This introductory mental health course provides an overview of mental health disorders and associated disease burden and risk factors, and also describes the current configuration of the US mental health industry including associated facilities and providers and best practice methods to treat mental health disorders. This course then emphasizes the importance of public health interventions to supplement existing treatment modalities in order to address mental health disease burden and associated risk factors.

How do epidemics happen? How do we respond? What is the intersection between practice and policy? What happens when epidemiologic desirability meets political and cultural reality? We?ll explore epidemic diseases around the world and in history, and the role that we can play in their management.

This course will explore contemporary topics and methods in studying the link between the physical environment and population?s health, i.e. environmental epidemiology. Many chronic diseases are of unknown or multifactorial etiology but may likely be related to environmental exposures. Environmental epidemiology focuses on the ways environmental factors affect the health of populations. Topical areas include effects of air pollution, pesticides, metals, and endocrine disrupting chemicals on a wide range of health outcomes, including, neurodevelopment, reproductive, and metabolic functions.

Provides a foundation for future work in the field of injury prevention and an opportunity to apply policy analysis skills to a specific public health problem. Familiarizes students with sources of injury data and discusses the methodological considerations essential to conducting or critically assessing epidemiological studies of injuries. Introduces an injury prevention framework in the context of behavioral, social, biomechanical, technological, and economic aspects of prevention. Presents the major causes of injury and addresses the policy issues that arise from prevention efforts.

While the health and wellbeing of the nation has improved overall, racial, ethnic, gender and sexuality disparities in morbidity and mortality persist. To successfully address growing disparities, it is important to understand social determinants of health and translate current knowledge into specific strategies to undo health inequalities. This course will explore social justice as a philosophical underpinning of public health and will consider the etiology of disease rooted in social conditions.

This course will provide a comprehensive overview of issues related to health in women, addressing areas including but not limited to biology, psychology, geography, economics, health policy, and social issues.

The public health community - individuals and organizations - have an important role to play in shaping how populations receive and gain access to accurate health information. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention defines health communication as "the and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions that enhance health." This class will provide an introduction to the issues and methods associated with effective communication of health related information. Fulfills Junior Year Writing requirement.