• Home
  • About
  • Mobile
  • Open Content
  • Search

Module Overview


  • Description
  • Facilitators
  • Weblinks
  • Timetable
CO5215 

ADVANCED EPIDEMIOLOGY
   2014/2015, Semester 2
   Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health)
Modular Credits: 4
  Tags: --

Schedule

TopThis module will be conducted every Tuesday and Friday, 2pm to 5pm. Classes will start on 17 February 2015.

For more information on topics and venues, please check the module schedule uploaded in the workbin. Any changes to the schedule will be reflected in the module schedule.

Brief Module Description

TopThis module covers advanced methods for the design, conduct, analysis and interpretation of epidemiologic studies. The main focus is on analytical studies that aim to identify risk factors for diseases particularly case-control and cohort studies. Topics include causal inference, study design, methods of handling confounding and identifying effect modification, measurement error and information bias, selection bias, lifestyle and molecular epidemiology, and meta-analysis.

Learning Outcomes

Top
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

 
  1. Understand the strengths, limitations, and principles of different study designs including retrospective case-control, nested case-control, case-cohort, cohort, cross-sectional, and ecological studies and randomized controlled trials
  2. Identify and interpret effect modification 
  3. Identify potential sources of selection and information bias, reverse causation and regression to the mean, judge how this may affect results, and understand how to control bias by appropriate study design
  4. Identify potential sources of confounding and understand how to address confounding in the design and analysis of epidemiological studies
  5. Explain commonly used considerations for causal inference and models of causality
  6. Understand the concepts ‘validity’ and ‘precision’, ‘random’ and ‘systematic measurement error’, ‘differential’ and ‘non-differential misclassification’, and the use of validation and reproducibility studies for epidemiological research
  7. Understand the general principles and strengths and limitations of systematic reviews and meta-analyses and be able to judge when these are useful
  8. Understand the different steps of conducting a systematic review, causes of publication bias, and the importance of evaluating heterogeneity in study results and be able to interpret the main statistical measures and graphs used in meta-analyses
  9. Understand major considerations specific to the design and interpretation of molecular epidemiology studies.
  10. Judge the quality of articles on epidemiological studies and be able to interpret from these articles 

Prerequisites

TopPrinciples of Epidemiology (CO5102) and Quantitative Epidemiologic Methods (CO5103) or equivalent courses

Teaching Modes

Top
  • Lectures
  • Required Readings
  • Critiques of Research Articles
  • Class Discussions
  • Student Projects
  • Student Presentations

Synopsis

TopThe module will be offered in the second semester. The course consist of (1) lectures and related class discussion/exercises (2) critiques of scientific articles that illustrate the application of important epidemiological concepts. Generally, the first part of the class will consistent of lectures and the second part of exercises or an article critique (3) the development of a proposal for a new epidemiological study to address a research question of your choice; this proposal will be presented by students on April 10 in a 20 minute presentation following by discussion with the audience.

Assessment

TopThe course grade will be based on class participation, the student presentations prepared by groups of approximately 3 students, and the results of a closed-book exam:

Class Participation                                      10%

Student Presentation of Research Proposal     30%

Final Examination(End-of-Module exam)          60%

Total                                                                   100%

Disclamier

TopThe Master of Public Health programme requires attendance of 75 percent of all lectures, tutorials, workshops and seminars.
 
When a student is unable to attend the required sessions, an excuse may be granted for limited time periods upon the production of evidence of illness, misadventure or leave of absence having been granted.
 
Students must inform the MPH Office if any of the above has taken place.
 
Failure to meet attendance requirements will affect module grading.

Contact

  • IVLE Webmaster

Social Media

Latest Alerts

  • IVLE scheduled maintenance every Tuesday 0300 hrs - 0700 hrs

Centre for Instructional Technology

Legal  |  Acceptable Use Policy

Copyright © 2015, National University of Singapore. All rights reserved.