Division of Environmental Health
Environmental health addresses the effect of environmental hazards on human health. It is one of the five traditional core disciplines of public health along with epidemiology, biostatistics, social and behavioral science, and health policy and management. Students can expect to gain an understanding of a breadth of topics, including sources of environmental hazards, measurement techniques, risk assessment, and environmental epidemiology.
Courses Offered by Division Faculty
Introduction to Environmental Health
This course aims to provide students with a basic understanding of how the ambient environment affects public health. The first part of the course will deal with the basic principles of environmental health. In the second part of the course, various substantive topics in environmental health will be covered. Emphasis will be given to environmental epidemiology on air pollution.
Advanced Topics in Environmental Health
This course is to presents specialized topics in Environmental Health. Topics can vary by year and the instructor chooses current topics or timely issues. Emphasis is on hands-on learning.
Practical Measurement in Environmental Health
This course outlines how to research the relationship between the environment and health. This course addresses specific considerations for studying the effects of health and environmental exposures, including planning epidemiological studies, efficacy issues, exposure measurement, and approaches to analysis.
In particular, personal exposure to airborne particulate matter (air pollutants) at home and work will be analyzed using actual measuring instruments.
Environmental Psychology
This course offers an overview of methods and topics in environmental epidemiology. The course will focus on the concepts of epidemiologic methods as they are applied in occupational and environmental epidemiology. The course will cover epidemiologic study designs, issues of validity, measurement of exposure, approaches to analysis, and special considerations for studying the health of a working population or the effects of environmental exposures. It aims at the problem solving which exists in the reality using the knowledge of principle and theory clarified in the basic psychology.
Air Quality Model Simulations in Public Health
This course delves into the intersection of population health and air quality through the use of advanced modeling simulations. Students will explore the impact of air quality on public health at both individual and population levels. A brief discussion of the impact of climate change on public health will also be given.