Lecturer (seminar, exercises): Prof. Dr. Krasimira Aleksandrova, PhD, MPH
Phone number: +49 421 218 56 816
Email: aleksandrova@leibniz-bips.de

Course prerequisites
N/A

Overview
This seminar will introduce the students to the scientific concepts and methods of epidemiological research from a practical perspective. It is aimed at providing basic skills for writing epidemiological research papers and searching and evaluating the scientific literature. The students will get acquainted with the current developments and areas of work in epidemiology and the needed skills in writing high quality epidemiological research works. They will learn how to formulate an adequate and scientifically relevant research questions and the steps in conducting systematic reviews and evidence synthesis of various epidemiological studies in the context of evidence-based health research. They will also learn about the various guidelines for conducting and reporting epidemiological studies and systematic reviews and how to use them to improve quality of their work. The seminars will be illustrated with examples taken from the contemporary scientific literature. There will be thorough discussions on how to properly write and interpret epidemiological papers taking overall research context into account. Ultimately, the students will gain knowledge about the main skills needed and the prospects for professional career development in the field of epidemiology. They will get acquainted with the various career opportunities and will learn about the epidemiological professional organisations and networks in Germany and internationally.

At the end of this seminar, the students will be able to:
- Formulate research questions in epidemiology
- Know how to use the PICOT (population, intervention, comparison, outcome and timeframe) and FINER (feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, relevant) formats for defining research questions
- Know the principles of writing research articles reporting epidemiological findings
- Plan the required steps in conducting and interpreting results of systematic reviews in epidemiology and health research
- Understand the broader prospects for career development in the field of epidemiology.

Course Materials
Materials and suggested readings will be provided during the seminar.

Course requirements
Group work and in-class discussions: Students will work on specific research topics and practice how to turn research ideas into research questions and how to plan manuscript writing. They will be asked to read various articles that provide examples of various epidemiological papers. The students will briefly present the studies using a list of predefined questions. They should learn to address the appropriateness of the research question, the methodological aspects related to the used study design, and the description of data analysis and results interpretation.

Final project. Planning a manuscript addressing particular research question in epidemiology
Using the guidelines of the preselected journals, they will plan writing a manuscript where they should clearly present the research question and identify gaps and existing inconsistencies that need to be addressed. The students should show that they can clearly describe the research question, provide justification and supporting literature; critically appraise quality of the study designs and apply relevant guidelines, as well as demonstrate critical thinking. The students will receive also suggested literature that they can use and specific instructions on how to structure their final project report.

Final presentation:
Each student will present their final work as a 20 minute presentation + 5-10 min discussion.

Die Public Health Ethik ist in Deutschland ein sehr junges Fach. Public Health Ethiker*innen befassen sich systematisch mit der Bestimmung, Bewertung und Priorisierung möglicher Vorgehensweisen im Bereich Public Health. Die Basis bilden ethische Grundsätze, Prinzipien und Werte; aber auch die Überzeugungen von Interessengruppen. Public Health-Ethiker*innen arbeiten interdisziplinär, um Lösungen für ethische Probleme in Forschung und Praxis zu entwickeln.
Ausgehend von aktuellen Entwicklungen in der Public Health Ethik gibt das Seminar einen übergreifenden Einblick in den Zusammenhang von Ethik und Epidemiologie. Schwerpunkte sind:
• Unterschied zwischen Moral und Ethik
• zentrale ethische Theorien
• Aufbau einer ethischen Argumentation
• wichtige ethische Prinzipien (wie Autonomie, Nicht-Schaden, Gerechtigkeit, Vulnerabilität, Solidarität, Vertrauen)
• exemplarische Themenfelder von Ethik und Epidemiologie
• Ethik als Praxisfeld (z.B. in Ethikkommissionen, öffentlichen Gremien und Institutionen) mit besonderem Fokus auf Forschungsethik und Datenschutz
Die Prüfungsleistung ist entweder ein Referat oder eine Hausarbeit.

Zur ersten Blocksitzung werden Texte (englisch und deutsch) bereitgestellt, die gemeinsam diskutiert werden. In der zweiten und dritten Blocksitzung können die Studierenden Referate zu selbstgewählten Themen aus dem Bereich Ethik und Epidemiologie halten.

"Freiwilligen Kurs"
Zoom-Kurs
Grundkenntnisse erwerben. Beispiele:

• alterspezifische Mortalitätsraten berechnen und grafisch darstellen (metrisch und logarithmisch),
• proportionale Mortalität berechnen und grafisch darstellen, years of potential life lost; direkte und indirekte Altersstandardisierung.

"Freiwilligen Kurs"

Grundkenntnisse erwerben. Beispiele:

• alterspezifische Mortalitätsraten berechnen und grafisch darstellen (metrisch und logarithmisch),
• proportionale Mortalität berechnen und grafisch darstellen, years of potential life lost; direkte und indirekte Altersstandardisierung.

"Freiwilligen Kurs"
ZOOM-Kurs
Grundkenntnisse erwerben. Beispiele:

• alterspezifische Mortalitätsraten berechnen und grafisch darstellen (metrisch und logarithmisch),
• proportionale Mortalität berechnen und grafisch darstellen, years of potential life lost; direkte und indirekte Altersstandardisierung.

Termin: jeden vierten Mittwoch im Monat

Dates: 15 November, 22 November, 29 November and 6 December in the afternoon (14.00-17.00)

The short course “Mental Health Epidemiology” is a joint programme with epidemiology students at the University of Antwerp, the University of Maastricht and the University of Bremen. It will be taught jointly by faculty staff of the University of Antwerp and the University of Bremen.

