Epidemiologists

Abstract

Duties Epidemiologists typically do the following: * Plan and direct studies of public health problems to find ways to prevent them or to treat them if they arise * Collect and analyze information-including data from observations, interviews, surveys, and samples of blood or other bodily fluids-to find the causes of diseases or other health problems * Communicate findings to health practitioners, policymakers, and the public * Manage programs through planning, monitoring progress, and seeking ways to improve * Supervise professional, technical, and clerical personnel * Write grant proposals to fund research Epidemiologists collect and analyze data to investigate health issues. Epidemiologists who work in private industry may conduct research for health insurance providers or pharmaceutical companies. Epidemiologists typically specialize in one or more public health areas, including the following: * Chronic diseases * Environmental health * Genetic and molecular epidemiology * Infectious diseases * Injury * Maternal and child health * Mental health * Public health preparedness and emergency response * Veterinary epidemiology For more information on occupations that concentrate on the biology or effects of disease, see the profiles for biochemists and biophysicists, medical scientists, microbiologists, and physicians and surgeons. Epidemiologists working in the field may need to be active in the community, including traveling to support education efforts or to administer studies and surveys. Because modern science has reduced the prevalence of infectious disease in developed countries, infectious disease epidemiologists often travel to remote areas and developing nations in order to carry out their studies.