Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Unraveling complex health issues through strong analytic skills and studying the distribution of the spread of disease, social factors, and other risk factors.
Born as a program in 1972 as part of the Division of Public Health, the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology has grown to support almost 100 graduate students and research funding of $38.2 million. Its 26 faculty members focus on transdisciplinary research collaborations in the areas of COVID-19 and other infectious disease forecasting and mitigation, reproductive health and breast cancer research, biomarkers and genomics, problem gambling, causal methods and clinical trials, physical activity and nutrition, and more.
The department offers graduate degree programs in both Biostatistics and Epidemiology, including 4+1 accelerated degrees, MPH (epidemiology only), MS, and PhD degree options.
Learn more about our Biostatistics program.
Learn more about our Epidemiology program.
Explore our programs
A rich history
Born as a program in 1972, the department features a rich 50-year history and includes groundbreaking faculty members such as David Hosmer and Stanley Lemeshow, authors of Applied Logistic Regression, the single most cited reference in all of statistics.
Spring 2023 BIO-EPI seminar series
Watch recordings from the Spring 2023 BIO-EPI seminar series.
See all available seminar recordings.- Dr. Xiang Zhu (May 12, 2023)
- Dr. Madikay Senghore (April 28, 2023)
- Dr. Marie-Abèle Bind (March 31, 2023)
- Dr. Rebecca Andridge (March 24, 2023)
- Dr. Rita Hamad (March 10, 2023)
- Dr. Kelli Ryckman (March 3, 2023)
- Dr. Lucy D’Agostino McGowan (February 17, 2023)
- Dr. Ruth-Gaelle St Fleur (February 10, 2023)
In the News
Rachel Wacks Named Outstanding Graduate Student Teacher for 2024-25
Rachel Wacks, a doctoral candidate in epidemiology, has been selected as the recipient of the 2024-2025 SPHHS Outstanding Graduate Student Teacher Award.
In the Media: News Roundup (April 25, 2025)
SPHHS researchers comment in multiple media outlets on health-related topics.
Illuminating the Health Effects of ‘Forever Chemicals’
UMass Amherst researchers are studying the myriad ways PFAS chemicals affect human health—and pursuing strategies to mitigate their harm.