Environmental Health Sciences
ENVIRONMENTAL HLTH SCIENC
Environmental factors have a profound impact on the public's health. Essential to understanding and addressing this impact is a focused study in basic and applied environmental health sciences. Environmental health problems intersect with health disparities, government policy, reproductive health, population shifts, and economic forces. Recognizing the need for a solid grounding in both environmental health sciences and the interconnections with other societal issues significantly improves the way we conduct public health research and professional practice. In this course, students will engage in scientific inquiry into environmental health issues and develop problem-solving skills for improving health at the local, regional and global levels. This course is part of the core-course requirement for the MPH.
- R 1 p.m.-3:50 p.m.
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Instructor:
Marcela Tamayo Y Ortiz
Info - 3 points
Fundamentals of Toxicology for Health-re
FUNDAMENTALS OF TOXICOLOG
This course is designed to introduce the basic concepts of toxicology to students from multiple fields and disciplines related to health. Nowadays excellence in health research and in its translation to the public can only be reached through multidisciplinary team effort, and teamwork is always more efficient when its different contributors have an appropriate understanding of each other’s expertise. The objectives of the first part of the course are to detail the routes of exposure to xenobiotics (chemicals and drugs) and to trace the biochemical and biological pathways through which xenobiotics are absorbed, metabolized, distributed, excreted, and biomonitored. In the second section of the course, we examine the effects of molecular/cellular changes on the function of representative organ systems including the respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine/reproductive, immune, liver, kidney, and nervous systems. Students are also introduced to applications of toxicology such as occupational and food toxicology. At the completion of the course students are expected to have an extensive toxicology vocabulary which will aid in their future collaborations in related disciplines. Students will also have a working knowledge of: 1) general toxicological principles, 2) inter-species and inter-individual differences in responses to toxicants, 3) the effects of several key toxicants on the normal function of several organ systems, and 4) the basic approach to applications of toxicology. The overall objective of this course is to provide the student with an introduction to the language and principles of toxicology such that these principles may be applied to public health and other health-related disciplines and communicated to the general public.
- M 2:30 p.m.-5:20 p.m.
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Instructor:
Diane Re
Wikipedia h-index: 17 Info - 3 points
Exposure Assessment
EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT
This course provides an overview of environmental exposure assessment in public health. The course addresses chemical, noise, and radiation exposures through air, soil, water and food contact. Exposure routes considered include inhalation, ingestion and absorption. Methods for environmental and personal exposure monitoring will be covered, including biomarkers of internal exposure. Moreover, methods for quantifying environmental injustice or racism will be covered. In a hands-on class project, smartphones will be used to conduct environmental exposure assessment in a local community, and data bio-shared for spatio-temporal analyses by the students. Finally evolving concepts in exposure science such as the exposome will be introduced.
- T 4 p.m.-6:50 p.m.
- 1.5 points
Atmospheric and Climate Science for Publ
ATMOSPHERIC & CLIMATE SCI
This course introduces the fundamental physical principles that govern the behavior of the earth's atmosphere and climate. Topics to be studied include the general circulation of the atmosphere, motions on a rotating sphere, atmospheric thermodynamics, radiative transfer, the basic chemistry and physics of air pollution, the hydrologic cycle, climate dynamics and synoptic weather. The effects of these systems on public health, including mental health, rates of exercise, infectious disease, allergens and asthma, heat morbidity and mortality, will be assessed throughout the course.
- TR 10 a.m.-11:20 a.m.
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Instructor:
Robbie Parks
Info - 3 points
Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONM
This course introduces students to the basic principles and practices of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. This field encompasses the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of chemical, physical, and biological hazards arising in and from the workplace, home, and ambient environments. The course content encompasses many diverse aspects of the field such as the inhalation hazards of gases and vapors, the effects of particle size and morphology on aerodynamic behavior, respiratory system deposition, and disease risk, factors influencing dermal permeation of chemicals, biological monitoring for chemicals and their metabolites, and approaches to measurement and associated instrumentation. This course is intended to provide a basic understanding of the field for students in Public Health disciplines, and is the starting point for students who may choose to pursue occupational and environmental hygiene as a career.
