Systems Epidemiology: What’s in a Name?

Authors

  • Olaf Dammann Tufts University School of Medicine Department of Public Health and Community Medicine
  • Phillip Gray Dept of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
  • Pierre Gressens Inserm, U676, Paris, France Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Department of Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, King’s Health Partners, St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom
  • Olaf Wolkenhauer Department of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Stellenbosch, South Africa
  • Alan Leviton Neuroepidemiology Unit, Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v6i3.5571

Abstract

Systems biology is an interdisciplinary effort to integrate molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and organism levels of function into computational models that facilitate the identification of general principles. Systems medicine adds a disease focus. Systems epidemiology adds yet another level consisting of antecedents that might contribute to the disease process in populations. In etiologic and prevention research, systems-type thinking about multiple levels of causation will allow epidemiologists to identify contributors to disease at multiple levels as well as their interactions. In public health, systems epidemiology will contribute to the improvement of syndromic surveillance methods. We encourage the creation of computational simulation models that integrate information about disease etiology, pathogenetic data, and the expertise of investigators from different disciplines.

Author Biography

Olaf Dammann, Tufts University School of Medicine Department of Public Health and Community Medicine

Research Professor in Public Health, Pediatrics, and Ophthalmology

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Published

2014-12-15

How to Cite

Dammann, O., Gray, P., Gressens, P., Wolkenhauer, O., & Leviton, A. (2014). Systems Epidemiology: What’s in a Name?. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v6i3.5571

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 3 (2014)

Section

Review Articles

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