Contemporary Epidemiology and Global Health

6 ECTS / Annual / Portuguese

Intended learning outcomes (knowledge, skills and competences to be developed by the students):

The objectives of the course are to introduce students to a holistic perspective on current global challenges and computation-based approaches to pathogen transmission, surveillance, control and health. The aim is to prepare students with a better understanding of the methodological and research landscapes of contemporary epidemiology and global health. 

Students will develop skills in: 

  • computation-based approaches to health-related topics 
  • contemporary epidemiology 
  • contemporary pathogen surveillance and control 
  • contemporary challenges related to global health 
  • contemporary opportunities related to global health 

Syllabus:

Lectures

  • Theory of contemporary epidemiology 
  • Practice of contemporary epidemiology 
  • Pathogen population biology 
  • Pathogen antigenic diversity 
  • Pathogen antimicrobial resistance 
  • Pandemics 
  • One Health 
  • Climate and climate change 
  • Surveillance, Vaccination and Control 

Laboratory practice

  • Introduction to computation 
  • Epidemiological modelling I – classic models 
  • Epidemiological modelling II – classic models 
  • Epidemiological modelling III – multi-strain models 
  • Epidemiological modelling IV – vector-borne models 
  • Phylogenetic modelling  
  • Machine learning modelling 

Laboratory practice

  • Individual practice I – classic models 
  • Individual practice II – multi-strain pathogens 
  • Individual practice III – vector-borne pathogens 
  • Individual practice IV – machine learning 

Seminars

Topics of focus, including real-world research case-studies: 

  • Genomic surveillance 
  • One Health research 
  • Vector-borne research 
  • Machine learning research 
  • Climate and climate change research 
  • Antimicrobial resistance research 
  • Vaccination and Control initiatives research 

Programs: