Buck Louis Germaine M, Bloom Michael S, Gatto Nicolle M, Hogue Carol R, Westreich Daniel J, Zhang Cuilin
Am J Epidemiol. 2015 Apr 15;181(8):e1-8. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwv043. Epub 2015 Mar 25.
The 47th annual meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research hosted 17 invited speakers charged by the Executive Committee with presenting some of the many ways that epidemiologists have improved the health of the general population. There were 9 "Then and Now" sessions that were structured to focus on how early epidemiologists overcame research hurdles and advanced health through innovative strategies. For most topics, a longstanding expert was paired with an excellent contemporary epidemiologist working in the area, and both were given the freedom to deliver an integrated story about epidemiology's temporal role in protecting and promoting public health. Epidemiologic discoveries in cardiovascular, cancer, and perinatal epidemiology were discussed on day 1, followed by discussions of accomplishments in reducing exposures that adversely impact health (nutrition, environment/occupation, and tobacco use) on day 2. Topics with relevancy for many aspects of epidemiology were presented on day 3, including infectious diseases, social forces, and causal thinking in epidemiologic research. Given the large number of outstanding senior and junior epidemiologists that attended the meeting, choosing speakers was a unique challenge. What became evident from all sessions was the passion that epidemiologists have for population health, tempered with concerns for remaining true to epidemiologic principles, the timely adoption of innovative methods, and the responsible interpretation of research findings.
流行病学研究学会第47届年会邀请了17位演讲嘉宾，由执行委员会指定他们介绍流行病学家改善普通大众健康状况的多种方式。会议设有9场“过去与现在”环节，重点关注早期流行病学家如何克服研究障碍并通过创新策略促进健康。对于大多数主题，一位资深专家与一位该领域优秀的当代流行病学家搭档，两人都能自由讲述流行病学在保护和促进公众健康方面的历史作用。第一天讨论了心血管、癌症和围产期流行病学方面的发现，第二天讨论了在减少对健康有不利影响的暴露因素（营养、环境/职业和烟草使用）方面取得的成就。第三天介绍了与流行病学诸多方面相关的主题，包括传染病、社会因素以及流行病学研究中的因果思维。鉴于参会的优秀资深和初级流行病学家众多，挑选演讲嘉宾是一项独特的挑战。从所有环节中可以明显看出，流行病学家对人群健康充满热情，同时也关注如何坚守流行病学原则、及时采用创新方法以及对研究结果进行负责任的解读。
