The Blue Book A Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy
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The Blue Book
A Course Guide for the
Secondary Field in
Global Health and Health Policy
2021–2022
Website: http://ghhp.fas.harvard.edu/
Office: GHHP Advising and Administrative Office
14 Story Street, 4th floor
Cambridge, MA 02138
Contacts: Christy Colburn: christy_colburn@harvard.edu
Debbie Whitney: deborah_whitney@harvard.eduContents
What Can You Expect from Global Health
and Health Policy? 3
This Booklet 4
Secondary Field Requirements 5
Course Listings by GHHP Category
Foundational Courses 6
Research Courses 7
Economics of Health 8
Engineering Sciences and Statistics 9
Ethics of Health 12
Health and Demography 16
Health, Culture, and Society 17
History and Practice of Medicine 22
Politics of Health 25
Science of Health and Disease 27
Index of Courses 34
Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 1Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 2
What Can You Expect from Global Health and Health Policy? Interdisciplinary Approach Experiential Learning Explore interdisciplinary world health challenges from Studying global health and health policy requires integrative many perspectives; use different disciplinary approaches to experiential learning to connect the knowledge and skills learn about health care delivery, health systems, public learned in the classroom to real-world complexities. You health and health policy. Courses in the GHHP Secondary can take advantage of more than 50 summer internships, Field sit within three schools and 27 FAS departments. both domestic and abroad, and continue your work as part of These courses represent an array of perspectives on global your research requirement. More information about summer health topics and can inform your course of study both in opportunities and funding can be found at and out of the classroom. https://ghhp.fas.harvard.edu/ExperientialLearning. Local and Global Perspective Faculty Mentorship Learn how health is influenced by social, economic, Learn from faculty members teaching global health courses political, cultural, and environmental factors, both locally from across the university and receive one-on-one and globally. Your GHHP Secondary Field could include mentorship on independent research. Participate in Harvard any of the above topics or move into themes such as: global Global Health Institute workshops and student roundtables. governance for health; the relevance and morality of Work with faculty on research in their field or get valuable socioeconomic inequality in health; consequences of politics advice on projects of your own creation. and the role of health in foreign policy, national security, and economic development. Explore the Connections Learn about the rising global burden of chronic diseases in high-, low-, and middle-resource countries; the emergence of pandemic diseases and their economic and psychological impact; health consequences of travel, urbanization and migration, wars and ethnic conflict; changes in climate and other environmental factors, including water and food security. Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 3
This Booklet GPA except when the courses are counted toward
concentration requirements. Students wishing to cross-
register should consult the discussion of cross-registration in
the FAS Handbook for Students at this webpage:
https://handbook.fas.harvard.edu/book/cross-registration.
Prerequisites and Instructor Permission
The courses listed in this booklet fulfill requirements of the
Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy The courses listed in this booklet are suggestions for
(GHHP). The booklet includes courses that are listed in the undergraduates who are interested in learning more about
my.harvard.edu as of August 16, 2021. Since the terms and global health and health policy or the application of other
times in which courses are offered can change from time to disciplines to global health/health policy issues. It is the
time, students should consult my.harvard.edu for the most responsibility of students to ensure that they have the
accurate, up-to-date information. correct prerequisites and the permission of the instructor,
when required, before they enroll in a course.
Spreadsheet of Courses
Questions or Comments?
A list of courses that fulfill the various requirements of the
Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy is Do you have any comments about this booklet? Do you
available as a sortable spreadsheet on the GHHP website: know of a course that is not listed here and should be?
https://ghhp.fas.harvard.edu/courses-0. Note that the Would you like to receive a copy of this booklet in future
spreadsheet has two tabs at the bottom: the left tab lists years and/or an extra copy of this year’s booklet? Please
courses that appear in the 2021-22 course catalogs, while contact us at ghhp@fas.harvard.edu.
the right tab lists courses that were offered in the past and
still count for GHHP credit.
Petitioning Courses for GHHP Credit
Students may petition to have courses not listed in the Blue
Book count for GHHP Secondary Field credit. A course will
not be approved unless it has substantial global health or
health policy content. To petition a course, email your
request to ghhp@fas.harvard.edu, attach a syllabus, and
explain which category within the GHHP Secondary Field
you believe the course satisfies. Note that the only HSPH
courses listed in the Blue Book are those that have been
petitioned previously. It is likely that the majority of courses
offered at HSPH, once petitioned and reviewed, would
count for GHHP; however, be aware that many courses
offered at HSPH are half-semester courses and provide only
half the credit of a semester-long course in FAS.
Cross-Registration
Students must cross-register in order to take classes in
Harvard schools outside of FAS. Policies and deadlines for
cross-registration generally vary from school to school.
Note that passing grades received for cross-registered
courses will not be used in computing a student’s
Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 4Harvard Secondary Field
in Global Health and Health
Policy Requirements
In total, five courses (20 credits) are required:
One Foundational Course: Three Additional Courses, one course in three
of the following eight categories:
• GENED 1063: World Health: Challenges and
Opportunities [Formerly "Societies of the World 24: Is Humanities and Social Sciences
Globalization Good or Bad for World Health?"] • Economics of Health
• GENED 1079: Why is There No Cure for Health? • Ethics of Health
[Formerly "Empirical and Mathematical Reasoning • Health and Demography
20”] • Health, Culture, and Society
• GENED 1093: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Cares? • History and Practice of Medicine
Reimagining Global Health [Formerly "Societies of the • Politics of Health
World 25: Case Studies in Global Health: Biosocial Sciences
Perspectives"] • Engineering Sciences and Statistics
• Science of Health and Disease
• Not Offered in 2021-2022: GENED: USW 11
American Health Care Policy Course options for the eight categories are listed in this Blue
Book. Note that the eight categories are divided into two
areas, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Sciences.
One Research Course: Students are strongly encouraged to take at least one course
from both areas.
• One term of the senior thesis tutorial, when the thesis
pertains to global health or health policy
• One term of the senior thesis tutorial, when students Other Information:
write an additional thesis chapter on the global health or
health policy implications of their hard science, • Only one of the five courses may be non-letter-graded.
engineering, or computer science thesis (Exception: Two courses may be taken non-letter-
• Global Health and Health Policy 99: Research in Global graded if one is the senior thesis tutorial used to satisfy
Health and Health Policy the research requirement.)
• Supervised Reading and Research course (GHHP 91 or • Only one course may double count for a secondary field
equivalent course in another department), culminating and concentration.
in a research paper pertaining to global health or health • A maximum of two non-FAS courses may count for the
policy GHHP Secondary Field. This includes courses taken at
other Harvard schools, including Harvard Summer
Additional guidelines regarding the research requirement School, and courses taken in study abroad programs.
are available at http://ghhp.fas.harvard.edu
Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 5Course Listings by GHHP reform its health care system? And how should prescription
drugs be produced and sold?
Category We will explore how social scientists address empirical
questions, the types of data that are available, how those
data are analyzed, and the confidence with which causal
statements are made. By the end of the course, you will be
able to dissect a large question—such as how to reform
American healthcare—into its technological, social,
economic, and moral components, and weigh potential
solutions according to these guiding vectors.
FOUNDATIONAL COURSES
GENED 1093: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Cares?
Reimagining Global Health
GENED 1063: World Health: Challenges and Arthur Kleinman, Salmaan Keshavjee, Anne Becker, Paul
Opportunities Farmer,
Sue J. Goldie Fall; TTh 10:30-11:45
Spring; MW 10:30-11:45 If you are sick or hurt, whether you live or die depends not
Class Capacity: 200 only on biological factors, but social ones: who you are and
Consent Required: Instructor where you are, what sort of healthcare system is available to
Extraordinary changes in the world present both risks and help you survive, and what kind of care is available to help
opportunities to health—unprecedented interconnections you recover, if society believes you deserve it. The global
across borders, rapidly shifting global demographics, and coronavirus pandemic illustrates with dramatic urgency the
changing patterns of diseases and injuries. This course will role social forces play in patterning health inequities and
challenge your assumptions about the world’s populations, determining individual fates. The vulnerabilities of those
as you discover surprising similarities and unexpected most likely to get sick and to die from Covid-19 stem from
differences between and within countries. Approaching the the ongoing effects of systemic racism on racialized
concept of health as a fundamental prerequisite for building subjects, the devaluation of eldercare and precarity of low-
strong societies, we will explore its connection to human paid work under neoliberal forms of governance, and
rights, international relations, and sustainable development. enduring material effects of colonial-era power structures
Using case examples of contemporary health challenges, we that render health care systems dangerously weak or
explore the influence of social, political, and environmental inaccessible for many communities. Now, as ever, it is
determinants on health, particularly transnational risks imperative to develop frameworks and methodologies to
associated with globalization. We consider solutions from identify and to intervene effectively in harmful social
an array of perspectives, contributions from within and configurations that cause illness and suffering.
outside the health sector, and interventions at the local, Most medical research narrowly focuses on the biological
national and global levels. By the end of the course, you will basis of disease, but this course takes a novel biosocial
be equipped to thoughtfully analyze important health approach to reveal how governments, institutions, and
challenges and appreciate how evidence is contextualized histories shape health and well-being, how poverty and
and translated to policy and action. racism get into someone’s lymph nodes, how cost- saving
measures manifest as tuberculosis in someone’s lungs. In
GENED 1079: Why is There No Cure for Health? doing so, the course challenges conventional assumptions
David Cutler within the field of global health—examining how
Fall; TTh 12-1:15 interventions influence what happens after a catastrophe in
Around the world, billions of dollars are spent on health unexpected ways, how the persistence of health inequalities
care treatments, public health initiatives, and pharmaceutical over centuries can be explained, how the structures of
research and development. So why are we still not able to powerful institutions influence the policies they develop,
prevent preventable diseases, provide affordable healthcare how the poor deserve not only health care but high quality
for millions of people, and deliver cures for curable health care, and how caregiving and global health are urgent
diseases? And what are the best ways to address these moral practices.
issues?
Because these questions are so large, we will focus our
discussion around questions like: What steps should be
taken to address epidemics? How should the United States
Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 6RESEARCH COURSES Global Health and Health Policy 91: Supervised Reading and Research David Cutler Fall and Spring Consent Required: Instructor Supervised reading leading to a long term paper on a topic or topics not covered by regular courses of instruction. Course Notes: May not be taken Pass/Fail. To enroll in the course, a written proposal and signature of advisor and chair of GHHP Committee is required. Refer to GHHP website for enrollment requirements and instructions: https://ghhp.fas.harvard.edu/ghhp-91 Global Health and Health Policy 99: Research in Global Health and Health Policy David Cutler Spring; W 3-5 Consent Required: Instructor Global health and health policy are interdisciplinary fields that apply the theories and methods of statistics, sociology, political science, economics, management, decision science, and philosophy to the study of population health and health care. Research from these fields influences policymaking in a variety of settings. For example, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) drew upon health policy research to develop programs for improving access and quality of care in the United States. Similarly, global health research guides international institutions, such as the World Health Organization, in determining health guidelines for all countries. Global health and health policy research can also inform practices inside hospitals, initiate programs for diseases like HIV, and regulate the food and drug industries. This course introduces the fundamentals of research design and methods in global health and health policy and assists students in developing research projects and crafting policy recommendations that can impact health care systems and public health. Course Notes: This course fulfills the research requirement of the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy, and enrollment is ordinarily limited to seniors in the GHHP Secondary Field. Underclass GHHP students may petition to take the course if all other Secondary Field requirements have been met. GHHP 99 is primarily taught by graduate students in the PhD in Health Policy program. It may not be taken pass/fail. Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 7
ECONOMICS OF HEALTH We will explore how social scientists address empirical
questions, the types of data that are available, how those
data are analyzed, and the confidence with which causal
Freshman Seminar 40k: America's $4 Trillion Challenge: statements are made. By the end of the course, you will be
Boosting Health Care Productivity and Broadening able to dissect a large question—such as how to reform
Access American healthcare—into its technological, social,
Alan Garber economic, and moral components, and weigh potential
Spring; TBA solutions according to these guiding vectors.
