Biostatistics and Epidemiology Lab
Investigating Epidemics, Public Health & Disease Spread
Disease outbreaks shape population health, influence policy decisions, and challenge health systems worldwide. From foodborne illnesses to global pandemics, epidemiologists identify patterns of disease, trace sources of exposure, and guide interventions to protect communities. Growing awareness of infectious threat, especially post-COVID, emphasizes the importance of these skills.
This course introduces students to core concepts in epidemiology through applied, hands-on activities. Students will learn how public health teams investigate outbreaks by developing case definitions, analyzing introductory datasets, constructing epidemic curves, and interpreting patterns of transmission. Using real-world examples modeled after CDC investigations, students will examine how clinical, environmental, and population-level data inform public health decisions.
Through case studies, data exercises, and team-based simulations, students will explore the dynamic nature of outbreak response and the ways infectious diseases intersect with environmental exposures, global mobility, and health equity.
This course is offered at the UMass Amherst campus as a residential program. Local students may apply to attend as a commuter.
In Week 1, students will build the basics of outbreak investigation. They will also learn how diseases are transmitted, how to define cases, and how to read and create epidemic curves. Using Google Sheets or Excel, they will work with simple datasets, trace exposures, and practice putting pieces of evidence together. Other activities will include investigating a foodborne illness, mapping environmental risks, and practicing mock field interviews.
In Week 2, students will apply what they have learned to bigger and more complex scenarios. They will explore travel-related infections, pandemic response, and the communication challenges that come with public health emergencies. Labs will include team simulations, a pandemic response activity, and guided work time on the final project.
Final Project: Students will collaborate to investigate a mock outbreak and present their findings to a simulated public health response panel, mirroring how epidemiologists communicate evidence during real-world outbreak investigations. Students will finish the program with stronger skills in data interpretation, communication, teamwork, and real-world problem-solving, giving them a clear preview of college-level public health and epidemiology.
Pre-Requisites
There are no pre-requisites for this program.
Materials
Students should bring a laptop for daily data activities. All other materials and datasets will be provided.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Apply foundational epidemiologic concepts by constructing case definitions, creating epidemic curves, and interpreting basic outbreak data
- Analyze and synthesize information from clinical, environmental, and population-level sources to identify likely modes of transmission and outbreak sources
- Evaluate public health response strategies by participating in simulations and assessing the effectiveness of various interventions during epidemic or pandemic scenarios
Class time is Monday-Friday from 9 am - 4 pm.
|
Time |
Activity |
|
9:00–10:00 AM |
Lecture #1: Understanding infectious disease transmission |
|
10:00–10:15 AM |
Morning Break |
| 10:15 AM–12:00 PM |
Read an article or listen to a podcast episode Small group discussion |
|
12:00–1:00 PM |
Lunch Break |
|
1:00–4:00 PM |
Lab activity: Create an epidemic curve using Excel/Google Sheets |
In the evenings and on weekends resident counselors will run a series of social activities. Students are encouraged to join in, relax and have fun with new friends! With social events on campus and in the surrounding Amherst area, and access to the UMass Recreation & Wellness Center, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
Learn more about student life at UMass Amherst Summer Pre-College
Meet the Faculty
Maud Muosieyiri, Graduate Instructor, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Maud Muosieyiri is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology at UMASS Amherst with a strong academic and practical background in global infectious diseases, outbreak investigation, and public health surveillance. Her early research and graduate training have focused extensively on communicable disease epidemiology, maternal and reproductive health, and health systems performance in low- and middle-income countries. She previously worked on maternal near-miss surveillance in Mozambique, contributed to infectious disease monitoring projects in sub-Saharan Africa, and has engaged with environmental and infectious exposures across multiple international contexts.
Maud brings substantial teaching experience to the classroom, including her role as a Teaching Assistant for Global Epidemics and Public Health Surveillance courses at the University of Saskatchewan, where she led discussions and supported students in understanding outbreak dynamics and pandemic responses. She has also facilitated interactive epidemiology programming for Springfield high school students through summer youth initiatives, with a focus on hands-on outbreak simulations and data-driven decision-making.
Across her teaching and research, Maud is particularly passionate about helping students understand how epidemiologists investigate infectious disease threats, interpret data during outbreaks, and apply critical thinking to protect population health. She is committed to fostering curiosity, analytical skills, and global awareness among young learners.
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