ECTS
120 credits
Duration
2 years
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Language(s) of instruction
French, English
Presentation
TheIntegrative Study of Parasitic and Infectious Emergencies (EI-EPI) program is part of the Eco-Epidemiology (Eco-EPI ) master's degree, which aims to train experts capable of meeting the challenges posed by contemporary epidemiological phenomena.
Indeed, epidemics and outbreaks of diseases linked to pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, eukaryotic parasites) have been on the rise in recent decades. This phenomenon is the result of complex, multiple factors of various origins: human density, degradation of natural ecosystems, degradation of biodiversity, overexploitation, intensive farming, urbanization, artificialization of environments, climate change, pollution, globalization of human and commercial exchanges, inappropriate use of antibiotics, inappropriate healthcare, declining vaccination coverage, poverty, etc.
The study or management of these epidemic phenomena therefore requires the involvement of a variety of skills and different levels of analysis, and thus an integrative and multidisciplinary approach (ecology, evolutionary biology, microbiology, parasitology, statistics, computer science, geomatics, geography, but also sociology, economics, anthropology, etc.). An eco-evolutionary perspective facilitates this synthesis by placing the analysis of underlying biological phenomena in population, spatial, and temporal contexts.
The advantages of the training program
The Eco-EPI program has received support from the MUSE e-site through funding for the Eco-Epidemiology of Animal and Human Pathogens Comprehensive and Utilitarian Resources (EpiCURe) project (Take Off #3 call for projects: Curriculum - SUPPORTING THE TRANSFORMATION AND/OR CREATION OF CURRICULA). This project consists of implementing a data collection platform established by successive cohorts of students in the program. It will be coupled with a set of web services enabling the stored data to be exploited. Through this cross-disciplinary and decompartmentalized tool, based on the complete M1 and M2 curriculum, students will be able to "take charge" of the scientific content and knowledge to be acquired during their master's degree. This platform will promote the knowledge acquired and synthesized through a cooperative approach by students, the teaching team, researchers, and operational actors in the field. The accumulated knowledge will be preserved, exploited, and disseminated in French and English, beyond the program and the university, giving national and international visibility to the training in Eco-epidemiology of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases and to the training courses associated with the project (Bioinformatics, Geomatics).
Objectives
The EI-EPI program aims to train future researchers capable of tracing eco-epidemiological events (phylogenetic, short- or long-term eco-evolutionary, environmental, socio-economic, etc.) linked to pathogens infecting humans and/or domestic animals (and/or wildlife).
The "multidisciplinary and integrative scientific approach" that characterizes the training program is essential to meeting the challenges facing our contemporary societies. Aware of the human contexts and sustainable development issues surrounding this knowledge, graduates will be equipped to become researchers in "engaged science." This extremely relevant term describes a scientific approach, immersed in "reality" and all its dimensions, aimed at providing concrete scientific elements for "informed" management, and even better, for prevention.
Know-how and skills
Graduates of the EI-EPI track of the Eco-EPI program are able to establish and implement research programs focusing on the factors contributing to the emergence of parasitic and infectious diseases, namely:
- ecological cycles and transmission dynamics
- evolutionary and molecular mechanisms promoting epidemics, emergence, and/or host shifts
- eco-environmental factors promoting epidemics and/or emergencies
- socio-economic factors contributing to epidemics and/or outbreaks
- the relative risks associated with each of these factors in each case of epidemic and/or emergence
To carry out their research,
- they have mastered specialized skills and tools in a variety of fields such as
- in biological and ecological sciences (including evolutionary biology) focused on diseases caused by pathogens
- in mathematics (statistics and modeling) and computer science focused on the collection and analysis of epidemiological data (databases, GIS, etc.)
- they know how to identify and incorporate into their analysis the elements (and tools) of applied social sciences necessary for understanding the origins of emergencies and/or assessing risks: sociology, anthropology, economics, political governance, law (through organizations and institutions)
- They know how to independently implement a scientific and analytical approach, apply it to a specific context, and integrate information of various kinds.
- They are skilled in project management and collaborative work.
- They are able to interact and communicate with non-academic collaborators: managers in epidemiological control or surveillance, public health actors or veterinarians, decision-makers or elected officials, etc.
- They are able to disseminate results to an informed audience of peers, as well as decision-makers and managers.
International dimension
The Eco-Epidemiology of Animal and Human Pathogens Comprehensive and Utilitarian Resources – EpiCURe project (Take Off Call for Projects #3: Curriculum - SUPPORTING THE TRANSFORMATION AND/OR CREATION OF CURRICULA), based on the complete M1 and M2 curriculum, aims to give international visibility to training in Eco-epidemiology. It will enable the development of partnerships with foreign universities and institutions.
Organization
Knowledge assessment
Depending on the teaching units: Final exam, continuous assessment, oral exam. Project and internship teaching units are assessed using specific continuous assessment methods: a written report/thesis and an oral defense before a panel.
