Institution: University of Ottawa ()
Category: Faculty of Health Sciences
Language:
English
Course Description
Epidemiology is everywhere; from COVID-19 and measles outbreaks to viral TikTok claims about medications like GLP-1s. This interactive mini course teaches students how to interpret real health statistics, spot misinformation, and understand how we measure risk in the population. Through games, simulations, and outbreak challenges, students will learn the basics of study design, bias, causation vs. correlation, and how epidemiologists at Health Canada evaluate drug safety. By the end, students will be able to decode the health information they see online and make evidence-based judgments.
Biography
My name is Kate Gilliland, and I am a master’s student and hold a Bachelor of Health Sciences with a specialization in Population and Public Health from the University of Ottawa. Since May 2024, I have worked as a Junior Epidemiologist in the Post-Market Drug Evaluation Bureau at Health Canada, where I analyze drug safety data and support real-world evidence projects. I am passionate about empowering the next generation to think critically about health information, particularly in a world where misinformation spreads quickly. I’m excited to share the tools that epidemiologists use every day to understand outbreaks, risks, and health trends.
