Divisions & Centers

Whether your interest is in searching for possible causes of disease, analyzing the data studies reveal, investigating health issues in our environment, or developing health policy, the University of Minnesota School of Public Health has what you are looking for.

Our Divisions

Our School of Public Health consists of four divisions that serve as the main administrative units and also house the many academic programs and majors. These divisions encompass a wealth of expertise in the fundamental areas of public health and offer a wide array of education, training, research, and community outreach opportunities.

Biostatistics

Division Head: John Connett, Ph.D.

This Division focuses on the critical statistical methods employed in scientific research around health, from designing studies to calculating and comprehending data. Biostatistics techniques make it possible to understand observations from health-related research, whether the result is highlighting a potential cause of cancer or testing a new treatment for AIDS.

Environmental Health Sciences

Division Head: William Toscano, Ph.D.

Environmental and Occupational Health covers a spectrum of health issues, from public hygiene and environmental pollutants to injury prevention and health risks among industrial workers. This multi-disciplinary specialty looks at a number of core issues essential to public health, including the evaluation of environmental health effects, the exploration of potential hazards in the environment, and the development of a scientific basis for environmental and occupational health policy.

Epidemiology and Community Health

Division Head: Bernard L. Harlow, Ph.D.

The Epidemiology and Community Health Division, which focuses on the ever-evolving study of disease and health in populations, is ranked as one of the top 10 public health programs in the United States. For more than six decades the division has been involved in a broad swathe of studies investigating the distribution, causation, and prevention of diseases. In recent years the division has expanded to include programs in nutrition, alcohol, maternal and child health, and genetics.

Health Policy and Management

Division Head: Ira Moscovice, Ph.D.

With an eye toward the organization, financing, and efficacy of health services, the Health Policy and Management Division works to address some of our society s most pressing health systems issues, from the rising cost of health care to the growing disparities in health status. The division s research, education, and outreach programs all focus on crucial policy topics, including HMO trends, aging and long-term care, maintaining health services in rural areas, and the impact of medical technology on public policy.

For more information about our divisions, check out their individual Web sites.

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Research and
Training Centers

The School of Public Health is host to nationally and internationally recognized centers focused on high-caliber research, outreach, and training.

• SPH Centers