Special facilities
M1 specific tofourth-year pharmacy students in the research track, focusing training on skills not covered in their previous curriculum
Internships, supervised projects
Internship | Mandatory |
|---|---|
Duration of the internship | 5 to 6 months |
Internship abroad | Possible |
Duration of the internship abroad | 5 to 6 months |
A 3- to 4-month internship is offered and recommended starting in the first year of the master's program, and must be in the field of fundamental, applied, or applied research. An in-depth tutored project is offered as an alternative to the first-year internship for students who need to deepen their knowledge and/or consolidate their approach and synthesis skills in order to better prepare for the second year of the master's program and the end-of-study internship.
The end-of-study internship in a laboratory, public or private research organization or institute (or even corporate R&D) is mandatory in M2 for a period of 5 to 6 months, in the field of specialization chosen by the student.
Program
Year 1 is mainly a year common to both tracks of the major: it has a largely common core curriculum in M1 semester 1 (26 ECTS/30) with a free option allowing students to explore different fields and delve deeper into specific issues.
The choice of specialization is made in the second semester of the M1 program by selecting an option that provides in-depth knowledge of eco-epidemiological research methods. It will also be prepared by choosing the topic of the M1 internship or Advanced Tutored Project.
The M2 EI-EPI year is divided into courses
- Common with the Management and Surveillance track: project management, current topics in the eco-epidemiology of infectious and parasitic diseases (compulsory), interface between emergencies and society (optional)
- Multi-scale analyses (genomes/socio-ecosystems) specific to research in eco-epidemiology
- Specialization in one of the key areas of eco-epidemiology (see below)
- In-depth study of evolutionary bio-ecological sciences or bioinformatics tools (shared with other specializations)
- Applicable to resource conservation or management (shared with other entries)
There are four main areas of specialization. These specializations are not mutually exclusive, but overlap in some areas. They are:
- Zoonoses and animal diseases
- Vector-borne diseases
- Global Changes
- Artificialization, Modern Technologies and Therapies
This specialization is developed starting in M1 S2 through thematic projects, internships, or in-depth tutored projects. It will be further developed through the choice of course units in M2S3 and the M2 internship.
Select a program
M1 - Eco-Epidemiology
Epidemics and outbreaks of diseases linked to pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, eukaryotic parasites) have been on the rise in recent decades. Recent outbreaks of SARS, Ebola, Zika, and highly pathogenic avian influenza have been followed even more recently by the COVID-19 and swine fever epidemics. These outbreaks should not overshadow the resurgence of measles, the antibiotic resistance of tuberculosis bacilli, the increasingly persistent pressure of nosocomial diseases, and the ever-worrying presence of malaria, dengue fever, and anthrax.
This increase in "cases" is the result of complex and multiple phenomena: human density, degradation of natural ecosystems, degradation of biodiversity, overexploitation, intensive farming, urbanization, artificialization of environments, climate change, pollution, globalization of human and commercial exchanges, inappropriate use of antibiotics, inappropriate healthcare, declining vaccination coverage, poverty, etc. These changes and imbalances therefore have diverse and varied origins. The study or management of these epidemic phenomena therefore requires the involvement of a variety of skills and different levels of analysis, and thus an integrative and multidisciplinary approach (ecology, evolutionary biology, microbiology, parasitology, statistics, computer science, geomatics, geography, but also sociology, economics, anthropology, etc.). The eco-evolutionary perspective facilitates this synthesis by placing the analysis of underlying biological phenomena in population, spatial, and temporal contexts.
Study of variability
4 creditsPathogenic organisms: from viruses to helminths
4 creditsDescription and inference
2 creditsIssues and challenges in disease epidemiology
4 creditsInformation systems and databases
4 creditsEcology Keys
2 creditsCHOICE S1
4 creditsChoose 1 out of 4
Phylogeny and Evolution
Food risk
4 creditsFood risk 1
4 creditsFood risk 2
1 credit
Water and Public Health
Skill Enhancements
4 credits
Ecology and Evolution of Microorganisms and Parasitism
6 credits
Epidemiology tools
2 creditsLongitudinal, cross-sectional, and epidemiological analyses
4 creditsEmergence: Eco-epidemiological contexts and mechanisms
8 creditsCHOICE S2
14 creditsOPTION 3
4 creditsChoose 1 out of 7
Public health and prevention
4 creditsHealth Policy and Public Health
Evolutionary genomics
4 creditsEvolutionary ecology
4 creditsEXDIM: Exploring multidimensional data
4 creditsAlignment and Phylogeny
4 creditsChoice 5
4 creditsBioinformatics Learning Lab
2 creditsBiological information
2 credits
OPTION 4
10 creditsChoose one of two options:
In-depth supervised project
10 creditsInternship
10 credits
Preparation for the internship or in-depth supervised project
2 credits
M2 - Integrative Study of Parasitic and Infectious Emergencies EI-EPI
Choice 3
4 creditsChoose 1 out of 5
Bioanalysis, transcriptomics
4 creditsSpatial data
4 creditsAdvanced phylogenetics: methods and applications in evolution
Choice 4
4 creditsChoose 2 out of 6
Advanced exploration of multidimensional data EXADIM
2 creditsConservation biology
2 creditsConservation Biology (Advanced)
2 creditsTOEIC/TOEFL preparation
2 creditsHost/pathogen interactions in aquatic animals
2 creditsEmergence and Society
2 credits
Statistical Tests
4 credits
Mechanisms of pathogen emergence
4 creditsTransmission: Case study
2 creditsProject Management in Basic and Applied Epidemiology
10 creditsChoice 1
8 creditsChoose 2 out of 4
Arboviruses
4 creditsWater as a vector for pathogens
4 creditsZoonoses
4 creditsCare, Technologies, and Artificialization
4 credits
Emergence II News (journal club)
2 credits
Professionalization and internship preparation
4 creditsEEI end-of-studies internship
26 credits
Admission
Admission requirements
To enter the M1 program: a bachelor's degree or equivalent
To enter M2: one year of Master's 1 or equivalent
See target audience for more information.