Class Capacity: 12
Consent Required: Instructor Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology 230:
"Why does health care cost so much?" Policymakers, Principles and Practice of Drug Development
employers, and the public share deep frustration at high Stan Finkelstein; Peter Sorger
health expenditures, which are blamed for rising federal Fall; W 3-6
deficits, the declining competitiveness of US businesses, Critical assessment of the major issues and stages of
and the risk of financial ruin for individuals unfortunate developing a pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical. Drug
enough to suffer a costly illness or injury. Unless health discovery, preclinical development, clinical investigation,
expenditures can be controlled, universal access to care is manufacturing and regulatory issues considered for small
likely to remain an unattainable goal in the United States. In and large molecules. Economic considerations of the drug
this seminar, we will explore the causes and consequences development process.
of the high costs of care and the range of approaches to Class Notes: Wed., 3:00pm - 6:00pm
increasing the productivity of health care. The Affordable Meeting Dates: Sept. 8 – Dec. 8, 2021
Care Act and alternative health reform options will be Meeting Location: MIT 4-237
critically examined for their effects on health care
productivity. Students will be exposed to techniques for XREG: SUP 518: The Economics of Infectious Disease
measuring the effectiveness and value of health care, and Marcella Alsan
will become familiar with economic and clinical studies. Fall; MW 3-4:15
Students will be asked to produce a mid-term outline and Class Capacity: 75
final paper on solutions for improving health care The course introduces and applies economic models and
productivity in the US. . econometric tools to the analysis infectious diseases.
Recommended Prep: Background in microeconomics at the Specific diseases will be discussed and recent research
level of first-semester Economics 10 is required. Knowledge reviewed.
of AP-level statistics is desirable. The course is relevant to Recommended Prep: Prior experience with statistics and/or
anyone with an interest in applied economics, public policy, econometrics and/or microeconomics and/or infectious
health care, or public health. disease is helpful but not mandatory. Undergraduates may
Course Requirements: Course open to Freshman Students take SUP 518 as part of their economics concentration.
Only.
GENED 1079: Why is There No Cure for Health?
David Cutler
Fall; TTh 12-1:!5
Around the world, billions of dollars are spent on health
care treatments, public health initiatives, and pharmaceutical
research and development. So why are we still not able to
prevent preventable diseases, provide affordable healthcare
for millions of people, and deliver cures for curable
diseases? And what are the best ways to address these
issues?
Because these questions are so large, we will focus our
discussion around questions like: What steps should be
taken to address epidemics? How should the United States
reform its health care system? And how should prescription
drugs be produced and sold?
Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 8ENGINEERING SCIENCES AND STATISTICS Economics 1123: Introduction to Econometrics
Davide Pettenuzzo (Fall), Gregory Bruich (Spring)
Fall; MW 1:30-2:45
Applied Mathematics 101: Statistical Inference for Spring; TTh 3-4:15
Scientists and Engineers An introduction to multiple regression techniques with
Jeffrey Paten focus on economic applications. Discusses extensions to
Fall; MW 12:45-2 discrete response, panel data, and time series models, as
Class Capacity: 55 well as issues such as omitted variables, missing data,
Consent Required: Instructor sample selection, randomized and quasi-experiments, and
Introductory statistical methods for students in the applied instrumental variables. Also develops the ability to apply
sciences and engineering. Random variables and probability econometric and statistical methods using computer
distributions; the concept of random sampling, including packages.
random samples, statistics, and sampling distributions; the Course Notes: Students may take both Economics 1123 and
Central Limit Theorem; parameter estimation; confidence Statistics 139 for credit. However, Statistics 139 will not
intervals; hypothesis testing; simple linear regression; and count as the econometrics requirement for the economics
multiple linear regression. Introduction to more advanced concentration. Only one course can count towards EC
techniques as time permits. credit; either Economics 1123 or Economics 1126. Both
Recommended Prep: Math 21a or Applied Math 21a or courses can count towards college credit regardless of the
equivalent. order they are taken.
Recommended Prep: Statistics 100 and 104.
Biomedical Engineering 110: Physiological Systems
Analysis Economics 1126: Quantitative Methods in Economics
Maurice Smith Ellie Tamer
Fall; MW 3:45-5 Fall; TTh 10:30-11:45
A survey of systems theory with applications from Topics include conditional expectations and its linear
bioengineering and physiology. Analysis: differential approximation; best linear predictors; omitted variable bias;
equations, linear and nonlinear systems, stability, the panel data methods and the role of unobserved
complementary nature of time and frequency domain heterogeneity; instrumental variables and the role of
methods, feedback, and biological oscillations. randomization; various approaches to inference on causal
Applications: nerve function, muscle dynamics, relations.
cardiovascular regulation. Laboratory: neural models, Course Notes: Only one course can count towards EC
feedback control systems, properties of muscle, credit; either Economics 1123 or Economics 1126. Both
cardiovascular function. courses can count towards college credit regardless of the
Recommended Prep: Engineering Sciences 53 (or order they are taken. Students who fulfill the econometrics
equivalent); Physical Sciences 12b (or equivalent); and requirement with Economics 1126 and who intend to pursue
Math 21a and Math21b (or equivalents) Honors should note that the Honors exam assumes
knowledge of the material covered in Economics 1123.
