P8332: Advanced Analytic Methods in Environmental Health Sciences

Course description


Vergil link

Course 2026 GitHub link.

This seminar course will introduce advanced methods and tools used in Environmental Health Sciences.

These topics include advanced regression techniques especially pertinent to environmental health, mixtures methods, Bayesian statistics, prediction and forecasting techniques, and attribution science in public health.

Each class will have two components: a lecture and a coding lab.

Although other courses in the School and other Departments might also present some of the methods covered here, the emphasis of this course will be on applications in EHS specifically and the appropriateness, assumptions, strength, limitations and interpretation of results in the EHS framework. R will be used for all coding, with GitHub for code and lecture material co-ordination.

Course learning objectives


By the time you complete this course, you should be able to:

MPH/MS-specific competencies:

Critically evaluate the current literature in environmental health sciences including identifying gaps and uncertainties in the knowledge base and in the methodological approaches to solving environmental health problems

Communicate effectively in writing and orally a knowledge of environmental hazards to other professionals and the public, including effective risk communication

Apply data science methods to solving issues in the environmental health sciences

Identify sources of data and demonstrate the ability to clean and organize data

Synthesis complex environmental health challenges from a public health perspective

Distinguish and appropriately apply data analysis statistical tools

General competencies:

Analyze Environmental Health-relevant data employing advanced analytic approaches

Identify when each method is appropriate to use, given the research question

Apply the advanced methods presented in class using R (please see the course schedule for a list of the methods that will be introduced) and coordinating material with GitHub

Critically evaluate scientific literature by assessing the strengths and limitations of scientific papers

Evaluate whether the conclusions drawn reflect the initial hypothesis and results in published journal articles

Conduct a research project from design to implementation

Compose components of a publishable scientific paper

Shareable feedback from 2026 edition


"This course was amazing. I feel like the content helped me better understand advanced environmental health approaches as well as prepared me to apply these methods to research. I also think that the assignments (final project, paper critiques, quizzes) and labs were very intentional; these were helpful in applying course content and also understanding material better. I think the course was well structured and appreciated the flexibility in the paper critiques, which were helpful to synthesize course content but not overwhelming. The course was also really well organized."

"Diverse topics and skills"

"Robbie is an excellent lecturer, the course assignments are well thought out, and the material taught is cutting-edge and relevant. Very excellent course""

"visual teaching style"

"Great overview of content, not too stressful."

"Lecture + lab combo made the class engaging and applicable to real-world scenarios"

"Quizzes reinforced material. Dr. Parks explained material effectively. The ability to choose when you completed a paper critique helped to manage your workload."

"Slides are very detailed and descriptive, lectrues are paced well, and everything is very accessible on the github."

"Comprehensive demonstrations and labs, real-world applications, concise reviews of previous lecture, themes and lectures build off on one another. Papers for paper critiques built off of concepts, added value to lecture, and were purposeful (it did not feel like busy work)."

"Robbie did a great job of explaining key concepts of the course and answered all questions I had. The lecture format coupled with the labs was very informative and organized well. I appreciated the bi-weekly updates for the final project, so at the end of the course the final project was not overwhelming."