Human Health, Nutrition and Environment
The major Human Health, Nutrition and Environment addresses the effects of nutrition, infectious diseases and pollutants on human health.
The food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe: pollutants or microbes absorbed from the biotic or abiotic environment can cause illness in otherwise healthy people. Without an understanding of health in this ecological context, we will be unable to solve many of the most pressing problems in public health facing us today, such as obesity, antibiotic resistance and the threat of novel infectious diseases.
Public health
This compulsory module covers the most important aspects of public health, in particular epidemiology, statistical concepts, and the development, testing and planning of intervention strategies.
Nutrition and environment
This module largely deals with the influence of nutrition and lifestyle on overweight and chronic illnesses in industrialised nations. However, the negative effects of malnutrition on health in developing countries is also covered.
Environment and health
This module focuses on chemical and microbial pollutants and their influence on the environment and human health. Water pollution is a key topic. The module provides an introduction to the biochemical, cellular and ecological aspects of toxicology.
Infectious diseases
Infectious diseases remain a leading cause of death around the world. To understand and control the spread of these diseases, we must consider not only microbiology and immunology, but other important factors like demography, agriculture and ecological factors.
Interests/ Prerequisites
- Population biology/demography/statistics
- Nutritional sciences
- Toxicology
- Immunology/microbiology
- Anatomy and physiology
Education and Learning objectives
- The education is provided by the Institute of Integrative Biology
- Deeper understanding of the relationship between the environment and human health
- Expertise in formal methods of epidemiology and toxicology, especially in an environmental context
- Insight into the potential for, and planning of, interventions in public health, as well as the monitoring and assessment of these interventions
Possible careers
- Academic career in environmental sciences, toxicology, immunology or microbiology
- Director of environmental projects at a development NGO (in developing countries in particular, public health is relevant to nearly all spheres of action)
- Team leader for protection of health and the environment in public sector organisations
Contact
Institut für Integrative Biologie
Universitätstrasse 16
8092
Zürich
Switzerland