What is epidemiology?

Epidemiology is a scientific discipline commonly defined as the study of the distribution and determinants of disease and injury in human populations. This broad scope includes understanding the distribution, patterns and causes of adverse health outcomes as well as those associated with their control and prevention, and the complex interaction of factors that play a role in these processes. The key element that distinguishes epidemiology from other health sciences is its focus on groups and populations, rather than individuals, and thus it can viewed as the foundation of public health research and evidence-based practice.

What do we do?

Epidemiologists observe, investigate and analyze how the distribution of disease varies by age, gender, race, behavior and lifestyle choices, occupational and environmental exposures, genetic determinants, pre- or co-existing conditions, screening and medical interventions, health protective laws and other factors. This makes epidemiology inherently multi- and cross-disciplinary, and is evidenced in the breadth of courses offered in our department such as infectious, chronic, cancer, cardiovascular, oral, environmental and occupational and managerial epidemiology, as well as by the range of research topics engaged in by our faculty and students.

What do we offer?

The Epidemiology Department in the UK College of Pubic Health, and their faculty, are committed to the practice of epidemiology in our teaching, our research and our service. We teach basic epidemiologic principles to all students in the various programs in our college, as well as to students and professionals in a wide range of disciplines, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary sciences. The more advanced and specialty courses are usually targeted to individuals seeking a career or more in-depth training in epidemiology. Our faculty conduct research across a number of areas of interest, such as cancer prevention and survival, infectious diseases, environmental effects on health, pharmacoepidemiology and health effects of injury, trauma and abuse. Students have opportunities to work with faculty in research projects, both as research assistants and as part of their capstone requirements.

Core Faculty

Click on a faculty name to view bio and contact information.

Dr. Steve Browning	Dr. Glyn Caldwell	Dr. Lorie Wayne Chesnut	Dr. Steve Fleming
Dr. Claudia Hopenhayn	Dr. Wayne Sanderson	Dr. Thomas Tucker	Dr. Sabrina Walsh

Extended Faculty

• Dr. Craig Carter CV
• Dr. Ann Coker CV
• Dr. Malkanthie McCormick CV
• Dr. David Mannino CV
• Dr. Robert McKnight
• Dr. Daniela C. Moga CV
• Dr. Emily S. Brouwer CV
• Dr. Mel Kantor

Narayan, M., Wilken, J. A., Harris, L. N., Baron, A. T., Kimbler, K. D., and Maihle, N. J. (2009). Trastuzumab-induced HER reprogramming in "resistant" breast carcinoma cells. Cancer Res, 69, 2191-2194.

Baron, A.T., Wilken, J.A., Haggstrom, D.E., Goodrich, S.T., Maihle, N.J. (2009). Clinical Implementation of soluble epidermal growth factor receptor (sEGFR) as a theragnostic serum biomarker of breast, lung, and ovarian cancer. The Investigational Drugs Journal, 12(5), 1-7.

Baron, A.T., Boardman, C.H., Lafky, J.M., Rademaker, A., Liu, D., Fishman, D.A., Podratz, K.C., Maihle, N.J. (2005). Soluble epidermal growth factor receptor (sEGFR/sErbB1) and cancer antigen 125 (CA125) as screening and diagnostic tests of epithelial ovarian cancer. Cancer EpidemiologyBiomarkers & Prevention, 14, 1-13

Branscum, A.J., Perez, A.M., Johnson, W.O., Thurmond, M.C. (2008). Bayesian spatiotemporal analysis of foot-and-mouth disease data from the Republic of Turkey. Epidemiology and Infection. 136, 833-842.

Branscum, A.J., Johnson, W.O., Hanson, T.E., Gardner, I.A. (2008). Bayesian semiparametric ROC curve estimation and disease diagnosis. Statistics in Medicine 27, 2474-2496.

Branscum, A.J., Hanson, T.E. (2008). Bayesian nonparametric meta-analysis using Polya tree mixture models. Biometrics 64, 825-833.

Jhaveri, M.A., Browning, S.R., Bush, H., Thornton, A., Greenberg, R.N. (2009). Comparison of 3-drug versus 4-drug and PI versus non-PI combinations as initial HAART: experience from 1998 to 2007. J Int Assoc Physicians AIDS Care, Sep-Oct;8(5), 299-307.

Johnson, N.E., Browning, S.R., Westneat, S.M., Prince, T.S., Dignan, M.B. (2009). Respiratory symptom reporting error in occupational surveillance of older farmers. J Occup Environ Med, 51(4), 472-479.

Browning, S.R., Westneat, S.C., McKnight, R.H. (2008). Suicides among farmers in three southeastern states, 1990-1998. J Agric Saf Health, Oct;14(4), 461-72

Caldwell, G.G. (1990). Twenty-two Years of Cancer Cluster Investigation at the Centers for Disease Control. American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 132, Suppl. No. 1, pp. S43-S47.

Caldwell, G.G., Lee, J., Hammarsten, J.A., Cox, J., Hicks, P. (1994). Tuberculosis in a Tulsa High School. J. Ok. State Med. Assn, 87, 56-58.

Caldwell, G.G., Kelley, D.B., Zack, M.M., Falk, H., Heath, C.W., Jr. (1983) Mortality and Cancer Frequency Among Military Nuclear Test (Smoky) Participants, 1957-1979. JAMA, 250, 620-624.

Carter, C.N., Odoi, A., Smith, J., Dwyer, R., Riley, J., Stepusin, R. (2009) Laboratory-based animal health event cluster detection systems: improving the outcome of disease outbreaks. Proceed of the XIV International Symposium of the WAVLD, Jun, p26.

Cohen, N.D., Carter, C.N., Scott, H.M., Chaffin, M.K., Smith, J.L., Grimm, M.B., Kuskie, K.R., Takai, S., Martens, R.J. (2008). Association of soil concentrations of Rhodococcus equi and incidence of pneumonia in foals on farms in central Kentucky. Am J Vet Res, Vol 69, No. 3, March, pp 385-395.

Carter, C.N., (2009). One Man, One Medicine, One Health: The James H. Steele Story, Amazon Booksurge Press, ISBN 1-4392-4004-3.

Walker, L. & Chesnut, L. (In Press) Identifying Health Disparities and Social Inequities Affecting Childbearing Women and Infants. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing.

Coker, A.L., Smith, P.H., Whitaker, D.J., Le, B., Flerx, V.C. (In Press). Effect of an in-clinic IPV advocate intervention to increase help seeking and reduce violence. Violence Against Women.

Coker, A.L, Hopenhayn, C., DeSimone, C.P., Bush, H.M., Crofford, L. (2009). Violence against women increases cervical cancer rates. Journal of Women’s Health, 18, 1179-85.

Coker, A.L., DeSimone, C.P., Eggleston, K.S., Hopenhayn, C., Nee, J., Tucker, T. (2009). Smoking and survival among Kentucky women diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer: 1995-2005.Gynecol Oncol, Feb;112(2), 365-9.

Fleming, S.T., Pursley, H.G., Newman, B., Pavlov, D., Chen, K. (2005). Comorbidity as a predictor of stage of illness for patients with breast cancer. Medical Care, 43(2), 132-140.

Fleming, S.T. (2008). Managerial Epidemiology: Concepts and Cases 2nd Edition, Chicago: Health Administration Press, 475 pages.

Fleming, S.T., Pearce, K.A., McDavid, K., Pavlov, D. (2003). The development and validation of a comorbidity index for prostate cancer among Black men. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 56(11), 1064-1075.

Hopenhayn, C., King, J.B., Christian, A., Huang, B., Chran, W.J., (2008) Variability of cervical cancer rates across five Appalachian states, 1998–2003. Cancer, Nov 15;113(10 Suppl), 2974-80.

Christian, J., Christian, A., Hopenhayn, C. (2009). Acceptance of the HPV vaccine for adolescent girls: analysis of state-added questions from the BRFSS. J Adolesc Health. May; 44(5), 437-45.

Hopenhayn, C., Ferreccio, C., Browning, S.R., Huang, B., Peralta, C., Gibb, H., Hertz-Picciotto, H. (2003). Arsenic Exposure from Drinking Water and Birth Weight. Epidemiology, 14, 593-602.

Buist, A.S., McBurnie, M.A., Vollmer, W.M., Gillespie, S., Burney, P., Mannino, D.M., Menezes, A.M.B., Sullivan, S.D., Lee, T.A., Weiss, K.B., Jensen, R.L., Marks, G., Golsvik, A., Nizankowska-Moglinicka, E. (2007). International variation in the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (The BOLD Study): a population based prevalence survey Lancet, 370, 741-50.

