases and articles from the medical and ethics literature, we will explore topics such as informed consent, rights to health, rationing, personal responsibility for health, and fetal abuse.

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID251 Ethical Basis of the Practice of Public Hlth:Hlth Care Dellivery
Summer 1
Department of Health Policy and Management
Dr. M. Mello, Dr. D. Studdert
2.5 credits
Lectures, case studies. Five 2-hour sessions each week.

This course is intended to provide physicians and public health professionals with an understanding of how politics, economic concerns, law, and ethics interact in health care policy decisions in the United States. It also explores these issues internationally through a human rights framework. Through discussion of legal cases and articles from the medical and ethics literature, we will explore topics such as informed consent, rights to health, rationing, personal responsibility for health, and fetal abuse.

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID261 Practice of Health Care Management and Policy
Spring
Department of Health Policy and Management
Dr. J. Kasten
5 credits
Seminars, field studies. One 2-hour session each week and four hours of field work each week.

One section explores the managerial skills required of public health professionals in any setting - leadership negotiations, interdisciplinary teams, and communication. The alternative section focuses on the policy process from a political perspective, identifying key shareholders, political processes, government structure, and the role of conflict resolution in the formation of health policy. Fieldwork provides practical experience in health care management or health policy development.
Course Note: Acceptance into the MPH concentration in Health Care Management or signature of instructor required. (5.06)

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID261 Practice of Health Care Management and Policy
Spring
Department of Health Policy and Management
Dr. C. Hager
5 credits
Seminars, field studies. One 2-hour session each week and four hours of field work each week.

This is the Field Practicum course for MPH students concentrating in Health Care Management (HCM) or Law and Public Health (LPH). Fieldwork provides practical experience in health care management or health policy development. The classroom component of Section 1 of the course explores the managerial skills required of public health professional in any setting - leadership negotiations, interdisciplinary teams, and communication. The classroom component of section 2 of the course focuses on the policy process from a political perspective, identifying key shareholders, political processes, government structure, and the role of conflict resolution in the formation of health policy. LPH concentrators should register for section 2. HCM concentrators may register for section 1 or section 2.

Course Note: Acceptance into the MPH concentrations in Health Care Management or Law and Public health or signature of instructor required.

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID262 Introduction to the Practice of Global Health
Fall 1
Department of Global Health and Population
Dr. R. Cash
2.5 credits
Lectures, case studies. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

How is global health defined? What are its historical roots and modern manifestations? Which are the major contemporary issues and debates on policies and practices? These questions are addressed in this introductory course that defines the scope of the field, highlights contemporary issues, and reviews selective case studies of global health policies and practices. The course begins with an examination of world health and development and the rapid health transitions taking place. Key contemporary issues are critically examined--burden of disease, primary health care, disease control, child survival, pharmaceutical policy and essential drugs, health policy, and the evolving roles of international and non-governmental organizations. Interspersed throughout are several case studies of challenges facing the modern practice of global health.

Course Note: This introductory course helps prepare students for other global health offerings, including PIH244 and PIH251. (5.06)

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID263 Practice of Occupational Health
Spring
Department of Environmental Health
Dr. T. Smith, Dr. R. Herrick, Dr. J. Stewart
5 credits
Lectures, case studies. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

Focuses on the assessment of workplace hazards, the physiology and biomechanical aspects of work, and a practical problem-solving approach to health problems in various work settings. Emphasizes the relationship between working conditions and health, with special reference to the recognition, measurement, and control of occupational hazards.
Course Activities: Oral and written projects, class discussions, four
walk-through field trips to local industries (field trips may take up to four hours).
Course Note: EH 262 recommended; signature of instructor required; no auditors.


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID264 Practice of Family and Community Health, Part II
Spring
Department of Society, Human Development and Health
Dr. B. Gottlieb
2.5 credits
Field studies, seminars.

