By analyzing how human bodies work and have evolved to function within their environment, as well as the complex molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis in a variety of life stages and disease states, scientists continue to develop treatments, prevention approaches, and interventions that have the potential to transform lifespans and health outcomes for many different populations globally. Understanding how molecular, environmental, and evolutionary factors and forces impact the health of living organisms is fundamental for developing competency in the field of global health.
Students will develop this competency by investigating questions such as: How do the behaviors of cells and molecules inside of bodies – human and animal, including insects – affect health and disease? How do the complex and mutually dependent interactions between humans and their natural environment, including water, soil, air, and living ecosystems, contribute to health and disease, at both the individual and planetary levels? What are the effects of diets, behaviors, and exposures on what happens inside a human body? How do the principles and perspectives of evolution inform our understanding of virulence, resistance, and susceptibility to both infectious and noninfectious disease? How can the principles and tools of engineering be used, now or in the future, to address biomedical challenges and needs?
Departments and programs at Yale from which courses may be drawn for this global health competency include but are not limited to: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology; Environmental Studies; Geology and Geophysics; Biomedical Engineering; Engineering and Applied Science; Biology; Cognitive Science; Neuroscience.