Biomedical Engineering 125: Tissue Engineering Recommended Prep: Math 18, 21a, Applied Math 21a.
David Mooney
Spring; TBA Engineering Sciences 6: Introduction to Environmental
Fundamental engineering and biological principles Science and Engineering
underlying field of tissue engineering, along with examples Steven Wofsy, Bryan Yoon
and strategies to engineer specific tissues for clinical use. Spring; TBA
Students will prepare a paper in the field of tissue This course will provide students with an introduction to
engineering, and participate in a weekly laboratory in which current topics in environmental science and engineering by
they will learn and use methods to fabricate materials and providing: an overview of current environmental issues,
perform 3-D cell culture. critically evaluating their underlying science and knowledge
Recommended Prep: LS1a, Chem17 or 20, or biochemistry limitations, and exploring the best-available engineering
and cell biology background. solutions to some of our most pressing environmental
Jointy Offered with: Faculty of Arts & Sciences as ENG- problems. The course will emphasize the interconnected
SCI 230 biological, geological, and chemical cycles of the earth
system (biogeochemical cycles) and how human activity
affects these natural cycles within each of the major
Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 9environmental compartments (atmospheric, aquatic, and statistical techniques including linear, multiple linear, and
terrestrial). panel regression models; and Bayesian methods including
Course Notes: ESE 6 is also offered as EPS 6. Students may empirical, full, and hierarchical approaches. You will be
not take both for credit. provided with sufficient data, example code, and context to
Recommended Prep: The course presumes basic knowledge come to your own informed conclusions regarding each of
in chemistry, physics, and mathematics at the high school these questions. Furthermore, topics covered in class will
level. pro-vide a template for undertaking independent research
Jointly Offered with: Faculty of Arts & Sciences as E-PSCI projects in small teams. Research will either extend on
6 topics presented in class or address other human-
environmental questions. Historically, such student projects
Engineering Sciences 53: Quantitative Physiology as a have sometimes led to senior theses or publication in
Basis for Bioengineering professional journals.
Lindsey Moyer Course Notes: The course is designed for upper-level
Fall; MWF 11:15-12:30 undergraduates. Enrollment is by instructor permission. This
This course is designed as an introduction to thinking as a course fulfills the EPS sub-discipline requirement of
bio/biomedical engineer and is recommended for first years Atmosphere(s) and Oceans.
and sophomores but open to all students. Simple Recommended Prep: There are no specific prerequisites but
mathematical models are used to represent key aspects of a background in environmental, physical or life sciences;
organ systems function. Core engineering concepts are experience in coding or statistical analysis; and/or facility
explored through mechanical and electrical examples within with differential equations is useful.
the human body. The primary focus is on quantitative Jointly Offered with: Faculty of Arts & Sciences as ESE 168
descriptions of organ systems function and control in terms
of physical principles and physiologic mechanisms. It Government 50: Data
includes a foundation in human organ systems physiology, TBA
including cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal systems. Spring; TBA
Emphasis will be given to understanding the ways in which This course, an introduction to quantitative political science,
dysfunction in these systems gives rise to common human will teach you how to answer questions with data, how to
disease processes. develop questions suited to empirical research, construct
Course Notes: Open to first-year students. hypotheses, conduct descriptive analysis using statistical
Recommended Prep: Calculus at the high school level summaries and data visualizations, how to model
Course Requirements: Co-req or pre-req: Applied Physics relationships, how to assess uncertainty, and how to
50a OR Applied Physics 50b OR Physical Sciences 12a OR communicate your findings. Exercises both in and out of
Physical Sciences 12b OR Physics 15a OR Physics 15b OR class will require students to engage with and apply various
PHYSCI 2 OR PHYSCI 3 social science concepts, and to undertake quantitative
analyses of political and policy-relevant data. Each student
Earth & Planetary Sciences 168: Human Environmental will complete a final project.
Data Science: Agriculture, Conflict, and Health
Peter Huybers Molecular and Cellular Biology 111: Mathematics in
Fall; T 3:45-5:45 Biology
Consent Required: Instructor Elena Rivas
The purpose of this course is to develop understanding and Fall; MWF 10:30-11:45
guide student research of human and environmental MCB111 is meant for biologists who want to learn
systems. In class we will explore agriculture, conflict, and mathematical principles relevant to current biological
transmissible disease. Study of each topic will involve research, as well as for mathematically oriented students
introduction data, mathematical models, and analysis who want to explore applications in biology. The course
techniques that build toward addressing a major question at theme is mathematical modeling of biological processes,
each interface: Have agricultural systems been adapted to with a special emphasis on probabilistic models and
climate change? Has drought caused conflict? And does the inference. More than half of the course covers topics on
environment influence the spread of COVID-19? These information theory, Bayesian inference, statistics,
questions are diverse, but are addressed using common probabilistic modeling, and neural networks. The last
analytical frameworks. Analytical approaches include section of the course covers dynamical systems in biology,
simple mathematical models of feedback systems, crop including random walks, feedback control, and molecular
development, and population disease dynamics; frequentist population dynamics. Each week-long unit is devoted to one
Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 10specific topic, and is based in one or more scientific papers between knowledge and information. This course will
selected from the recent literature. The best way to learn in motivate statistical methods through data analysis and
this course is through the homework. They are very hands- visualization, in addition to discussing the underlying
on, and usually require coding to implement some theory. We will discuss topics such as study design,
mathematical concept through a particular biological descriptive statistics, probability, sampling distributions,
example. For instance, one unit is devoted to maximum hypothesis testing, linear regression, and Bayesian
likelihood methods in the context of Quantitative Trait Loci inference. A wide variety of applications from the economic
analysis; another unit explores probabilistic models in the and social sciences will be highlighted along with examples
context of inferring ancestry and recombination breakpoints from biology, sports, politics, and more. Students with prior
from genomic reads in fly populations. More information exposure to introductory statistics will find some overlap of
about the course can be found at mcb111.org. material but be exposed to new applications and learn more
Recommended Prep: Mathematics 19 or higher. advanced modeling techniques. This course makes use of
the statistical programming language R, but no prior
Psychology 1900: Introduction to Statistics for the knowledge of computer science is required.
