Faculty of Arts & Science
2015-2016 Calendar

Public Health Sciences

Faculty


Professor and Dean of the School
H. Hu, MD MPH ScD

Professors
L.M. Calzavara, Ph D, MA
P. Corey, Ph D
M. Escobar, Ph D
J. Stafford, Ph D

Associate Professors
D. Allman, PhD
P.E. Brown, PhD
G. Einstein, MA, Ph D
B.J. Harvey, MD, Ph D, MEd
B. Poland, Ph D
P. Selby, MBBS, MHSc
J. Scott, Ph D
R. Summerbell, Ph D

Assistant Professors
P. Kaufman, PhD
K. Urbanoski, PhD

Offered by the Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Introduction

Public health is the science and art of preventing disease and promoting health through organized population-based efforts.  The focus of public health is to prevent rather than treat disease and to positively affect determinants of health through a wide range of strategies, including the surveillance and assessment of population health and the promotion of healthy behaviours, healthy environments and healthy public policies.  In addition to these activities, the identification and treatment of those with disease may be vital to preventing it in others, such as during an outbreak of an infectious disease.  Hand washing, vaccination programs, the inspection of restaurants, laws banning smoking in public places and tax credits for childhood physical activity programs are examples of public health measures.  Public health includes sub-disciplines such as epidemiology, biostatistics, occupational and environmental health, public health policy, and social and behavioural health sciences.

Associate Dean, Academic Affairs: Professor Andrea Sass-Kortsak, a.sass@utoronto.ca.

Enquiries:  Room 688, Health Sciences Building

Public Health Sciences Courses


Courses Offered by PHS:
PHS100H1    Grand Opportunities in Global Health[24L/24T]

This course introduces students to basic public health-related concepts, significant aspects of the historical development of global health, and a selection of topics illustrating the broad and evolving nature of this field. In addition, it helps students explore the contributions that various disciplines/fields offer to global health.

Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science course
Breadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

PHS300H1    HIV Prevention Research[24L]

This course engages students in in-depth learning about HIV research.  In addition to learning about methods and issues from a variety of research disciplines as applied to HIV, students will be expected, with guidance, to design a study relevant to the content of the course.

Recommended Preparation: Introductory course in statistics
Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science or Science course
Breadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

HMB325H1    Statistics Applied to Human Biology[24L/24T]

Find out how to use statistics in your research, and critically assess published data using statistical concepts. The examples used in these lectures and small-group sessions are taken solely from human biology studies.

Prerequisite: First Year math or physics course, (BIO220H1+BIO230H1/BIO255H1)/(BIO240H1+BIO241H1), HMB265H1/BIO260H1
Exclusion: ECO220Y1/ECO227Y1/PSY202H1/SOC300H1/ STA221H1/STA248H1
Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Science course
Breadth Requirement: Living Things and Their Environment (4)

HMB342H1    Epidemiology of Health & Disease[24L/24T]

This course engages students in the fundamental science of epidemiology applied to health and disease.  After an introduction to various measures of health and disease, the scientific methods used to investigate, analyze, prevent and control health problems will be illustrated using biomedical and public health examples.

Prerequisite: HMB202H1/HMB203H1
Exclusion: UNI373H1
Recommended Preparation: HMB325H1 or other statistics course
Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Science course
Breadth Requirement: Living Things and Their Environment (4)

STA365H1    Applied Bayesian Statistics [36L]

Bayesian inference has become an important applied technique and is especially valued to solve complex problems. This course first examines the basics of Bayesian inference. From there, this course looks at modern, computational methods and how to make inferences on complex data problems.

Prerequisite: STA302H1
Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Science course
Breadth Requirement: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)

PSY407H1    Special Topics in Psychology[36L]

In depth examination of specific topics/themes relating to Psychology.  Content in any given year depends on instructor.  Enrolment priority is given to PSY Major program students.

Prerequisite: PSY100H1, PSY201H1 (or equivalent), and one further 200-level PSY half-course.
Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Science course
Breadth Requirement: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

GGR433H1    Built Environment and Health[36S]

Linking across fields that include public health, geography and planning, this course examines the growing evidence and ways in which human health is affected by the design and development of the built environment in which we live, work and play. The course considers how various planning and development decisions impact population and individual health, particularly in relation to chronic diseases, injuries, and mental health.

Prerequisite: 10.0 FCE's
Exclusion: GGR400H1 (2012-13)
Recommended Preparation: 1.0 FCE in Geography (SOC SCI/BR=3)
Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science course
Breadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

GGR434H1    Building Community Resilience[36S]

Examines concepts of resilience as a way of building the capacity of communities to (a) respond to predicted disruptions/shocks associated with climate change, global pandemics, anticipated disruptions in global food supply, energy insecurity, and environmental degradation; and (b) nurture the development of alternative spaces that support the emergence of more life-sustaining structures and practices. Includes explicit attention to equity and public health, and explores issues such as: participatory governance of social-ecological systems, the nature of social change, complexity science, the role of social movements, indigenous and political ecology perspectives.

Prerequisite: 10 FCEs
Exclusion: GGR400H1 (2011-12)
Recommended Preparation: 1.0 FCEs in Geography
Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science course
Breadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

HMB436H1    Medical and Veterinary Mycology[16L/6P/8S]

This lecture-based course will familiarize students with fungi of public health importance, particularly those that cause disease in humans and other animals. The course will focus on the clinical presentation, pathophysiology, and treatment of fungal infections, as well as the ecology, physiology and evolutionary biology of the agents responsible. The course will also address other ways in which fungi influence human and animal health.

Prerequisite: 4th year status; HMB265H1/BIO260H1
Exclusion: BOT405H1
Recommended Preparation: EEB268H1; EEB331H1/CSB353H1
Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Science course
Breadth Requirement: Living Things and Their Environment (4)

STA465H1    Theory and Methods for Complex Spatial Data[36L]

Data acquisition trends in the environmental, physical and health sciences are increasingly spatial in character and novel in the sense that modern sophisticated methods are required for analysis. This course will cover different types of random spatial processes and how to incorporate them into mixed effects models for Normal and non-Normal data. Students will be trained in a variety of advanced techniques for analyzing complex spatial data and, upon completion, will be able to undertake a variety of analyses on spatially dependent data, understand which methods are appropriate for various research questions, and interpret and convey results in the light of the original questions posed.

Prerequisite: STA302H1
Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Science course
Breadth Requirement: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)