The course provides sound training in the principles and methods of demography, epidemiology and statistics and the main theories and debates current in the field of population studies. Optional teaching units are available in a wide range of subjects, enabling the students to tailor the course to meet their individual needs. It is possible to develop expertise in epidemiology, statistics, reproductive health or policy analysis alongside expertise in demography.

Home: £4,640 (full-time) £2,320 (part-time)
Overseas: £14,600 (full-time) £7,300 (part-time)
For a list of tuition fees for all courses please visit
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/prospectus/howto/tuitionfees2008-09.html

By the end of this course, students should be able to:
(i) understand and describe the causation, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, management, and control of the major parasitic, bacterial, and viral diseases of tropical and developing countries;
(ii) demonstrate knowledge and skills in diagnostic parasitology and other simple laboratory methods;
(iii) understand and apply basic epidemiological principles, including selecting an appropriate study design to address a given clinical question;
(iv) select, apply and interpret basic statistical tests for the analysis of quantitative data;
(v) identify and critically evaluate published literature in order to make appropriate clinical decisions in areas such as diagnosis, test selection, treatment, and prognosis;
(vi) communicate relevant medical knowledge at an appropriate level to patients, health care professionals, colleagues and other groups; and
(vii) understand the basic sciences underlying clinical and public health practice, at an appropriate level depending on the individual student's choice of study units.

Core course: Infectious disease agents: transmission routes, intervention strategies and case studies, basic epidemiology, basic statistics, foundations of health policy, infectious disease control programme planning, communicable disease epidemiology / control.

By the end of this course students should be able to: (i) demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of the biology, life cycles, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of parasitic infections in humans and their relevance for human health and strategies for control; (ii) demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of the biology and strategies for control of the vectors and intermediate hosts of human parasites; (iii) carry out practical laboratory identification of the various parasite stages both free and in tissues and diagnose infections; (iv) demonstrate specialised skills acquired through taking study units on: advanced diagnostic, molecular, immunological, genetic, chemotherapeutic, ecological and/or control aspects of the subject; (v) demonstrate the ability to design a laboratory or field-based research project, apply relevant research skills, critically analyse and interpret data, and work with minimal supervision; (vi) prepare a written report including a critical literature review of relevant scientific publications, and (vii) show competence in communicating scientific information and findings.

Core: Introduction to Infectious Diseases; General Immunology;
Study units (Chosen by students): Immunology; Applied molecular biology of Infectious Diseases; Agents of Infection (Clinical); Research Progress & Field Applications; AIDS; Genetic Epidemiolog; Chemotherapy of Microbiol. Diseases; Epidemiology & Control of Malaria & Vector Borne Diseases.

This course aims: to provide a comprehensive theoretical knowledge of medical microbiology including the spread of micro-organisms, disease causation, diagnosis, treatment and/or prevention of pathogens of major significance to public health and advanced practical training in this diverse field. The increasing incidence of microbial infections worldwide is being compounded by the rapid evolution of drug-resistant variants and opportunistic infections by other organisms. This scenario and the morbidity and mortality associated with chronic infections and some childhood microbial diseases, require well-trained medical microbiologists. To meet this need, the course provides the theoretical knowledge and practical training necessary for accurate laboratory diagnoses in the hospital environment or basic research in academia and the pharmaceutical industry.

Bacteriology, virology, immunology, mycology, epidemiology, molecular biology, parasitology, research methods. Staining procedures for HIV-related parasites.

Dr. Alero Thomas
Email: alero.thomas@lshtm.ac.uk

By the end of this course students should be able to: (i) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principles underlying a wide range of molecular biological techniques and apply these techniques in practice; (ii) demonstrate specialist knowledge and skills in the areas of gene cloning, selection and analysis of recombinants, DNA sequencing and studies of gene function; (iii) devise and critically assess molecular biological approaches to fundamental research, taxonomic studies, production of DNA probes and epidemiological tools, analysis of chemotherapeutic targets and vaccine development, and (iv) develop skills for further independent learning in the context of the molecular biology of infectious diseases.

Foundation unit - introduction to infectious diseases. Core training in either parasitology, immunology, microbiology or virology with supplementary core molecular biology, applied molecular biology of infectious diseases.

Introduction to infectious diseases, core virology. Six study units chosen from: molecular virology, molecular biology of infectious diseases, practical training in gene cloning, research progress and field applications, vector-borne microbiol diseases, chemotherapy of viral diseases, AIDS, molecular biology and recombinant DNA techniques, molecular and genetic epidemiology, training in research methods.