Behavioral Sciences Course Notes: Only one of the following courses may be
Patrick Mair (Fall); TBA (Spring) taken for credit: Statistics 100, 101, 102, 104.
Fall; MW 9-10:15 Course Requirements: Anti-Req: may not be taken for credit
Spring; TBA if STAT 109 or STAT 139 already complete.
Provides a conceptual and practical introduction to statistics
used in psychology and other behavioral sciences. Covers Statistics 110: Introduction to Probability
basic topics in statistics including: measures of central Joseph Blitzstein
tendency and variability; probability and distributions, Fall; TTh 1:30-2:45
correlations and regression, hypothesis testing, t-tests, A comprehensive introduction to probability. Basics:
analysis of variance, and chi-square tests. Includes a lab sample spaces and events, conditional probability, and
section with instruction in statistical analysis using a Bayes' Theorem. Univariate distributions: density functions,
computer program. expectation and variance, Normal, t, Binomial, Negative
Recommended Prep: The Psychology Department requires Binomial, Poisson, Beta, and Gamma distributions.
completion of Science of Living Systems 20 or Psychology Multivariate distributions: joint and conditional
1 or the equivalent of introductory psychology (e.g. Psych distributions, independence, transformations, and
AP=5 or IB=7) before enrolling in this course. Multivariate Normal. Limit laws: law of large numbers,
Course Requirements: Pre-requisite: SLS20 or PSY1 or central limit theorem. Markov chains: transition
Psychology AP=5 or Psychology IB=7 or Psyc S-1 probabilities, stationary distributions, convergence.
Recommended Prep: Math 1b or equivalent or above.
Statistics 102: Introduction to Statistics for Life
Sciences
Kevin A. Rader
Spring; MW 12-1:15
Introduces the basic concepts of probability, statistics and
statistical computing used in medical and biological
research. The emphasis is on data analysis and visualization
instead of theory. Designed for students who intend to
concentrate in a discipline from the life sciences.
Course Notes: Only one of the following courses may be
taken for credit: Statistics 100, 101, 102, 104.
Statistics 104: Introduction to Quantitative Methods for
Economics
Kevin A. Rader
Fall; TTh 10:30-11:45
In a world where data is growing larger and more complex,
it can be a challenge to turn an abundance of information
into the knowledge from which sound decisions can be
made. As a discipline, statistics aims to bridge the gap
Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 11ETHICS OF HEALTH GENED 1116: Medical Ethics and History
David Shumway Jones
Fall; TTh 10:30-11:45
GENED 1064: Brains, Identity, and Moral Agency Students will encounter the ethical dilemmas of medical
Steven Hyman practice throughout their lives, whether with their own
Spring; TTh 10:30-11:45 health, or with the health their families and friends. This
Advances in brain science have the potential to diminish course will equip them with the tools of moral philosophy
many forms of human suffering and disability that are so that they can recognize, critique, and craft arguments
rooted in disordered brain function. But what are the ethical grounded in appeals to utilitarianism, deontology, or rights.
implications involved in altering the structure and function But the course will focus on historical analysis of the
of human brains? What’s at stake when we have the ability debates so that students understand how social, economic,
to alter a person’s narrative identity, create brain-computer and political contexts have influenced moral reasoning. By
interfaces, and manipulate social and moral emotion? In this clarifying their own thinking in the classroom, students will
course, you will ask and attempt to answer these questions, be better equipped to engage in the debates and contribute to
and discuss the implications of mechanistic explanations of the ongoing efforts by medicine to relieve human suffering.
decision-making and action for widely-held concepts of
moral agency and legal culpability. This course will prepare Ethnicity, Migration, Rights 147: COVID-19, inequality
you to be a thoughtful citizen of a world characterized by and the Latinx community
rapidly emerging understandings of human brain function, Americo Mendoza-Mori
and by new technologies intended to repair or influence Fall; T 3-5:45
human brains. Class Capacity: 15
Course Notes: For students who have taken MCB 80, it is Consent Required: Instructor
contemplated that there will be a section that incorporates When the coronavirus pandemic started to hit the world in
more advanced concepts from neurobiology. 2020, it gave the wrong impression that it would affect
Recommended Prep: LPS A or LS 1a, a 4 or 5 on the AP everyone the same way, acting as a ‘great equalizer’.
