Public Health (PH)

This course introduces concepts of health equity and social justice. The course will examine relevant historical issues, theories, social determinants of health, and explore research pertaining to global health inequities. Students will gain a better understanding of interventions used to promote health equity and social justice among diverse populations.

This course explores the fundamental concepts, principles, and methods of epidemiologic research at an intermediate level. Students will develop the tools needed to assess the quality of the evidence linking biological, social, and behavioral factors with health outcomes, in order to make informed, evidence-based decisions and communicate decisions effectively with a variety of health professionals as well as the public. Students will develop skills and knowledge in using epidemiologic observational and experimental research methods. Students will deepen their understanding of the vital role played by epidemiology in varied health-related fields, including public and community health, health care delivery, health policy, as well as in personal health decisions.

This course will invite students to think critically about the social and behavioral determinants of health. The course focuses on the pathways that connect the health behavior of individuals to the health policies and practices that societies develop and implement to address public health needs. The course examines these pathways while considering the interconnected histories of public health and equity, inclusion, social justice and diversity. In this course we will examine key principles of the sociology and psychology of health, and health promotion, focusing on essential theories of health behavior, cross-cultural perspectives and the roles that individuals, social networks, communities, and systems play in health-related behavior, illness experience, health promotion and disease prevention. We will appraise health care and public health systems and their role in population health. We will critique macrosocial factors such as place, economics and political systems that influence population health. Finally, we will analyze the effects of public policy on health and consider how public health communications are created and disseminated.

This course introduces students to health policy and reform, with a particular focus on the USA health system. Students will examine the structure of health systems, analyzing main actors, mechanisms and dynamics that influence health policy-making processes, including health sector reform. The course also introduces students to principles of health policy analysis, while identifying strategies for effective health policy implementation and advocacy.

This course provides a foundation of environmental health and justice by bridging scientific skills with analysis of health inequities. We will review core principles of environmental health including exposures, assessment and intervention/remediation and discuss in relation to racism, distributive justice, and representation in environmental struggles through a blend of interdisciplinary and interprofessional perspectives. Students will learn about the disproportionate burdens of environmental contamination affecting communities of color across the US and globally and will assess approaches to remediation. The first unit of the course will focus on environmental injustice and review seminal readings, laws and regulations. The second unit will discuss local and global air, water, food and land based environmental exposures. The third unit will train students to synthesize environmental health data for identifying health inequities and intervention targets.