- W 5 p.m.-7:50 p.m.
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Instructor:
Christopher F Pettinato
Info - 3 points
Molecular Epidemiology
MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY
Molecular epidemiology is an interdisciplinary research approach that incorporates advanced laboratory methods into epidemiology to identify causes of disease and facilitate intervention. It is increasingly utilized as a tool to understand interactions between external ‘environmental’ exposures and genetic and other susceptibility factors, and to identify ‘at-risk’ populations and individuals. This course will cover conceptual and methodological issues in molecular epidemiology including the application of biomarkers to the study of disease causation, risk assessment, and prevention. The course covers principles in the selection and validation of biomarkers, study design and statistical methods in data analysis including gene-environment interactions, biological sample collection, storage, and banking, and current laboratory methods for biomarker analysis. These principles will be illustrated using examples from current molecular epidemiologic research in cancer, neurodevelopment, childhood asthma, screening, risk assessment and disease prevention. Students will gain proficiency and experience in critically evaluating key papers in molecular epidemiologic studies.
- W 1 p.m.-3:50 p.m.
- 3 points
Molecular Toxicology
MOLECULAR TOXICOLOGY
This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of the molecular events associated with chemically-induced degenerative and proliferative diseases.
- T 1 p.m.-3:50 p.m.
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Instructor:
Greg A Freyer
Info - 3 points
Principles of Toxicology
PRINCIPLES OF TOXICOLOGY
This course explains the toxic effects of chemicals (including drugs and other agents) on living organisms. An overview of the history, principles, mechanisms and regulatory applications of toxicology is provided. Also, the absorption, distribution and excretion of toxins are described. The toxic effects of chemicals (including cancer) on the digestive (liver), respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, hematopoetic, immune, dermal, urinary, endocrine and reproductive systems and development forms the major portion of the course. Members of chemical classes such as solvents, metals, pesticides, air pollutants (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ozone), radiation, plants, fungi, venoms and pharmaceuticals are used as examples. Environmental toxicology form the primary emphasis, but aspects of occupational, food, pharmaceutical and clinical toxicology are also included.
An optional addition hour for credit is provided for those students needing a background in anatomy, histology, chemistry, biochemistry, cell biology, and the normal physiology of the digestive (liver), respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, hematopoetic, immune, dermal, urinary, endocrine and reproductive systems.
- M 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
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Instructor:
Allison Kupsco
Info - 3 points
Frameworks for Environmental Health Poli
FRAMEWORKS FOR ENVIR HLTH
How should society regulate environmental health risks? Some argue that the health of the citizenry is paramount, and that the role of government should be to protect against any possibility of harm. Others back an approach based on a full accounting of the benefits and costs of environmental protection. And in the current political environment, ideological positions sometimes eclipse analysis. These debates occur against a backdrop of uncertainty about the health risks posed by specific environmental insults. In spite of all this ambiguity and complexity, policy happens: congress makes laws, regulatory agencies enforce the law, and most polluters comply.
In this class we will study several frameworks for thinking about these questions. Environmental economics, in the form of benefit-cost analyses, is the primary framing used by the US Federal Government. We will explore its conceptual foundations and its applications in the US regulatory context. In our discussions of the sociology of science perspective, we will examine how environmental health scientists interact with the policy process, and think through how such interactions might be improved. The third perspective is decision theory, and in particular, choice under uncertainty. We will consider the basic analytics of expected value, and some permutations and applications that are germane to the environmental health policy domain. In addition to these conceptual frameworks, we will analyze and interpret cases drawn from recent experiences with environmental health regulation in the United States.
This course is designed to introduce Mailman students to core frameworks for thinking about environmental health policy. The course is open to all students.
- T 1 p.m.-3:50 p.m.