Biology exam, or equivalent experience in biology However, the effects of COVID-19 exacerbated structural
injustices and the impact varied dramatically different
GENED 1115: Human Trafficking, Slavery, and Abolition depending on race, gender, class. According to data from
in the Modern World the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in
Orlando Patterson May 2021, Hispanics/Latinos were twice as likely to get the
Spring; TTh 1:30-2:45 virus in comparison to white adults, and 2.3 times more
We often think of slavery as being a dark chapter in our likely to die from it. Even as vaccines have become
past, but this is a tragic oversimplification. What defines available, their distribution has also been affected by
slavery in the modern world, and what are the moral, disparities of access.
political and social implications of its continued existence? For this class we will analyze discursivities that have been
As we explore its underpinnings, we discover that all of us exposed by the pandemic and have since become topics of
may be in some way complicit in its survival. This course ethical and social reevaluation: health disparities, the
surveys the nature, types and extent of modern servitude distribution of labor, housing and transportation, language
such as transnational and domestic prostitution, forced access, environmental racism (including activism against
marriage, labor trafficking and forced domestic labor, child anti-Asian and anti-Black violence). At the same time, we
soldiering and other forms of enslavement of children, organ will explore public policy and solidarity grassroot initiatives
trafficking and other health aspects of trafficking, debt- that have provided community support and programmatic
bondage, and the forced exploitation of other vulnerable responses on healthcare, social and racial justice, and
groups such as refugees and stateless persons. Throughout climate issues to the future of US society.
the course, but especially in the final part, we examine anti- Community testimonies and guest speakers, multimedia
trafficking and anti-slavery measures and movements and content, interdisciplinary readings, and class debates are
ways in which you can increase awareness or become intended to encourage reflection and to learn from
involved. You will, by the end of our exploration, be able to underrepresented voices of the pandemic. This is a speaking
trace the moral and ethical arguments surrounding human seminar, open to all students, that will promote oral
slavery in its various forms, understand the ways in which communication and critical thinking skills through
this problem still affects so many people, and what can and discussions, projects, and prepared presentations.
should be done about it.
Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 12Global Health and Health Policy 70: Global Response to History of Science 2953: Bioethics, Law, and the Life
Disasters and Refugee Crises Sciences
Stephanie Kayden, Michael VanRooyen Sheila Jasanoff
Spring; Th 12:45-2:45 Spring; TBA
Class Capacity: 30 Class Capacity: 30
Consent Required: Instructor Consent Required: Instructor
Climate change, urbanization, and conflict mean that global Seeks to identify and explore salient ethical, legal, and
disasters are on the rise. How should the world respond policy issues - and possible solutions - associated with
when disasters force people from their homes? How can we developments in biotechnology and the life sciences.
better help the world’s refugees? This course examines the Course Notes: Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as
past, present, and future of the international humanitarian IGA-515. Cannot be taken for credit by students who have
response system. We will explore how Doctors Without already taken IGA-515.
Borders, the United Nations, the Red Cross, and other aid
agencies came to be and how global response standards, Sociology 1106: Humanitarian Activism and Civil
international humanitarian law, and new technologies are Society
shaping worldwide disaster relief. Shai Dromi
Through interactive discussions and case studies, students Spring; TTh 9-10:15
will learn how aid workers interact with governments, When global crises strike, humanitarian nongovernmental
militaries, and civil society to provide refugee aid. At the organizations – NGOs – spring to action, offering
end of the course, students can choose to live the refugee emergency medical services, basic necessities, expertise,
experience during a large-scale, weekend outdoor simulated and innovation to affected communities around the world.
humanitarian response training program together with other Yet COVID-19 brings unprecedented challenges—and
students and professional aid workers from around the unprecedented opportunities—to humanitarian endeavors.
world. Humanitarian workers are now working globally to
Course Notes: Lotteried course, enrollment limited to 30. distribute personal protection equipment in disadvantaged
communities, trace the spread of coronavirus in countries
Government 94gk: The Politics and Ethics of Medical with sparse public health resources, support countries with
Care weakened hospital systems, and advocate for an equitable
Gabriel Katsh distribution of a future vaccine.
Fall; Th 3-5:45 This course provides a comprehensive view of humanitarian
Class Capacity: 16 organizations and activism from a sociological perspective.
Consent Required: Instructor We will examine the origins of organized humanitarian
This course is an introduction to medical ethics and the activism and the dilemmas and challenges that NGOs face.
ways in which political theory can inform our understanding We will investigate the consequences, justifications, and
of the moral and political dimensions of medical care. Using limitations of humanitarian work. COVID-19 will be a
case studies as a launching point, we will explore ideas central study case for us, and we will also look at case
about autonomy, paternalism, beneficence, and distributive studies from the Kosovo War, the Nigerian Civil War, and
justice, and their application to issues such as informed the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Students will be assigned
consent, medical privacy, and the right to refuse care. The specific regions to research over the course, and will create
Fall 2021 iteration of the course will focus in particular on visual representations of the conditions and humanitarian
ethical and policy dilemmas that have arisen in the context activities in their assigned region. The course will include a
of the coronavirus pandemic, including questions about the virtual “hackathon” with the Bok Center's Learning Lab
distribution of scarce resources, the health effects of Studio where students will learn visual media skills for this
inequality, and balancing the needs of public health with purpose.
concerns about individual liberty. Readings include classics
of moral and political philosophy, writings by contemporary Sociology 1131: Philanthropy and Nonprofit
medical ethicists, Supreme Court decisions, and some Organizations
empirical and historical studies. Shai Dromi
Fall; MW 3-4:15
Class Capacity: 50
Consent Required: Instructor
When crises strike, nonprofit organizations spring to action,
offering their resources, expertise, and innovation to
Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 13affected communities. Yet COVID-19 brings unprecedented policies, programs and interventions. The course clarifies
challenges—and unprecedented opportunities—to how human rights approaches complement and differ from
philanthropic endeavors. Indeed, aside from supporting those of bioethics and public health ethics.
medical research on COVID-19, nonprofit organizations Among the issues to be considered from a human rights
have been providing medical care, distributing personal perspective are the bioethics, torture prevention and
protective equipment (PPE), helping address loss of treatment, infectious diseases, violence prevention and
employment and food insecurity, and advocating for global responses, genetic manipulation, access to affordable drugs,
equity in vaccine distribution, among other tasks. community-based health management and financing, child
This course partners with the Lemann Program on labor, aging, and tobacco control.
