Position Branch/Team:DHDSP Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Small Area Analysis Team
About the Branch/Team: The Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch (ESB), of CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, monitors patterns and trends related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes and risks. ESB’s scientific findings and reports help the division and its partners respond to emerging health risks and promote evidence-based CVD prevention efforts. The Small Area Analysis Team conducts innovative spatial and spatiotemporal analyses of CVD outcomes and makes high-quality local-level CVD data available via a variety of online GIS and mapping tools that can be easily accessed by a wide range of public health audiences.
Duties of the Position:
· Develop and apply spatial and spatiotemporal analytic methods to examine local-level CVD outcomes and trends by sociodemographic group and community socioeconomic characteristics.
· Develop and apply spatial statistical models that address spatial patterns in the burden of cardiovascular disease and proximity to health care resources.
· Provide advice and assistance in the development and implementation of procedures and methods forexpanding spatial and spatiotemporal analytic methods.
· Disseminate results of analyses in a wide range of venues including summaries, peer-reviewed journals,oral presentations, web materials, and interactive applications.
· Develop and maintain expertise and research capacity in spatial and spatiotemporal analyses of cardiovascular disease
· Work collaboratively with other teams within the Division, Center, and across the agency.
Desired Qualifications:
· Experience developing and leading analyses of spatial and/or spatiotemporal data
· Advanced experience with statistical packages SAS and R
· Knowledge of/Experience using Bayesian statistical methods
· Experience using ArcGIS or other mapping software packages
· Experience in the management and analysis of large data sets
· Experience with studies that address social determinants of health and/or health inequities at the community level
· Experience in analyzing and visualizing health outcomes by combining data from a variety of data sources
· Demonstration of strong oral and written communication skills, including data visualization
Note: Several divisions with the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion will be selecting applicants from the same position announcement.
Position Information Epidemiologist/Project Coordinator Contractor Position Dengue Branch, Division of Vector Borne Diseases, CDC Background Chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever, Zika and other viruses transmitted by mosquitoes are serious health threats in the U.S. and globally. The public health response to the spread of these arboviruses throughout the tropics, where their mosquito vectors thrive, has been hampered by a lack of sustainable and effective interventions to prevent arboviral infections at the community level. Several vector control strategies that have failed to curb disease incidence, continue to be employed despite the absence of robust evidence for their effectiveness or optimal implementation. Novel approaches to arbovirus control are now available, but evidence of their impact on reducing infection incidence is limited.
New techniques in mosquito control show promise for enhanced disease prevention. These include releasing Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with the bacteria Wolbachia to decrease their capacity to transmit viruses that has been shown in a randomized cluster trial to have an efficacy against dengue of 78%. However, there is currently no concise and scalable implementation protocol and clear metrics to monitor implementation success. Because of the high prevalence of mosquito-borne viruses in Central America and the known threat of importation or expansion of these viruses into the United States, the Division of Vector Borne Diseases (DVBD) is supporting the implementation of an arbovirus control program in El Salvador. This is a unique opportunity to design and pilot a comprehensive dengue control program that will include: 1) implementation of Wolbachia replacement in a 20 km2 area of Santa Ana, 2) strengthening laboratory capacity for the diagnosis of arboviruses; 3) strengthening enhanced and traditional surveillance for dengue and other arboviruses; and 4) enhance outbreak preparedness and control.
