Department of Epidemiology

About

The mission of the Department of Epidemiology is to improve the public’s health by training epidemiologists and by advancing knowledge concerning the causes and prevention of disease and the promotion of health. 

The Goals of the Department are to:

• Provide the highest quality education in epidemiology and thus prepare the next generation of epidemiologists
• Advance the science of epidemiology by developing new methods and applications
• Use epidemiologic methods to investigate the etiology of disease in human populations
• Use epidemiologic methods to evaluate health care delivery, prevention, and health promotion programs
• Develop methodologies for translating epidemiologic research findings into clinical medicine
• Develop approaches for applying the findings of epidemiologic research in the formulation of public policy and participate in formulating and evaluating the effects of such policy

Students gain proficiency in study designs, measurement, and inference to illuminate the distribution and determinants of health states as they identify and evaluate strategies for the prevention and control of disease in human populations. Faculty continue to honor the legacy of excellence set forth in the early days of the Department's founding, bolstering our growth, development, and numerous contributions to the field. A history of the Department, as well as a complete list of affiliated Centers and Institutes, may be found on the Department’s website.

Department Organization and Governance
 

Departmental Offices
 

• Chairs' Office: The Chair and Vice Chairs are responsible for leading the academic and research vision for the Department. Contact:  epichairsoffice@jh.edu
• Epi Academic Core: The Epi Academic Core oversees the advancement of epidemiologic education and research for students, fellows, and faculty through the coordination, management and dissemination of Departmental courses, programs, and communications. Contact:  BSPH.EpiAcademic@jhu.edu
• Epi Admin: Epidemiology Finance & Administration ("Epi Admin") oversees the Department’s policymaking, financial management, research administration, and human resources and payroll. Contact: EPIADMINAP@jhu.edu. For Epi Human Resources, contact: epihumanresources@jhu.edu

Chairs' Office

PH - Academic and Administrative Office

Name	Title	Phone	Email	Room
Shruti Mehta	Charles Armstrong Professor and Chair of Epidemiology		smehta@jhu.edu
Otis Brawley	Vice Chair for IDARE, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor		otis.brawley@jhu.edu
Priya Duggal	Vice Chair for Faculty		pduggal@jhu.edu
Stephan Ehrhardt	Vice Chair for Educational Programs		sehrhar6@jhu.edu
Erin E. McEvoy	Administrative Manager		emcevoy2@jh.edu
Jonathan Eichberger	Communications Associate		je@jhu.edu
NaQuasha Leonard	Senior Administrative Coordinator		nleonar6@jhu.edu
Jess Hare	Senior Associate for Faculty Affairs		jhare8@jhmi.edu

Epi Academic Core

PH - Academic and Administrative Office

Name	Title	Phone	Email	Room
Noelle Vargas	Director of Graduate Education		nbrione1@jh.edu
Taylor Binnix Baylus	Assistant Director of Graduate Education		taylor.binnix@jhu.edu
Fran Burman	Senior Academic Program Manager, PhD Program		FranBurman@jhu.edu
Carina Cione	Academic Program Coordinator, Recruitment and ESO		ccione1@jh.edu
Ayesha Khan	Instructor, Institute Programs		akhan6@jhu.edu
Jordan Meredith	Senior Program Coordinator, TA Program and Student Funding		jmeredi8@jhmi.edu
Matthew Miller	Senior Financial Manager, Student Funding		mmille16@jhu.edu
Ebony Moore	Senior Academic Program Coordinator, Postdoctoral Fellows		eamoore@jhu.edu
Sheila Small	Academic Services Assistant, Certificate Programs		ssmall2@jhu.edu
Justin Switzer	Academic Program Manager, Masters Programs		jswitze4@jhmi.edu
Julie Thorne	Academic Program Coordinator, Course Support		jthorne7@jhu.edu

