Department of Population Health Divisions
The Department of Population Health consists of the Division of Biostatistics, the Division of Epidemiology and the Center for the Study of Bioethics. In addition to these current divisions, it is anticipated that future growth in the department’s activities, including development of the PhD Program in Public and Community Health, will lead to the development of one or two additional divisions, such as a Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences or a Division of Health Policy and Administration.
The Center for the Study of Bioethics offers educational programs to medical students including an M-2 course and to graduate students through its Master of Arts and Certificate Program. Research ethics and public health ethics, which are major foci of the Center’s research and publications, are key components of the clinical and translational sciences initiative, as well as the population health mission of the department. The Medical Humanities Program is dedicated to education in the medical humanities, including literature, medical history, the visual and performing arts and the social sciences to further the goals of medicine, including professionalism, communication, empathy and reflection.
The Midwest Ethics Committee Network (MECN) is an umbrella organization that was established in 1987 to provide bioethics resources to institutions and individuals throughout the region. It provides it members with cost effective access to bioethics educational programs, research, consultation, and resource materials. Robyn Shapiro, JD, is the Director of the Center.
The Division of Biostatistics represents a strong and growing group of faculty whose expertise is important in both population health and clinical and translational sciences. The Division offers a PhD Degree Program in Biostatistics, collaborates with investigators in many departments throughout the college in extramurally funded research, conducts its own research in the development and application of statistical methods to medical research, and offers a Biostatistics Consulting Service to assist faculty in the conduct of their research. John Klein, PhD, is Director of the division.
The Division of Epidemiology provides college-wide leadership through the Master of Science Degree Program in Clinical Epidemiology; the Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Research Scholars Program supported by an NIH K30 award; and through epidemiological research projects, notably the Women’s Health Initiative Study.
This division of Epidemiology has successfully collaborated with numerous faculty throughout the College, notably in teaching in the Master of Science Degree Program in Clinical Epidemiology, which provides the required research training for a number of fellowship programs at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). Jane Kotchen, MD, MPH, is Director of the division of Epidemiology.