The objectives of the project are: • Evaluate the implementation of Wolbachia replacement in the department of Santa Ana in partnership with the World Mosquito Program. • Establish clinic-based enhanced surveillance infrastructure to monitor dengue and other arbovirual disease trends, contribute to measure the impact of vector control strategies and eventually evaluate dengue vaccine acceptability and uptake. Position One-year term appointment with a possibility of extension depending on the availability of funding. Duty Location San Salvador, El Salvador
Qualifications: • Masters or PhD in Public Health, Global Health, Epidemiology or equivalent. • Experience in project management, field studies and epidemiological analyses. • Experience in epidemiology of infectious diseases. • Proficiency in speaking and writing English and Spanish. • Strong interpersonal skills and experience working with multidisciplinary teams. • Experience working with international organizations, Ministries of Health, etc. • Demonstrated ability to collaborate in team projects and handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced research environment. • Experience with data analyses and use of statistical software. • Experience in writing and communicating research or surveillance findings. Duties • Serve as primary point of contact for project related queries for the Ministry of Health of El Salvador, Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica, World Mosquito Program, the Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit, CDC Central America, CDC Division of Vector Borne Diseases, COMISCA, PAHO and other stakeholders.Coordinate project implementation. • Develop protocols for in depth interviews and focus groups to map stakeholders and conduct a baseline on Wolbachia acceptability. • Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for project activities. • Monitor project progress and update milestones and deliverables. • Conduct operations oversight of acute febrile illness surveillance sites in El Salvador. • Conduct oversight of Wolbachia mosquito releases in the intervention areas. • Produce monthly reports on progress, potential obstacles, unresolved concerns. • Conduct site visit to project sites. • Conduct data analyses and reports. Additional Information This position will be with a private company through a contract with CDC. It will require 15% travel. It will require working outside of regular hours due to time zone differences between partners, and activities requiring oversight during nights and weekends. Compensation and benefits will be determined based on qualifications and experience. All applicants should submit a cover letter and CV to Nicole Medina at moi6 [at] cdc [dot] gov. Please apply no later than April 30, 2022.
Position Branch/Team:DHDSP Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Small Area Analysis Team
About the Branch/Team: The Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch (ESB), of CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, monitors patterns and trends related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes and risks. ESB’s scientific findings and reports help the division and its partners respond to emerging health risks and promote evidence-based CVD prevention efforts. The Small Area Analysis Team conducts innovative spatial and spatiotemporal analyses of CVD outcomes and makes high-quality local-level CVD data available via a variety of online GIS and mapping tools that can be easily accessed by a wide range of public health audiences.
Duties of the Position:
· Develop and apply spatial and spatiotemporal analytic methods to examine local-level CVD outcomes and trends by sociodemographic group and community socioeconomic characteristics.
· Develop and apply spatial statistical models that address spatial patterns in the burden of cardiovascular disease and proximity to health care resources.
· Provide advice and assistance in the development and implementation of procedures and methods forexpanding spatial and spatiotemporal analytic methods.
· Disseminate results of analyses in a wide range of venues including summaries, peer-reviewed journals,oral presentations, web materials, and interactive applications.
· Develop and maintain expertise and research capacity in spatial and spatiotemporal analyses of cardiovascular disease
· Work collaboratively with other teams within the Division, Center, and across the agency.
Desired Qualifications:
· Experience developing and leading analyses of spatial and/or spatiotemporal data
· Advanced experience with statistical packages SAS and R
· Knowledge of/Experience using Bayesian statistical methods
· Experience using ArcGIS or other mapping software packages
· Experience in the management and analysis of large data sets
· Experience with studies that address social determinants of health and/or health inequities at the community level
· Experience in analyzing and visualizing health outcomes by combining data from a variety of data sources
· Demonstration of strong oral and written communication skills, including data visualization
Note: Several divisions with the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion will be selecting applicants from the same position announcement.
The Saint Louis University Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health (SLU MCH CoE) is planning a research spotlight on Tuesday, April 26th from Noon-1 PM. This spotlight will be featuring our newly appointed MCH CoE Director, Dr. Qian, and his research on Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Multiple Risk Factors: Findings from a prospective cohort study of 100,000 pregnant women in Wuhan, China. Please see the flyer attached for more details regarding registration for this event.
The Program Associate for the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) Program reports to the Program Director of CARES to provide support in the collection and data analysis of cardiac arrest survival data from participating communities and states.
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Program administration responsibilities include managing a territory of CARES program participants across the United States and providing them with training and support to encourage and enhance participation and data collection.
