This book will serve as a primer for both laboratory and field scientists who are shaping the emerging field of molecular epidemiology. Molecular epidemiology utilizes the same paradigm as traditional epidemiology but uses biological markers to identify exposure, disease or susceptibility. Schulte and Perera present the epidemiologic methods pertinent to biological markers. The book is also designed to enumerate the considerations necessary for valid field research and provide a resource on the salient and subtle features of biological indicators.

"I think this is an excellent book–I recommend it to anyone involved in molecular epidemiology... The 26 chapters are written by topic specialists, in an explanatory, east to read style." –BTS Newsletter, Summer 2009 "This text provides an accessible and useful handbook for the epidemiologist who wants to survey the field, to become better informed, to look at recent developments and get some background on these or simply to appreciate further the relatively rapid changes in informatic and analytical technologies which increasingly will serve and underpin future epidemiological studies. One of the strengths in this book is the extensive array of practical illustrative examples, and it would also in my opinion have useful potential as a teaching text." –American Journal of Human Biology, March 2009 With the sequencing of the human genome and the mapping of millions of single nucleotide polymorphisms, epidemiology has moved into the molecular domain. Scientists can now use molecular markers to track disease-associated genes in populations, enabling them to study complex chronic diseases that might result from the weak interactions of many genes with the environment. Use of these laboratory generated biomarker data and an understanding of disease mechanisms are increasingly important in elucidating disease aetiology. Molecular Epidemiology of Disease crosses the disciplinary boundaries between laboratory scientists, epidemiologists, clinical researchers and biostatisticians and is accessible to all these relevant research communities in focusing on practical issues of application, rather than reviews of current areas of research. Covers categories of biomarkers of exposure, susceptibility and disease Includes chapters on novel technologies: genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabonomics, which are increasingly finding application in population studies Emphasizes new statistical and bioinformatics approaches necessitated by the large data sets generated using these new methodologies Demonstrates the potential applications of laboratory techniques in tackling epidemiological problems while considering their limitations, including the sources of uncertainty and inaccuracy Discusses issues such as reliability (compared to traditional epidemiological methods) and the timing of exposure Explores practical elements of conducting population studies, including biological repositories and ethics Molecular Epidemiology of Disease provides an easy-to-use, clearly presented handbook that allows epidemiologists to understand the specifics of research involving biomarkers, and laboratory scientists to understand the main issues of epidemiological study design and analysis. It also provides a useful tool for courses on molecular epidemiology, using many examples from population studies to illustrate key concepts and principles.

Molecular Tools and Infectious Disease Epidemiology examines the opportunities and methodologic challenges in the application of modern molecular genetic and biologic techniques to infectious disease epidemiology. The application of these techniques dramatically improves the measurement of disease and putative risk factors, increasing our ability to detect and track outbreaks, identify risk factors and detect new infectious agents. However, integration of these techniques into epidemiologic studies also poses new challenges in the design, conduct, and analysis. This book presents the key points of consideration when integrating molecular biology and epidemiology; discusses how using molecular tools in epidemiologic research affects program design and conduct; considers the ethical concerns that arise in molecular epidemiologic studies; and provides a context for understanding and interpreting scientific literature as a foundation for subsequent practical experience in the laboratory and in the field. The book is recommended for graduate and advanced undergraduate students studying infectious disease epidemiology and molecular epidemiology; and for the epidemiologist wishing to integrate molecular techniques into his or her studies. - Presents the key points of consideration when integrating molecular biology and epidemiology - Discusses how using molecular tools in epidemiologic research affects program design and conduct - Considers the ethical concerns that arise in molecular epidemiologic studies - Provides a context for understanding and interpreting scientific literature as a foundation for subsequent practical experience in the laboratory and in the field

During the last two decades, molecular epidemiology has become an important discipline in cancer research. It has evolved towards the development, validation and application of markers of susceptibility and, more recently, markers of mechanisms of cancer development. This volume on mechanisms of carcinogenesis covers from an interdisciplinary perspective, the contribution of molecular epidemiology to the understanding of mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and represents a further contribution to the development of molecular epidemiology as a major cancer research domain.

Molecular epidemiology has taken advantage of the emergence of technological advances collectively identified as "-omics" (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomic, metabonomics) and their usage in epidemiological studies has heralded a revolution in the design implementation, and interpretation of studies on disease causation. Not the least, molecular epidemiology has brought together scientists of all disciplines to interact into very large, often multi-national networks, fostering consortia that have the size and power to address diseases as a global challenge. This book captures these fascinating developments and provides an extended, forward-looking vision of the principles, practice and impact of molecular epidemiology. Written and coordinated by world leaders in the field, the book covers, in a systematic way, the major conceptual advances, with a strong emphasis on study design and on how to incorporate biomarker studies into epidemiology practice. While providing a cornerstone for specialists, the book is also a teaching and training manual for public health, biology and medical students at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels. With its strong insistence on interdisciplinarity and its focus on translating complex concepts into information that can be shared across the borders of scientific disciplines, the book will be a door-opener for researchers whose work is being attracted by the potent magnet of molecular epidemiology.

A Statistical Approach to Genetic Epidemiology After studying statistics and mathematics at the University of Munich and obtaining his doctoral degree from the University of Dortmund, Andreas Ziegler received the Johann-Peter-Süssmilch-Medal of the German Association for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology for his post-doctoral work on “Model Free Linkage Analysis of Quantitative Traits” in 1999. In 2004, he was one of the recipients of the Fritz-Linder-Forum-Award from the German Association for Surgery.

This well-organized and clearly written text has a unique focus on methods of identifying the joint effects of genes and environment on disease patterns. It follows the natural sequence of research, taking readers through the study designs and statistical analysis techniques for determining whether a trait runs in families, testing hypotheses about whether a familial tendency is due to genetic or environmental factors or both, estimating the parameters of a genetic model, localizing and ultimately isolating the responsible genes, and finally characterizing their effects in the population. Examples from the literature on the genetic epidemiology of breast and colorectal cancer, among other diseases, illustrate this process. Although the book is oriented primarily towards graduate students in epidemiology, biostatistics and human genetics, it will also serve as a comprehensive reference work for researchers. Introductory chapters on molecular biology, Mendelian genetics, epidemiology, statistics, and population genetics will help make the book accessible to those coming from one of these fields without a background in the others. It strikes a good balance between epidemiologic study designs and statistical methods of data analysis.