Environmental Toxicology and Epidemiology Training Grant - Curriculum
Supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH
Responsible Conduct of Research
All trainees -- predoctoral and postdoctoral -- are required to participate in both training and coursework on responsible conduct of research.
This includes online certification training through the University PEERRS system as well as classroom training. The following modules are required:
- Conflict of Interest
- Research Practice Foundations
- Research Administration
- Human Subjects - Biomedical & Health
- Authorship
- Animal Care & Use (only required for trainees working with animals)
This training is required regardless of previous training.
To meet the coursework requirement for responsible conduct of research, predoctoral and postdoctoral students complete training in Responsible Conduct of Research and Scholarship (RCRS) which includes face-to-face sessions discussing 8 topics on ethics in research.
Predoctoral Curriculum
Predoctoral trainees specialize in either environmental molecular epidemiology or mechanistic toxicology. Because this program aims to provide transdisciplinary research training in which mechanistic toxicology and environmental epidemiology inform each other, predoctoral trainees are required to take a foundation course and an advanced course in the non-specialization area. In addition, trainees take a common core curriculum that includes coursework in translational research and bioinformatics.
The training grant course requirements described here are in addition to EHS department course requirements.
Foundation Course in Toxicology
EHS 602 Essentials of Toxicology (3 credits, Fall Term)
This course examines basic concepts of occupational and environmental toxicology,
including uptake, distribution, metabolic conversion, and elimination of toxic agents,
as well as the fundamental models used to describe the interaction of xenobiotic agents
with biological systems. The course focuses on the application of these concepts to
the assessment of exposures, estimates for risk of disease, establishment of appropriate
limits on exposures and ambient levels of toxic materials/agents, and understanding
and prevention of mortality and morbidity resulting from environmental exposure to
toxic substances through a case study format.
Foundation Course in Epidemiology
Select one (1) of the following:
EPID 600 Introduction to Epidemiology (3 credits, Winter Term )
This is an introductory Epidemiology course that is required for Epidemiology MPH
students and offered as an elective to others. This course provides students with
in-depth foundations of epidemiologic theory and practice. The course will cover conceptual
and practical issues around the design and conduct of epidemiologic research and the
analysis and interpretation of data. This course is offered in the fall semester,
but is reserved for Biostatistics students. If a students must take the course in
their fall semester, they will need to get permission to enroll from the Epidmiology
department (email: epidstudentservices@umich.edu)
EPID 601 Principles and Methods in Epidemiology (4 credits, Fall Term)
A comprehensive course in the basic concepts, principles, and methods of population-based
epidemiologic research, which serves as a foundation for subsequent courses in epidemiology,
biomedical research, and quantitative methods. Class topics expand on those covered
in Epid 600. Emphasis is given to study design, quantitative measures, statistical
analysis, data quality, sources of bias, and causal inference. The general approach
of this course is both theoretical and quantitative, focusing on the investigation
of disease etiology and other causal relations in public health and medicine.
Options for Advanced Coursework in Toxicology for Epidemiology Specialization
Select one (1) of the following:
EHS 616 Toxicologic Pathology (2 credits, Fall Term)
Chemical-induced pathologic outcomes on mammalian cells, tissues and organs with an
emphasis on methods used for investigative toxicologic pathology; integration of toxicologic
mechanisms and pathologic outcomes. Lectures, student-led discussions and slide-reading
sessions.
EHS 660 Environmental Epigenetics and Public Health (2 credits, Winter Term)
This course examines principles and applications of epigenetics as they relate to
human nutrition, environmental exposures and disease etiology, including mechanisms
and policy implications. Case studies evaluate processes using animal and human examples
drawn from the literature. Students will be introduced to laboratory methods and emerging
technologies for examining epigenetics
Options for Advanced Coursework in Epidemiology for Toxicology Specialization
Select one (1) of the following:
EHS 608 Environmental Epidemiology (3 credits, Winter Term)
An introduction to topics in environmental epidemiology, covering major areas of current
inquiry in this field. It will convey the basic tools required to critically read
the literature and to develop appropriate study designs in light of intended applications.
Topics include lectures on methodology and major environmental exposures, discussions
based on review and critiques of current literature, and presentations by outside
experts on specific environmental epidemiology issues of current interest, followed
by primary instructor-led discussion on the paper.
EHS 657 Advanced Exposure Assessment (3 credits, Winter Term)
Introduction to classical, contemporary, and cutting-edge approaches to the estimation
of human exposure to environmental and occupational agents as it relates to epidemiology
studies as well as risk science, regulatory compliance, exposure source/route apportionment,
and susceptibility factors. Qualitative and quantitative methods in exposure science
will be covered, including surrogate measures, exposure modeling, and biological markers
of exposure, in addition to statistical concepts such as exposure measurement error
and efficient study design.
EPID 675/EHS 675 Data Analysis for Environmental Epidemiology (3 credits, Winter Term)
Introduction to non-parametric smoothing methods, such as splines, locally weighted
polynomial regression (LOESS) and generalized additive models (GAM), and focus on
continuous environmental exposure variables. It will also deal with analysis of correlated
data, including longitudinal analysis and time-series analysis that are widely used
in environmental epidemiology. It will provide an opportunity to analyze actual population
data to learn how to model environmental epidemiologic data, and is designed particularly
for students who pursue environmental epidemiologic research. R, a free software environment
for statistical computing and graphics, will be used.
Bioinformatics
Select one (1) of the following:
BIOINFO 527 Introduction to Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (4 credits, Fall
Term)
Introduction to the fundamental theories and practices of Bioinformatics and Computational
Biology via a series of integrated lectures and labs. These lectures and labs will
focus on the basic knowledge required in this field, methods of high-throughput data
generation, accessing public genome-related information and data, and tools for data
mining and analysis. The course is divided into four areas: Basics of Bioinformatics,
Computational Phylogeny (includes sequence analysis), Systems Biology and Modeling.
BIOINF 545/BIOSTAT 646/STATS 545 High-Throughput Molecular Genomic and Epigenomic
Data Analysis (3 credits, Winter Term)
The course will cover basic analysis of microarrays, RNA-Seq, and ChIP-Seq data including
hands-on lab sessions. The class also covers an introduction to the underlying biology
and the technologies used for measuring RNA levels, transcription factor binding and
epigenetic modifications, and quality control of microarray and deep sequencing data.
Topics: technologies, experimental design, data preprocessing, normalization, quality
control, statistical inference (group comparisons, peak detection), multiple comparison
adjustments, power calculations, clustering, functional enrichment testing.
For More Information:
Kaley James, M. Ed, CHES
Environmental Toxicology and Epidemiology Program
Department of Environmental Health Sciences
1415 Washington Heights
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029
Phone: 734-936-0749
kaleyj@umich.edu