Dr. Conis teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on the history and practice of public health, global health, and medicine.
sample courses
Historical Perspectives on Vaccines and Global Health (GHCS 300-3, Emory University, 2012)
How did the world conquer smallpox? Why has polio been eliminated in some countries but not others? Why, with an effective vaccine on hand for decades, does measles persist in pockets in both very rich and very poor countries around the world? This course answers these questions and others by examining and comparing the histories of global efforts to control infectious disease through mass immunization campaigns. Students examine the key forces that have informed the scale and focus of global vaccination efforts over time, including changes in the practice of international health, technological developments, and global politics. Students also examine specific campaigns to control smallpox, measles, polio, hepatitis B, rotavirus, and HPV, and consider the factors affecting vaccine development and use in developed and less developed countries up to the present day.
Global Health in the Media (GHCS 300-2, Emory University, 2012)
Which global health stories get featured in the news? Who covers them, how does coverage vary across media, and why do some stories get attention while others do not? This course examines a sampling of the biggest global health news stories of the last two decades to identify key patterns, problems, and themes in global health reporting. Students examine the role of the media as a social and political institution and critique media coverage with attention to issues of representation, identity, and inequality. Students also explore how politics, economics, cultural traditions, and technology shape global health media coverage, and how such coverage both mimics and informs our range of attitudes and values with respect to global health.
History of Public Health (BSHE 579, Emory University, 2009 – present)
In this course, students explore the history of public health and medicine, with a focus on public health practice in the U.S. over the last two centuries. Students learn to think critically about the definition and purview of public health; why governments invest in public health; the relationship between public health, medicine, and society; and the ways in which race, gender, class, and other factors have influenced public health practice and our understandings of health and illness over time.
Environmental Health and Development (ESPM 167, University of California, Berkeley, 2004 – 2007)
This course focuses on the health impacts of environmental alterations resulting from development efforts and other human activities in developing and developed regions of the world. The class covers basic epidemiology and toxicology to lay the groundwork for students to explore the health implications of water availability and management; population change; industrial development; chemical exposures; energy resource development; indoor and outdoor air pollution; climate change; and pesticide use.