Pathobiology is the study of pathogenic biological agents and their interaction with their hosts, primarily humans. As a discipline, pathobiology combines the fundamental concepts of biology and clinical medicine. Biostatistics blends theoretical mathematics and applied data analysis in modern medical research. Biostatisticians work with physicians, epidemiologists, health services researchers, and other scientists to design medical research studies and to collect and analyze data. The mission of the Department of Environmental Health is to identify agents in the environment and workplace that affect human health, analyze and explain their mechanisms, assess and communicate their risks, develop strategies to reduce or eliminate their effects, and share the knowledge obtained.
Epidemiology is the study of the frequency and distribution of disease in human populations.
Epidemiologists investigate why some people acquire a specific condition and others do not, in order to identify opportunities for prevention. The interdisciplinary health services administration group offers a two-year program leading to the MHA degree. The program prepares students for careers in management, planning, and policy analysis in a variety of settings in the health care field. While the School of Public Health has primary responsibility for the program, there is close collaboration with the Graduate Schools of Public Affairs and Business. The Social and Behavioral Sciences track in the MPH program in the Department of Health Services focuses on the application of social and behavioral sciences to public health problems.