Author Archives: Alex Whicker

ORISE Bioinformatics Fellowship (Part-time), CDC

Category : Student Opportunities

 
How to apply:
A complete application consists of:
 
  • An application
  • A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
  • One educational or professional recommendation. Your application will be considered incomplete, and will not be reviewed until one recommendation is submitted.
  • Access the application link here.

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

Deadline: 7/21/2021 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the Molecular Epidemiology and Bioinformatics Team (MEBT) of the Laboratory Branch (LB) in the Division of HIV Prevention (DHP), National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.

The mission of MEBT is to develop, evaluate, and apply bioinformatics and molecular tools to characterize and interrupt HIV transmission, and to assess infection and risks of emerging retroviruses in humans.

Research Project: The fellowship offers the opportunity to join a high-priority, high-impact project to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. This is an exciting opportunity to participate in a team developing bioinformatics tools and platforms for the analysis and visualization of HIV transmission networks. The participant will enhance their career and advance the mission of the CDC within DHP’s LB to help develop bioinformatics tools/platforms for the analysis and visualization of transmission networks, including development of methods to improve data integration and analysis, and interpretation of phylogenetic, network, and epidemiologic, clinical and antimicrobial treatment data. The participant will gain experience in developing bioinformatic tools and identifying meaningful cluster characteristics and trends in subgroups at local and national levels. This research will provide CDC with a better understanding of HIV transmission in communities and will permit better utilization of resources to target specific prevention efforts. The new tools will also facilitate providing guidance to state and local health departments for responding to transmission clusters. In this role, the participant will have the opportunity to collaborate with internationally renowned bioinformaticians and laboratory and epidemiology scientists at the CDC.

Learning Objectives: 

  • Contributing to the development of novel bioinformatics tools for integrating data, and characterizing and visualizing HIV transmission networks
  • Applying machine learning methods to determine best variables for detecting transmission clusters
  • Participating in multidisciplinary research projects involving molecular epidemiology and bioinformatics
  • Participating in the training of scientists in the selection and use of bioinformatics tools/platforms
  • Collaborating with external and internal stakeholders
  • Participating in application of bioinformatics methods to pathogen outbreaks
  • Preparing manuscripts describing new pipeline and/or analysis of pathogen data
  • Gain experience communicating research results through conference presentations, scientific publications and/or project reports

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Bill Switzer (bis3 [at] cdc [dot] gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: August 2, 2021.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of CDC and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation: The appointment is part-time (20 hours per week).

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) only.

ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and CDC. Participants do not become employees of CDC, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.

Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE [dot] CDC [dot] NCHHSTP [at] orau [dot] org and include the reference code (CDC-NCHHSTP-2021-0180) for this opportunity.

 

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a master’s or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred skills:
  • Bioinformatics, molecular epidemiology experience (phylogenetics, phylodynamics, networks)
  • Network theory and artificial intelligence (machine learning) experience
  • Relevant experience in bioinformatics analysis or scientific computing
  • Experience with scripting languages such as R, bash, Perl, Python, or R Shiny
  • Experience with one or more variation of Linux Operating Systems (e.g. Ubuntu, RedHat, CentOS). Knowledge with Linux command line
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Knowledge of bioinformatics applications and analysis, particularly as it pertains to analysis of genomics data, including Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platforms
  • Experience operating next generation scientific instruments (e.g. Oxford Nanopore, Minions, Illumina)

Eligibility Requirements

  • Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
  • Degree: Master’s Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
  • Discipline(s):
    • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (8 )
    • Life Health and Medical Sciences (5 )

Fellows will be working on the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, which you can learn about here and development of the MicrobeTrace tool which you can learn about here.

Director of the Office of Health Data and Research, Mississippi State Department of Health

Category : Alumni

The Mississippi Department of Health is accepting applications for the Director of the Office of Health Data and Research. The Office of Health Data and Research is responsible for epidemiological and biostatistical support for the non-communicable disease programs. The programs include Preventive Health, Maternal and Child Health, Women’s Health, Rural Health, Behavioral Health, and several population surveillance programs. Office of Health Data and Research staff are physically located in three offices in the metro-Jackson area. A few of the responsibilities of position include:

  • Providing leadership for the Office of Health Data and Research, collaborating with other
    directors at MSDH, and managing all aspects of the program by administering policy,
    procedures, and programming initiatives.
  • Designing and executing epidemiology and biostatistical activities; formulating,
    recommending, and implementing changes.
  • Developing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based and/or evidence-informed
    strategies to address public health needs in the state of Mississippi.
  • Serving as Principal Investigator for several population surveillance programs.
  • Fostering collaborative relationships with internal and external partners to support
    programming.

