Author Archives: Emma Butturini

Surveillance Epidemiologist, California Emerging Infections Program

Category : Post-Grad Student Opportunities

Description

The goal of California Emerging Infections Program (CEIP) COVID-19 surveillance is to determine the extent of laboratory-confirmed incident disease in the three bay area counties of Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco where active population based surveillance for hospitalized patients for a variety of diseases has been ongoing for over 25 years. This specific position will assist both CEIP and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Immunization Branch with COVID-related data management, long-term surveillance for COVID-19 and the writing of reports. The Surveillance Epidemiologist will help collect, manage, and analyze data; and report results on a regular basis, at least weekly. As needed, this position may also support other COVID-19 projects including, but not limited to, enhanced surveillance projects, outbreak investigations and surge efforts.

The Surveillance Epidemiologist will interact with numerous CDPH programs, local health departments (LHDs), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to perform essential functions. Please submit a cover letter with a resume when applying.

Applicants must submit a cover letter and resume to be considered.

Essential Functions 

  • Coordinate and interact with state and local public health departments, laboratories, Communicable Disease (CD) Controllers and other health agencies.
  • Establish and maintain reliable, efficient, and effective methods for communicating with involved partners via telephone and email.
  • Ensure that the needs of CEIP surveillance are met, to the extent possible.
  • Establish and maintain standardized methods of data collection in the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange (CalREDIE) or external electronic databases.
  • Clean data and maintain data quality and completeness.
  • Analyze data to determine level of hospitalization in the catchment, stratify data by key factors (e.g., demographic groups).
  • Assist with the generation of data visualizations and written and oral reports.
  • Present at meetings and scientific conferences, if applicable.
  • Participate in conference calls with epidemiology and laboratory partners at CDPH, CDC, California LHDs, healthcare facilities, and other state and local health departments.
  • Perform other duties as directed by the supervisor.
  • Collaborate effectively in a team environment.

Job Qualifications

  • Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing with public health and healthcare professionals and internal partners.
  • Ability to perform data entry, data cleaning, and data quality assessment with attention to detail.
  • Knowledge and application of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements and protection of health information.
  • Demonstrated knowledge and skills related to specific tasks, methodologies, and materials.
  • High level analytical and problem solving skills.  
  • Completed assignments in a timely and efficient manner.
  • Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks, and work independently.
  • Demonstrate reliability and integrity.
  • Prior knowledge and experience in use of CalREDIE, preferred.
  • Fluency in spoken English is required.

Education/Experience

  • Candidacy for or completed Master’s degree in public health or related field, required.
  • Experience in data entry and analysis.
  • Experience with clinical terminology and interpreting laboratory testing results.
  • Experience in coordinating complex projects.
  • Basic knowledge and use of statistical software such as Statistical Analysis Software (SAS), preferred.
  • Basic knowledge and use of data visualization software such as Tableau, preferred.

Other Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

  • Knowledge of and skilled in the use of Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, and Power Point

Apply 

Click here to apply online! 

COVID-19 and Global Environmental Change Webinar Series, 5/11

Category : GLEPI News/Events

Part 3 of Webinar Series: The Decade After

The COVID pandemic has induced radical societal change in the matter of months, a sense of urgency, and emphasized the need for coordinated international action. How can we leverage this once in a generation inflection point to create the same sense of urgency and levels of coordinated action to address the climate crisis and sustainable development? How do we create the public demand for a more sustainable future to ensure that we do not return to business as usual? What will be the lessons from the COVID pandemic about addressing social and economic inequities?

Moderators:

Gonzalo Franjul, Policy Director, ISGlobal

Seminar Outline

  • Introduction (10 min): Céline Charveriat, Executive Director, Institute for European Environmental Policy
  • How the COVID pandemic can accelerate progress towards SDGs-Eeva Furman, SYKE (15 min)
  • The potential for social movements and collective action Christos Zografos, University Pompeu Fabra (15 min)
  • Could COVID move the dial forward on addressing inequalities? Mauricio Barreto, Maurício L. Barreto, MD, PhD, Emeritus Professor, Federal University of Bahia, and Senior Investigator at FIOCRUZ. Director of the Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (Cidacs), Fiocruz FIO Cruz, Brazil (15 min)
  • Getting the message right – how to build broad support and urgency for change? (15 min) Rafa Villasanjuan, ISGlobal.
  • Moderated discussion (15 min)
     

Register

  • Click here to register for the third and final event in this webinar series on May 11 at 9am EST (15:00 CEST) 

 

 

Thesis Opportunity in Congenital Heart Defect Surveillance

Category : APE/ILE Student Opportunities

Project Description

 “The Surveillance of Congenital Heart Defects in Children, Adolescents and Adults” project, is seeking MPH students for data analysis projects that can be used for student theses. 

