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Why do many of us get ill at the same time and what can we do about it?
Epidemiology is a field of study that tries to work out why certain groups of people and animals get ill. It is very important for public health, which aims to prevent diseases and illnesses from happening on a large scale. Recently epidemiologists have been using mathematical modelling and digital technologies to build models of health and how diseases spread. Can we trust our health on such models? Come along to find out!
Epidemiology is a field of study that tries to work out why certain groups of people and animals get ill. It is very important for public health, which aims to prevent diseases and illnesses from happening on a large scale. Recently epidemiologists have been using mathematical modelling and digital technologies to build models of health and how diseases spread. Can we trust our health on such models? Come along to find out!
Entrepreneurial Epidemiology?
Dr Lukas Englemann
(Chancellor's Fellow at University of Edinburgh)
Ever since Google began to track flu symptoms in 2008 through the digital footprints of what people do online, ‘digital epidemiology’ has won many fans outside the academy. Now, social media activity, location data, google searches or Wikipedia access-logs offer new insights into population health. The combination of small resources and big impact has revived epidemiology into a field for digital innovation, start-ups aim to join public health with the #digitalhealth movement. But what are the true costs of this digital disruption?
Contingency planning for animal disease outbreaks: Why we need the humanities
Dr Lisa Boden
(Senior Lecturer at University of Edinburgh)
In order to better understand and communicate risks associated with the introduction and spread of animal disease outbreaks like foot-and-mouth disease or avian influenza, it is helpful to look beyond the conventional boundaries of veterinary science. This presentation will highlight the work of EPIC, Scottish Government’s Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks, and explore how interdisciplinary collaboration is at the heart of improved animal disease preparedness.
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