Epidemiologist

Epidemiology may be the Career for You

• Do you have an interest in the origins of disease?
• Would you like to figure out why diseases spread, and how we can prevent them?

If you answered yes to these questions, a career as an epidemiologist may be right for you. These professionals are essentially medical detectives who work to determine why certain parts of the population get diseases and why.

Public health professionals are responsible for improving the health and well-being of communities and individuals. Epidemiologists do this through their commitment to finding the causes of diseases and advocating treatment for them.

Epidemiologists can work for:

• Federal, state or local government agencies (centers for disease control, local health departments)
• Universities
• Hospitals
• Research facilities
• Pharmaceutical companies

Epidemiologists are responsible for:

• Studying the frequency and causes of disease in the human population
• Developing means for disease prevention and control
• Collecting, analyzing and interpreting data
• Preparing reports and presenting findings
• Going on location when necessary to study diseases in particular communities
• Advocating treatment for diseases

Professionals in this public health career need to have: 

• good statistical
• analytical and communication skills
• a healthy dose of patience, persistence and precision

At Kent State’s College of Public Health, we can help you prepare for a position in this field as well as many other public health careers. Visit our public health careers page to learn more about the job outlook and salary expectations for this dynamic industry.