Epi Admin

PH - Academic and Administrative Office

Name	Title	Phone	Email	Room
Thomas Bogdan	Senior Administrator		tbogdan1@jhu.edu
Ranjita Sharma	Assistant Administrator		rsharm16@jhmi.edu
Bill Deysher	Senior Administrative Manager		wdeyshe1@jhu.edu
Lakeyah Jennings	Office Manager		lakeya@jhu.edu
Thomas Judge	Executive Assistant		tjudge1@jhmi.edu
Carolyne Wanga	HR Generalist		epihumanresources@jhu.edu

Departmental Committees
 

• Faculty Executive Committee (FEC): The FEC members are elected and appointed by the Chairs and the faculty of the Department. The FEC represents the faculty, advises the Chairs, and works towards formulating solutions and policies at the Department level. 
• Epidemiology Student Organization (ESO): The ESO was established in 1982 to facilitate student-to-student and student-to-faculty communication in the Department and to advocate for student needs. The organization is composed of all students associated with the Department of Epidemiology. It is a forum for planning various student activities, ranging from volunteer opportunities to social activities. The organization is open to new ideas and initiatives from the student body, and all epidemiology students are encouraged to actively participate in ESO activities and monthly meetings
• Epi IDEAS Workgroup: Epi IDEAS is a department-specific workgroup that: Liaises between students, student leaders, and departmental leadership about challenges and opportunities for inclusion, diversity and equity; reviews and offers suggestions for curricular needs on interpreting scientific findings through a lens of diversity and inclusion; designs activities that encourage inclusion, diversity, and equity; and promotes a safe learning environment within the Department. The Epi IDEAS workgroup has Epidemiology students, faculty, fellow, and staff representation. Contact: epi-ideas@jh.edu.
• Curriculum Committee
• Comprehensive Exams (Comps) Committee
• Honors & Awards Committee (H&A)
• Appointments & Promotions (A&P) Committee  
• Admissions & Credentials (A&C) Committee

Certificate Directors

PH - Academic and Administrative Office

Name	Title	Phone	Email	Room
Ann Margret Ervin	Clinical Trials Certificate		aervin@jhu.edu
Carlos Castillo-Salgado	Epidemiology for Public Health Professionals Certificate		ccastil3@jhu.edu
Moyses Szklo	Epidemiology for Public Health Professionals Certificate		mszklo1@jhu.edu
Len Rubenstein	Health and Human Rights Certificate		lrubenst@jhsph.edu
Poonum Korpe	Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Prevention and Control Certificate		pkorpe1@jhu.edu
Stafan Baral	Implementation Science and Research Practice Certificate		sbaral@jhu.edu
Sheree Schwartz	Implementation Science and Research Practice Certificate		sschwa26@jhu.edu
Caleb Alexander	Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety Certificate		galexan9@jhmi.edu
Jodi Segal	Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety Certificate		jsegal@jhmi.edu
Lorraine Dean	Social Epidemiology Certificate		ldean9@jhu.edu
Mary Fox	Risk Sciences and Public Policy Certificate		HPM_Certificates@jhu.edu

Statement on Inclusion and Diversity

The Department of Epidemiology denounces individual and systemic racism in all its forms. Developing meaningful and lasting solutions requires collaboration, research, and time. The department’s full statement on Racism as a Public Health Problem, a video of our intent, and accompanying commitments are on the departmental website. 

Department diversity and inclusion activities fall under three broad overarching goals:

• Communicating epidemiologic science to broad audiences
• Addressing how diversity influences our epidemiology practice and honoring the diversity in the audiences of our science
• Fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion in the Department

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-Racism and Science (Epi IDEAS) Workgroup

Formed in November 2016 to address the needs of students, staff, and faculty, Epi IDEAS makes a difference in the academic and research life of the department and School. Epi IDEAS is a department-specific workgroup that: 

• Liaises between students, student leaders, and departmental leadership about challenges and opportunities for inclusion, diversity, and equity
• Reviews and offers suggestions for curricular needs on interpreting scientific findings through a lens of diversity and inclusion
• Designs activities that encourage inclusion, diversity, and equity
• Promotes a safe learning environment within the Department

Epi IDEAS has Epidemiology students, faculty, and staff representation and builds membership each year.