Creativity and Entrepreneurship (LPCE) in order to provide Course requirements are active participation in class
students with a unique opportunity to experience first-hand discussion (25%), presentation of a paper (10%) and quality
how philanthropists and nonprofit organizations are helping of the term paper (65%).
address the global effects of this global pandemic. On the Course Requirements: Students outside of HSPH must
theoretical side, the course will examine the workings of request instructor permission to enroll in this course.
philanthropy and of nonprofit organizations, using different Note: This course provides 2.5 credits. In order to receive
sociological perspectives and a series of case studies. credit equivalent to a course in FAS, a student must take
Alongside the theoretical content, students will form groups two 2.5-credit HSPH courses.
and will develop their own nonprofit ventures to address the
social impact of COVID-19. Student ventures will receive XREG: HSPH ID 250: Ethical Basis of the Practice of
startup seed funding and, at the end of the course, will Public Health
compete over additional seed money. The course will Daniel Wikler Ole Norheim
include a series of guest lectures and workshops on Fall 1; MW 8-9:30am
entrepreneurship to support student venture development. Class Capacity: 37
This course serves as an introduction to ethical issues in the
XREG: HSPH GHP 265: Ethics of Global Health Research practice of public health. Students will identify a number of
Richard Cash key ethical issues and dilemmas arising in efforts to improve
Spring 2; MW 3:45-5:15 and protect population health and will become familiar with
Class Capacity: 50 the principal arguments and evidence supporting contesting
This course is designed to expose students to the key ethical views. The class aims to enhance the students' capacity for
issues that may be encountered in the course of conducting using ethical reasoning in resolving the ethical issues that
global health research. Using case presentations and will arise throughout their careers.
discussion-based class sessions, students will have the Unlike courses in medical ethics, which mainly examine
opportunity to begin developing their own tools for dealing ethical dilemmas facing individual clinicians, the
with these important issues in an applied context. population-level focus of this course directs our attention to
Course Note: Required for GHP SM2 research students. questions of ethics and justice that must be addressed at the
Course is Restricted: GHP SM2 research students. Seats societal level. These include: What social response is
will be made available to other students if room is available. required of a just society to the needs of its members for
Students outside of HSPH must request instructor protecting and restoring health? Is population health
permission to enroll in this course. something other than the aggregate of the health concerns of
Note: This course provides 2.5 credits. In order to receive the individuals who make up a society at a given time? And
credit equivalent to a course in FAS, a student must take what are the ethical implications of the answers? When are
two 2.5-credit HSPH courses. inequalities in health inequitable, and what priority should
be assigned to reducing disparities in health when pursuing
XREG: HSPH GHP 288: Introduction to Health and this goal might compromise the effort to maximize
Human Rights population health? Which ethical choices, if any, are
Stephen P. Marks unavoidable in developing the methodologies for
Fall 2: MW 2-3:30 measurement of health and of the global burden of disease?
Class Capacity: 32 Which ethical choices if any are unavoidable in developing
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the and using methods for priority-setting such as cost-
application of the human rights framework to a wide range effectiveness analysis and cost-benefit analysis? Are the
of critical areas of public health. Through lectures, cases and ethical commitments of the profession of public health
guest speakers, students will become familiar with the consistent with some methods and not others? Should the
human rights perspective as applied to selected public health institution of universal health coverage be guided by ethical
Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 14precepts and if so, what are these values and how should they guide policy? Can and should public health's dedication to improving population health conflict with the priorities of some individuals whose choices to not reflect such high priority for health? Should these individual preferences always be respected? Are there effective strategies that pursue population health in the face of such conflicts while preserving the individual's freedom to make unhealthy choices? How should responsibility for poor health be assigned, and what are the ethical implications of this assignment for poor health due to health problems due to smoking, obesity, and other unhealthy behavior? To the extent that the socio-economic health gradient reflects differences in how well people take care of themselves are these disparities in health individual failings rather than social injustices? Class Notes: A course materials fee may apply for this course. An upper estimate is listed below, and the final materials fee will be communicated to enrolled students at the beginning of the term. For more information and a list of past years' materials fees for the current semester's courses, please visit the Curriculum Center website. [Estimated Non- Textbook Course Material Fee:< $25] Course Requirements: Students outside of HSPH must request instructor permission to enroll in this course. Note: This course provides 2.5 credits. In order to receive credit equivalent to a course in FAS, a student must take two 2.5-credit HSPH courses. Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 15
HEALTH AND DEMOGRAPHY Course Notes: Students who complete GHHP 30 may apply
to participate in an experiential learning opportunity in San
Vito, Costa Rica over spring break. Since slots are limited,
GENED 1063: World Health: Challenges and there will be a lottery.