We’re currently in a 3rd round Cooperative Agreement funding from CDC (8th year), and we have a multi-disciplinary team which includes faculty and staff from Epi and HPM in RSPH, cardiology from the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing.  We’ve built strong partnerships in and around Atlanta and across the state with folks from GA Dept of Public Health, Grady, Piedmont, Northside, CHOA/Sibley Heart, the MACDP (Metro-Atlanta Congenital Defects Program) birth defects registry folks at CDC etc., and we have an active CHD community advisory committee (CAC) in place comprised of not only academics, practitioners, and advocacy groups, but also patients and parents.

Specifically, we conduct state-wide surveillance of individuals with congenital heart defects (CHDs) across the lifespan with the following project aims in mind:

  1. to improve understanding of age-specific mortality, healthcare utilization, comorbidities, survival and other outcomes over time;
  2. to improve understanding of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic patterns in healthcare usage, and their impact on long-term outcomes over time;
  3. to gain a greater understanding of the strengths and limitations of databases used for CHDs surveillance; and
  4. to increase CHDs awareness among the public and stakeholders.

In conducting this work, we hope to assist individuals with CHD and their families in their expectations and healthcare decisions, improve decision-making among stakeholders, and ultimately lead to more effective secondary prevention strategies to reduce the public health impact of CHDs.

We have lots of data ready to analyze including 15 years of Medicaid claims, and 6+ years of linked data from clinical and administrative sources including data linked from GA vital birth and death records.  

Contact Information 

All interested students should contact Cheryl Raskind-Hood (co-PI of the project) to discuss the opportunity further by emailing her at craskin [at] emory [dot] edu. 

Epidemiologist I, Texas Health and Human Services

Category : Post-Grad Student Opportunities

Job Description:
Performs moderately complex epidemiological work. Works with general supervision and moderate latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment under the direction of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Group Manager, in the Emerging and Acute Infectious Disease Unit. Provides consultation and training on the epidemiology and control of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) to regional and local health agencies, medical professionals, federal entities, and the public. Participates in epidemiologic investigations, including the development and creation of outbreak survey forms and reports. Utilizes the NEDSS based system (NBS) for surveillance and incidence reporting. Participates and evaluates the development of surveillance procedures, protocols, and guidelines on VPDs. Evaluates program information and educational needs. Develops quality assurance measures to ensure disease data reporting is accurate and timely. Works with Unit Managers, Team Leads, and other Program Specialists to maintain QA/QI standard operating procedures. Coordinates with the Immunization Unit as necessary to ensure consistency of prevention messaging and interpretation of VPD related statistics such as disease surveillance data and immunization coverage levels. Consults with health and medical personnel and provides information to the public on matters related to VPDs. Maintains the VPD pages on the DSHS website.

Essential Job Functions:

