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Welcome to MSc Public Health
Congratulations on your offer and welcome to MSc Public Health The MSc Programme in Public Health Research is based on a longstanding tradition of academic teaching and research in public health at the University of Edinburgh. Lectures delivered in 1791 by Andrew Duncan, who held the chair of the Institutes of Medicine, considered ways of discovering effective measures designed to achieve improvement in the health of a nation. Postgraduate training in public health has been offered continuously at the University in one form or another since 1875, when a new postgraduate science degree, aimed at those wanting to be Medical Officers of Health, was introduced. Since the first chair of public health was established in 1898 and the opening of the Usher Institute of Public Health in 1902 the University has engaged in research covering epidemiology, environmental health, infectious diseases, medical statistics and social sciences in health and health care. We look forward to welcoming you to the programme
Teaching Methods/Skills Learning Outcomes Teaching methods The programme normally runs full-time over 12 months or part-time over two to three years. The year is divided into two semesters during which taught courses are delivered and then students complete a dissertation between May and August. This may involve either a review of existing research or analysis of data from a secondary source or collected for the purpose of the dissertation. The programme is structured so that in the first semester students take core courses to help them develop skills and understanding which will enable them to progress in the elective courses in the second semester. Teaching is by lectures, seminars and workshops. Course assessments are mainly essaybased, with a few examinations and presentations. Skills & learning outcomes The programme prepares postgraduate students for careers in research and academic environments, professional public-health service, clinical epidemiology, health technology assessment, public-health protection and a wide range of national and international organisations concerned with preventing disease and improving the health of populations.
Teaching Methods/Skills Learning Outcomes Courses Core Courses (required) Introduction to Epidemiology Introduction to Qualitative Research Introduction to Statistics & Critical Appraisal Introduction to Systematic Review Dissertation Elective Courses * Advanced Protocol Development Clinical Trials Communicable Disease Control Epidemiology for Public Health Extended Epidemiology Further Statistical Modelling Genetic Epidemiology Health Promotion Introduction to Global Health Introduction to Research Ethics Palliative & End of Life Care in Local & Global Contexts Public Health Research: International Issues Qualitative Research in Health Resource Allocation & Health Economics Sociology of Health & Illness Statistical Modelling Statistics & Analysis The Global Burden of Mental Illness
Programme Director Profile Dr Niall Anderson Senior Lecturer in Statistical Genetics
ROLE To initiate and collaborate in research in the genetics of disease aetiology and epidemiology, both within the Community Health Sciences and throughout the University of Edinburgh as a whole. My particular specialisation is in those statistical methods applicable and unique to the study of genetic mechanisms and processes. Current Research Involvement Involved with several projects, all of which are investigating the genetic determinants of the relevant conditions: Inflammatory Bowel Disease: variants around the NOD2/Card15 gene and related polymorphisms (Professor Jack Satsangi) Melanoma: DNA repair genes and, more generally, protein expression (Professor David Melton) Also involved in more general medical statistics work: Principal statistician for SUPREMO - clinical trial of postoperative radiotherapy after mastectomy in women with moderate severity breast cancer. Biomarkers of inflammation in ventilator-assisted pneumonia in intensive care patients (Dr John Simpson). Full profile available here
Programme Induction
Details regarding your induction timetable can be found at The below link. If your programme is not on the list below please check again at a later date as the page will continue to be updated. Programme Specific Induction Timetable
International Office If you are an International student and require further immigration advice, guidance and student support activities, please click on the screen shot (right) to go straight to our International Office’s home page
Latest College News
Pharmatics wins inaugural Bioquarter innovation prize
Study offers clues on memory puzzle
Pharmatics Limited, creators of novel software intended to reduce the time required for drug development, has won the Edinburgh BioQuarter Innovation Competition 2011.Pharmatics was founded by Dr Felix Agakov and Professor Paul McKeigue to address the challenges of exploiting vast arrays of modern biological data to speed up discovery and testing of new drugs. "By applying cutting edge machine learning techniques, we reduce very complex data to a handful of the most promising factors”, said Dr Agakov. Read More
Scientists have shed light on why it is easier to learn about things related to what we know than to learn about unfamiliar things. The team says this is a paradox, as very different things are arguably more novel, yet adding to what we already know is so much easier. Researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and Tokyo have found that building on existing knowledge activates a key set of genes in the brain. These ‘plasticity’ genes do not respond so well to subjects about which we know very little, making it harder for us to form new memories about unfamiliar topics. Read More
Latest College News Scans capture spider's heart beat Intricate scans of tarantulas reveal for the first time in detail how their hearts beat. The MRI scans, which show blood flowing in and out of a spider’s heart, suggest the way in which a spider’s heart functions is much more complex than previously thought. Read More
New home for worldleading Institute
Scientists at a new £60 million institute are to tackle challenges such as how to feed the world’s growing population. Researchers from The Roslin Institute at the University have taken up residence in a new purpose purposebuilt centre with partners from the SAC (Scottish Agricultural College). Read More
Nanotubes pose health risk, study shows Tiny fibres used to strengthen items such as bike frames and hockey sticks could pose risks to workers who make them. Certain types of carbon nanotubes - cylindrical molecules about one-thousandth of the width of a human hair - could cause cancer in the lining of the lung, University research shows. Read More
Life in Edinburgh
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Find out why Edinburgh is regularly voted as one of the most desirable places to live in the world.
Online Social Communities Keep up to date with all the latest news from MSc Public Health, The College, as well as Induction and Enrolment information from our Social Communities PostgradMedVet@Edin
University of EdinburghMedicine /Vet Medicine Taught MSc Offer Holders 2011
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University of Edinburgh College Of Medicine And Veterinary Medicine Postgraduate Experience Video
New Students Website/University APP We have created a brand new website, just for new students such as yourself who are about to enrol with us in September. Here you’ll find arrival information as well as some tips and advice. Click on the screen shot (right) to learn more.
New Mobile University of Edinburgh APP U@Ed is a mobile application for students, which gives access to a range of personalised information direct to mobile devices. It enables students to stay informed with the ease and convenience that mobility brings. University of Edinburgh is the first of a group of leading universities in the UK to roll out a student mobile campus, helping students access comprehensive information on the go. Read More.
Student Blogs Follow the College’s student ambassadors and their experiences at the University of Edinburgh:
http://explorecmvm.blogspot.com Callum Johnstone Current PhD student studying aspects of Dementia. Follow his blog at: http://callumjohnston.blogspot.com/ Xin Ma Current PhD student studying causes of Alzheimer's disease.Follow her blog at: http://florazgnd.blogspot.com/
Hillary Dalton Current MSc student in Applied Animal behaviour and Animal Welfare.Follow her blog at: http://www.hillarydalton.blogspot.com/ Vicky Young Current PhD and MBA student, studying reproductive health http://edinburghphdstudent.wordpress.com/
Current MSc student in Biomedical Sciences. Follow her blog at: http://yangxiying.blogspot.com/
Guidance and Support
Congratulations on your offer! We are here to provide any advice and support that we can to make sure your journey to the University of Edinburgh is a pleasant one. If you have any queries or require any advice please do not hesitate to contact us and we would be happy to help. We look forward to welcoming you to the University and City of Edinburgh Kind Regards Barry Connolly Customer Relationship Manager Postgraduate Office College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine The University of Edinburgh Barry.Connolly@ed.ac.uk For further Programme information please contact: Postgraduate Administrator, phs.msc@ed.ac.uk