American College of Epidemiology

American College of Epidemiology
Name	American College of Epidemiology
Abbreviation	ACE
Formation	1979
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	United States
Region served	United States
Leader title	President

American College of Epidemiology The American College of Epidemiology is a professional organization founded to advance the science and practice of epidemiology and public health. It engages with institutions such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization and collaborates with academic centers like Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The College interacts with policymakers associated with United States Congress, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of Management and Budget and with funders such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust.

History

The College was established in the context of shifting public health priorities influenced by events like the 1976 Swine flu affair, the emergence of HIV/AIDS epidemic, the work of figures such as Jonas Salk, Edward Jenner, and institutions including Rockefeller Foundation and Kaiser Permanente. Early milestones involved liaison with National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, American Public Health Association, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health and collaborations that mirrored initiatives at European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and Public Health England. The College’s development paralleled major public health responses exemplified by Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, 2009 swine flu pandemic, and responses to outbreaks investigated by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention teams.

Mission and Objectives

The College’s mission emphasizes scientific rigor and leadership, aligning with goals promoted by World Health Organization, United Nations, Pan American Health Organization, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and academic partners such as Yale University and University of Michigan. Objectives include promotion of epidemiologic methods used in studies like those by Framingham Heart Study, surveillance systems akin to Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and population research comparable to Nurses' Health Study. The organization supports workforce development in settings associated with Veterans Health Administration, State health departments, Municipal health departments and international programs run by Médecins Sans Frontières.

Membership and Fellowship

Membership tiers reflect professional progression comparable to fellowship models at Royal Society, American College of Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics and American Statistical Association. Fellowship conferral recognizes contributions to areas influenced by work at National Cancer Institute, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and practice settings such as Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic and Massachusetts General Hospital. The College interfaces with credentialing entities like Council on Education for Public Health and educational programs at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Governance and Leadership

Governance structures mirror those of organizations such as American Public Health Association, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, National Institutes of Health, and corporate boards modeled after Institute of Medicine. Leadership roles include presidents and board members drawn from institutions like Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Emory University', University of Washington, Stanford University and agencies such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration. Advisory committees have included experts who collaborated with National Academy of Medicine, Nobel Prize laureates in related fields, and leaders who participated in international efforts with World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund.

Activities and Programs

Programs include continuing education similar to offerings by American Public Health Association, training initiatives comparable to EIS (Epidemic Intelligence Service), mentoring programs like those at American Association for the Advancement of Science, and advocacy consistent with positions taken by Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The College organizes workshops on surveillance methods used by Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and analytic techniques employed in studies such as the Framingham Heart Study and collaborates on guideline development analogous to work by U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, World Health Organization, and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Publications and Conferences

The College disseminates knowledge through newsletters, position statements and conferences that attract contributors from American Public Health Association, Society for Epidemiologic Research, International Epidemiological Association, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and universities such as Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Conference themes often reflect topics addressed in reports by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization, and high-profile studies like Nurses' Health Study and Framingham Heart Study.

Category:Professional associations based in the United States