Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and frequency of diseases and their determinants within a population. Epidemiology encompasses many other scientific disciplines in public health, such as environmental, social, and biological factors. The field itself is broad in range, from outbreak investigations to actual applied research and many other avenues in between. This science is important in exploring the etiology of disease as well as prevention, which is key in the field of public health. Epidemiology is also vital to public health as it serves to help facilitate policy development, implementation, and evaluation.
The mission of the Epidemiology section is to foster epidemiologic research and science-based public health practice.