Seminar Series: Dr. Cheryl Currie

Qualitative Epidemiology: An Oxymoron?

Cheryl Currie

Director
Schulich Interfaculty Program in Public Health
Western University

Professor
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Western University
Ontario, Canada

 

Short Biography:

Dr. Currie earned a PhD in Public Health from the University of Alberta. She held a faculty position at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta for 12 years before joining Western in fall 2024. Dr. Currie led the development of the graduate Public Health program at ULethbridge, and taught courses in undergraduate and graduate epidemiology and biostatistics. Before becoming an academic, Dr. Currie served as a Program Evaluator, and as a Research & Policy Analyst in government. These foundational experiences in the public health sector continue to inform her teaching and fuel her interest in developing public health programming that is practical and relevant for students. Dr. Currie’s research examines the ways in which social experiences, both positive and negative, get under the skin to shape health and behaviour, with a special focus on addictive behaviour.

Abstract:

A 2024 paper in the International Journal of Epidemiology declared “Qualitative research methods and mixed methods are core competencies for epidemiologists.” The Centres for Disease Control (CDC) affirmed this position with a chapter in the CDC Field Epidemiology Manual that teaches epidemiologists to collect and analyze qualitative data. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has similarly defined qualitative research as a core competency for infectious disease epidemiology.

Traditional epidemiologic competencies, as defined by academics, typically do not include skills in qualitative methods. Is it time for a change? As collaborations in health research become increasingly interdisciplinary, would redefining traditional epidemiologic competencies and curricula to include qualitative methods prepare epidemiologists to work both within and outside academia more effectively? Could the integrated use of qualitative and quantitative methods provide a more complete picture of the populations studied in epidemiology?

This presentation will discuss the differences in quantitative and qualitative research paradigms and data. The pros and cons of incorporating qualitative methods and analysis training within university-based epidemiology programs will be introduced. Ample time will be provided for audience members to engage with, discuss, and debate these ideas.

Date:  Friday, November 1
Time:  1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Location:  PHFM 1150 (Western Centre for Public Health and Family Medicine) or Zoom (link may be requested at  EpiBio@uwo.ca )