What is Reproductive, Perinatal, and Pediatric Epidemiology (RPPE)?

The health concerns faced in the field of reproductive, perinatal, and pediatric health are among the most pressing issues of our time, both from scientific and public perspectives. The ability to successfully reproduce and have a healthy child transcends other health concerns by touching on very basic human needs and desires. Whether the challenge is to understand and remedy causes of infertility, prevent prematurity or birth defects, or identify the causes of such highly visible, troubling disorders as autism or attention deficit disorder, epidemiologists have a central role that is just now being fully appreciated.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a leader in the field of reproductive, perinatal and pediatric epidemiology. The academic departments of Epidemiology, Maternal and Child Health, Nutrition, Pediatrics, and Obstetrics and Gynecology have engaged in a variety of collaborative and individual projects to address substantive and methodological issues facing our field.

Please learn more about the many activities of the faculty and students of the RPPE program by exploring links provided in the lower left portion of this website.