Addresses the professional training needs of MPH students who plan to pursue leadership positions in the public sector or in community health. Students, in small groups, undertake fieldwork in public or community health agencies. They apply managerial and analytic techniques developed in the concentration to the solution of problems confronting these agencies. Student groups meet with advisers from HSPH and their host agency throughout the field placement. Seminars explore the practice of public and community health through case studies and readings.
Course Activities: Field work, written and oral project report.
Course Note: Acceptance into the MPH concentration in Family and Community Health or signature of instructor required. ID506 required. (5.06)


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID265 Practice of Quantitative Methods
Spring 1
Department of Biostatistics and the Master of Public Health Program
Dr. M. Testa, D. Simonson
2.5 credits
Lectures, seminars, case studies. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

Explores practical and conceptual issues in the design, conduct, analysis and evaluation of human studies through the discussion of current research and methodologies. Students design studies to address important health problems. Class discussion and group projects are emphasized.
Course Note: Acceptance into the MPH concentration in Quantitative Methods or signature of instructor required. (5.06)


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID269 Respiratory Epidemiology
Fall 2
Department of Environmental Health and the Department of Epidemiology
Dr. D. Dockery, Dr. D. Gold
1.25 credits
Lectures, case studies. One 2-hour session each week.

Reviews the epidemiology of respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, respiratory cancer, and infectious respiratory disease. Demographic distribution, time trends and risk factors of these diseases are discussed.
Course Note: EPI 200, EPI 201 or EPI 208 required. (5.06)


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID270 Summer MPH Practicum and Culminating Experience for QM
Summer 2
Dr. M. Testa
5 credits
Seminars. Five 1- to 2-hour sessions each week.

Summer-Only QM Master of Public Health students develop an off-site practicum at their home institution under the supervision of a local mentor and a member of the faculty at HSPH. This practicum may include aspects of epidemiology, biostatistics, decision sciences, or other quantitative aspects of public health. Students should apply the competencies learned in core courses to an actual investigation. Following the second (QM) summer course work, students must submit a written proposal for the practicum along with a letter of support from an investigator from the student's home site, indicating an agreement to act as the local mentor for the project. This proposal is reviewed and an HSPH faculty supervisor is identified. Students ordinarily would write a paper suitable for publication, a grant proposal or a technical report. This exercise will culminate with a presentation in the final summer of the student's program.
Course Note: Students must attend the sessions of this course during the second and third summer and they are encouraged to attend their first summer. Regular contact between students and mentors and among students is expected via e-mail during the year to seek advice, provide activity updates and to discuss approaches to the solution of methodological issues; pass/fail only.
Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID271 Advanced Regression for Environmental Epidemiology
Spring 1
Departments of Environmental Health and Epidemiology
Dr. J. Schwartz
2.5 credits
Lectures and seminars. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

This course covers applied advanced regression analysis. Its focus is on relaxing classical assumptions in regression analysis to better match what epidemiological data really looks like. Specifically, the course will cover nonlinear exposure-response relationships and repeated measure designs, including non-parametric and semi-parametric smoothing techniques, generalized additive models, and time series models. In addition to the theoretical material, students will apply these techniques using R to actual datasets including modeling the effects of environmental exposures on health outcomes. These techniques also are widely applicable to problems in infectious disease, psychiatric, nutritional, occupational, and cancer epidemiology.
Course Activities: Lectures and structured workshops in the instructional computer facility.
Course Note: Basic biostatistics and a course in regression analysis recommended; Minimum enrollment of 10 students. (5.06)

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID272 Financing Health Care in Developing Countries
Spring 1
Departments of Global Health and Population and Health Policy and Management.
Dr. Y. Liu, Dr. W. Hsiao
2.5 credits
Lectures. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

This course provides a comprehensive survey on the major health care financing options for developing countries. It begins with introduction of system diagnostic criteria such as equity and efficiency, as well as assessment tools such as the National Health Account technique. Drawing on economic theory and international experiences, the course analyzes strengths and weaknesses of alternative approaches to healthcare financing, including tax-based financing, social insurance, user fee financing, community financing and other innovative financing methods. The aim is to prepare students for applied work in policy and operational analysis related to health financing. This course makes extensive use of country case studies. (3.09)

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID274 Oral Health Policy Research Seminar
Fall/Spring
Cross-listed at HSDM as OE732
Department of Epidemiology and the Department of Health Policy and Management
Dr. T. Zavras
2.5 credits, given at end of last semester
Lectures, seminars. One 1-hour session each week.

The fall term concentrates on the research methods and current major studies of the epidemiology of oral and dental diseases, and the need, supply, demand, and cost of dental care. Policy documents of the NCHS, NIH, ADA, IOM, and ADEA are studied. Research designs and data collection methods of health policy and epidemiology studies are reviewed. The spring term emphasizes the research work of faculty and students on relevant oral epidemiology and dental care policy subjects. Grade is based upon participation and the defense of a current epidemiology or policy analysis proposal or research project. (6.06)


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID278 Mental Health of Childrn and Adolescents
Spring 1
Dr. B. Molnar, Dr. D. Kindlon
2.5 credits
Course Not Offered 2009-2010
Lectures, seminars. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

Describes methods of studying the prevalence, risk factors, treatment and prevention of major mental disorders that begin during childhood and adolescence, including mood disorders, conduct disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, learning disorders, substance abuse, youth suicide and others. Emphasis will be on methodological issues of case definition, research instruments for screening and diagnosis, and current epidemiological evidence. Students will gain a working knowledge of studying the epidemiology of mental disorders of childhood and adolescence as well as prevention strategies.


