Goal of the Track | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health

Our track aims to teach trainees how to identify key research questions across the cancer continuum and apply epidemiologic methods to improve both public health and medicine.

Masters and Doctoral Students

At the beginning of the first year, all masters students will meet in small groups with faculty in the department and by the end of the first year they will be assigned a faculty adviser within the Cancer Epidemiology track. Doctoral students will be assigned a faculty adviser(s) from the Cancer Epidemiology Track at the beginning of the first year. The first year for both masters and doctoral students is primarily focused on course work. Students must complete a set of required courses in order to sit for their comprehensive exams at the end of the first year.

In the second year, both masters and doctoral students are required to take some advanced courses. Masters students will also focus on completing a research thesis with their adviser. Doctoral students will continue to develop their aims for dissertation research. For doctoral students the second, third and fourth years will involve developing and presenting a research proposal, completing departmental and school-wide oral exams and then conducting and completing their proposed research. Details on degree specific requirements are available in the student handbook. There also are a set of cancer-related competencies that masters and doctoral students are expected to attain by the end of training.

During the program, students work closely with their faculty adviser(s) and collaborators to learn about the multiple aspects of cancer research and to examine novel research questions. Students also will have the opportunity to interact with other students within the track from various years. Many doctoral students have also presented their results at national cancer meetings. In addition to formal course work and one-on-one meeting with their faculty adviser, students will be required to participate in monthly seminars and journal clubs during the school year. These are also good venues for meeting and interacting with other faculty members and students interested in cancer epidemiology and control.