Research Epidemiology

The Epidemiology and Population Sciences Program at Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Center is a research program, rather than a treatment program. Discoveries resulting from research in the program will be shared with doctors and hospitals. Scientists in this program study the causes of childhood cancer and hematological diseases to determine what can be done to prevent these conditions. Our ultimate goal is to eradicate childhood cancer and hematological diseases in Texas, the nation and the world.

Our mission is to eliminate childhood cancer and hematological diseases by:

• Improving our understanding of the causes of cancer and hematological diseases
• Advancing prevention strategies
• Establishing a multidisciplinary research program, and
• Providing professional and public education.

The Epidemiology and Population Sciences Program at Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Center, is associated with Baylor College of Medicine, one of the top medical schools in the country, and Texas Children's Hospital, the largest pediatric hospital in the United States.

What is epidemiology?

Epidemiologists study diseases in populations. This includes studying how common a disease occurs in a specific population, as well as possible risk factors for a certain disease. One example of this is studying which diseases occur in a population and which groups of individuals develop the diseases.

Epidemiology studies may include researching a segment of the population in order to determine specific factors that may lead to disease. These factors may include diet, environmental exposure to possible disease-causing agents, family history of disease, or other characteristics that may provide clues to the causes of a certain disease. Researchers use this information to help determine the cause of a certain disease and to develop strategies to help reduce the risk of disease in the population.