  • Attends work on a regular and predictable schedule in accordance with agency leave policy and performs other duties as assigned.
  • (50%) Vaccine-Preventable Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology: Assists in management of statewide surveillance for VPDs such as: measles, rubella, congenital rubella syndrome, mumps, pertussis, H. influenza, tetanus, diphtheria, varicella, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and polio infection. Assists senior epidemiologists with epidemiological data gathering, analysis, and the resulting recommendations for disease control. Is responsible for the continuous monitoring of surveillance data to identify unusual trends and patterns. Reviews written and electronic disease reports and electronic laboratory reports to identify and confirm illness caused by VPDs. Using latitude, corresponds verbally and in writing with regional and local health departments, medical professionals, laboratories, federal entities, and the general public concerning VPD surveillance issues. Coordinates and oversees the entry of VPD data into the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) by regional and local health departments. Corresponds with sites, evaluates staff reporting needs, and recommends and initiates appropriate training and education. Assembles reports of site-specific data issues for training and remediation purposes to enhance surveillance program activities. Enters and corrects data as needed. Responsible for monitoring data and enforcing quality assurance techniques to ensure the integrity of reported data, and user competency. Identifies and resolves duplicate records. Monitors VPD surveillance procedures for efficiency. Using NBS surveillance data, in conjunction with Word, Access, Epi Info, Excel, and/or PowerPoint, prepares status and ad hoc morbidity reports, and epidemiologic summary reports. Oversees airline notifications, including managing the database, informing local health departments of exposures, coordinating the release of vaccine if necessary, and providing feedback to the CDC. Evaluates local health department VPD data quarterly and provides technical assistance as necessary for improvement. Assists team lead with preparation of performance measure reports for CDC. Conducts enhanced surveillance projects to identify unreported cases of VPDs.
  • (30%) Education, Training, and Consultations: Provides input regarding definitions, standards, and policies for the effective and efficient rendering of public health services and enforcement of public health laws and regulations. Interprets written and verbal public health information requests. Coordinates with the VPD team lead to formulate definitions, apply standards, and responses regarding VPD surveillance data. Coordinates with the VPD team lead to update guidelines on the infectious agents, modes of transmission, reservoirs, incubation periods, communicability periods, and control methods. Ensures content of the VPD website is current and complete. Acts as a resource for consultations on the epidemiology and control measures of listed diseases and others as assigned. Responds to written and verbal requests for information. Participates in the development of NBS user training and educational materials: creates and documents data flow charts; data entry procedural manuals; case rejection procedures; rejection notification messages and forms; data standards, definitions, and minimum datasets; current case definitions. Conducts group training and discussions regarding VPD surveillance. Provides guidance to regional health departments on specimen submission guidelines and other regional training topics. Performs public speaking before medium and large groups. Stays informed and current on prevalent and emerging VPDs.
  • (15%) Outbreak Investigations and Special Projects: Participates in outbreak investigations. Develops interview tools and surveys. Interviews patients, coordinates the collection and transport of clinical and environmental specimens, reviews hospital charts, and/or develops databases for managing epidemiologic and laboratory information. Coordinates and conducts active surveillance by contacting medical providers, reviewing records (medical charts, laboratory reports, etc.) to identify previously unreported cases of reportable conditions. Participates in special projects.
  • (5%) Other Duties as Assigned: Performs related duties as assigned by supervisor, which may include, but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) activation. Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location.

Initial Selection Criteria:

  • Master’s degree from a U.S. accredited college or university or a foreign degree determined to be equivalent by an acceptable education evaluator with a focus on epidemiology and/or analysis and assessment; OR
  •  Bachelor’s degree in public health with at least 1 year of experience in epidemiology; OR
  • Bachelor’s degree in other non-public health field from a U.S. accredited college or university or a foreign degree determined to be equivalent by an acceptable education evaluator with at least 2 years of experience in epidemiology

Apply: 

Click here to learn more about the position and apply online! 

 

COVID-19 Related APE Opportunity, RSPH

Category : APE/ILE Student Opportunities

Description

There is an opportunity to support a COVID-19 outbreak response in Northeast Georgia and to do so as an APE. There is a need to move quickly with the response, and help is needed immediately.  Dr. Jodie Guest will be leading this work from the Emory side and will serve as the APE field supervisor for this opportunity.

The Northeast GA Health System has been tracking COVID-19 cases and deaths in their own facilities across several different counties and have found higher case rates in Hall County compared to those in other counties. There is particular concern about higher case rates among the Hispanic/Latino communities as well as among workers of poultry processing plants in the area.

Responsibilities

Students are needed to help with a variety of activities, including testing, contact tracing, developing/refreshing public education materials, developing a program to train community workers to support their own communities with needs related to COVID-19, delivering meals and information on testing and other services to the homes of public school students. Some of these activities would be in person, and some would be completely virtual. Training will be provided for all of these activities, as will personal protective equipment (PPE) for in-person activities. Given the need to engage with the Hispanic/Latino community, we especially need students with Spanish speaking skills (fluency not required). Students who can speak Vietnamese are also needed.