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID283 Epi Investigation of Soc & Env. Risks for Psychiatric Disorders
Spring 2
Department of Epidemiology and Department of Society, Human Development, and Health
Dr. S. Gilman
2.5 Credits
Lectures, seminars, case studies. Two 2-hour sessions each week

Reviews the major social and environmental risks for psychiatric disorders of children, youth, and adults. Lectures will address current theories of social risks for and prevention of psychiatric illness, and the mechanisms linking social risks with psychiatric disorders across settings and over the life course. Topics include prenatal complications, childhood trauma, social networks, culture, social class, and community influences. Major epidemiologic studies of these topics are presented. Students will have the opportunity to design and conduct an original investigation of a social risk factor for psychiatric illness through a secondary data analysis of several psychiatric community studies. This course is in the psychiatric epidemiology track.


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID284 Media and Health Communication: Practical Skills
Spring 2
Department of Society, Human Development and Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, Center for Health Communication, and Office of Communications
Dr. Jay Winsten (P), Dr. I Kawachi (S), Robin Herman
2.5 credits
Lectures, seminars, case studies. One three-hour session per week

This course provides students with an overview of the media environment and teaches
practical skills for handling interviews and press conferences; writing press releases and opinion articles; and developing and implementing mass media campaigns to effect positive behavior change. It includes analyses of how news decisions are made by the media, how to deliver an effective message during a public health emergency or institutional crisis, and how health news can be generated. Guest lecturers will include public officials, individuals from major media outlets, and communication professionals. Course Activities: The course will be a combination of lectures, case studies, practical exercises, and discussion.
Course Note: Enrollment limited to 25 students; instructor's signature required; preference given to graduating SHDHstudents.


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID292 Justice and Resource Allocation
Spring 2
Department of Population and International Health and the Department of Health Policy and Management
Dr. N. Daniels
2.5 credits
Lectures. Two 2-hour sessions each week

This course explores the ethical issues, especially issues of distributive justice, raised by health and health care resource allocation methodologies and decisions. We begin with examination of distributive issues raised by measures of summary population health and their extensions into cost effectiveness analysis, paying special attention to the strengths and weaknesses of the underlying welfare economic and utilitarian assumptions. Philosophical and empirical efforts to clarify our beliefs about these distributive issues and our commitments to them will also be discussed. We then turn to recent efforts to make health inequalities and inequities a focus of priority in resource allocation, examining both conceptual and moral issues raised by different approaches to such inequalities and by the fact that the distribution of health is so significantly affected by non-health sector factors. We take up two problems of cross-cutting interest, the different concern shown for identified versus statistical victims, and emerging issues about intergenerational equity concerning the elderly and young. Finally, we turn to fair decision process as a way of resolving disputes about allocation. The goal of the course is to equip students with the ethical basis for addressing resource allocation issues in practical public health contexts, and throughout the course there is a focus real cases where controversy surrounds such decisions.


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID295 Program Evaluation of Public Health Programs
WinterSession
Department of Population and International Health and Department of Society, Human Development and Health
Dr. M.Mitchell, Dr. M. J. Brown
1.25 credits
Lectures, field work. Four 8-hour classroom sessions, one week field work, one week writing. January 4-15, 2010

This course provides students with an unusual opportunity to work alongside colleagues from the CDC in Atlanta and around the country in the design of an evaluation of the CDC program in public health. The course will begin with a one week introduction to the theory and practice of evaluation as well as an introduction to the issues involved in the design and monitoring of public health programs. This component will be held in Atlanta at CDC campus.

During the second week of class, students will travel to 12 states or other locations and work with CDC and public health officials to develop an evaluation plan for CDC funded public health programs. This evaluation plan will be used by the program mangers and the CDC to evaluate their active public health programs for the next 2-3 years.

The course will be offered for credit (1.25 credits) but can also be taken without credit (audit) if a student prefers. Students will travel through the auspices of the CDC who will cover all costs associated with flights, accommodation and meals.
Course Note: Enrollment limited to 24 students.


