PhD Academic Program | Program in Public Health

Program Overview

We are a community dedicated to advancing public health through rigorous research and meaningful impact.

Our PhD program, housed within the Program in Public Health, offers two dynamic concentrations: Population Health and Clinical Outcomes Research. While both tracks share a strong core curriculum, each allows you to tailor your studies to your specific interests and career goals. Working under faculty mentor guidance, student projects focus on current problems affecting population health, health policy, and health care decisions.

Rachel Kidman, PhD
Program Director

Why Choose our PhD Program?

We offer a unique blend of academic rigor, mentorship, and real-world impact—all in a setting that inspires.

Fully funded positions available – tuition and stipend.
Shared commitment to research that drives transformative change in public health.
Intimate class sizes that foster meaningful faculty interaction and personalized learning.

Supportive, engaged mentors who are passionate about student success.
A chance to shape health outcomes on a broad scale—locally, nationally, and globally.
Nestled by Long Island’s scenic beaches, with quick access to the energy and opportunities of NYC.

Program of Study

To earn your doctorate you need to complete advanced coursework and at least one year of dissertation research. The Population Health and Clinical Outcomes Research program offers one doctoral degree with two possible concentrations: Population Health or Clinical Outcomes Research. Core requirements are the same for both concentrations. Students specialize through the different concentration requirements and by substantive research projects in their area.

All students take advanced coursework on research methodology, epidemiology, biostatistics, systematic literature review, and other topics that are critical for their intellectual foundation. In addition, the program strives to prepare students for the next step in their careers through tailored seminars to develop their teaching and grant writing skills.

Student in the Population Health Research concentration take additional courses in social epidemiology, climate, and policy. Students in the Clinical Outcomes Research concentration take additional courses related to clinical trials and health services research.

Dissertation research is the core of the PhD program. Students should select a topic that is aligned with their interests and work closely with a mentor to conduct original, rigorous, and meaningful research that contributes to improved population health and/or clinical outcomes

Research

Population Health

Training in the population health research concentration prepares students to investigate and address the social, behavioral, economic, environmental, and/or structural determinants of health at the population level. It tends to focus on structures and systems that drive who becomes sick, and who stays healthy. Population health training draws from epidemiology, sociology, psychology, health policy, biostatistics, implementation science and related disciplines to understand and improve the health of communities and societies. A PhD in population health research might be a good fit if you’re interested in upstream factors and/or health equity.

Research questions might include:

How does household violence affect adolescent mental health?
What role does childhood education have in the onset of dementia later in life?

Clinical Outcomes

Training in the clinical outcomes research concentration prepares students to evaluate clinical interventions, treatments, or care delivery models to understand their impact on patient outcomes. This field is focused on what works, for whom, and under what circumstances. By using patient-centered data, researchers extend knowledge in the areas of safety, quality, cost, efficiency, accessibility, accountability, and equity of care. Research in clinical outcomes also can intersect with population health with respect to understanding social and system-level barriers and facilitators to health care access, utilization, and related outcomes as well as inequities. A PhD in clinical outcomes research might be a good fit if you’re interested in evaluating treatments, improving care quality, or working closely with clinical data.

Research questions might include:

How do bundled payment models impact quality of care in stroke treatment?
Do hospitals that use automated decision-support tools have greater compliance to clinical practice guidelines for quality of care measures?
Are hospital readmission rates lower if patients complete cardiac rehabilitation?

Mentors for PhD Students

Dissertation advisors are your primary guide throughout the PhD process. They bring rich expertise and can offer critical guidance and support throughout the PhD process. Our advisors are invested in students’ intellectual growth and professional development. All students will be matched with an advisor from the Program in Public Health, listed below. In addition, many students have a co-advisor from a clinical department that enriches their studies and provides access to novel research opportunities.

Core Research Faculty

Lisa Benz Scott	Cardiac Rehabilitation, Community Health
Sean Clouston	Cognitive Functioning and Aging
Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi	Environmental Epidemiology
Alina Denham	Health Policy
Andrew Flescher	Medical & Bioethics, Transplantation Ethics, Health Policy
Lauren Hale	Sleep and Health
Amy Hammock	Intimate Partner Violence Prevention
Guanyu Huang	Air Quality, Climate Change, Environmental Change, Remote Sensing, & Environmental Justice
Rachel Kidman	Global Health, Child & Adolescent Adversity
Jaymie Meliker	Environmental Epidemiology
Laura Sampson	Psychiatric Epidemiology
Marie Aline Sillice	Health Disparities, Cultural Relevant Health Communication, Technology-Based Approaches
Dylan Smith	Resilience & Adaptation in the Context of Disability & Illness

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Admissions Requirements