At the end of this course students should be able to: (i) demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of the biology of vectors and intermediate hosts of human pathogens together with methods for their control; (ii) describe the biology, life cycles, pathogenesis and diagnosis of parasitic infections in humans and relate these to human health and disease control strategies; (iii) demonstrate a range of specialised technical and analytical skills relevant to vectors and vector-borne diseases, e.g. sampling, identification dissection, diagnostics, experimental design, data analysis, control technologies and strategies; (iv) design and carry out a small research project on the biology or control of disease vectors, analyse and interpret the results and prepare a written report including a critical literature review; (v) design, carry out and evaluate vector control interventions using the specialised knowledge and skills mentioned above, and (vi) show competence, both written and verbal, in communicating scientific information and findings.

Home: full-time £4,500; Part-time £2,250
Overseas: full-time £14,160; Part-time £7,080
For a list of tuition fees for all courses please visit
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/prospectus/howto/tuitionfees2007-08.html

This course aims: to equip students with skills to analyse public health problems in developing countries and design and evaluate actions to improve public health. It combines the research and teaching strengths of the School's academic departments and considers issues related to health, development and the provision of health services from a broad multidisciplinary perspective. Students are expected to have been involved in the planning or implementation of health programmes in developing countries, in teaching or in research. Every year the course attracts experienced health professionals from around the world. The course is suitable for candidates wishing to undertake a research degree on successful completion of the MSc degree.

By the end of this course students should be able to: (i) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of theory and practice in the core public health disciplines (epidemiology, statistics, social sciences and health policy); (ii) demonstrate specialised knowledge and skills in other areas relevant to public health from a wide range of choices (for example, health economics, population studies and health promotion); (iii) apply these skills to identify and assess public health problems in developing countries and evaluate actions designed to improve public health; (iv) formulate public health strategies and approaches to public health problems which are appropriate to different cultures and environment and (v) apply appropriate research skills, including literature review, study design and analysis, and evaluation and use of research findings.

The Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (DTM&H) is a three-month, full-time course in tropical medicine and public health for physicians.
It combines practical laboratory work, clinical experience, a series of lectures and seminars and some clinical experience designed to provide doctors with the clinical and factual knowledge that will form the basis of professional competence in tropical medicine. It is designed for physicians who intend to work in the tropics, those with tropical experience who have returned for a refresher, or practitioners who may be working in non-tropical countries and who need experience in clinical parasitology, imported diseases and travel medicine.

The course aims to teach doctors the practical skills required to understand, diagnose, treat and prevent diseases that are especially prevalent in tropical and developing countries where resources may be strictly limited. The course has a strong epidemiological base but the scientific basis of infectious diseases is also given priority.
Much of the course is devoted to seminars, in which a multi-disciplinary team of experts from within and outside the School covers a particular disease or group of diseases in depth. Lectures cover the causative organisms, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, management and prevention of these diseases.

Other seminars focus on aspects of community health. These include an introduction to epidemiological methods used in the study of communicable diseases, and lectures on water supply, sanitation and nutrition. Seminars are also held on maternal and child health, non-communicable disease, population and reproductive health, the role played by NGOs, and health in emergencies.
One day a week is devoted to parasitology teaching. Lectures are followed by practicals in which the laboratory diagnosis of all the major parasitic diseases is taught. One day a week is spent at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, where clinical activities include bedside teaching, small group discussions, and, because the number of clinical cases in the Hospital is often limited, case presentations of "paper cases" derived from recent cases seen at the Hospital.

The course is intensive, without much free time during the three months.

4 January - 28 March 2008; followed by the Royal College of Physicians examinations: 31 March - 01 April 2008

Email: shortcourses@lshtm.ac.uk
Internet: http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/prospectus/short/stmh.html

The course aims to provide nurses and midwives with knowledge of the causes, prevention and treatment of major tropical diseases, through lectures and practical laboratory sessions. Nurses and midwives should also gain an insight into primary health care in developing countries; learn to maximize care with minimum resources, and understand the importance of promoting health through prevention rather than cure.

The course may cover a range of topics including: Anaemia and Sickle cell disease; Epidemics; Immunology; Immunization; Intestinal infection; Leprosy; Mother & child health; Medical anthropology; Nutrition; Parasitology; Refugees; Training traditional birth attendants; Tropical skin conditions; War wounds, and Water & sanitation.

The Diploma course consists of lectures covering tropical diseases and topics such as nursing in disasters primary health care. Also there are laboratory sessions on the use of microscopes, how to diagnose malaria and other parasites. Lecturers are either employed by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, or are external speakers. All of the lecturers are leaders in their chosen fields.

Email: shortcourses@lshtm.ac.uk
Internet: http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/prospectus/short/stn.html