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID298 Inference in Infectious Disease Epidemiology
WinterSession
Department of Epidemiology and Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases
Dr. M. Lipsitch, Dr. C. Mills
1.25 credits
Course Offered 2008-2009; Offered Alternate Years.
Seminar. Eight 2-hour sessions.

This course will cover advanced issues in the design and interpretation of studies of infectious disease epidemiology. The course will consist of readings and student presentations on topics such as: interpretations of molecular typing data for infectious agents, assessment of incomplete and temporary immunity, immune correlates of protection, spatial effects in disease transmission, and inference about the carrier state. Each session will be led by a student whose responsibility will be to synthesize knowledge on the topic, describe open research areas, and stimulate discussion of the topic based on course readings. This course is intended for advanced students in infectious disease epidemiology.
Course note: Interested students should contact the instructor by the end of Fall 1 to choose a topic for presentation and to discuss possible readings. EPI225,EPI285, EPI501 or permission of the instructor required; Minimum enrollment of 7 required. Course dates TBA, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID300 Public Health Field Study
WinterSession
Office for Professional Education/ MPH Program
Faculty Members
1.25 credits

During the WinterSession, opportunities for a group field study may be developed in accordance with appropriate guidelines. Field studies ordinarily involves exploration or evaluation of public health programs or health systems in other countries and must have a faculty sponsor and approval from the appropriate program or department. The planning must be arranged to permit the necessary academic preparation prior to the field study and to allow the goals of the field study to be met during the active session in the field. A formal conclusion to the study must be evident such as papers and presentations. Field studies are not conducted every year but only in those years when the goals and planning are appropriate.
Course Note: Enrollment limited; signature of instructor required; pass/fail grading or audit only.

Course Evaluations

ID506 Theory and Practice of Public Health in the United States
Fall 2
Department of Health Policy and Management and Department of Society, Human Development and Health
Dr. G. Connolly, Dr. D. Walker
2.5 credits
Lectures, case studies. One 3.5-hour session each week.

This course provides an introduction to public health practice and leadership in the United States, offering both a theoretic foundation and field examples. Using active learning, students interact with one another and a variety of practitioner leader to gain analytic skills applicable to emerging public health issues. Students will be introduced to ways of mobilizing government, medicine, community, organizations, civic associations, advocates, media and other groups to support the core functions of public health. Students will gain a broader understanding of the inherently interdisciplinary nature of public health practice and the skills needed to be effective public health leaders.
Course Note: This course is a prerequisite for ID 264: Practice of Family and Community Health; ordinal grading option only; course limited to 35.

All students are asked to make a commitment to attend all 7 classes as a condition of taking the course.

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID510 Nutritional Epidemiology of Cancer
Fall 2
Department of Epidemiology and Department of Nutrition
Dr. S. Smith-Warner, Dr. E Giovannucci
2.50 Credits
Course Offered 2009-2010
Lectures and Seminars. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

This course will examine several current nutrition and cancer research areas with a focus on critical evaluation of recent publications, discussion of methodologic issues, and mechanistic studies. The different components of putting together a research grant will also be discussed.
Course Activities: class participation, oral presentation, final project that is a grant proposal on a specific nutritional factor and cancer association.
Course Note: ID214 or signature of instructor required. (8.06)


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID512 Molecular Basis of Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases
Spring
Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases and Department of Nutrition
Dr. G. Hotamisligil, Dr. C. H. Lee
2.5 credits
Seminars. One 2-hour session and one 1-hour seminar each week.

Students have an opportunity to review and analyze key papers that provide physiological and molecular evidence that bears on a topic of current interest in human nutrition and related disorders. Additionally, students learn skills necessary for critical thinking, and oral and written presentations.
Course Note: HSPH degree candidates only; signature of instructor required.


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID513 Ethics and Health Disparities
Spring 1
Department of Population and International Health and Department of Society Human Development and Health
Dr. Norman Daniels
2.5 credits
Not Offered 2008-2009
Lectures, case studies. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

When is an inequality in health status an injustice or inequity? This course examines various aspects of this issue, bringing appropriate perspectives from ethical theories (utilitarian, libertarian, liberal egalitarian, feminist) to bear on case studies revealing a range of important health disparities. Four main cases will be discussed, each focusing on a central type of health disparity: U.S. racial disparities, class disparities, gender disparities in a developing country setting, and global health inequalities. Key questions to be pursued in each case include: when is an inequality in health between this type of demographic variable unjust? When is a policy that produces, or fails to address, such an inequality race- or gender- or class-biased in an morally objectionable way? What ethical issues are raised by different methods of measuring health inequalities? How does ascription of responsibility for health affect the fairness of health inequalities? What kind of obligations exist to address health inequalities across national boundaries? What ethical issues are raised by policy approaches to addressing health inequalities and giving priority to reducing them?