Please follow this link to view the job requirement for Research Biostatistician, Chief on the Mississippi State Personnel Board website. To apply send your resume to recruitment [at] msdh [dot] ms [dot] gov with HDR Director in the subject line.
Preference will be given to applicants with a doctoral degree. Preference will also be given to applicants with experience in the following areas: public health core competencies, grant writing and grant management principles, supervision, and effective communication skills.

MSDH also will be hiring additional Epidemiologists I, II, and III to support work in several different program areas such as injury prevention, substance use prevention, maternal and child health, and healthy aging.


MSDH is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Bioinformatics Fellow, CDC

Category : Alumni

Biologist (Bioinformatician)

Deputy Director of Infectious Diseases, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Division of HIV Prevention, Laboratory Branch, Molecular Epidemiology and Bioinformatics Team

Level of responsibility

Research assignment

The fellow will assist in the development and deployment of comprehensive, expandable, and secure software systems that integrate multiple bioinformatics and analytical tools to improve integration, analysis, and interpretation of phylogenetic, epidemiologic, and clinical treatment data for the detection of HIV transmission clusters. The fellow will apply these new methods to new and existing datasets from various studies in the branch, DHAP, and across CDC. The HIV-specific datasets include EpiAID and outbreak investigations, cases of public health importance (COPHIs), cluster investigations, and the National Molecular HIV Surveillance system in collaboration with HICSB. This project will automate analysis of the national HIV surveillance data to facilitate early recognition of transmission networks, improve targeting of prevention strategies, and modeling and prediction of local and national epidemics. The new tools will also be applied to studies of transmission networks of other existing or emerging pathogens or epidemiologic investigations of any disease. Specific duties and responsibilities include:

  1. Use metadata available from various studies and surveillance databases across NCHHSTP and CDC to assist with evaluation and validation of the platforms.
  2. Help develop dashboards and automated reports for easy visualization of national HIV surveillance data
  3. Perform data analyses to help identify meaningful transmission cluster characteristics and trends in subgroups to provide actionable public health intelligence to federal, state and local partners
  4. Evaluate and recommend available bioinformatics tools to integrate into the platform as needed
  5. Train coworkers, collaborators, and state and federal partners to use these new tools
  6. Prepare findings for presentations at conferences, workshops, meetings, and in publications
  7. Work with CDC IT staff to securely integrate any new tools and platforms into existing IT infrastructure.
  8. Investigate cloud-based instances of the systems for improved jurisdictional access

Supervisory control:

The fellow will discuss and plan the priorities and research project in conjunction with the Activity and/or Team leads. It is expected that the scientist will perform all the analyses and software development required for this work and will coordinate bioinformatics tool development with their immediate supervisor and other scientists, epidemiologists and software programmers and other team members. Completed work will be reviewed from an overall standpoint in terms of feasibility, and effectiveness in meeting requirements.

The fellow will not have supervisory responsibilities.

Guidelines and originality:

The proposed assignments and responsibilities are essential for the mission of the HIV Laboratory Branch, DHAP, NCHHSTP, CDC, and HHS. Our Branch is pioneering development of novel bioinformatic tools and platforms to combine and analyze laboratory and epidemiologic data to detect concerning HIV clusters. This work is a key pillar of the President’s initiative to end the HIV Epidemic by 2030. This high impact work will lead to early recognition of transmission networks, improve targeting of prevention strategies, and modeling and prediction of local and national epidemics, especially if automated and applied in near real time. Furthermore, the new tools can be applied to studies of transmission networks of other pathogens or epidemiologic investigations of any disease. The long-term scalability of the project will provide increased data sharing capabilities that will improve situational awareness at the federal, state and local levels. Given the complex nature of these projects, multiple laboratory and bioinformatics skills are needed, including virology, molecular biology, microbiology, data science, programming, training others to use bioinformatics, and preparation of protocols, presentations, and manuscripts.

