Background and Need

The Maternal and Infant Health Branch (MIHB) in the Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) conducts a broad range of surveillance, research and programmatic activities to develop evidence that can be used to improve maternal and infant health in the United States. Research and other projects address both maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. CDC collaborates with private and public partners to reduce the rates of adverse health outcomes and to improve the health before, during, and after pregnancy for all women and infants.

The ORISE Fellow will be provided opportunities for hands-on participation in maternal and infant health surveillance and research and related technical activities in MIHB at the CDC. Specifically, the fellow will train with members of the Maternal Health and Chronic Disease Team whose mission is to optimize health of women and infants by preventing chronic disease and reducing maternal morbidities through science and leadership. The fellow will learn from senior epidemiologists through projects that focus on priority areas of cardiovascular health, mental health and substance use, severe maternal morbidity, and risk appropriate care. The fellow will train closely with a mentor who will provide guidance and assistance on all their projects. Training of students, interns and fellows in the area of maternal and child health is an important public health priority.

Scope of Work 

Under the ORISE Fellowship program, the fellow will have the opportunity to gain experience in conducting research which may include the collection, review, and analysis of epidemiologic and programmatic data. Assignments involve literature searches, computerized analyses of data, preparation of scientific articles for publication, and presentation of epidemiologic studies or surveillance activities. There are several pre-existing databases available to MIHB scientists including, but not limited to PRAMS, NCHS natality data, BRFSS, NHIS, and NHANES. Dissemination of the findings from these studies will be encouraged which may include presenting work at national scientific meetings and/or publishing work in peer-reviewed journals. Additional activities related to this fellowship may include conducting literature reviews for chronic disease and risk factors for reproductive age women, facilitating an internal CDC substance use work group, and conducting bi-weekly literature updates.

The fellow may have the opportunity to update existing toolkits and collaborate with partners at state health departments to assess and improve systems of risk-appropriate care. The fellow may also have the opportunity to learn more about the process of data sharing between CDC and state health departments and participate in a multi-state learning community focused on risk-appropriate care.

If you are interested, please send a cover letter and CV/resume by March 8, 2021 to: Primary Contact: Emily Johnston, MPH (vvp1 [at] cdc [dot] gov)

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