Epidemiology

Lifecourse epidemiology is the study of antecedent exposures and later health outcomes, taking into account the pathways between the two and the evolution of health and disorder over time. Our faculty members examine biologic, genetic, social, and environmental determinants of health across the lifecourse, carrying out studies in numerous large birth cohorts across the globe.

Virtually all of the work in the cluster involves interdisciplinary collaborations with faculty across the Department of Epidemiology and the Columbia University Medical Center.

Training the next generation of lifecourse epidemiologists is critical to the success of our mission. We see our long-term research goals in two broad categories: first, the further integration of biologic, genetic, epigenetic, and social contextual measures into lifecourse studies, and second, the development of innovative statistical approaches to study exposure trajectories and outcomes measured over the lifecourse. We also aim to build capacity and support lifecourse studies in low and middle income countries.

Selected Projects

Dutch Famine Studies

Studies of the Dutch Hunger Winter have a long and storied history in our Department, with landmark findings about prenatal famine and schizophrenia, and new work examining epigenetic changes related to periconceptional exposures.

Pregnancy Cohort Studies

Cluster faculty members make use of a variety of remarkable multisite pregnancy cohorts for studies of early determinants of health and disease over the life course. They draw on birth cohorts established in 1959-1966 to seek prenatal and childhood determinants of neuropsychiatric, breast cancer, cardiovascular, and sperm quality outcomes as well as the emergence of health disparities over the lifecourse. They draw on more recently enrolled cohorts (e.g., the Norwegian birth cohort of 109,000) to study a range of outcomes at birth and in early childhood. The range of
in utero exposures is broad, including smoke, specific infections, micronutrients, and chemicals from the environment.

Affiliated Centers and Programs

Imprints Center for Genetic and Environmental Lifecourse Studies

Global Mental Health Program

Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health

Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan

Training Opportunities

Nutrition and Population Health Training Program

Cluster Faculty

A list of faculty involved in the cluster.