We are building novel bioinformatic methods and systems for HIV cluster detection and characterization, hence guidelines for their construction are limited or non-existent. The fellow will use their technical expertise to evaluate, analyze, and recommend available guidelines and resources, including those identified by literature and internet searches, for adaptation to develop the bioinformatics methods and systems to combine various data sources to detect, visualize and report HIV clusters. When development and implementation guidelines are not available, the fellow will consult with supervisor and utilize his/her bioinformatics experience to build new methods and systems that can be integrated with existing tools and platforms. Development of new methods and systems will require agile, original, critical, and creative solutions identified by the fellow in consultation with the activity and team leads.

Contribution, impact, and stature

The fellow will assist with the development and deployment of bioinformatics tools to automate integration and analysis of laboratory and epidemiologic data for HIV cluster detection and response, which is a key pillar of the President’s initiative to end the HIV Epidemic by 2030. The fellow will also use the new tools to analyze several datasets from various studies, outbreaks, and national surveillance to identify transmission clusters requiring targeted interventions. This work is essential to advance CDC’s mission to prevent disease and develop sound public health policies.

Preferred skills

  • Bioinformatics, molecular epidemiology experience (phylogenetics, phylodynamics, networks), microbiology, genomics
  • Network theory experience
  • Relevant experience in bioinformatics analysis or scientific computing
  • Experience with programming languages such as R, bash, Perl, Python, JavaScript, D3.js, MatLab, React, Angular, R Shiny, and Linux Operating Systems (e.g. Ubuntu, RedHat, CentOS), and Linux command line
  • Experience with high performance computing
  • Experience with the development of bioinformatic pipelines
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Knowledge of bioinformatics applications and analysis, particularly as it pertains to analysis of pathogen genomics data, including next generation sequencing (NGS) platforms

Education requirements

Bachelor of Science or Master’s Degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Biology, or Microbiology

To Apply:

Job posting not available yet. Contact Bill Switzer for details at bis3 [at] cdc [dot] gov. Fellows will be working on the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, which you can learn about here and development of the MicrobeTrace tool which you can learn about here.

Certificate Program in Humanitarian Emergencies

Category : News/Events

The 2021 application for the Certificate in Global Complex Humanitarian Emergencies opens soon! This certificate is offered by RSPH in partnership with the CDC’s Emergency Response and Recovery Branch. In order to be eligible to receive this graduate certificate, students must 1) be a degree-seeking student at Rollins School of Public Health, 2) apply and be accepted into the certificate program, and 3) meet the following requirements:

  • Two core classes in humanitarian emergency response (GH 510 & GH 512)
  • One course in approved advanced methods (minimum of three credit hours)
  • Six credit hours in approved electives
  • Applied Practice Experience relevant to Global Complex Humanitarian Emergencies
  • Thesis on a topic relevant to Global Complex Humanitarian Emergencies
  • Fifteen hours of volunteer participation

For detailed information on each of these requirements, please visit our website www.che.emory.edu.

The application period will open August 2nd and close September 24th. Applications can be accepted any time during this period, but all are due by 5 pm ET on September 24th. Please email the application as a word document (NOT pdf) to ERCT [at] cdc [dot] gov with the subject line: 2021 CHE Certificate Application.

Criteria for Certificate:

The ideal candidate for this graduate certificate is a student who:

  • Wants a career working overseas in emergency and post emergency settings
  • Has international development and/or relevant field experience in resource poor settings
  • Is committed to building applicable field epidemiology skills for resource poor settings

To apply please download and fill out the following application:

che-certificate-application-07.15.2021

Fall Global Health Courses

Category : News/Events

Check out these unique fall GH course offerings! See attached flyers for more details.

GH 551- Section 1, Class Nbr 5196

Diet and Chronic Disease

Provides an overview of the epidemiology of the intersections among diet, physical activity, obesity, and chronic disease from a life course and global perspective and the potential for policy level and individual level approaches to address the key diet-related diseases of our time – cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Discusses changes in the prevalence of diet-related chronic disease and the potential for preventive measures in both developing and developed countries.