The CARES Program Associate will work with CARES faculty and program staff to develop and train personnel participating in the program, provide oversight for participating communities to ensure consistency in the data collection, auditing, and reporting processes and assist end users with data analysis.
Provide outreach to potential project partners, which include local and regional healthcare organizations, as well as community-based partnerships.
Analyze data and work with other CARES staff to generate annual national and state-specific reports. Coordinate communication and meetings with CARES partners.
Perform webinar demonstrations on software functionality and processes to multiple stakeholders and end users.
Manage logistics for CARES Oversight Board and Advisory Council meetings. Develop PR and outreach materials (brochures, newsletters, website, and annual report) that describe CARES activities and capabilities.
Represent CARES in discussions with current and potential partners, project sponsors, and donors.
Registry Program Management: Liaise with project sponsors about contracts and progress reports. Work within a team environment. Assist and advise on advisory boards and scientific and ethical reviews.
Assist and advise on CARES registry database management and provide analysis of data.
Travel is required. This position works remotely.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
A bachelor’s degree in public health or related field.
Two years of professional experience in a related field such as community health, research, or information systems management.
Requires previous project management experience or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Masters Degree in Public Health
Proficiency with Excel and STATA, SAS, or SPSS
Experience/knowledge about cardiac arrest and/or registries
Experience in proposal development or grant writing
Experience with program coordination
Experience working with Emergency Medicine Departments and/or Emergency Medical Services
NOTE: Tasks related to this position can be performed remotely with only occasional supported visits to an Emory University location. Emory reserves the right to change this status with notice to employee.
The American Public Health Statistics Section is accepting abstract submissions for student research poster and oral presentation sessions. Students wishing to be considered for these sessions should submit an abstract online through APHA abstract submission system by the abstract submission deadline (currently 4/30/2022), and fill out the competition form (https://tinyurl.com/2p89w5ek) with a two-page summary or prospectus of research along with a letter from a faculty member attesting to the author’s student status by May 31, 2022. Information for submission of abstracts can be found at https://apha.org/Events-and-Meetings/Annual/Call-for-Abstracts.
When submitting your abstract, please submit it under the session “Student oral presentations” or “Student poster presentations”, even if it may be thematically related to other topics on the topic list. If a student abstract was submitted for oral presentation but is not accepted as an oral presentation, it will automatically be considered as a poster submission. All accepted student abstracts will be considered for the Student Research Competition. An award will be given for the Best Student Oral Presentation. In order to be eligible for the student competition, you must be a student at the conference in October 2022 (those graduating in May/June 2022 are not eligible).
You’re invited to an online symposium hosted by SPER that is taking place on May 10th from 10:00-11:45 AM EST. We have a great panel of speakers who will be discussing the imperative of including pregnant women in vaccine trials in Africa.
Panel speakers include:
Etienne Karita, MD, Emory University, USA; Center for Family Health Research, Rwanda
Sara Healy, MD, National Institutes of Health, USA
Sonali Kochhar, MD, University of Washington, USA; Global Healthcare Consulting, India
Carleigh Krubiner, PhD, Center for Global Development, USA
Jumping off from his last article about how to get a job at the CDC, Robert Merritt tells the story of how his own career in public health started. To read his previous article “The Many Roads to Federal Service at CDC” click here!
Written By: Robert Merritt
I always felt public service was my calling and destiny. I believe this was fostered by the community where I grew up in the Washington, DC metropolitan area (Fairfax County, Virginia). My neighborhood and county were replete with civil service and military families that encouraged and valued careers in public service. In fact, my own father was a career military officer. So, what path would I chose? Military or civil service?
So, in 1983, I started my undergraduate studies in Virginia at Washington and Lee University (W&L) as a politics major on the path to law school. At the time, I aspired to be a public prosecutor and even worked as an intern for the Rockbridge County Commonwealth’s Attorney. I really enjoyed the legal research part and the victim-witness engagement. However, the passion for the legal profession itself was absent. After that, switching to a business administration and accounting major seemed like a practical, smart move preparing me for a variety of public service administration opportunities. Although I found aspects of both interesting, I neither saw myself as an attorney nor an administrator. I lacked the interest and passion for these fields and was very unhappy – I checked out mentally, partied, and ultimately landed myself on academic probation. The W&L Dean of Students politely informed me that I must improve my academic record immediately or the university would sever its ties with me.
