Difference between a Virologist and an Epidemiologist?!


Question: Difference between a Virologist and an Epidemiologist!?
I'm planning to do research on the Alzheimer's disease when I grow up and just wanted to know, what is the difference between a Virologist and an Epidemiologist!. And also, which job would be better for studying the alzheimer's disease!?Www@Answer-Health@Com


Answers:
Epidemiology is the study of the effects of chronic and infectious diseases on the population at study!. If you are an epidemiologist, you are studying the 'epidemiology' of the bird flu outbreak in Shanghai, China in the 2003-2004 flu season, for example!. Epidemiologists study the disease, its causes if known, the distribution and the statistics of the morbidity and mortality!. Virologists are involved in the study of viruses!. So they study the 'bug' that makes people ill, and some who do not!. A virologist would be involved in the identification of the virus responsible for that same Shanghai flu outbreak!. If you are considering research on Alzheimer's disease, you might want to consider a medical degree first, then a specialty in internal medicine, with special emphasis on geriatrics!. Most medical center based studies, that of course is where the patients are, are going to have a preference for an MD rather than a PhD for this type of position, as is the case for most medical research!. In addition, there are several excellent MD/PhD University based programs which are research based, which sound like what you are interested in!. Good luck!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

A virologist would study viruses!. An epidemiologist studies the way a disease works!. They look at how it spreads and and changes as it goes through a population!. I'm not sure either of these specialties would help in the study of alzheimers disease!. I've never heard of alzheimers being considered a communicable disease!. I believe that it is treated by neurologists!. So maybe neurology would be a better field to research!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

Virology, often considered a part of microbiology or of pathology, is the study of biological viruses and virus-like agents: their structure, classification and evolution, their ways to infect and exploit cells for virus reproduction, the diseases they cause, the techniques to isolate and culture them, and their potential uses in research and therapy!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.
Epidemiology is the study of factors affecting the health and illness of populations, and serves as the foundation and logic of interventions made in the interest of public health and preventive medicine!. It is considered a cornerstone methodology of public health research, and is highly regarded in evidence-based medicine for identifying risk factors for disease and determining optimal treatment approaches to clinical practice!.

The work of communicable and non-communicable disease epidemiologists ranges from outbreak investigation to study design, data collection and analysis including the development of statistical models to test hypotheses and the documentation of results for submission to peer-reviewed journals!. Epidemiologists may draw on a number of other scientific disciplines such as biology in understanding disease processes and social science disciplines including sociology and philosophy in order to better understand proximate and distal risk factors!.Www@Answer-Health@Com





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