Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of occurrence of diseases in people. It helps health professionals understand how large groups of people contract different diseases. The ITM epidemiology core provides epidemiology and clinical epidemiology consulting programs to investigators.
The epidemiology experts associated with this core work in a variety of fields and use a wide range of methodologies. For example, Rebecca Lipton, PhD, created a registry of diabetic children in Chicago – the largest of its kind. The registry makes it possible to study the impact of health attitudes and behaviors on risk of diabetic complications, as well as genetic and metabolic risk factors. Habibul Ahsan, MD, MMedSc, is making key discoveries on the health effects of low-dose arsenic exposure and genetic variability in susceptibility to arsenic-induced cancerous and precancerous lesions. Research performed by Benjamin Lahey, PhD, led to diagnostic criteria that is used worldwide for diagnosing conduct disorder and attention-deficit disorder in children.
ITM epidemiologists work closely with faculty in the Community and Training Clusters to make sure epidemiological information is translated across departments and areas.
For additional information about epidemiological offerings through the ITM, contact core leader, Diane Lauderdale, PhD.