Dr. Ehsan Karim, an Assistant Professor at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health (SPPH) and an Academy of Translational Medicine (ATM) Member, has launched Epi-OER, a comprehensive Open Educational Resource (OER) for Advanced Epidemiological Methods, with support from the UBC OER Fund Implementation Grant and SPPH.
Published in April 2024, this free resource features 14 modules, including core learning modules and bonus content, all designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice in epidemiology, providing SPPH learners with essential tools to succeed in their studies and future careers. Epi-OER is available online, offering flexible, self-paced learning through tutorials, quizzes, and practical exercises. The development of Epi-OER involved trainees at different levels—undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate—and incorporated numerous pieces of student feedback to refine the online content. The project, presented at a virtual OER poster session in March 2024, aims to make advanced epidemiological techniques accessible and practical for diverse disciplines, reducing reliance on outsourcing and enhancing global public health research. Dr. Karim’s initiative is highly praised for making complex epidemiological methods more understandable and accessible, empowering SPPH learners to effectively apply these techniques in real-world scenarios.