Additional Resources

Resources for policy and community engagement, service, and science communication:

• Bloomberg American Health Initiative
• Hopkins Day at the Market: attracts over 700 community members who learn about health topics
• Johns Hopkins Center for Health and Human Rights
• SOURCE
• Urban Health Institute
• Bloomberg Office of Practice

Student Groups:

• Epidemiology Student Organization Contact: BSPH.eso@jhu.edu
• Student Assembly and affiliated Student Groups
• The Johns Hopkins OUTList

Training Offerings: 

• Office of Institutional Equity (Title IX, bias, gender identity, MyLearning training courses)
• Safe Zone Training

University Offices: 

• Diversity at JHU
• BSPH Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity [IDARE]
• JHU Statement on Diversity & Inclusion 
• Office of Institutional Equity
• Office of International Services

Conduct and Training

All students, staff, and faculty are expected to abide by the academic, behavioral, and research conduct policies of the School and University. 

Academic & Research Ethics (and Avoiding Plagiarism) Course Requirement

All students must complete PH.550.860 Academic & Research Ethics at BSPH prior to or during the first term of enrollment in the School. Students must complete the Avoiding Plagiarism training developed by JHU's Sheridan Libraries, which is an online course. Students must submit the completion certificates as proof of completion of these pieces of training. Subsequent terms registration can be blocked awaiting the completion of these courses.

Office of Institutional Equity

The Office of Institutional Equity handles many issues, including: Discrimination and Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, ADA Compliance and Disability Accommodations, Religious Accommodations, and Training.  All students must complete Title IX and Harassment Prevention Training. Further, the Department of Epidemiology requires Unconscious Bias Training as well. OIE also defines Confidential Resources and houses the Roadmap to Diversity and Inclusion, the JHU Diversity Leadership Council, and the Office of the Vice Provost for Institutional Equity.

Communication

Students are required to activate and monitor their jhu.edu email inbox and respond to requests politely and in a timely fashion.  Staff and faculty endeavor to do the same. The Johns Hopkins University-hosted email is an official form of Department-related communication. Students have the responsibility to stay current in this communication while enrolled and recognize that certain communications may be time critical. Failure to check for messages and failure to receive messages due to full mailboxes, spam filtering, lapses in service, or auto-forwarded email, etc., are not acceptable excuses for missing official communications. Graduates are expected to convert their emails through the Alumni Office. 

Academic Policies

The Department of Epidemiology encourages students to identify questions and concerns, research these through this e-catalogue and the School website and bring nuanced questions to the Academic Office, the Director of Graduate Education, or their academic adviser for discussion. All requests for changes in the degree program, research track, advising team, course requirements, and departmental requirements should be submitted in writing with the endorsement of the academic adviser for review by the Admissions and Credentials Committee.

Advising Changes

The adviser has the responsibility of assisting the student in designing an academic program that meets the student’s goals within the framework of the requirements of the Department and School. The adviser guides the student to appropriate resources and research opportunities. The adviser is the first point of contact in resolving academic problems and concerns. For a variety of reasons, a student/faculty member may wish to change adviser/advisee. Student-initiated changes of adviser should be made with the Academic Office, please see Departmental Forms (“Change or Add New Adviser or co-Adviser Form”). It is the student’s responsibility to meet with the current adviser and the intended or additional adviser prior to the request and to obtain the signatures of both faculty members prior to submitting the request. Please note that epidemiology degree-seeking students seeking a primary adviser change must retain a faculty member with a full-time primary appointment in Epidemiology. Faculty wishing to initiate a change should use the same form and will need to submit a report of the student's progress to the Academic Support Core Office at the time of this request.