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Instructor:
Darby W Jack
Info - 3 points
Science Basic to Public Health Practice
SCI BASIC TO PUB HEALTH P
Science Basic to Public Health Practice (SBPHP) is a 3 credit, one semester course designed to provide students with a better understanding of the science underlying topical issues vital to public health. In past years, this class has examined scientific support (or not) for legislative and policy decisions concerning the potential human health effects related to exposure to bisphenols, UV and low-dose ionizing radiation, mercury and other heavy metals, GMO foods, alternative energy sources, or talcum (baby) powder. In addition to case studies such as these, the course provides a basic introduction to the biochemistry, cell & molecular biology, genetics and toxicology surrounding carcinogenesis, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption and damage to specific target organs and tissues. Students in this course are often drawn from a cross-section of different educational and scientific backgrounds including the Schools of Public Health, Physicians & Surgeons, Journalism, SIPA and Law. The diversity of backgrounds provide for vigorous discussions from various perspectives and enriches the student experience. In essence, this course is designed for and appropriate for any student interested in gaining a clearer basic science understanding of the biological processes underlying current public health concerns.
- W 4 p.m.-6:50 p.m.
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Instructor:
Norman Kleiman
h-index: 26 Info - 3 points
Risk Assessment, Communication, and Mana
RISK, ASSESSMENT, COMM/MG
Risk Assessment is the process of correlating the amount of exposure (to a chemical, activity, or situation) with expected harm. This Department core course is primarily concerned with toxic substances to which humans are exposed through their environments, in the context of whether and how exposure to such toxicants should be controlled: risk assessment. Toxicological and epidemiological principles are used primarily to provide (uncertain) quantitative estimates of the harm associated with a given level of exposure: dose-response. Using a dose-response relationship necessitates quantifying exposure, an uncertain endeavor that relies on understanding human physiology and behavior. The quantitative estimates of harm from anthropogenic activity that risk assessment gives are just the starting point for the challenge of risk management: What do we do now?" The resulting decisions are influenced by both economic factors (e.g., cost-benefit analysis) and psychological factors (e.g., risk perception)."
- T 5:30 p.m.-8:20 p.m.
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Instructor:
Michael P Musso
Info - 1.5 points
Quantitative Methods in Biomarkers Resea
Quant Methods in Biomarke
This course is a quantitative companion to Molecular Epidemiology (P8307) and will discuss quantitative methods and considerations needed to conduct epidemiology research involving biomarkers. Using ‘real world’ examples, this course covers topics including data accession, storage, and sharing. It includes a comprehensive evaluation of sources of biomarker data variability and how these features are handled analytically in the conduct of molecular epidemiology research. The course covers topics including how to handle values less than the limits of detection, the identification of outliers and variability due to batch effects, freeze/thaw cycles along with sources of biologic variability including urinary dilution and lipid concentration. It also discuss methods for implementing genome-wide and epigenome-wide association studies, sample and data pooling along with considerations for returning individual and aggregate-level molecular epidemiology results to study participants, scientific and lay audiences. Class activities include quantitive demonstrations and discussions. Assessment will be based on four assignments that include responses to quantitive and qualitative prompts using R-markdown.
- R 1 p.m.-2:20 p.m.
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Instructor:
Julie B Herbstman
Info - 1.5 points
Experimental Methods in Biomarkers Resea
Exper Methods in Biomarke
Careful consideration is needed in the design and implementation of molecular epidemiologic studies that leverage biomarkers of exposure, disease susceptibility, disease etiology, prediction, and prognosis. This course aims to provide insight into major methodologies and logistic considerations when incorporating the use of biological specimens in epidemiologic research from concept to publication. For this purpose, we will utilize simulated laboratory experiences and a mock molecular epidemiology study for hands-on insight into the application of biomarkers in epidemiologic settings in conjunction with class discussions on published findings. Class activities include small group assignments where each group takes responsibility of designated tasks as part of a mock molecular epidemiology study and report back their activities for in-class discussion throughout the semester. This work will culminate in a final report at the end of the semester. In addition, 1-2 students in each session will be assigned to lead an in-class discussion that critically exams a published molecular epidemiology study. Students will also complete a virtual lab notebook that assesses material covered in the assigned virtual laboratory.