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID518 Integrated Cancer Biology
WinterSession
Department of Environmental Health and Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases
Dr. H. Nelson, Dr. K. Kelsey
2.5 Credits
Course not offered 2006-2007. Will be offered in Spring, 2007-2008.
Case Studies. Four 2-hour sessions each week during WinterSession.

This course will use case-based and problem-based approaches to Cancer Biology. The course will meet four times per week and will involve a mix of case presentations/discussions, and problem-based classes with small group work followed by group presentations. Each case/problem will be chosen based on a unique exposure event; elements of exposure assessment, epidemiology, and molecular clinical biology will be presented. The end of each case presentation will be devoted to discussion of study design and how the integrated elements of the malignancy (i.e. exposure, molecular biology, and clinical presentation) should be considered and addressed. Problem-based sessions will include small group work and class presentations.
Course Note: GCD210 required. Enrollment limited, instructor's signature required; priority will be given to doctoral candidates. Minimum enrollment required. Course offered January 3 - 25, from 10 am to 12 pm, during WinterSession.


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID519 Culminating Experience: MPH-IH Thesis
Spring
Dr. C. Bruderlein, Dr. J. Leaning
1.25 Credits

Students must propose a written thesis in accordance with the guidelines developed by the department. The thesis topic must be on an international health problem that is considered important from either a global, national, or local perspective. Program planning, implementation and/or evaluation should be addressed. A list of suggested topics will be distributed during the organizational meeting scheduled in September, 2008.
Course Note: Open only to students in the MPH-IH concentration; signature of instructor required; ordinal grading only.

In addition, students should take part in three two-hour workshops to discuss the design of policy and programming initiatives, scheduled in October, early February and early April.

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID520 Advanced Topics in Nutrition and Cancer
Fall 2
Dr. S. Smith-Warner, E. Cho
1.25 credits
Course Not Offered 2008-2009
Lectures and seminars. One 2-hour session each week.

This course will discuss in detail a variety of associations between food and nutrient intakes and the risk of cancer (as chosen by the students enrolled in the course) to provide a wide scope of current findings on nutrition and cancer. For each class a student will be responsible for selecting a current nutrition and cancer topic for the class to discuss, providing a brief overview of the topic prior to the class discussion, and leading the class discussion on that topic.
Course Activities: be a discussion leader; give a brief seminar on a nutrition and cancer association, write critical reviews of research articles, participate in class discussion
Course Note: ID214 or signature of instructor required (5.06)


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

ID521 Developmental Epidemiology of Adult Psychiatric Disorders
Fall 1
Dr. K. Koenen
2.5 credits
Course Not Offered 2009-2010
Lectures, seminars. One 3-hour session each week.

The goal of this course is to provide students with a working knowledge of the epidemiologic and clinical aspects of adult psychiatric disorders. A range of studies from early classics to recent work on the prevalence, risk factors and distribution of major mental disorders will be covered. Emphasis will be on evidence for the developmental origins of adult disorders and on how a developmental perspective informs research on etiology, treatment and prevention. Special attention is paid to the unique methodological and analytic issues highlighted in psychiatric epidemiologic research. Students will consider implications for public health programs and interventions.

The course was formerly EPI217, Epidemiology of Adult Psychiatric Disorders. It is an introductory course in the psychiatric epidemiology track and is appropriate for all students interested in mental health research.
Course activities: Class discussion, class presentations, short written assignments including short grant proposal.
Course note: Background in introductory statistics and understanding of basic epidemiologic research methods recommended; EPI200 or EPI201 and BIO200, BIO201 or BIO205 recommended (concurrent enrollment permitted) or permission of the instructor. (5.06)

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.

Course Evaluations

ID535 Managing Community Health Centers
WinterSession
Dr. Paul Campbell
1.25 credits
Lectures, seminars, case studies, site visits. January 12 - January 22, 2010

Students in this course will learn about the management of community health centers (CHCs), non-profit organizations that provide primary care and population-based health services for vulnerable populations across the United States. Health centers currently serve over sixteen million Americans, most of them low income and from ethnic or racial minorities. The course will enable students to see public health in action, at the local level in the Boston area where health centers provide care for approximately one-half of city residents. Facility staff, as well as HSPH faculty, will be leading discussions.