Enrollment Requirements

Master's and doctoral students are considered full-time students and must maintain a minimum registration of 16 credits per term continuously during Terms 1-4 through completion of all degree requirements. Students wishing to drop below 16 credits must consult with their adviser and the Academic Office. International students must also consult the Office for International Services. For additional guidance regarding registration, please see the BSPH websites:

• Records and Registration
• Tuition and Fees

Leave of Absence

The School offers mechanisms for students who need to take a leave of absence during the program. Students wishing to explore their options should discuss their situations with the Academic Office, review the policy statement, and file the appropriate Leave of Absence form. 

Program Changes

Students are expected to complete the degree program they entered based on the review by the Admissions & Credentials Committee at the time of acceptance to the program. In rare instances, students may request changes between the MHS and ScM degree programs only. It is the student’s responsibility to meet with the current adviser and the co-directors of the intended program prior to the request and to obtain the signatures signifying endorsements prior to submission to the Admissions & Credentials Committee. Transfers from either the MHS or SCM to the PhD program are not permitted. Students enrolled in our master's programs must complete their degree requirements prior to enrolling in the PhD program. 

Track Changes

In very select cases, students may find that their research focus changes quite significantly between the time of application through the time of matriculation. Students may request to change tracks by submitting the request form to the Academic Program Manager through the second term of their first year (December 31), provided they have completed the required courses for the new track. Changes after this time require the request form, letter of request, a plan for completing the courses required of the new track, and written approval from the adviser and intended track's Director. Occasionally, this may require a change in advisers as well. Other instances requiring a change in track include failure of track-related courses or the track-specific section of the comprehensive examination (Part B) and should be discussed with the Senior Academic Program Manager, the adviser, and the current and intended track directors. For PhD students, the change in track and adviser is not taken lightly and requires consultation with the chair's office.

Course Waivers

The Department expects students to have some familiarity with the field prior to enrollment. In the case where students have successfully completed the coursework required by the track, the director may approve waivers for similar coursework required by the track. Graduate students who believe they have passed equivalent graduate-level courses (with a grade of B or higher) at other institutions may apply for a waiver of required courses. Request Forms should be sent to the Academic Program Manager. Requests must include a clear rationale, a course syllabus, and a transcript (unofficial is okay) from the institution where the course was taken. Waiver requests require the adviser and primary instructor's (if Epidemiology course) consent, as well as approval from the Admissions & Credentials Committee. Waivers of Track required courses require approval from the track director as well. The Epidemiologic Methods sequence 340.751-753, 340.761-764, and the completion of either 140.621-624 or 140.651-654 Biostatistics series may not be waived.

Primary Data Collection Waiver

The Curriculum Committee of the Department of Epidemiology acknowledges that in the era of "big data", many important research questions can be satisfactorily answered and insights gained from pooling large data sets. As these are often long-standing collaborative research studies, they would be impossible to complete by one student during a training program. Therefore, the department developed policy and waiver documents to be developed and discussed by the thesis advisory committee and included in the doctoral proposal document. Students can access these under the PhD Policies section of this e-catalogue and on the Sharepoint site for current students.

Student Evaluations

The evaluation of satisfactory academic progress and the individual course letter grades are handled at the School level and tied to federal regulations. Therefore, any student who earns a grade of C or lower or a cumulative grade point average below the minimum for the degree program is automatically reviewed by the Departmental Admissions & Credentials Committee, the Track and Program Directors, and the Schoolwide Committee on Academic Standards (CAS). Students whose grades fall below the minimum standard should submit an explanation and waiver request but should be prepared to retake the course if necessary. For students receiving financial aid, the Office of Financial Aid will also review any C grades or grade point cumulative averages below the minimum for the degree, which may result in a loss of financial aid for the upcoming term. To that end, the Academic Program Managers, along with the Departmental Admissions & Credentials Committee, review mid-term grades for the Epidemiologic Methods series courses, and the Biostatistics series, and contact students whose work may place them in jeopardy. Students are permitted "1 free C" without placement on academic probation. However, students who earn a C in any of 340.751-753, 340.761-764, and/or 140.621-624 or 140.651-654 may be required to retake that course in the following year next year unless:

• Students obtain an A in at least one of the subsequent courses of the series without receiving another C (or any lower grade).
• Students pass the comprehensive exam at the appropriate level for their degree program prior to the following year.
   

