Dr. David Shoham Appointed Chair Of Department Of Biostatistics And Epidemiology At ETSU

From East Tennessee State University:

June 30, 2021

JOHNSON CITY – 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.

This press release was produced by East Tennessee State University. The views expressed are the author's own.