Epidemiology is the study of diseases in given populations. Epidemiologists examine how and where disease outbreaks start, how diseases are transmitted among individuals in a population and how to effectively treat those diseases
Community health workers (CHWs) interact directly with the public to address the health concerns that affect members of diverse populations (e.g., children, elderly, homeless, veterans). CHWs also assist medical professionals and educators by engaging in dialog with community members, collecting data, and implementing public health programs.
Environmental scientists and specialists are dedicated to studying the natural and manmade resources that contribute (in both positive and negative ways) to the health of our planet. Some members of this profession are primarily field-based and spend their workday collecting air, water, soil, and other samples to analyze. Others concentrate their efforts toward policy work, legislation, and other government-related areas of environmental protection and regulation
Health educators focus on helping groups of people, from family units to large urban communities, by developing educational campaigns and programs to promote healthy habits and environments. Their duties are more research-oriented and administrative.
A biostatistician is someone who uses or applies mathematics and statistics to varying categories in biology. They design biological experiments primarily in the field of agriculture and medicine; they collect, dissect, and summarize the data, and release information based on the findings of that data.
Public health may conjure images of community medical clinics or awareness campaigns promoting healthy living, but the field is not nearly so narrow. Instead, public health professionals are involved in everything from identifying diseases to creating public policy to helping refugees integrate into new communities.
Public health is the science and art of creating healthy communities through education, research and promotion of healthy lifestyles. In public health, the focus is on health promotion and disease/injury prevention, in contrast to the medical model of care, which focuses more heavily upon diagnosing and treating illnesses and conditions after they occur.
The mission of the Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health is to advance population health, health equity, and social and environmental justice among diverse communities in Milwaukee, the state of Wisconsin, and beyond through education, research, community engagement, and advocacy for health-promoting policies and strategies.