Students are expected to earn As and Bs in Epidemiology coursework, (minimum equivalency of 80%) maintain a cumulative GPA (2.75 for master’s; 3.0 for doctoral), and pass the Department Comprehensive exams at the designated level. Other grounds for removal from degree candidacy include:

• Any grade of D or F in a required course;
• Two grades of C in required courses;
• Two grades of D or F or any combination thereof in elective courses;
• Failure to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 for masters and 3.0 for doctoral students;
• Failure on one or both parts of the Department comprehensive exam;
• Failure to maintain progress on dissertation research/thesis projects; or
• Academic or behavioral ethics violations

In such cases, after reviewing the student's performance, the Departmental Admissions & Credentials Committee will make a decision regarding the student's continuation in the program and notify the Department Chair for a final decision.  Occasionally, students may be placed on academic probation within the department prior to dismissal. This time will permit students to attempt to bring their GPA above 2.75 for master's and 3.0 for doctoral programs. Conversely, any student whose GPA removes them from academic probation will be notified and reported to the Admissions & Credentials Committee.

Students may choose to withdraw from the degree program or School at any time but should consult with their adviser and their Academic Program Manager prior to making this decision. Failure to maintain registration is considered a withdrawal from the School.

The Department fully expects that students will be able to handle the course load; however, if students experience being overwhelmed, they are encouraged to contact their adviser(s), the Director of Graduate Education, Dr. Noelle Vargas, nbrione1@jh.edu; the Senior Academic Program Manager, Frances Burman, FranBurman@jhu.edu (office 410-955-3926),  the Academic Program Manager, Justin Switzer, jswitze4@jhmi.edu, (office 410-502-9288), the Office of Student Life (410-502- 2487), and/or JHSAP (443-287-7000).

Student Funding

Students registered in the School are eligible for consideration for a number of scholarships, research fellowships, and endowed awards offered by the various departments of the School. In general, notices of funding are announced in Term 2.  Applicants should follow the instructions provided by the announcements. These awards are usually made in early spring for the upcoming academic year. A full list of such scholarships can be found on the School's website, which was developed to help students identify and secure outside sources of support for tuition and academic research. The Student Funding Guide is updated annually and serves a critical purpose in outlining support for graduate students. 

Contact Information

Financial Aid Office, BSPH, (410) 955-3004

Student Accounts and Business Services, BSPH, (410) 955-5725

Master's Level

The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (not the Department) provides Master’s Tuition Scholarships to full-time SCM students. Masters students have the option of selecting either a 25% scholarship in year 1 and 50% scholarship in year 2 of training, or alternatively a 75% scholarship in their 2^nd year of training. Scholarships options are selected prior to graduate training and are implemented by the BSPH Office of Financial Aid Services. The Master’s Tuition Scholarship covers four terms only and is only awarded when students have registered for a minimum of 16 credits per term. In addition, Masters Degree candidates may qualify for endowments. Requests for nomination are issued every December, and applications are received and reviewed by the Department’s Honors and Awards Committee; award recipients are notified in the spring.

Doctoral Level

Funding for the PhD program

Grant Application Assistance

This policy applies to any Department student proposal (for dissertation, fellowship, stipend support, or otherwise) by which an external agency awards monies to the student through the University.

The student must schedule an initial meeting with the Student Funding Manager at least 45-60 days prior to the due date of the proposal to discuss the terms of the application and to be oriented to internal procedures. Any application brought to the Student Funding Manager's attention less than 30 days prior to the due date will not be considered.

The student should send a copy of the PA (Program Announcement) or terms and Conditions to the Student Funding Manager prior to the meeting for review. The Student Funding Manager will assist the student with the cover page, budget, and any administrative or technical questions.