GH 572- Section 1, Class Nbr 5203

Community Transformation

Pre-semester Course. Through participatory learning, this course introduces a process that can be used to help communities identify and reflect on their key issues and take action. Additionally, it expands the understanding of methods for community empowerment and facilitates through group exercise and reflection approaches to the community empowerment process.

GH 572 Flyer

GH 586- Section 1, Class Nbr 5206

Community Health Assessment

The purpose of this course is to provide learners with theoretical background, technical skills and practical experience to conduct a health-related community assessment in a Global/local context and through a community engaged process. The Community Health Assessment (CHA) is a vital planning tool to identify priority health assets, capacities and needs, target resources to address health inequalities and meaningfully involve stakeholders at the level of families, communities and/or populations in the assessment process. Pre/co-requisite: Prerequisite: GH 522 or equivalent (also open to learners with prior working qualitative research experience at instructor’s discretion)

GH 586 Flyer  

GH 551- Section 1, 

Global Elimination of  Micronutrient Malnutrition

This course’s objectives are to describe the magnitude and severity of global micronutrient malnutrition (MNM) and describe the policies, strategies, programs and projects aimed at eliminating maternal and child MNM, including evidence of efficacy and effectiveness. Students will also learn to define roles and responsibilities of the public, private, and non-profit sectors in implementing national programs and advocating for MNM elimination, describe available systems for MNM monitoring and evaluation, and critically evaluate the global MNM literature.

Micronutrient Flyer

 

Suicide Prevention Program Intern, GA Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

Category : Student Opportunities

Length of the internship – Fall and Spring Semesters (2021-2022 Academic Year)
Application Open: July 1st, 2021
Application deadline: July 31, 2021

About DBHDD: Created by the Governor and General Assembly in 2009, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) and its network of community providers offer treatment and support services to help people with behavioral health challenges achieve recovery by focusing on their strengths. Through uniquely tailored supports and services, we help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities attain independence and lead meaningful and fulfilling lives. Within DBHDD, the Office of Behavioral Health Prevention and Federal Grants (OBHPFG) is charged with providing prevention leadership, strategic planning, and services to improve the mental/emotional well-being of communities, families, and individuals in Georgia. OBHPFG develops and contracts for prevention services across the state specifically designed to reduce the risks and increase protective factors linked to substance abuse related problem behaviors, suicide, and mental health promotion, all while being mindful of cultural and linguistic competency.

Description: The Suicide Prevention Program implements and oversees multiple federal grant and statefunded projects and programs aimed at reducing the suicide rate in Georgia by building sustainable statewide suicide prevention capacity and addressing at-risk populations and communities with high suicide burden. The Suicide Prevention Program intern will learn how to utilize SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework model and apply evidence-based best practices while supporting one or more suicide prevention initiatives across the state. Duties may include but are not limited to assisting the members of the Suicide Prevention Team in conducting literature searches and reviews, data collection, developing communication materials, report writing, and conducting community presentations, trainings, and events.

Eligibility Requirements
• Currently pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in public health, social work, psychology, or a closely related field
• Ability to work on-site at assigned office (2 Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta)
• Ability to work remotely as needed, including attending virtual meetings

Preferred Qualifications
• The optimal candidate will have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, Teams, etc.) and strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Documented coursework, work experience, and/or volunteer experience related to behavioral health or public health
• Documented experience with academic research and/or data analysis
• General awareness of key issues related to suicide prevention in the United States

The Intern position can be used to satisfy college credit or practicum hours.

How to apply?
Email resume and cover letter to suicide [dot] prevention [at] dbhdd [dot] ga [dot] gov with subject line: SPP Intern Application. For more information visit https://dbhdd.georgia.gov/bh-prevention/suicide-prevention

Getting to Know You, July 8 and 15

Category : News/Events

Tune in to the Epi Department’s Getting to Know You series Thursday, July 8 from 12-1 PM EST to meet Nicole Luisi, an Epi 534 instructor, and Jose Binongo, our Bios 500 instructor!

Meet Epi 530 instructor Jodie Guest as well as Epi 540 instructors Jeb Jones and Kristin Wall on Thursday, July 15 from 12-1 PM EST! 

The zoom link for both events can be found in your Emory inbox.

Are you ready to be a mentor?

