Training

We are helping to build the next generation of epidemiological researchers through programs including:

Ph.D. Training Program in Epidemiology
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine is pleased to announce the development of a new Doctoral Program in Epidemiology. This exciting program will focus on the advancement of rigorous quantitative methods in epidemiology, and will begin enrolling students in the fall of 2009.

The goal of the Doctoral Program in Epidemiology is to provide education in epidemiology that will develop graduates with exceptional skill in advanced quantitative methods. Our curriculum features rigorous classroom, computing and experience-based teaching in causal logic, inference, probability, and theoretical grounding for study design and data analysis.

Vanderbilt provides an extraordinary site for the study and advancement of epidemiology. The Institute for Medicine and Public Health and the Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center have 25 researchers conducting epidemiologic studies, with more than $70 million in funding. Their research includes multiple large population–based cohort studies with survey data and biological samples from 250,000 subjects.

Postdoctoral Fellow Positions
Multiple postdoctoral fellow and junior faculty positions are available at the Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center to work on research in the molecular and nutritional epidemiology of cancer and other chronic diseases. Exciting opportunities exist to participate in over a dozen federally funded epidemiological studies, including case-control studies of common cancers and large, population-based cohort studies in the United States and abroad. Areas of ongoing research include diet and nutrition, environmental exposures, genetic and other biomarkers for disease risk and progression, as well as quality of life in cancer survivors. Candidates should have a doctorate in epidemiology or a related field with additional training or experience in epidemiologic research.  Successful candidates are expected to publish research papers and develop new projects in epidemiology and prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases. Candidates with a doctoral degree in molecular biology or genetics and a strong interest in receiving further training in epidemiology are also encouraged to apply.

Vanderbilt University, located in Tennessee’s capital city of Nashville, is one of America’s premier private universities.  The Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center is a federally designated comprehensive cancer center and one of the country’s fastest growing research institutions. Vanderbilt University Medical Center was recently ranked as one of the 15 best institutions for postdoctoral fellows in a survey conducted by The Scientist.

Interested individuals should send a cover letter, a brief summary of research experience and interests, and curriculum vita to Dr. Wei Zheng: Wei.zheng@Vanderbilt.edu

Vanderbilt-Shanghai Chronic Disease Research Training Program (VU-Shanghai CDRTP)
The Vanderbilt Institute for Medicine and Public Health and the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health are partnering with the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control (Shanghai CDC) and Prevention, Fudan University, and the Shanghai Cancer Institute (SCI) to establish the Vanderbilt-Shanghai Chronic Disease Research Training Program (VU-Shanghai CDRTP) to train the next generation of chronic disease researchers and build research capacity and local training facilities in China. This program will have a significant impact on chronic disease research and prevention in China, and possibly extend to other developing countries.

The CDRTP will:  (1) train a cadre of experts to conduct multi-disciplinary research in chronic disease and build training capacity in China; (2) train a new generation of scientists and future leaders in chronic disease research in China; (3) build research capacity in China and to establish long-term collaborative relationships with Vanderbilt chronic disease researchers; (4) ensure and document the long-term success of the training program in China as facilitated and upgraded through this award; and (5) build national and international leadership in chronic disease research and  prevention through existing and newly established networks. The training program includes short-term scholar training (3 months at Vanderbilt), graduate training (1-2 years of didactic course work at Fudan University, a 3-month research practicum at the Shanghai CDC or SCI, and 1 year of thesis research at Vanderbilt), workshops, and an international conference. The training will focus on advanced epidemiological and biostatistical methodology, design and execution of multidisciplinary research projects, and building expertise on cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes research, as well as grant writing skills. The Vanderbilt-Shanghai CDRTP, building upon the strength of existing research and training programs and long-standing collaborations among the participating institutes, will have a significant and long-term impact on chronic disease research and prevention in China. 

For more information:  Han-Zhu Qian (han-zhu.qian@vanderbilt.edu), Program Director or Bethanie Hull (bethanie.j.hull@vanderbilt.edu), Program Coordinator