Immunology and Cell Biology

Epidemiology in Public Health

Epidemiology is that the foundation of public health and is defined because the study of the “distribution and determinants” of diseases or disorders within groups of individuals, and therefore the development of data on the way to prevent and control them.

For many people, the COVID-19 pandemic was the primary time they’ve been exposed to the concept of an uncontrolled disease—introducing phrases like “transmission,” “incubation period,” “contact tracing,” and “herd immunity” into the general public vernacular.

Except for those within the field of epidemiology, these ideas are at the core of their careers, and a pestilence is precisely what they’ve been preparing for. Epidemiologists have historically performed vital work to safeguard and improve the health of populations, whether it's neighborhoods, cities, countries, or continents. Epidemiologists are crucial in mapping and understanding the consequences of the coronavirus, but their work extends beyond novel viruses and pandemics.