To make a long story short, I found my academic home within the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. The excellent faculty coupled with a challenging curriculum of theory, research methods, and practical experiences inspired me. I found that strong passion and desire for public service again. I was very eager to help people and make the world a better place for everyone. I really loved the applied nature of both these fields and their relevance to social change. It was important to me that I give back to the community and society at large. Thankfully I developed excellent quantitative and qualitative research, oral and written communication, and fieldwork skills that would pay dividends. In fact, my advisor encouraged me to consider applying to graduate programs in anthropology and sociology. Thankfully, with a lot of hard work and summer school, I graduated on schedule from W&L in 1987 and headed to Emory University’s Laney Graduate School. This was prior to the founding of the Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH) in 1990.
I ultimately chose Medical Sociology and Research Methods & Statistics as my areas of concentration (with a bit of medical anthropology thrown in too). After my first year of graduate school, I was asked to serve as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for Emory’s Undergraduate Summer Program at the London School of Economics (focusing on medical sociology and public health). This program was co-directed by Drs. Richard Levinson and Karen Hegtvedt. By the way, this is the very same Richard Levinson that eventually served as the Executive Associate Dean at RSPH. I enthusiastically accepted but was subsequently cut from the program because student enrollment was too low to support a TA. I was disappointed and found myself unemployed for the summer. As luck would have it, Dr. Levinson was on sabbatical from Emory and not making the trip to London either. He was, in fact, working at the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). Taking pity on me, he offered me a summer internship. Please keep in mind, I had no clue what CDC was or did at this point. It was just a job.
Upon reporting for work that summer, I was given two analytic projects and was advised it would likely take me the entire summer to complete them. I finished both in 10 days. I quickly became the most popular person in the group and was asked by the staff scientists to assist with their various analytical projects. I imagine it was my SAS, SPSS, and writing skills that attracted them (all practical skills honed at W&L and Emory). By the end of my internship, I must have completed a dozen or more projects and had a few publications. I finally learned what CDC’s mission was and how the agency impacted public health. It was a good fit for my skill set and my passion for public service. At the conclusion of the internship, CDC asked me to stay and compete for a permanent position. I was offered a position as a health scientist and worked in a variety of areas – behavioral epidemiology, cardiovascular health, smoking and health, and reproductive health until August 2000. At that point, I decided to leave the government and accepted a position in the private sector at a not-for-profit hospital system.
In that role, I served as Director of Clinical Research and Research Integrity Officer at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Children’s) – one of the largest pediatric hospital systems in the United States. I had management oversite for 400+ active research studies and clinical trials; 35+ research support staff; and 75+ hospital-based investigators. As the hospital’s Chief Research Officer, I was responsible for research compliance, human subjects, and research training. I was also actively conducting research in a variety of pediatric sub-specialty areas and public health with collaborators from CDC, State and Local Health Departments, Emory University, and Georgia Tech. I remained at Children’s until 2005 when I returned to CDC.
As a supervisory health scientist, I currently serve as Chief of the Epidemiology & Surveillance Branch in the Division for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention (DHDSP). I also hold an adjunct faculty appointment at the Rollins School of Public Health and am a Fellow of the American Heart Association. My work tracks trends in cardiovascular risk factors and diseases; engages in epidemiologic and health services research, and supports evidence-based practice and programs. Through epidemiology and surveillance, research, and science translation, this work helps state and national health agencies implement public health strategies to address the burden of heart disease and stroke.
My own academic and public health research career has spanned over 35 years with the Smithsonian Institution (SI), Emory University, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Inc., and the CDC. Although I landed in public health quite by accident, I am convinced that the education and passion I found at both W&L and Emory directly led to advancement and success in my career.