Registration procedures
Applications can be submitted on the following platforms:
French & European students:
- For the M1, follow the "My Master's Degree" procedure on the website:https://www.monmaster.gouv.fr/
- For M2 students, applicants must submit their application via the e-candidat application:https://candidature.umontpellier.fr/candidature
International students from outside the EU: follow the "Études en France" procedure:https://pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr/etudesenfrance/dyn/public/authentification/login.html
Target audience
At the entrance to M1:
- students from
- Life Sciences or Life and Earth Sciences degrees, particularly the following courses: Ecology and Organism Biology, Organism and Population Biology, Environmental Sciences, Microbiology, Cell Biology and Physiology,
- Health Sciences degrees
- Bachelor's degrees in Biology and Humanities (Catholic universities)....
- fourth-year pharmacy or human medicine students.
At the entrance to M2:
- by law, students who have obtained the M1 Eco-EPI
- students changing majors, from an M1 Biology, Biology-Health, Health, Life Sciences, Public Health, Microbiology, Nutrition and Food Sciences, Biology–Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Environment, Territories, Landscape, Forestry, Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Risks and Environment, Teaching, Education and Training Professions (MEEF),Secondary Education. Their admission will be assessed based on the M1 prerequisites required to continue in M2 EI-EPI, the consistency between their training project and the program's objectives, and the number of places available in relation to the program's capacity.
- 6th-year veterinary students with a career plan focused on research (under the same conditions as those listed above)
- Continuing education for pharmacists and resident physicians in response to the need for integrative skills among future healthcare professionals.
Capacity
Mandatory prerequisites
Determined by the entry level (see Target audience), the specific terms and conditions relating to initial, continuing, or work-study training. These are therefore mainly
- a bachelor's degree in biological and environmental sciences, or equivalent, for admission to the first year of the master's program;
- Master's level 1 knowledge in biological and peri-biological sciences, or equivalent, in Master's level 2, including in this case fundamental knowledge of pathogens or infectious and parasitic diseases.
For admission to M1, "knowledge" at the L3 level or equivalent in at least two of these areas
- Organism biology
- Physiology
- Cell and Molecular Biology
- Ecology
- Evolutionary biology
- Parasitology
- Microbiology
For admission to M2, knowledge equivalent to M1 level or equivalent is required in the biology of the main pathogenic organisms and in at least two of the following areas:
- Physiology, Immunology
- Cell and Molecular Biology
- Infectious process
- Infectious and parasitic diseases
- Antibiotic therapy and anti-infective drugs
- General ecology
- Parasitic ecology
- Microbial ecology
- Health ecology
- Evolutionary biology and/or Conservation biology
- Parasitology
- Microbiology
- Vector entomology
- Descriptive epidemiology (statistics)
- Modeling
Recommended prerequisites
For admission to M1,
- Level L1-L2 knowledge in at least one of these areas
- Biostatistics
- IT (databases, GIS)
- Basic knowledge, even self-taught, in one or two of the following areas can be valuable:
- Human/animal genetics
- Livestock systems
- Economy
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Land use planning
- Environmental management
- Conservation biology
For admission to M2
- Master's level knowledge in at least one of these areas (Initial training)
- Biostatistics
- IT (databases, GIS)
- Knowledge (professional experience, internships, studies, extracurricular experience) in one or two of the following areas
- Human or veterinary health
- Biotechnology for diagnostic and prevention tools (treatments, vaccines, etc.)
- Livestock farming and animal production systems
- Economy and globalization of trade
- Citizen science
- Sociology/Anthropology
And after
Continuing education
The main objective of the program is to prepare students for doctoral studies in fundamental, applied, or applied research.
Continuing studies abroad
Theses abroad are an opportunity not to be overlooked for graduates of the program.
Professional integration
Professions: Eco-epidemiologists and related researchers, Eco-epidemiology experts
Inclusion: Organizations/research institutes, universities, international organizations, pharmaceutical companies' R&D departments, etc.