Students will learn about the history of community health centers, as well as their place in current health policy debates. They will also learn about governance, financial, human resources and quality challenges, as well as health center programs related to community development and domestic violence. They will be exposed to "real world" successes as well as failures. This course will take a more applied approach than found in most HSPH courses.

Many graduates of HSPH professional programs have pursued careers in community health centers, often as Medical or Executive Directors. Students in the following departments will be especially interested in this course: Health Policy and Management; Global Health and Population; and Society, Human Development and Health.

Course note: Enrollment limited, pass/fail grading option only. All classes will be held off-site at the Health Centers.


Course Evaluations

ID536 Business Planning for Health Organizations
Spring 2
Dr. P. Campbell
Spring 2
1.25 credits
Lectures, seminars, and case studies. One 2-hour session each week

This course has been developed for students who will be developing and managing health-related programs and projects. They will be introduced to business plans, management tools used historically by entrepreneurs to gain access to financing for their ideas. Through this course students will also learn basic business skills. Business planning draws upon concepts and tools found in a number of management disciplines, from strategic planning to marketing and financial management. Students will learn through doing. Everyone participating will be required to draft a plan to be evaluated by the instructor. Several student plans will also be discussed by the entire class. Thus, everyone must have an idea suitable for business planning before beginning this course.

This development of this course reflects transitions in health sectors around the globe. In every country managers are under growing pressure. Costs are increasing due to growing populations, demographic shifts, technology change, greater demand for consumer responsiveness and other causes. Meanwhile public budgets are often constant or even shrinking. The result is that many governments are being forced to make strategic changes in their health delivery systems. These changes include changing financing mechanisms, making greater use of the private (proprietary and non-profit) sectors, and instituting regulatory changes. Managers in both government and non-governmental health organizations (NGOs) are being forced to increase their entrepreneurial and managerial skills. Some are managing in traditional government bureaucracies, while others are in new quasi-governmental organizations or NGOs. They are all in need of new concepts and skills that can be adapted from private, for-profit management practices. They all seek sustainability.

Course Note: For course evaluation, please refer to the former number for this course, PIH 255.

Course Evaluations

ID537 Obesity Epidemiology
Fall
Department of Epidemiology, Department of Nutrition
Dr. F. Hu, Dr. J. Chavarro
2.5 Credits
Lectures. One 2-hour session each week.

This course reviews current evidence on the burden, causes, consequences, and prevention of obesity from an epidemiological perspective. The course also reviews common epidemiologic methods to conduct obesity research and provides students with skills to critically analyze studies in obesity epidemiology. The policy and public health implications of recent findings in obesity research are discussed through case-studies.

Course Note: BIO200, BIO201 or BIO200s and BIO200t, and EPI 200, EPI201 or EPI208 required.

Course Evaluations

ID539 Bicycle Environments in the U.S. and The Netherlands/Denmark
Fall 2
Dr. A. Lusk, Dr. W. Willett (S), Dr. J. Spengler, Dr. J. Dennerlein
2.5 Credits
Course Not Offered 2009-2010.
Lectures, Case Studies. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

This course is for any individual who wishes to examine the relation of the built environmental to physical activity, obesity, and global warming. Students will compare and discuss design guidelines, policies, laws, and populations served in the bicycle environments in the U.S. and the Netherlands/Denmark. Transportation and urban planning studies from the differing countries will be contrasted so students can suggest improvements to public health for all populations through enhanced bicycle environments. Students will select the track or topic area based on their interest associated with bicycling in the U.S. and the Netherlands/Denmark and write what could be at class end: 1) a thesis topic; 2) a grant; 3) a trade market short article; or 4) a poster. At the culmination of the course, students will present their recommendations orally, through speed talks, and in written form with one creative graphic, based on the teachings of Edward Tufte, on their design guideline, law, or policy associated with bicycling. This course will be a beneficial addition to other course offerings in public health as HSPH focuses more on ways of translating information on nutrition, physical activity, and health into practice.

Course Activities: Discussion, lectures, guest lectures, writing 3 one page papers that culminate in one final paper, editing peer writing, preparing graphics, and delivering short presentations. Materials include readings, websites, webcams, and video clips.

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations.

