International Doctoral Program in
Epidemiology and Public Health
(IPPE)
Kansainvälisen tohtorikoulutuksen järjestämisen hasteet ja mahdollisuudet 14.5.2014
Pekka Nuorti
Professor of epidemiology IPPE Program director
What is IPPE?
• A doctoral training and research
program in epidemiology and public
health
• For epidemiologists, researchers and
public health personnel worldwide
• Aim: PhD degree in epidemiology or
related public health sciences
What are IPPE goals?
• To increase knowledge and understanding of
major public health problems, particularly in
low-income countries
• To build sustainable public health capacity by
working with global partners in training
epidemiologists and public health personnel
• Leadership positions in research,
administration, program planning and policy
development
societal impact
IPPE history and evolution
• Beginnings in 1990s as collaboration in PhD training between Tampere School of Public Health and Indian cancer registries, led by Professor Matti Hakama
• Since then, program has expanded to other countries and other research areas
• Today, almost all HES disciplines included
– public health practice, prevention and control of infectious diseases, immunizations, maternal and child health, chronic diseases, cancer epidemiology, health services research, health economics
• > 50 doctoral dissertations to date
• Currently: World class research and training program
– Excellence and international competitiveness in doctoral training
Admission criteria
• Master's degree in a relevant study area,
such as medicine, public health or
biostatistics.
• Basic knowledge in epidemiology and
statistics is desirable.
• A research plan or at least a preliminary idea
of a research project that can be used as
Selection criteria
• PhD candidates are selected on the basis of
– their past education and work experience in public health, their language skills and writing ability, as well as
demonstrated success in the field of public health practice and epidemiology.
• Strong applicants are
– already working in a research project that may be used as material for their PhD thesis, or those who have an available dataset and a feasible research plan.
• Students submit a preliminary research plan as part of their application.
Recruitment
• Call for applications
– http://www.uta.fi/hes/en/studies/ippe/admission/call.html
• Target groups: Global research, training and academic networks, research collaborators • 2011-2012 cohort: >80 applicants
12 doctoral students from 10 countries
• 2013-2014 cohort: >120 applicants
10 doctoral students from 8 countries
• Highly qualified researchers and public health personnel worldwide
– Staff from international research agencies, ministries of health
How does IPPE work?
• One academic year of theoretical courses (60 ECTS) + PhD thesis research work (additional 2-3 years)
– new class admitted every other year
• Incoming doctoral students will complete required coursework and prepare for their dissertation project
– Develop study protocol, apply for research funding
– Curriculum tailored according to individual learning and professional goals
• Field research generally conducted afterwards in the student’s own country, or Finland
• A doctoral dissertation usually includes four original scientific papers published in a peer reviewed journal. • Return to Tampere for public dissertation defense
Specific training objectives: skills to be
developed through doctoral training
• Critical review and synthesis
• Study design
• Study implementation
• Measurement and analysis
• Subject-matter area knowledge
• Research proposal development
• Communication and reporting
IPPE core curriculum, fall 2013
~46 ECTS
Epidemiologic methods I Biometry & stat
computing Basic epidemiology Basic biostatistics Cancer Epidemiology Health Economics Perspectives in Global health Independent work Introduction to doctoral studies Health systems Health and illness
Epidemiology seminars I: individual research plans&
12
IPPE core curriculum - spring 2014
~35 ECTS
Meta-analysis Infectious disease epidemiology Molecular epidemiology Cardiovascular disease and diabetesepidemiology Logistic regression Clinical Trials Epi data analysis using R Research ethics SPSS course Epidemiological methods II
Epidemiology seminars II: individual research plans
-APPLICATIONS: -Nutrition -Life-style epidemiology -Methods in low-income countries -Demography Epidemiology of Vaccination
Analysis, validity and inference in epidemiology
Wht happens after completion of the
academic year in Tampere?
• Supervisor commitment is critical
– Academic supervisor: HES staff
– Site supervisor: usually local research/project director at local university or research institute
• Work plans, annual progress reports
• Communication: email, skype, cloud drives
• Conference presentations
• Writing periods in Tampere
– Individual papers
– Thesis outline, literature review
Ongoing curriculum and program
development
• Curriculum development
– IPPE courses available for all HES and
UTa doctoral students
• Doctoral program guideline document
• Student personal study planning
• Competency domains
• Supervision and mentoring
• Student feedback systems
Financial aid (1)
• No tuition or course fees for doctoral students
– equivalent to “full scholarship”
• Students are expected to cover their travel to Finland as well as accommodation and living costs and are encouraged to apply for external support for this purpose
• Funding and financial aid opportunities are available on a competitive basis for doctoral students and the program staff will assist in the application process. • However, acceptance to the program does not
Funding (2)
• Securing consistent stipend funding for living
expenses in Finland challenging
– No regular budget allocation at HES
– Funding cycles ”not in sync” with recruitment
• Successful in competitive applications
– DPPH/HES salaried positions
– Private and public research foundations – CIMO fellowships
• Course funding from HES doctoral training
• Necessary to create permanent funding base
Opportunities for international
research collaboration
• Research training and capacity building
• Important aspect of the IPPE program is
connecting doctoral training to research
groups at HES
• Creates opportunities for HES staff
– International research collaboration and networking
– Strategic partnerships with research organizations abroad
IPPE program leadership and other
faculty
• Epidemiology: Pekka Nuorti, Anssi Auvinen, Tarja Kinnunen, Nea Malila, Suvi Virtanen, Susanna Lehtinen-Jacks
• International coordinator: Catarina Ståhle-Nieminen • Study coordination: Johanna Issakainen, Olli Kurkisuo
• Doctoral program coordination: Kirsi Lumme-Sand, Tiina Immonen
• Biostatistics: Anna-Maija Koivisto, Nina Talola, Heini Huhtala, Tapio Nummi
• Visiting/adjunct professors and instructors: Thomas Ahern, Matti Lehtinen, Esa Läärä, Ralf Reintjes, Stephen Walter, Tony Chen, Paul Dickman, Timo Hakulinen, Minna Kaila, Hanna
Nohynek, Arto Palmu, Patrik Finne and others
• Ongoing collaborators: National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), University of Tampere School of Medicine, Department of International Health, Finnish Cancer Registry
– Several PhD project and dissertation supervisors
Where did students in 2011 IPPE cohort
come from and what do they study?
Diverse experience in international research and public health organizations, for example:
• Regional Disease Detection Centers of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Kenya and Kazhakstan (GDD)
• Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETPs) in Kazhakstan and Vietnam: Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis
• Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI): Diarrheal diseases among children in Kenya
• Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Vietnam: Improving food safety and outbreak investigations in Southern Vietnam
• International Lipid-based Nutrient Supplement Project (iLiNS), Malawi: Maternal nutrition, infections and birth outcomes
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.: Antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella and Enterococci
• M.S.Ramaiah Medical College Bangalore, India: Economic evaluation of cancer care in India
20
KIITOS!
Pekka.Nuorti@uta.fi