The class meets one afternoon weekly and roughly half the classes will follow a lecture format, while the other half will follow a discussion format. Lectures will cover the fundamental concepts and methods of nutritional epidemiology, utilizing the textbook, Nutritional Epidemiology, 3nd edition, 2012, by Walter Willett, from which you will be assigned readings. We will place strong emphasis on assessment of exposure (to include diet, body size, and physical activity), methodological considerations in study design, and pertinent statistical issues, including how best to address measurement error and adjust for total energy intake. Guest lecturers will be invited to expose you to other nutritional epidemiologists and scientists in related fields. You will be assigned weekly homework that includes reading and critically evaluating papers from the epidemiologic literature. Everyone is expected to actively participate in class discussions. For the final exam, you will complete a 5 page research proposal on nutritional epidemiologic study of chronic diseases.