Overview
The geospatial revolution has given rise to new opportunities in public health – we can now explore the health of our communities better than ever through the lens of geography. To do this we use GIS technology. As such, this 3-part webinar series will cover the basics of GIS for public health and the opportunities that lie within.
This webinar-based course is designed as a primer for students interested in taking the Population Health and GIS (PHDA 03) course. It is also a great introductory course for those who want to explore the benefits of GIS. Mapping Health Data covers topics ranging from spatial data architecture to environment pollutants and how to estimate their impacts on our communities. Each session will focus on fundamentals of GIS and population health that are integral to your success in PHDA 03 course work.
The three sessions include:
- Session 1: Spatial data fundamentals
- Session 2: Introduction to ArcGIS
- Session 3: Making a map of health data
The course will use ArcGIS, a powerful GIS suite from ESRI. A software package commonly used worldwide, ArcGIS is used across a multitude of industries, including public health & epidemiology. Background theory and live demos will be presented during each live session, with take-home practice assignments following each session.
Webinar objectives
The goal of the webinar-based course is to:
- Familiarize students with GIS fundamentals
- Provide an orientation to the ArcGIS environment
- Make a map
Course Content
Session 1:
- PopData's remote training lab
- Points, lines, and polygons
- Raster data
- Geographic mapping space
- Coordinates
- Legends, data sources
- Data classification, symbology
Session 2:
- Overview of ArcGIS components
- Overview of ArcGIS tools
- Simple geoprocessing
- ArcToolbox
- Searching for tools
- Simple analysis
Session 3:
- Associating health data with geographic data
- Cleaning data
- Map symbology and display
- More data classification
- Making a map template (legends, scale bars, etc.)
Prior required knowledge
Familiarity with any GIS software is an asset though not mandatory for this course.
Webinar-based course format
The interactive webinar software will provide remote access for students to view the instructor's screen and connect with the instructor in real time. The instructor will introduce a topic and assign optional homework after each session.
ArcGIS and data used in each session will be available within PopData’s Remote Training Lab (RTL).
Students who have ArcGIS on their home or work computer will be provided access to session data.
Lead Facilitator
Joseph (Joey) Syer is a senior Geomatics Specialist at Hemmera, an Ausenco Company. Joey has over 10 years of experience in GIS and spatial analysis. He holds a BGIS from BCIT, is a registered GISP and a graduate of the PHDA program. To expand on these skills Joey is also studying epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Much of his time is split between the development of novel data analysis & data collection systems and exploring the uses of GIS technology in epidemiology & environmental science. Joey’s interests are in macro geographic processes, spatial epidemiology, ecology and disease transmission (One Health), and python programming.
Course fees
Regular rate: $200
Grad Student rate: $140
PHDA Student rate: $100