Target group: Epidemiology and Public Health master students

Course objective: The course introduces non-communicable disease epidemiology, focusing specifically on mental health. The course starts with a short introduction to the epidemiology of non-communicable diseases and will then focus specifically on the epidemiology of major mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorders and alcohol use. Serious mental disorders such as psychoses will be outlined and their risk factors will be discussed. Mental health assessment and measurement will be introduced. Possible avenues regarding the prevention and treatment of mental disorders will be highlighted. The language of teaching is English and Bremen students have the opportunity to interact with students from Maastricht and Antwerp. The course has an international focus and will highlight the epidemiology of mental disorders in an international perspective. The course will be held online due to the collaboration with the University of Antwerp and Maastricht.

Content: Introduction to mental health epidemiology, mental health assessment and measurement approaches, mental health care organization, treatment and prevention of mental disorders

Assignment: Students from all three universities will be mixed in groups and each group (consisting of up 5 students) will be asked to give a presentation on a topic related to mental health epidemiology. A choice of different topics will be provided but students are also free to choose their own topic. Each group will be assigned a tutor who will meet with each student group to discuss their topic and presentation in advance of them presenting it to the wider group. The student presentations will be held at the last day of the course.



Course organizer for Bremen:

Prof. Daniela Fuhr fuhr@leibniz-bips.de

Course lecturer: Prof. Dr. Krasimira Aleksandrova, PhD, MPH
Phone number: +49 421 218 56 816
Email: aleksandrova@leibniz-bips.de

Course prerequisites
Knowledge of basic concepts in epidemiology and study designs.

Course Overview
This course will introduce the students to the basic principles and practices in molecular epidemiology as a rapidly developing field during the last decades driven by the novel discoveries of biological phenomena at molecular and genetic level. The course will start with providing an overview of the contextual framework for establishing the molecular epidemiology as a new branch in epidemiology including the recent developments in the biomedical field. Throughout the course, the students will gain understanding on various practical aspects related to the use of biomarkers in epidemiological research. These include considerations of the type of biomarkers, the biosample collection, processing and storage, biomarker measurements, principles of quality control for laboratory assays, measurement error, validity and reproducibility of biomarker data. The students will get to know specific study designs that allow integration and analysis of biomarkers in epidemiologic research, i.e. nested case-control and case-cohort studies. They will learn to appraise issues in epidemiologic study design and analysis, incl. potential uses and limitations of biomarkers. The students will be also exposed to numerous examples of the application of biomarkers to the study of major chronic diseases and conditions, incl. the COVID-19. In addition, they will learn about specific applications of biomarkers in various population groups, i.e. children and older people. A specific emphasis will be put on the ethical and legal aspects in biomarker research. The course will conclude with discussing the recent developments in establishing large biobanks, the generation of big data and novel biotechnological platforms and directions in molecular epidemiologic research. The lecture topics will be organised to combine theoretical and practical aspects of molecular epidemiology and will include multiple class exercises and discussions of specific research examples involving biomarkers.

Course Objectives
This course is aimed to provide a background for understanding the basic principles in molecular epidemiology designs, methods, analysis and interpretation. Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:
1. Know the contextual framework, the principles and concepts of molecular epidemiology;
2. Be acquainted with the application of biomarkers in epidemiologic studies, including their strengths and limitations;
3. Describe major challenges in collecting, storing and processing various biological samples for human population studies, as well as the ethical and legal considerations;
4. Formulate a research question and prepare a study and analysis plan employing study designs in molecular epidemiology;
5. Critically appraise research reporting data from molecular epidemiologic study.

Course Materials
Recommended:
Molecular Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases by Chris Wild, Paolo Vineis, and Seymour Garte. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2008.
Further materials and suggested readings will be provided during the course.

Course requirements
In-class paper discussions: Students will be asked to read an article that provides an example of uses of biomarkers to investigate associations of interest. The students will briefly present the study using a list of predefined questions. They should learn to address the appropriateness the research question, the methodological aspects related to the used study design, biomarker information and data analysis/interpretation.

Final project. Students will have an opportunity to choose from two possible formats for preparing a final project. The students will receive also suggested literature that they can use and specific instructions on how to structure their final project report.
Option 1: A research proposal for a molecular epidemiology study.
The students should develop a short project proposal to address a research question in the field of molecular epidemiology. It should describe the research background, the specific hypothesis and research objectives, the study design (study population, exclusion/inclusion criteria; sample collection; biomarker measurement), planned statistical analyses and potential study limitations. The students should demonstrate that they can clearly describe the research question, provide justification and supporting literature; make a proper study design choice and demonstrate critical thinking.
Option 2: Literature review on the use of a biomarker(s) for addressing a particular research question
The students will be offered specific topics and can make a choice for conducting a literature review addressing a specific research question. Using the guidelines of the preselected journals, they will plan and conduct a literature review in which they should clearly present the research question and identify gaps and existing inconsistencies that need to be addressed by the review. They will suggest a strategy for collecting the literature and appropriate methods and data presentation. The students should show that they can clearly describe the research question, provide justification and supporting literature; critically appraise used study designs and demonstrate critical thinking.

Final presentation:
Each student will present their final work as a 20 minute presentation + 5-10 min discussion.

Im Seminar wird der Einsatz der KI in der epidemiologischen Forschung praktisch erprobt und kritisch reflektiert.
Dabei werden verschiedene Einsatzmöglichkeiten (z. B. Literaturrecherche, Datenauswertung, Texterstellung, Präsentation) einbezogen.
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