Johnston, A.K., Mannino, D.M., Kiri, V.A., Davis, K.J., Hagan, G.W. (2008). Relationship between lung function impairment and incidence or recurrence of cardiovascular disease in a middle-aged cohort. Thorax, Jul 63(7), 599-605.

Kelley, C.F., Checkley, W., Mannino, D.M., Franco-Paredes, C., Del Rio, C., Holguin, F. (2009). Trends in hospitalizations for AIDS-associated pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in the United States (1986-2005). Chest, March 2 epub.

Beavers, S.F., Blossom, D.B., Wiemken, T.L., Kawaoka, K.Y., Wong, A., Goss, L., McCormick, M.I., Thoroughman, D., Srinivasan, A. (2009). Comparison of risk factors for recovery of Acinetobacter baumannii during outbreatks at two Kentucky hospitals, 2006. Public Health Rep., Nov-Dec;124(6), 868-74.

Thornton, A.C., Jennings-Conklin, K.S., McCormick, M.I. (2004). Noroviruses: agents in outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis. Disaster Manag Response, Jan-Mar;2(1), 4-9.

Shih, W.J., Han J.K., Magoun, S. McCormick, M.I., and Pulmano, C., (1999). Detection of Abscesses with Tc-99m HMPAO Leukocyte Scintigraphy Depends on their Stage and Location. Clin Nucl Med, 24, 111-114.

Murphy, M., Sanderson, W., Vargo, J. (2007). Airborne Antibiotic Concentrations in a Swine Feeding Operation. J Agricul Safety Health, 13(4), 357-366.

Sanderson, W., Leonard, S., Ott, D., Fuortes, L., Field, W. (2008). Beryllium Surface Levels in a Military Ammunition Plant. J Occ Environ Hygiene, 5, 475-481.

Sanderson, W., Madsen, M. (2009). Fatalities Caused by Cattle – Four States, 2003-2008. MMWR, 58(29), 800-804.

Seamon, L.G., Cohn, D.E., Henretta, M.S., Kim, K.H., Carlson, M.J., Phillips, G.S., Fowler, J.F. (2009). Minimally invasive comprehensive surgical staging for endometrial cancer: robotics or laparoscopy? Gynecol Oncol, 113, 36-41.

Seamon, L.G., Carlson, M.J., Richardson, D.L., Cohn, D.E., Fowler, J.M., Copeland, L.J., O’Malley, D.M. (2009). Outpatient platinum-taxane intraperitoneal chemotherapy regimen for ovarian cancer. Int J Gynecol Cancer, 19, 1195-8.

Seamon, L.G., Cohn, D.E., Valmadre, S., Richardson, D.L., Fowler, J.M. (2008). Robotic hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy for endometrial cancer: Technical aspects and details for success, The Ohio State University method. Manuscript and accompanying video. Journal of Robotic Surgery, 2, 71-6.

Hahn, E.J., Rayens, M.K., Butler, K.M., Zhang, M., Durbin, E., Steinke, D.T. (2008). Smoke-free laws and adult smoking prevalence. Preventive Medicine, 47, 206-209

Steinke, D.T., Burney, S., Bennie, M., Hudson, S.A. (2005). Using health and population data to help describe the health of a locality: the development and evaluation of a locality health profile. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 14, 21-30.

Steinke, D.T., Weston, T.L., Morris, A.D., MacDonald, T.M., Dillon, J.F. (2002). Epidemiology and economic burden of viral hepatitis: an observational population based study. Gut, 50, 100-105.

Nock, N.L., Thompson, C.L., Tucker, T.C., Berger, N.A., Li, L. (2008). Associations between obesity and changes in adult BMI over time and colon cancer risk. Obesity, May;16(5), 1099-104.

Wingo, P.A., Tucker, T.C., Jamison, P.M., Martin, H., McLaughlin, C., Bayakly, R., Bolick-Aldrich, S., Colsher, P., Indian, R., Knight, K., Neloms, S., Wilson, R., Richards, T.B. (2008). Cancer in Appalachia, 2001-2003. Cancer, Jan 1; 112(1), 181-92.

