Epidemiology and Population Health
Epidemiology is the study of the distribution, determinants, and control of illness and impairment in human populations. It is the cornerstone of population health and informs policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for treatment and prevention. The Department of Epidemiology and Population Health (EPH) provides the analytical foundation for research conducted at the Stanford School of Medicine, offering expertise, research, and training on collecting and interpreting the scientific evidence essential to improving human health.
The scholars within EPH conduct a wide variety of health-related research. Using observational and experimental research methods, our scholars uncover environmental, social, genetic, and behavioral factors to aid in human disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Further, the faculty train physician investigators in techniques of clinical research and are committed to advancing knowledge in epidemiology and population health through educational programs for undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students.
Prospective Students: EPH Ambassadors are hosting live Zoom sessions with current graduate students to answer questions about life in our Department. Learn more.
Recent News
Measles may be making a comeback in the U.S.
April 24, 2025 - Mathew Kiang, assistant professor of epidemiology and population health and Nathan Lo, assistant professor of infectious diseases, authored a new study modeling the impact of decreasing vaccination rates on the spread of infectious diseases. Kiang and Lo's research found that measles may become endemic within the next twenty years. Their research was covered in The Washington Post, LA Times, Newsweek, and many other publications.
Professor Goldman Rosas finds a prescription for produce improves health
March 4, 2025 - A new study led by EPH professor Lisa Goldman Rosas provides evidence that nutritional interventions can play a key role in promoting health and preventing, managing, and treating disease.
Falling in love with humanity: An interview with EPH PhD student Catharine Bowman
February 6, 2025 - Catharine Bowman, an EPH PhD student and member of the 2022 cohort of Knight-Hennessy Scholars, recently chatted on the Imagine a World podcast about her research on lymphatic diseases and the path that led her to Stanford.
EPH professors investigate the connection between wealth and health
January 30, 2025 - EPH professors Melissa Bondy and David Rehkopf were featured in the newest issue of Stanford Medicine Magazine for their work as co-PIs of the Upstream Research Center. Upstream is a collaboration between Stanford, the University of California, San Francisco, and UC Davis to understand how regular income supplementation for people living in poverty in several Northern California communities affects health behaviors and cancer risks.
EPH professors present at Stanford Health Equity Symposium
January 16, 2025 - EPH professors Lisa Goldman Rosas, Alyce Adams, and Michelle Williams were invited to share their research at the Stanford Health Equity Symposium. The event focused on ways to increase health equity by addressing the structural and social determinants of health. Dr. Goldman Rosas participated in a panel discussion on how environmental factors affect public health, and Dr. Adams and Dr. Williams participated in a panel discussion about tackling health disparities.
Multiracial adults face elevated asthma prevalence
January 9, 2025 - New research by EPH postdoctoral scholar Tracy Lam-Hine finds that multiracial adults have greater lifetime and current asthma prevalences than monoracial populations. "Our findings help complicate the idea that the health of multiracial people can be expected to reflect an 'average' of the monoracial groups they share identities with," said Dr. Lam-Hine.
Dr. Park selected for WomenLift Health Leadership Journey
January 4, 2025 - Congratulations to Dr. Lesley Park, Senior Research Scientist and Lecturer in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, on being a member of the 2025 WomenLift Health Leadership Journey cohort.
Supporting mental health through community health workers
December 15, 2025 - EPH professor Patricia Espinosa Rodriguez was recently featured in an NIH Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) article about her work to facilitate workshops that support mental health for Hispanic/Latino communities through community health workers.