Robert Merritt is a graduate of Washington and Lee University, Emory University, and The University of the South (Sewanee) where he received academic training in sociology & anthropology, medical sociology, public health, and research methods & statistics. His research career has spanned over 30 years with positions at the Smithsonian Institution (SI), Emory University, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He is currently working as a health scientist in the Division for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) at CDC.
***Cover Letter is required to be considered for employment
Organization Description: For more than six decades, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have worked together in partnership to improve the public’s health by supporting the efforts of epidemiologists working at the state and local level by promoting the effective use of epidemiologic data to guide public health practice and improve health. CSTE and its members represent two of the four basic components of public health – epidemiology and surveillance. CSTE, as a member-based organization, represents the interests of applied public health epidemiologists working in state, local, tribal, and territorial settings to improve the public’s health through effective epidemiology and surveillance. More information can be found at www.cste.org.
CSTE provides a competitive and generous benefits package for full time employees with eligibility immediately upon hire for most benefits. Paid leave includes vacation, sick, personal days, DEI, COVID-19 sick and vaccination, and 12 holidays per year. Significant contributions to insurance premiums for Medical, Vision, Dental, STD, LTD, Life, FSA, DCFSA, and HSA coverages. 401k plan with automatic employer contributions of 6%. Flexible work schedule with telecommuting and remote work, including reimbursement for cell and wellness. Currently 100% remote work for all staff due to COVID-19. Summary of benefits with additional detail information provided to candidates at interview.
Position Description: Under the supervision of the Director of Infectious Disease Programs and the Infectious Disease Program Manager, the Senior Program Analyst (SPA) – Advanced Molecular Detection is a policy-oriented but technically grounded position. The Senior Program Analyst will be a focal point for programmatic activities for public health surveillance and policy development that have an impact on state and local health departments. The Senior Program Analyst (SPA) – Advanced Molecular Detection position involves project management and coordination of various CSTE Steering and Sub-Committees and related project workgroups. Demonstrated knowledge, experience, and interest in infectious disease epidemiology, specifically advanced molecular detection (AMD) technologies, is required. Applicants should also have demonstrated expertise in project and time management, written and oral communications, strategic program development, relationship building and networking, meeting facilitation and convening, and assessment development and analysis.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Serves as the staff lead for and manages federally funded projects in the assigned portfolio. The portfolio will focus on projects related to infectious disease epidemiology and surveillance and advanced molecular detection (AMD) technologies. Specific activities may include:
Managing project plans, budgets, and contractual agreements with subject matter expert consultants and/or state/local health departments
Specific projects include, but are not limited to, AMD capacity building activities and implementing both in-person and virtual AMD trainings for public health epidemiologists. Staff lead should be able to contribute and present content in these trainings.
Coordinating CSTE’s AMD Workgroup, and liaising between the Workgroup, the Infectious Disease Steering Committee, and external public health partners and stakeholders, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Centers, Institutes, and Offices and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)
Planning, facilitation, and participation in virtual and/or in-person meetings as necessary, including but not limited to portions of the CSTE Annual Conference, trainings, strategic partner meetings, and monthly meetings of CSTE Steering Committees, Subcommittees, and/or Workgroups
Provides technical, programmatic, and logistical support for funded projects and coordinates project activities with CSTE members, CDC technical staff, and public health partners, including serving as a subject matter expert on AMD.
Undertakes assessments and other activities to support and inform state health departments and CSTE public health partners on disease surveillance and control measures issues.
Supports CSTE members’ efforts to establish national standards for surveillance and epidemiology.
Works with CSTE members, state health officials, and public health agencies and organizations to translate public health research into applied public health practice.
May lead and direct program analyst(s) or intern(s) supporting the related program.
Advises the CSTE Executive Board and CSTE leadership on issues of critical national, regional, or international significance.
Advises CSTE leadership on resources needed to accomplish the goals and objectives of the portfolio, and public policy initiatives in other areas, and investigates mechanisms to secure those resources, in collaboration with the appointed volunteer members.