Course Evaluations

ID540 Life Course Epidemiology
Spring 1
Dr. S. Gilman, Dr. K. Koenen
2.5 Credits
Lectures, Seminars, Case Study. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

The field of life course epidemiology approaches disease etiology and prevention from the perspective of dynamic risk and protective factors that impact health throughout the human lifespan. Research in the area of life course epidemiology ranges from investigating the fetal and early childhood origins of adult health and disease to understanding how risk and protective processes influence health within specific developmental periods and between them. There are two major themes that will be covered in this course. The first theme, Applications in Life Course Epidemiology (e.g., The Life Course Epidemiology of . . .), introduces students to the application of life course theories and methods to specific public health problems (e.g., chronic disease, mental health, health disparities). The second theme, Methods in Life Course Epidemiology, introduces the major concepts and methodological challenges in investigating disease risks longitudinally, covering topics such as exposure assessment, analytic methods, and causal inference.

Course Activities: Assigned readings, lectures, seminars, class presentations, and short papers.

Course Note: Epi 200 or Epi 201 and Bio 200 or 201, or ID538 required; no auditors.


Course Evaluations

RDS280 Decision Analysis for Health and Medical Practices
Fall 2
Department of Health Policy and Management and the Department of Biostatistics
Dr. S. Goldie
2.5 credits
Lectures. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

This course is designed to introduce the student to the methods and growing range of applications of decision analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis in health care technology assessment, medical decision making, and health resource allocation. The objectives of the course are: (1) to provide a technical understanding of the methods used, (2) to give the student an appreciation of the practical problems in applying these methods to the evaluation of clinical interventions and public health policies, and (3) to give the student an appreciation of the uses and limitations of these methods in decision making at the individual, organizational, and policy level both in developed and developing countries.
Course Note: Introductory course in probability and statistics required; BIO200, BIO201, or BIO203 may be taken concurrently; introductory economics is recommended but not required.
Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

RDS284 Decision Theory
Fall
Department of Health Policy and Management and Department of Environmental Health
Dr. J. Hammitt
5 credits
Lectures. Two 2-hour sessions each week.

Introduces the standard model of decision-making under uncertainty, its conceptual foundations, challenges, alternatives, and methodological issues arising from the application of these techniques to health issues. Topics include von Neumann-Morgenstern and multi-attribute utility theory, Bayesian statistical decision theory, stochastic dominance, the value of information, judgment under uncertainty and alternative models of probability and decision making (regret theory, prospect theory, generalized expected utility). Applications are to preferences for health and aggregation of preferences over time and across individuals.

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

RDS287 Research Seminar on Risk and Decision Analysis
Fall/Spring
Dr. G. Gray
2.5 credits
Course not offered 2005-2006
Seminars. One 1.5-hour session every two weeks.

This doctoral level seminar introduces students to state-of-the-art scholarship in theory and applications of decision science to public health. Biweekly guest speakers from within and outside the university will present their current research. The seminar will aim for balance between theoretical and applied projects. While specific topics will change from year to year, relevant fields will include: theory and techniques of risk analysis; choice under uncertainty; health policy models; cost-effectiveness analysis; statistical decision theory; subjective probability and utility assessment.
Course note: No auditors.
Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

RDS288 Methods for Decision Making in Medicine
Summer 2
Dr. M. Hunink
2.5 credits
Course not offered Summer 2009
Lectures. 5 2-hour classes each week.

This course deals with intermediate-level topics in the field of medical decision making. Topics that will be addressed include modeling issues, evaluation of diagnostic tests, ROC and summary ROC analysis, utility assessment, multi-attribute utility theory, Markov process models, Monte Carlo simulation modeling, methods for sensitivity analysis, value of information analysis, and behavioral decision making. The course will focus on the practical application of techniques and will include published examples and a computer practicum. This is not an introductory course.
Course Note: RDS280 or RDS286 and some knowledge of probability and statistics required.


Course Evaluations

WGH200 Women, Gender and Health
Spring 1
Departments of Society, Human Development and Health, Global Health and Population, Epidemiology, and Environmental Health
Dr. S. Gruskin, Dr. N. Krieger
2.5 credits
Seminars. One 3-hour session each week.

This course will focus on constructions of gender and sex and their implications for understanding determinants of population health and creating healthy public policy. It will consider how different frameworks of addressing gender and biological sex shape questions asked and explanations and interventions offered for societal patterns of health, disease, and well-being. The course will demonstrate ways of conceptualizing gender in relation to biology and health using case examples pertaining to breast cancer, smoking, cumulative trauma disorders of hands and wrists, HIV/AIDS, violence, access to health services, sexual health, reproductive health, and population policy. In all these cases, issues of gender will be related to other social determinants of health, including social class, racism, and other forms of inequality. Implications of diverse approaches will be debated, as part of developing useful strategies for improving physical, mental, and social well-being of women and men.