Category : PROspective

The Epi Buddy program is seeking second-year students to help mentor incoming first years. After recently signing up to become an Epi Buddy I’ve been reflecting on how, as current students become accustomed to calling ourselves “Second-Years” we will also find ourselves taking on new roles. We’ll probably still be in need of a campus tour, but we’ll also be stepping into TA positions, offering advice to incoming first years, and taking on more responsibility in our jobs and other roles. A year older, and hopefully wiser, many of us will have the opportunity to transition from mentee to mentor. Signing up to be an Epi Buddy is one of many ways we can do this. 

In the past Dr. Tim Lash and Dr. Jodie Guest have highlighted how beneficial it can be to find a good mentor in their articles “A Mentee’s Journey” and “The Boring History of EmoryEPI.” As graduate students, finding a mentor is often a priority. Whether it be for an APE, our thesis, or just someone to give us advice as we enter the public health field, we are constantly in search of guidance. Becoming a mentor ourselves is typically less prioritized, but we can learn just as much from this role as we can from being mentored. Having acted as a mentor myself in various positions, I cannot recommend taking the opportunity to mentor others enough. The skills and benefits you gain from the role are invaluable, and I’m excited to share a few of them with you here. 

Improving Communication and Leadership 

As a mentor, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice communication skills in a less formal setting than a job or academic position. Giving advice and sharing your own experiences with a mentee may boost your own comfort and confidence in leading a group project or providing more input at your job. Reinforcing your own knowledge and leadership skills can help you refine your thinking and approaches – a key step on the path to becoming a master on subjects you are already familiar with. You may also find yourself working harder to live up to your mentee’s expectations, pushing yourself to grow more than you otherwise would. Ultimately, having some accountability to someone else may be just what some of us need in order to reach our own full potential. 

Expanding Your Network 

We all know that having a mentor can often open doors to opportunities we may not otherwise know about or have access to. Truthfully, this can go both ways. Mentoring someone can introduce you to people you may never have interacted with normally. Broadening your network can help you not only professionally, but personally as well. Almost every new hobby or experience I’ve tried has been at the encouragement of someone outside my closest circle of friends, and I’m sure most would agree that getting into most jobs or programs often is influenced by who you know. That’s not to mention the fact that your mentee may be in a position to advocate for you in the future. I know that when I have the chance to help my former mentors I jump at the opportunity. That’s why building new connections through mentorship can be incredibly beneficial to the mentor. 

Promoting self-reflection 

There are few things that have caused me to reflect on my own experiences and behaviors as much as being a mentor has. Sharing wisdom with other people often makes me recognize when I don’t practice what I preach, forcing me to be more deliberate in my actions. Advising someone on how to approach certain issues also helps me look at my own problems from a new perspective or recognize how I could have handled similar difficulties differently in the past. We often don’t realize how much our own emotions and experiences cloud our judgement until we’re on the outside looking in. Mentoring others gives us the opportunity to do that.  

How to be a mentor 

We’ve given you so many reasons why you should be a mentor, you may be wondering how to become one. While there are plenty of ways to informally mentor friends, siblings, or coworkers, there are many ways you can more formally take on a mentor role at Emory. One way is signing up for the Epi Buddies program, where you can meet incoming first years, answer their questions, and give them the advice you wish you had gotten your first year. As a first-year epi buddy I got advice on which classes to take, who to reach out to for job opportunities, how to improve my CV and even study guides for Epi and Bios classes. If you’re as grateful to our recent graduates for these things as I am you can repay the kindness to the incoming class as an Epi Buddy. Another opportunity to be a mentor is through the Emory Pipeline Collaborative (EPiC), a program that students can participate in by mentoring undergrad and high school students interested in entering the health sector. As a Graduate mentor in EPiC this past year I got to reinforce many of the public health concepts we’ve learned by teaching them to my students, as well as give them the post-grad perspective I wished I could have gotten in High School.  

Beyond gaining new skills and connections, mentoring can be a fulfilling way to give back. I have many mentors to thank for where I am today, which is why I try to pay it forward whenever I can. Whether it be to keep someone from making our past mistakes or passing on the good advice we’ve received, we can help those around us by practicing patience and empathy in whatever mentor roles we find ourselves in.  