Manages activities of cooperative agreements (or portions thereof) which support the position, coordinating sponsor expectations with member needs as appropriate, consulting with other CSTE staff as required to coordinate activities, and networking with other Council activities.
Continually develops and strengthens the Council’s technical, policy, and regulatory partnerships to expand and enhance the role of epidemiology and informatics in addressing public health issues and training for epidemiologists.
Extensive and on-going networking efforts are an essential and primary component of this position, to identify and solidify potential partnerships.
Provides the Director of Communications and CSTE members with information about national issues through such communication vehicles as CSTE determines are appropriate, such as monthly newsletters and electronic mailings, in addition to targeted information sharing with members concerning activities for that state.
Develops and plans, in conjunction with relevant CSTE Subcommittees, such conferences, meetings, trainings, and webinars, as are considered appropriate to promote enhanced interaction between the public health and topical issue communities, focusing on issues that impact epidemiologists.
Promotes CSTE membership and engages new and current members in projects and activities.
Exemplifies CSTE core values of commitment to service, teamwork and excellence through integrity and respect for all.
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications and Employment Requirements:
Graduate degree in public health or related field from an accredited university or program is required, preferably with a concentration or coursework in infectious diseases, AMD technologies, epidemiology, or surveillance.
6+ years of experience and/or demonstrated knowledge in the field of public health surveillance and/or epidemiology is required.
Experience and/or demonstrated knowledge in infectious diseases, AMD technologies, epidemiology, and surveillance is required.
Supervisory experience is preferred.
Program and/or project management experience is required. Demonstrated program and project management skills may include:
Demonstrated capability to work on concurrent projects with overlapping and competing deadlines and to manage time effectively
Ability to accommodate urgent tasks in addition to normal workflow
Demonstrated capability to strategically plan program or project future direction
Knowledge and understanding of federal and state government public health policy development and an understanding of state health department public health functions.
Skills with developing and presenting epidemiologic data to a wide range of audiences; written and verbal presentation of public health surveillance and epidemiologic information; word processing and report development; convening, consensus building, and meeting facilitation experience; relationship building and networking.
Ability and willingness to travel, if required.
Ability to sustain a wide variety of networking contacts in order to effectively identify and track public health activities which may impact public health epidemiology.
US Citizen
***The preferred work location for this position is Atlanta, GA, however, remote work arrangements may be considered for highly-qualified candidates.
The Summer Institute in Statistics and Modeling in Infectious Diseases (SISMID) July 15, 2024 – July 31, 2024
Conference / Symposium
Event Type: Conference / SymposiumSeries: The Summer Institute in Statistics and Modeling in Infectious Diseases (SISMID)Speaker: Leaders in the FieldContact Name: Pia ValerianoContact Email: pvaleri@emory.eduLink: https://sph.emory.edu/SISMID/index.htmlThe Summer Institute in Statistics and Modeling in Infectious Diseases (SISMID) is designed to introduce infectious disease researchers to modern methods of statistical analysis and mathematical modeling.
Functional Biomarkers for Early Detection and Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy August 5, 2024 at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Zoom
Online Location: ZoomSeries: EGDRC Seminar SeriesSpeaker: Dr. Machelle PardueContact Name: Wendy GillContact Email: wggill@emory.eduLink: https://tinyurl.com/Machelle-PardueDr. Pardue’s lab is focused on clinically relevant treatments for retinal disease that can make a difference in the quality of life of patients. She is developing novel screening and treatment strategies for early-stage diabetic retinopathy and elucidating the retinoscleral mechanisms…
The Second Annual RSPH Staff and Post-Doctoral Ice Cream Social August 14, 2024 at 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Networking and Special Event
Event Type: Networking,Special EventContact Name: Staff CouncilContact Email: rsphstaffcouncil@emory.eduRoom Location: RRR_Terrace 2nd FloorRSPH staff and post-docs are invited to join us for ice cream and delightful conversation. This event is hosted by the RSPH Staff Council.
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