Course Note: Enrollment limited to 25 students; signature of instructor required; no auditors.

Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

WGH207 Advanced Topics in Women, Gender and Health
Spring 2
Department of Epidemiology, Society, Human Development and Health and Population and International Health
Dr. H. Corliss, Dr. S. Austin
1.25 credits
Seminars. One 2-hour sessions each week.

This interdepartmental, interdisciplinary seminar will offer the chance to analyze ways by which diverse constructs of gender influence public health research and practice. Using different examples each week, the core WGH faculty and students will focus on how gender contributes to classifying, surveying, understanding and intervening on population distributions of health, disease, and well-being. Discussion of these examples will draw on different disciplines, conceptual frameworks, and methodological approaches (both quantitative and qualitative). For example, traditional epidemiological and biostatistical methods, along with multilevel, ecosocial, and health and human rights frameworks will be applied, as appropriate, in the assessment of gender-based health related disorders. The format will include formal presentations and informal discussions.
Course Note: Minimum enrollment of 5; maximum enrollment of 20; instructor's signature required. Pass/fail only. (10.06)


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

WGH210 Women, Gender and Health: Critical Issues in Mental Health
Fall 2
Departments of Society, Human Development and Health and Population and International Health
Dr. B. Gottlieb
1.25 credits
Lecture, seminar. One 2-hour session each week.

This course explores issues relevant to mental illness, mental health from a gender perspective. Course themes include illness constructs, life cycle and transitions, collective and individual trauma, role and relationship and embodiment. Topics include eating disorders, pain, hormonally mediated mood disorders, and PTSD. Examples highlight US and international experience. Readings are multidisciplinary, including public health and medicine, social sciences, history and literature.
Course Activities: Includes a student final project.
Course Note: Minimum enrollment of 5 students; no auditors.


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

WGH211 Women, Gender and Health: Introductory Perspectives
Fall 1
Department of Epidemiology, Department of Society, Human Development and Health and Department of Population and International Health
Dr. S. Missmer (P), Invited guest lecturers
2.5 credits
Lectures, case studies. One 3-hour session each week.

This course will introduce students to gender as a theoretical concept and a category of analysis in public health-that is, the way gender has contributed to differentially structuring women and men's experiences of health. The course aims to answer such questions as: How has gender influenced the construction of public health in diverse societies? How do our social frameworks and structures, such as gender, affect people's experiences and expectations of health?

This course is designed for students who wish to enhance their understanding of, and skills to address, the social and cultural factors that have influenced the development of individual's and societal health. The interfaces among gender, class, race/ethnicity and sexuality will also be emphasized.

The course will cover a broad range of health issues for which gender has been of special importance. Topics to be covered include: reproductive health, sexual health and sexuality; violence; occupational health and work; chronic and communicable disease. Issues relating to the distribution of health, disease and well-being, including policy, will be addressed across sessions. Additionally, sessions will include international, domestic, and historical perspectives, with attention paid to both epidemiologic research and policy dimensions.


Course evaluations are an important method for feedback on the quality of course offerings. The submission of a course evaluation is a requirement for this course. Your grade for the course will be made available only after you have submitted responses to at least the first three questions of the on-line evaluation for this course.
Course Evaluations

WGH304 Issues in Mental Health: Independent Study
Fall 2
Department of Society, Human Development and Health, Department of Epidemiology and Department of Population and International Healh
Dr. B. Gottlieb
1.25
Not Offered 2008-2009
Field placement. Two sessions with mentor.

This independent study course is offered to students who are enrolled in WGH 210 Fall 2. The course will supplement the themes and topics of WGH 210, including illness constructs, trauma, embodiment, pain and eating disorders with a mentored field and service learning experience. Students will be required to provide 20 hours of service to one of several local sites selected for their relevance to course themes (for example, a shelter, an psychiatric in-patient unit, a school-based clinic), maintain a structured portfolio of reflections and commentary based on field experiences and readings, and attend 2 mentoring sessions.
Course activities: Field placement, preparation of final portfolio.
Course note: Students must be concurrently enrolled in WGH 210 Fall 2. Minimum enrollment 1 student; maximum enrollment 5 students. Pass/fail only


Course Evaluations

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