About the Department

The Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics is one of 8 basic science departments in the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine (SOM). Its mission supports and furthers the SOM mission to provide Colorado and the Nation programs of excellence in education, research, and community service. The Department views the future as one where:

  • Research in prevention will continue to reduce illness and death;
  • The interactions between environment and hereditary factors will become more fully understood; and
  • Rational and accessible health care will be based on scientific evidence that treatments are effective.

Preventive Medicine and Biometrics has over 180 regular and volunteer faculty and has programs in biostatistics, epidemiology, behavioral and social sciences, environmental sciences, bioinformatics, and health policy. The education programs train state, national, and international public health workers so they are prepared to maintain current public health systems, develop new ways to prevent injury and illness, and respond quickly to public health threats. The Department offers Ph.D.s in biometrics, epidemiology, and bioinformatics, a Master of Science in public Health degree (MSPH), an MS in biometrics, and a Certificate in Public Health Sciences. There are also accredited residency programs in Preventive Medicine and Occupational/Environmental Medicine.

The Research programs of the Department likewise support the mission to promote Public Health by

  • Increasing the understanding of health, illness and outcomes of health care; and
  • Relating social, biological and environmental factors to health and disease for individuals, communities, and populations.

Basic science and clinical studies focus on a number of public health problems through large-scale studies of populations (epidemiology), clinical trials, and statistical and computer modeling and analysis. The faculty investigates

  • Chronic illnesses - diabetes, cancer, heart disease;
  • Infectious diseases - AIDS, salmonella, childhood diseases;
  • Environmental health - radiation exposure, alcohol and drug abuse, air pollution;
  • Health care policy - use, effectiveness, and cost of medical services like home nursing, vaccinations, and treatment for childhood ear infections;
  • The effects of nutrition, behavior, and social factors on the risk of developing disease; and
  • Injury prevention

Finally, Service programs in the Department translate advances in research and education to state, national, and international communities. This is accomplished through workshops for regional public health workers, presentations to citizens and advocacy groups, publications, website development, cancer information services, nutrition information services, advisory board membership for community programs, and service on national and international public health committees, research review groups, and task forces.