The mission of the Surveillance Laboratory of the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Services Research is to provide technical support, and resources to Institute staff and faculty to carry out research work of the highest standard in public health and health services. The Institute also offers skills training programs in a variety of subjects related to biostatistics, epidemiology, computing, technical writing, and grantsmanship. Established by an initial one-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2001, the Surveillance Laboratory is designed for grant- and contract-based research as well as onsite and online training programs in biostatistics and computing, including special software packages such as Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), and Statistical Analysis Software (SAS).

Backbone
Jackson State University has a campus-wide, high-speed digital data network available to all computer users on the campus. The network supports the educational, instructional and outreach administrative processes of the University. The Office of Information and Technology at the e-Center on Raymond Road, Jackson, provide Internet connectivity to the University, and supports advanced research via links with its high-speed fiber network.

Server Room/Servers
This secure server room holds the Institute’s most powerful computers, which provide various types of file, application, video, database, and network services.

Currently there are five servers, three Dell 4400 Poweredges and two Dell GX400's that function as servers. The Dell 4400 Poweredges are strong dependable application and database servers. The Dell GX400's operate as web/FTP servers.

Hardware/Software
The recently built Surveillance Laboratory features the following items of hardware and software:

Hardware Statistical Software
• Pentium 4 2.3GHz Processor
• 1Gb memory
• Internal 40.0 Gb disk
• Internal CD-RW drive
• Internal 250Mb Zip drive
• Internal 3.5" diskette drive
• GIS
• SAS
• STATA 6
• SPSS

Desktop Publishing General Utility Programs
• Adobe Acrobat Reader5.0
• Microsoft Office 2000
• Corel Word Perfect
• Quick TIme Movie Player
• Real Player
• Norton Anti Virus 7.6
• WinZip

Networking Utility Programs Operating System
• Microsoft Internet Explorer
• Netscape Communicator
• WS_FTP
• Windows XP