MP E , ▁also ▁mole cular ▁path olog ic ▁ep ide mi ology ) ▁is ▁a ▁discipline ▁combining ▁ep ide mi ology ▁and ▁path ology . ▁It ▁is ▁defined ▁as ▁" ep ide mi ology ▁of ▁mole cular ▁path ology ▁and ▁heter ogene ity ▁of ▁disease ". ▁Path ology ▁and ▁ep ide mi ology ▁share ▁the ▁same ▁goal ▁of ▁el uc id ating ▁et i ology ▁of ▁disease , ▁and ▁M PE ▁a ims ▁to ▁achieve ▁this ▁goal ▁at ▁mole cular , ▁individual ▁and ▁population ▁levels . ▁Typ ically , ▁M PE ▁util izes ▁t issue ▁path ology ▁resources ▁and ▁data ▁within ▁existing ▁ep ide mi ology ▁studies . ▁M ole cular ▁ep ide mi ology ▁broad ly ▁en comp ass es ▁M PE ▁and ▁conventional - type ▁mole cular ▁ep ide mi ology ▁with ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁traditional ▁disease ▁design ation ▁systems . ▁ ▁D ise ase ▁process ▁ ▁Data ▁from ▁The ▁Can cer ▁Gen ome ▁Atlas ▁projects ▁indicate ▁that ▁disease ▁evolution ▁is ▁an ▁inher ently ▁heter ogeneous ▁process . ▁Each ▁patient ▁has ▁a ▁unique ▁disease ▁process ▁( “ the ▁unique ▁disease ▁principle ” ), ▁considering ▁the ▁uniqu eness ▁of ▁the ▁expos ome ▁and ▁its ▁unique ▁influence ▁on ▁mole cular ▁path olog ic ▁process . ▁This ▁concept ▁has ▁been ▁adopted ▁in ▁clin ical ▁medicine ▁along ▁with ▁precision ▁medicine ▁and ▁personal ized ▁medicine . ▁ ▁Method ology ▁ ▁In ▁M PE , ▁investig ators ▁dis sect ▁inter rel ations hips ▁between ▁expos ures ▁( e . g ., ▁environmental , ▁di et ary