- R 2:30 p.m.-3:50 p.m.
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Instructor:
Maya A Kappil
Info - 1.5 points
Public Health GIS
PUBLIC HEALTH GIS
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has emerged as an essential tool for public health researchers and practitioners. The GIS for Public Health course will offer students an opportunity to gain skills in using GIS software to apply spatial analysis techniques to public health research questions. The laboratory section of the course will give students the opportunity for hands-on learning in how to use GIS systems to analyze data and produce maps and reports. These laboratory exercises will be designed to increasingly challenge the students to incorporate the analytic skills and techniques they have learned in other courses with the geospatial and spatial statistics techniques commonly used in GIS. Guest speakers will be invited to share their real-world examples of GIS in Public Health research and practice. These speakers will include Columbia researchers and staff from government agencies or non-profit organizations.
- W 1 p.m.-3:50 p.m.
- W 5:30 p.m.-8:20 p.m.
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Instructor:
Joel Capellan
Info - 3 points
Tutorial in Environmental Health Science
TUT-ENVIRONMENTL HTLTH SC
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Instructor:
Darby W Jack
Info - 0-6 points
Applied Environmental Public Health Scie
APPL ENVIRONMENTAL PUB HL
This class discusses the challenges of public health practice, focusing on tasks that employees working in environmental health may encounter. Using examples from environmental toxicology, hazardous materials and contaminated sites, GIS applications, acute and chronic exposures, emerging public health concerns, and community communications strategies, students complete assignments modeled after real-life situations. These include a briefing of subject matter experts, a site investigation plan for a town council, a PPT presentation to the executive board of a non-profit organization, a review of a superfund site for a state public health agency, and a factsheet for the general public.
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Instructor:
Gabriele Windgasse
Info - 3 points
Master's Essay Research I
MASTERS ESSAY RESEARCH I
The Master's Thesis is one of the options for a capstone requirement of all students in all tracks of the MPH program of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences (EHS). The thesis is intended to reflect the training you have received in the MPH program and demonstrate your ability to design, analyze, research and present scholarly writing relevant to your major field of interest.
Writing the thesis is an essential experience that could further your career development and or an application for further studies in academia. Employers seek in potential employees with a MPH degree the ability to write articles and reports, and want to see evidence that you can design studies, analyze data, and write scientific papers. If you plan to continue your academic studies, developing expertise and demonstrating your ability as a writer are two important skills required of doctoral candidates. A well-written paper is a great asset that you can bring with you to a job interview or include in an application for further study. The thesis ought to demonstrate your ability to think clearly and convey your thoughts effectively and thereby provide an example of your understanding and insight into a substantive area in which you have developed expertise.
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Instructor:
Nina Kulacki
Info - 0-6 points
Journal Club in Environmental Health Sci
JOURNAL CLUB IN ENVIR HEA
Journal Club is a one credit course that meets once weekly and is designed to keep doctoral students (PhD and DrPH) abreast of current developments in specific areas of interest to Environmental Health Sciences. Each semester, in consultation with the class, a new topic is selected to examine in depth utilizing critical analysis of recent publications. Students are each expected to present an article to the class and to provide critical thinking and evaluation of research findings and the authors’ conclusions. In preparation for entry into the public health workforce, whether in government service, profit or non-profit corporations, academia, scientific research, policy and planning, administration or regulatory affairs, the students are expected to improve their skills in public speaking, reading of scientific literature, critical thinking and analysis of published research findings. Vigorous discussion among the class is expected each week.
- M 1 p.m.-2 p.m.
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Instructor:
Kathrin Schilling
Info - 1 points
Tutorial in Environmental Health Science
TUT-ENVIRONMENTL HLTH SCI
Tailored to the particular interests and needs of individual students. May take many forms-literature reviews, laboratory experiments, field trips, special studies, or other learning experiences that enrich and contribute to the student's program.
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Instructor:
Nina Kulacki
Info - 0-6 points