JOHNSON CITY (June 30, 2021) – East Tennessee State University’s College of Public Health announced the appointment of Dr. David Shoham as chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. He begins his new role on July 1.
Shoham comes to ETSU from Loyola University Chicago, where he has served since 2007.
In addition to his role on faculty as associate professor, he has held several administrative
roles at Loyola, most recently serving as director of the Institute of Public Health,
Public Health Programs, and the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program.
Trained in cardiovascular and renal epidemiology with a focus on social determinants
of health and disease, his current research focuses on social network analysis and
the social context of bladder health.
He has a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill;
an M.S. in public health from Emory University; and a B.A. in political science from
the University of Chicago.
Shoham serves as the associate editor of BMC Public Health and is a reviewer on multiple
peer-reviewed journals. He is a member of the Society for Epidemiologic Research;
the American Public Health Association, Epidemiology and Alcohol, Tobacco and Other
Drugs Sections; and the International Network for Social Network Analysis.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Shoham to the ETSU College of Public Health,” said
Dr. Randy Wykoff, dean. “He is a widely regarded researcher in his field and also
brings strong leadership and vision that will guide and continue to grow our Department
of Biostatistics and Epidemiology.
“I also would like to thank Dr. Megan Quinn, who has served as interim chair of the
department during this important transition. She has made a significant impact on
the globalization of our programs, and I appreciate her work on behalf of the college.”
ETSU’s Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology prepares students for rewarding
careers in these fast-growing fields.
Epidemiologists are “disease detectives” who investigate patterns and causes of disease and injury in humans. Epidemiology’s origins stem from infectious disease outbreak investigations, and now these methods are used for a wide variety of topics, such as chronic diseases or substance abuse.
Biostatisticians use statistical methods to collect and analyze data and help solve
real-world problems related to human health. They are key members of health care and
public health teams as they determine the best sampling design, calculate the predictive
power of a statistical model, and consider the most appropriate analysis plan.
For undergraduates, ETSU offers an epidemiology minor, which is an 18-credit-hour
program to provide students with an introduction to the basic science of public health.
The College of Public Health also offers a Master of Public Health, with concentrations
in biostatistics or epidemiology, and a Doctor of Public Health with a concentration
in epidemiology. The College also offers graduate certificates in a variety of related
areas, including epidemiology, biostatistics and health data analytics.
Learn more about the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at etsu.edu/cph/biostat_epidemiology.