Fellowship on Epidemiology and Data Analysis, CDC Emerging Threats Team

Research Project: Under the ORISE Research Participation program, this fellowship will offer the opportunity to train in the Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders in the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD). The ORISE participant will have the opportunity to gain experience in conducting research and surveillance activities, as well as collecting, reviewing, and analyzing epidemiologic and programmatic data. Participant will train on projects that focus on the role of prenatal exposures on pregnancy, fetal, infant, and child outcomes. Prenatal exposures of interest include, but are not limited to: COVID-19, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis C, syphilis, Zika virus, and other infectious diseases. Training will occur under the direction of an assigned Advisor/Mentor on the Emerging Threats Epidemiology and Research Team. 

Learning Objectives: There are several main learning objectives that this appointment could include:

1. Gain familiarity with the Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network (SET-NET) which includes mother-baby longitudinally linked surveillance for COVID-19, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis C, syphilis, and other infectious diseases;
2. Gain familiarity for other Zika surveillance and research projects in the U.S. and in Colombia: US Zika Pregnancy and Infant Registry, Proyecto Vigilancia de Embarazadas con Zika (VEZ) and Zika en Embarazadas y Ninos (ZEN);
3. Enhance skills in performing data management and analysis through the collection, review, and analysis of epidemiologic and programmatic data generated by these surveillance systems and studies, and other projects involving epidemiologic and programmatic data from emerging threats surveillance and research and other relevant infectious diseases during pregnancy and effect on infant health;
4. Develop protocols and standard operating procedures for surveillance and research activities, leveraging existing surveillance and study platforms to capture pregnancy, birth, clinical, and developmental outcomes arising from a range of exposures during pregnancy and participate in data systems and approaches to improve quality and speed of the surveillance system;
5. Perform literature reviews and, where needed, systematic reviews and meta-analyses to describe existing evidence of the influence of infectious diseases and other in-utero exposures on fetal, infant, and child development;
6. Engage in CDC emergency response procedures; and
7. Collaborate and engage other staff from the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), other CDC centers, institutes, or offices, other federal organizations, health departments, partners, and international health ministries and organizations.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Van Tong (vct2 [at] cdc [dot] gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor.

For more information and to apply, please click here.