Are you ready to be a mentor?

To sign up to be an Epi Buddy click here! You can learn more about the program here or contact our Epi Reps, Sandra Amouzou (sandra [dot] amouzou [at] emory [dot] edu) and Katy Krupinsky (kathryn [dot] krupinsky [at] emory [dot] edu) with any questions.

You can also learn more about the Emory Pipeline Collaborative here!

Featured image by Lagos Techie on Unsplash

Microbiome Collection Core Manager, Harvard

Category : Post-Grad Student Opportunities

The Harvard Chan Microbiome in Public Health Center (HCMPH), co-directed by Drs. Curtis Huttenhower and Wendy Garrett at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (http://hcmph.sph.harvard.edu), is seeking a Microbiome Collection Core Manager to lead the Harvard Chan Microbiome Collection Core (HCMCC, http://hcmph.sph.harvard.edu/hcmcc). The HCMCC provides one of the pillars of the HCMPH’s BIOM-Mass platform for population-scale microbiome research, by developing, maintaining, and administering kits and biospecimens for high-throughput microbiome sample collection. It currently supports over 25 funded projects at the Harvard Chan School, throughout the Boston life sciences community, nationally, and internationally.

The HCMCC has developed a modular, room-temperature, USPS-compatible home microbiome sampling kit that has been used for over 10,000 collections to date. It includes components for several different types of oral or gut microbiome samples; molecular, microbial culture, or gnotobiotic animal data generation; standardized questionnaires and metadata to accompany each sample; user-friendly, graphical instructions; and an automated sample handling workflow compatible with downstream storage at the Harvard Chan BiOS Freezer Core or analysis by HCMAC. Kits are assembled and shipped by an external logistics provider to the HCMCC’s specifications, in collaboration with each project’s unique needs, and handled as needed using robotic automation once received back from participants.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

The Microbiome Collection Core Manager’s primary responsibility is to coordinate the development and execution of these collaborative microbiome sample collection projects, in tandem with other BIOM-Mass and HCMPH components as needed (including the Microbiome Analysis Core [HCMAC], the Huttenhower and Garrett labs, and other Center affiliates). This will include project management for HCMCC-associated activities, from initial research consulting during the project preparation stage, to determining requirements and techniques for biospecimen collection, to creation and assessment of data analysis outputs. Specifically, the affiliated project duties for this position will comprise population-scale human microbiome epidemiology, associated client consulting and management (collaborating/emails/meetings/calls), coordinating HCMCC standardized sample collection kit logistics (coordination/creation/vendor interactions), laboratory information management system integration, grant preparation, coordination with the BIOM-Mass biobank, computational and biostatistic analysis of generated data, and results interpretation/discussion with collaborators. This position will also entail work with the HMAC and Huttenhower lab personnel applying existing microbiome informatics and statistical tools, developed in the Huttenhower lab (e.g. MetaPhlAn2, HUMAnN2) as well as by other groups (UPARSE, QIIME, DADA2), to human microbiome sequence datasets, including microbial communities assayed in disease, animal models, cross-sectional and prospective human cohorts, and associated clinical phenotypes and/or environmental/lifestyle exposure metadata.

The Microbiome Collection Core Manager may also be responsible for occasionally handling samples, and will perform other duties as assigned.

PLEASE NOTE: This position has a term end date of one year from date of hire, with possibility for extension based on funding.

PLEASE NOTE: The primary work location for this position is Boston, Massachusetts. Until our return to campus, which is still to-be-determined, this interview process and position will be conducted virtually – including virtual interviews, remote onboarding, and remote work. The remote nature of this position is only temporary. Local, on-campus work will be required as a condition of continued employment once the School and this role return to an operational status that supports it.

