PhD in Public Health Sciences with specialization in Epidemiology The specialization in Epidemiology in the PhD program in Public Health Sciences is designed to develop academic researchers in population-based epidemiology. To graduate, students in the PhD specialization in Epidemiology must be able to demonstrate the following competencies: Explain the evolving paradigms of epidemiological theory and study design and their impact on public health services.

Infectious diseases have been a scourge of humanity since the beginning of time, and the present COVID-19 pandemic reminds us again how vulnerable we are to pathogens, even in the age of modern medicine and hygiene. Indeed, communicable diseases still cause a large proportion of annual deaths, especially in low-income countries, which carry the largest burden.

A doctoral program in Epidemiology and Public Health in Galicia is of vital importance for, on the one hand, maintaining research in public health, which would contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the population, and of health administration and management. On the other hand, it would also contribute to the training of new teachers in order to guarantee the generational sustainability of the Public Health research group, through the training of new researchers, who would contribute to scientific production and lines of research in the future.

The study program investigates the mechanisms of interaction of chemical, physical and biological factors of the living and the working environments of the organism. It integrates methodological approaches especially in the area of toxicology, molecular biology, and immunology. It is the theoretical basis for preventive medicine fields, ie. hygiene, and epidemiology.

The doctoral study program "Preventive medicine and epidemiology" is using the principles of evidence-based medicine to assess the impact of various factors (physical, chemical, environmental, biological) on human health at the individual as well as the population level in order to identify possible approaches for prevention. The program integrates knowledge and approaches originating from the fields of toxicology, molecular biology, immunology including clinically-oriented disciplines. The program represents a theoretical basis for preventive disciplines in medicine, e.g. public health, epidemiology, and biostatistics. The program is carried out without any specialization.

Postgraduate study in Physiology and Pathophysiology is focused on the investigation of functions of organs and organ systems during responses and adaptations to changes in the external and internal environments in health and disease. The transition from studies of indirect manifestations of certain functions to their own functional and regulatory mechanisms at the cellular and molecular levels predominates. The acquired knowledge is fundamental for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases. Study program without specialization.

Our faculty members maintain NIH-funded research programs directed at understanding important issues related to viruses, bacteria, and the immune system. We are experiencing an unprecedented expansion, including the addition of new faculty members, the doubling of our postdoctoral program, the award of more than $22.9 million by an NIH grant to establish and maintain the Center for Molecular and Tumor Virology, and the growth of our nationally recognized training program for graduate students.

The Graduate Program in Epidemiology prepares students to investigate what factors are related to good and bad health in different populations and people's outcomes with given health conditions. This involves learning how specific health conditions and diseases develop, spread, can be prevented, and are treated and how to assess health and its relationships to risk factors.

Degree Description The Ph.D. in Epidemiology is constructed to meet the department’s philosophy of training. There is a substantial contribution from the Biostatistics Department and other departments in the College of Public Health so that the candidate is well-grounded in quantitative and analytical techniques, design and conduct of epidemiologic studies, demographic methods, and the management of large data sets. A course in medical physiology and pathology is required to provide a basic understanding of disease processes. In addition, each student works with an adviser to select courses that ensure substantive knowledge in a specific area which will generate important original research. Several recommended Plans of Study are available for students with the following research interests: chronic diseases, infectious diseases, clinical and health services, molecular and genetic epidemiology, and injury epidemiology. An independent but finite research experience is required aside from the dissertation. Finally, relevant courses elsewhere in the university are encouraged. Learner Objectives The primary goal of the doctoral program in the Department of Epidemiology is to prepare graduates for professional careers as scientists, teachers, and practitioners of epidemiological methods. Career opportunities in epidemiology exist in academic institutions, local, state, and federal health agencies, and commercial enterprises. Graduates with a Ph.D. in Epidemiology will be able to: Master the M.S. degree objectives. Understand and be capable of using advanced statistical analysis methods appropriate for the study design and to control for confounding. Manage data collection and quality control in research data, including the development of a questionnaire. Understand and demonstrate specific risk factors and disease processes in a specialized area. Review literature and conceptualize theoretical models of disease and causation and develop hypotheses building upon prior research. Conduct independent research including design, data collection, analysis, and translation into applied and theoretical constructs. Demonstrate the ability to write a proposal for grant funding. Demonstrate in writing and oral presentation knowledge of epidemiological concepts and methods. Demonstrate in writing and oral presentation the ability to explain research study design and results of student-initiated research and to defend the results and implications.

The doctoral program in Epidemiology prepares individuals for teaching and research in academic institutions and positions of professional leadership in health and health-related agencies where research is an important function. Students in the doctoral program generally have backgrounds in the natural, social or behavioral sciences; and often have demonstrated basic research competency.

The doctor of philosophy in epidemiology is designed to produce an epidemiologist with in depth knowledge of methodology and analytic skills.

Take your public health knowledge to the next level and become an epidemiological specialist in the area that interests you most. The doctoral program in epidemiology lets you develop analytical expertise and gain teaching experience. You investigate public health problems, design full-scale studies, analyze data and translate the results into public health action.

Since 2002, the PhD in Epidemiology program in the Department of Public Health Sciences has trained innovative and productive epidemiologists in the study of the distribution and determinants of disease in human populations, both locally and nationally/internationally.

Expertise in the Department of Pathobiology spans epidemiology, microbiology, immunology, parasitology, virology, and comparative pathology.