Opportunities
Sue J. Goldie Sociology 1046: Life and Death by Design
Spring; MW 10:30-11:45 Jason Beckfield
Class Capacity: 200 Fall; MW 10:30-11:45
Consent Required: Instructor In this course, we will study health differences between
Extraordinary changes in the world present both risks and social groups. We will begin by examining the extent to
opportunities to health—unprecedented interconnections which health is unevenly distributed across groups defined
across borders, rapidly shifting global demographics, and by nationality, neighborhood, race, gender, and class -
changing patterns of diseases and injuries. This course will differences highlighted in stark terms by the COVID-19
challenge your assumptions about the world’s populations, pandemic. We will then seek to pinpoint the reasons for
as you discover surprising similarities and unexpected these disparities with a detailed analysis of the pathways
differences between and within countries. Approaching the through which these factors are linked to health status.
concept of health as a fundamental prerequisite for building Finally, we will discuss new research on the sociology of
strong societies, we will explore its connection to human population health that shows how health disparities depend
rights, international relations, and sustainable development. on meso- and macro-scale causes like neighborhoods, social
Using case examples of contemporary health challenges, we policy arrangements, global organizations, and climate
explore the influence of social, political, and environmental change.
determinants on health, particularly transnational risks Course Notes: May be used as an introductory course when
associated with globalization. We consider solutions from taken for letter grade, or elective.
an array of perspectives, contributions from within and
outside the health sector, and interventions at the local,
national and global levels. By the end of the course, you will
be equipped to thoughtfully analyze important health
challenges and appreciate how evidence is contextualized
and translated to policy and action.
Global Health and Health Policy 30: Global Oral Health:
Healthy Teeth, Healthy Societies
Brittany Seymour
Fall; MF 10:30-11:45
Class Capacity: 34
Consent Required: Instructor
Did you know that one of the strongest indicators of a
healthy society is the health of its teeth? Everyone has teeth,
but most people in the world don’t have access to affordable
dental care. This discussion-based course assesses current
global health policies and approaches for addressing
pressing health challenges despite resource constraints and
severe political neglect. It aims for students to be competent
in incorporating the global burden of oral diseases into
foundational concepts of global health and world
development. These include how oral diseases are
associated with globalization, poverty, infectious and non-
communicable diseases, maternal and child health, mental
health, nutrition, tobacco, alcohol, urban and rural
infrastructures, climate change, and the environment. This
course demonstrates how complete health and an end to
global poverty are not possible without including oral health
in the global health and development agenda.
Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 16HEALTH, CULTURE, AND SOCIETY Freshman Seminar 25n: Finding Connections:
Perspectives on Psychological Development and Mental
Illness
Freshman Seminar 23k: Insights from Narratives of Nancy Rappaport
Illness Fall; W 3-5
Jerome Groopman Class Capacity: 12
Spring; M 12:45-2:45 Consent Required: Instructor
Class Capacity: 12 The seminar's challenge will be to deepen our understanding
Consent Required: Instructor of human development and how individuals cope with
A physician occupies a unique perch, regularly witnessing serious emotional or social difficulties (neglect, bipolar
life’s great mysteries: the miracle of birth, the perplexing disorder, autism, depression, schizophrenia). We will use
moment of death, and the struggle to find meaning in multiple perspectives: medical observations and texts that
suffering. It is no wonder that narratives of illness have provide practical knowledge (e.g. The New England Journal
been of interest to both physician and non-physician writers. of Medicine review articles), narrative readings to
This seminar will examine and interrogate both literary and understand how patients experience the meaning of illness
journalistic dimensions of medical writing. The from the inside out (e.g. The Center Cannot Hold), visitors
investigation will be chronological, beginning with “classic” who will discuss their experience with mental illness, and
narratives by Tolstoy, Chekhov, and Kafka, and then how development-related mental illness is portrayed in the
moving on to more contemporary authors such as William press (e.g. The New Yorker articles). We will start with the
Carlos Williams, Richard Selzer, Oliver Sacks, Susan mental life of babies and how scientists interpret infants’
Sontag, and Philip Roth. Controversial and contentious nonverbal ways of finding safety and security. This begins
subjects are sought in these writings: the imbalance of the journey of our understanding fundamental needs for
power between physician and patient; how different tenderness, holding, and making meaning. Understanding
religions frame the genesis and outcome of disease; the role how conditions such as autism, depression, and
of quackery, avarice, and ego in molding doctors’ behavior; schizophrenia are described in clinical research and
whether character changes for better or worse when people literature will help us to appreciate the biological
face their mortality; what is normal and what is abnormal vulnerabilities and relational patterns that may disrupt the
behavior based on culture, neuroscience, and individual human connection. We will examine the resourcefulness
versus group norms. The presentation of illness in required for both fragility and resiliency. Throughout the
journalism will be studied in selected readings from the New seminar, the instructor, as a practicing child and adolescent
York Times’ and Boston Globe’s Science sections, as well as psychiatrist, will bridge the gap between research findings,
periodicals like the New Yorker, The New York Review of clinical applications, and everyday insight.
Books, Harper’s, and the Atlantic Monthly. The members of Course Requirements: Course open to Freshman Students
the seminar will analyze how the media accurately present Only.
the science of medicine or play to “pop culture.” The
seminar will study not only mainstream medical journalists, Freshman Seminar 71O: The Heart of Medicine: Patients
but so called alternative medical writers such as Andrew & Physicians & Experience of Serious Illness in the Age
Weil and celebrity health voices like Gwyneth Paltrow. of COVID-19
Patients with different diseases will be invited to speak to Susan Block
the members of the seminar about their experiences. Fall; W 3-5
Students will try their hands at different forms of medical Class Capacity: 12
writing, such as an editorial on physician-assisted suicide Consent Required: Instructor
that would appear in a newspaper and a short story that Sickness and death are universal human
describes a personal or family experience with illness and experiences. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has
the medical system. brought this reality home, in many difficult ways, to all of
Course Requirements: Course open to Freshman Students us over the past 2 years, thinking about our own losses and
Only. vulnerability and that of people we love is often
uncomfortable. This terrible year has also created many
opportunities for us to grow, as individuals and as a
society. Building on our collective experiences of the past
year, we will explore our own perspectives and experiences
with serious illness and death; examine the vulnerabilities in
our health system and our society that also contribute to the
Rev 08/16/21 Course Guide for the Secondary Field in Global Health and Health Policy 17You can also read