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience required
  • 3+ years of related experience required
  • Working knowledge in R software and/or Python required

Additional Qualifications and Skills

The following job-specific skills and competencies are preferred:

  • Advanced degree in Biology, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Biostatistics, or related field 
  • Experience with quantitative biological project management 
  • Basic familiarity with scientific software management, and in Linux/Unix software environments for scientific computing and computing clusters (e.g. Slurm manager), 
  • Familiarity with molecular biology, microbiology, and/or genomics
  • Strong interpersonal skills; experience and willingness to collaborate with and coordinate among other research groups 
  • Flexibility in adapting to changing research needs 
  • Strong, detailed-oriented writing and communication skills 
  • Experience working independently, as well as experience and/or desire to work in an interactive, collegial, and interdisciplinary group 

The following cultural competencies are also preferred:

  • Awareness of and aptitude to appropriately and effectively understand, respect, and adapt to cultural and identity-based difference within group environments
  • Knowledge of and commitment to concepts and issues tied to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Skills related to creating and supporting an environment that allows for inclusion, effective intercultural engagement, and personal humility and authenticity

Additional Information

At the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, we believe that diversity is integral to the Harvard experience and our mission of improving public health education, research and policy. Diversity of cultural backgrounds, identities, lived experiences, perspectives, and ways of understanding the world enriches our community and enables us to best meet the public health needs of the United States and the world. Ongoing learning and development related to diversity allows for both individual and institutional growth, and is necessary to foster and sustain a culture of inclusion. To achieve this, we are committed to ensuring equitable access to opportunities for learning, living, and working at the Harvard Chan School. We maintain an unwavering dedication to diversity, inclusion, and belonging as core to our institutional values and to actively counter, minimize, and address racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, gender bias, and all forms of discrimination.

Learn more about the School’s mission, objectives, and core values and our diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives.

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Harvard University offers an outstanding benefits package including:

  • Time Off: 3-4 weeks paid vacation, paid holiday break, 12 paid sick days, 12+ paid holidays, and 3 paid personal days per year.
  • Medical/Dental/Vision: Excellent and affordable medical, dental & vision plans, with coverage beginning as of an employee’s start date.
  • Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with full vesting after 3 years of service.
  • Tuition Assistance & Reimbursement Programs: $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School, discounted options through participating Harvard graduate schools, and reimbursement options for accredited schools outside of Harvard.
  • Transportation: 50% discount on MBTA passes, as well as additional options (rideshare, biking, etc.) to assist employees in their daily commute.
  • Wellness & Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including stress management, hard & soft skills development, career planning, massages, nutrition, meditation, and complimentary health services. Additionally, access to Harvard athletic facilities, libraries, campus events — and many discounts for various cultural and leisure activities throughout metro Boston.

Join the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to support our mission of health research and education, and to be a part of the oldest institution of higher learning in the country!

To apply to this position click here!

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  • The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health does not provide visa sponsorship, now or in the future, for staff positions.
  • Harvard University requires pre-employment reference checks and background screenings.
  • This position has a 90 day orientation and review period. The O&R period will be waived for any internal Harvard employee transfers.

Volunteer Opportunities, Emory University Urban Health Initiative

Category : APE/ILE Student Opportunities

The Emory University Urban Health Initiative aims to provide health disparities education and advocacy, build collaborative partnerships and develop best practice models with low-resourced communities and those who work with them to advance equity in health and well-being. The mission of the Emory University Urban Health Initiative is to understand, sustain, and improve the health and healthcare of diverse and underserved populations in Atlanta and surrounding areas through community partnership, interdisciplinary education, community-driven research, and evidence-based programs.

Emory UHI has the following two volunteer positions available:

  • Rolling Suitcase Drive Project Coordinator– Connect with any individual or organization that will collect rolling suitcases for those who receive services from the Atlanta Mission. Keep track of number of suitcases delivered through pictures and write a publishable article. This summer and fall we have several Macy’s department stores whose employee teams plan to collect suitcases.
  • Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator (May qualify for Applied Practice Hours) – Research factors that may impact program effectiveness. Work with each of the UHI teams to assist in development and monitoring of evaluation plans. Monitor and report progress of program objectives and goals. Develop evaluation reports and briefings. Develop and lead education sessions for project coordinators and their teams. Write a publishable article about monitoring and evaluating university projects.

The number of hours that volunteers may work is flexible. However, most volunteers like to work six to eight hours per week.

  • All volunteers will need to be CITI certified and complete the UHI Onboarding process as part of volunteer requirements.
  • If interested in either position, please contact Tracie McCargo, tracie [dot] curry [at] emory [dot] edu.

For more information about the Emory Urban Health Initiative, please visit http://urbanhealthinitiative.emory.edu/index.html

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