Students must work with their mentors or advisers to develop an acceptable scientific research proposal. The mentor or adviser must acknowledge a draft of the science (aims and research methods), certifying that it has met acceptable standards for submission before it is submitted to the Department Chair for final approval. A copy of the research proposal/science (Specific Aims and Research Strategy only) affirmed by the adviser/mentor must be submitted to the Department Chair no later than 10 business days prior to the due date for review.  The adviser/mentor (not the student) should send this document to their attention certifying that the science has met an acceptable review. The student should immediately schedule a second meeting with the Student Funding Manager to review the final proposal and complete a JHURA internal information/compliance worksheet. This second meeting should take place at least 5-7 business days prior to the due date so the Student Funding Manager has time to coordinate and finalize the internal and sponsored proposal.

The full application must be submitted along with a signed information sheet to Johns Hopkins University Research Administration (JHURA) no later than 5 business days prior to the due date for review.  

Endowed Funds / Current Use Scholarships / NIH Training Grants

Requests for nomination are issued every December, and applications are received and reviewed by the Department’s Honors and Awards Committee; award recipients are notified in the spring. A full list of Awards, Endowments, and Honors is updated regularly and posted online. 

Doctoral Thesis Research Fund

The Department awards research grants each year to enable doctoral students to conduct research in the field of Epidemiology. The grant is designated for start-up funds of up to $5,000 for doctoral thesis research and may be used for basic costs, such as materials and interviews. Application forms should include a statement of whether or not the project could be conducted without the Department funding, the itemized budget, and a 3–5-page thesis proposal. Applications should be submitted to the Student Financial Manager upon the successful completion of the preliminary oral examination and IRB approval. Applications are reviewed by the Honor and Awards Committee. Students must be post-oral doctoral degree candidates in the Department of Epidemiology at the time of support. The application deadlines are October 31^st and March 31^st of each year.

NIH NRSA T32 Training Grants (Pre- and Postdoctoral Fellowships)

The Department offers a limited number of NIH-supported, pre-and postdoctoral fellowship opportunities for U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents. Decisions regarding the distribution of funds for tuition and stipend support are made by the Steering Committees of each training program. 

Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control Training Program

Cardiovascular Epidemiology Institutional Training Program

Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Aging Training Program

Johns Hopkins HIV Epidemiology Prevention Sciences Training Program

Renal Disease Epidemiology Training Grant (postdoctoral only)

Research in Practice: Translating Infectious Disease Epidemiology (RIP-TIDE) 

Training Awards (Non-NIH)

MD-GEM: The Maryland Genetics, Epidemiology, and Medicine Training Program (predoctoral only):  Drs. Priya Duggal and David Valle
Sponsored by the Burroughs Welcome Fund

Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health:  Drs. Frank Lin and Jennifer Deal
 

Additional training mechanisms available through the Welch Center for Prevention Epidemiology and Clinical Research:

• Graduate Training Programs in Clinical Investigation 
   
• Clinical Research and Epidemiology in Diabetes and Endocrinology 

Upon notification of selection to receive support, the student may direct questions to the Student Funding Manager. Additionally, departmental students may be supported on grants housed in other departments or schools within the University.

NIH F-Level Individual Predoctoral National Research Service Awards (NRSAs)

As a result of the advisory Biomedical Research Workforce Working Group to the NIH Director, nearly all NIH institutes and centers offer individual predoctoral (F30 and F31) NRSA fellowships. The Department encourages each eligible graduate student to apply for individual fellowship grants. Interested students should first talk with their adviser(s) and the Student Financial Manager. Individual institute and center information and guidelines may differ from one another and can be explored at:

•  Parent F31 for predoctoral fellowships

• F31 to Promote Diversity predoctoral fellowships

• Parent F30 for MD/PhD or other dual degree programs

The Department hosts an annual information session at the start of Term 3. Presented by recent successful student applicants to F-level awards, and in partnership with the Student Financial Manager, this is designed to prepare interested applicants to make a decision about applying for an F-level grant.