Tucker, T. (2007). Using Central Cancer Registries for Cancer Control, IN Central Cancer Registries: Design, Management and Use, Menck, H., Deapen, D., Phillips, J. and Tucker, T., EDs. 2nd Edition, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.

Walsh, S., Kryscio, R., Holsinger, J., Krous, H. (2009). Statewide Systematic Evaluation of Sudden, Unexpected Infant Death Classification: Results from a National Pilot Project. Maternal and Child Health Journal, Sep 22. [Epub ahead of print]

Walsh, S., Clayton, R., Liu, L., Hodges, S. (2009). Divergence in Causative Factors for Suicide in Men and Women: National Recommendations to Raise Public Awareness. Public Health Rep, Nov-Dec. 124(6), 861-7

Barber, C.W., Azrael, D., Hemenway, D., Olson, L.M., Nie, C., Schaechter, J., Walsh, S. (2008). Suicides and Suicide Attempts Following Homicide. Homicide Studies, 12(3), 285-297.

Wiesner, A.M., Steinke, D.T., Vincent, W.R., Records, K.E., Smith, K.M. (2010). National survey of pharmacy services in free medical clinics. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 50, 45-51.

Anderson, A.L., Lewis, D.A., Steinke, D.T., Ranjan, D., Smith, K., Clifford, T. (2009). Effects of hyperglycemia on the development of new-onset diabetes after liver transplantation. Progress in Transplantation, 19, 298-303.

Lockwood, A., Steinke, D.T., Botts, S. (2009). Medication adherence and its effect on relapse among patients discharged from a Veteran’s Affairs PTSD treatment program. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 43, 1227-32.

Methvin, J.N., Mannino, D.M., Casey, B.R. (2009). COPD Prevalence in Southeastern Kentucky – The Burden of Lung Disease Study. Chest, 135(1), 102-7.

Paciullo, C., Short, M., Steinke, D.T., Jennings, H. (2009). Impact of nicotine replacement therapy on postoperative mortality following coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 43, 1197-202

Hazen, D.A., Mannino, D.M., Clayton, R. (2008). Gender Specific Differences in the Pros and Cons of Smoking among Current Smokers in Eastern Kentucky: Implications for Future Smoking Cessation Interventions. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 5, 230-242.

Liu, Y., Lee, K., Perez-Padilla, R., Hudson, N.L., Mannino D.M. (2008). Outdoor and Indoor Environmental Factors Contributing to the Burden of COPD in Developed and Developing Countries . Int J Tuberculosis Lung Dis, 12, 115-27.

Olges, J.R., Murphy, B.S., Caldwell, G.G., Thornton, A.C. (2007). Testing Practices and Knowledge of HIV Among Prenatal Care Providers in a Low Seroprevalence State AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 21, 187-194.

Vincent, W., Steinke, D.T., Smith, K. (2007). Opportunities for Pharmacists in Public Health. American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 64, 2002-7.

Walsh, S., Dignan, M., Caldwell, G. (2007). The PAPM, Diffusion Theory, and Violent Death Surveillance. American Journal of Health Behavior. 31(5), 451-461.

Chesnut, L., Charnigo, R, LoBianco T. (2006) “Perinatal Periods of Risk: Mapping Feto-Infant Mortality in Kentucky” Kentucky Epidemiologic Notes & Reports, 4(7).

Christian, W.J., Hopenhayn, C., Centeno, J. (2006). Distribution of urinary selenium and urinary arsenic measures among pregnant women exposed to moderate arsenic levels in drinking water. Environ Res. Jan; 100 (1), 115-22.

Tackett, J., Charnigo, R., Caldwell, G. (2006). Relating West Nile Virus Case Fatality Rates to Demographic and Surveillance Variables. Public Health Reports, 121, 666-673.

Walsh, S., Hemenway, D. (2005). Intimate Partner Violence: Homicides Followed by Suicides in Kentucky. Journal of the Kentucky Medical Association. 103, 10-14.

Address:

Suite 213 111 Washington Avenue
Lexington, KY 40536-0003
Phone: 859-218-2227
Fax: 859-257-8811

Interim Chair:

Dr.Wayne Sanderson
Phone: 859-218-2227

Support Staff:

Charlotte Wood
Phone: 859-218-2330