Contact Information 

This opportunity would meet the APE eligibility criteria for GLEPI students as well as EPI students. If you are interested, please contact Dr. Jodie Guest as soon as possible at Jodie [dot] Guest [at] emory [dot] edu.  Please indicate the following:

  • Spanish/Vietnamese language skills
  • Willingness to go to Gainesville
  • Desire/need to do work remotely
  • If you have already completed contact tracing training or will need to do so
  • If you have already completed CITI certification or will need to do so

 

Pharmacoepidemiology Study Manager, MERCK

Category : Alumni

Job Description

Our Research Scientists are our Inventors. We identify and target steps in disease mechanisms or pathways that could be inhibited or enhanced. Our goal is to isolate a compound that is effective against a disease target. Using innovative thinking, state-of-the-art facilities and robust scientific methodology we collaborate to discover the next medical breakthrough.

The goal of CORE (Center for Observational and Real-World Evidence) is to generate strategic value evidence and collaborate on the development of market access strategies for our companies products throughout the world. The Study Management organization sits within the Strategy & Operations group in CORE. This position, under the supervision of a Director or Associate Director, will support study management activities such as study planning, study execution, and summarization of results from observational research studies.  There may also be the opportunity to participate in process improvement initiatives and/or mentoring of new staff.

CORE Study Management Role

  • Coordinates all aspects of observational or non-interventional research studies which include the planning and implementation of primary data collection, chart review/survey and database studies. Support the Lead CORE Scientist in overall operational support for study conduct.
  • Main responsibilities include study level project management support such as:
    • Review request for information/proposal, draft statements of work, lead contract/change order activities through execution and manage budgets/invoices for outsourced projects
    • Coordinate confidentiality and consultant agreements
    • Coordinate internal/external meeting management and draft/review agenda/minutes
    • Track timelines/deliverables and follow up on action items
    • Assist in managing study level budget which includes follow up of invoices, tracking spend, managing Systems Applications and Products (SAP) (when applicable) and communicating with stakeholders such as Finance and the Budget Management organization
    • Liaise with vendor and cross-functional teams to communicate project status and/or needs
    • Participate in protocol and interim/final report preparation, shepherd document through the internal review process for approval and submit to internal repository
    • Review all vendor documents such as monitoring, project management, safety management, data management, and validation plans
    • Participate in quality control and integrity of study data and reports for publications
  • Provide operational support to ensure studies follow all CORE processes for informed consent, compliance, site contract, and budget review/approval, protocol document review, study registration (when applicable),  IT assessment and/or privacy, vendor qualification, adverse event reconciliation, and publication submission.
  • Must understand and describes procedures for observational studies to internal and external stakeholders such as outside investigators/vendors and key opinion leaders.Troubleshoots sourcing/study issues as they arise and work to bring to timely resolution
  • May participate in mentoring contract staff. 
  • Participate in process improvement initiatives

Educational Qualifications:

  • Required: Bachelor’s degree
  • Preferred: Master’s degree in epidemiology or closely related discipline, such as biostatistics, public health, health administration or biological sciences

Required Experience and Skills:

  • Two (2) or more years of work experience within clinical/observational research or equivalent experience. 
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with and influence a wide variety of stakeholders. 
  • Basic knowledge of epidemiologic or outcomes research
  • Strong project management skills
  • Highly motivated, able to work independently, raising issues with recommendations for solutions.

Apply

Click here to learn more about the position and apply online! 

 

Epidemiology Analyst, LA County Dept. of Public Health

Category : Alumni

Position Overview

Assists in the planning, design, and implementation of health-related surveillance systems or epidemiologic studies, including outbreak investigation and analysis of epidemiology surveys. 

Description

Positions allocable to this class typically report to an Epidemiologist or a higher-level supervisor and have responsibility for assisting in the design, development and implementation of epidemiology studies and field investigations. Under close supervision, Epidemiology Analysts conduct literature reviews, assist in the design and preparation of study, surveillance, and field investigation protocols; prepare survey instruments and surveillance forms; conduct data analysis, interpret epidemiologic findings; prepare technical documents; respond to public inquiries on epidemiologic issues; and perform a variety of other epidemiology related work. Positions typically follow defined or established protocols applied to less complex epidemiologic problems and require knowledge of epidemiology and surveillance methods and statistical methods, including biostatistics.

Essential Job Functions

  • Designs and conducts epidemiologic surveys, analyzes surveillance data, and assesses risks of possible epidemics or health-related hazards; prepares epidemiological reports using health data from multiple sources.
  • Investigates disease outbreaks by field participation or by analysis of pertinent data collected by district personnel, including developing case definitions, case report forms, and analyzing case-control study data to determine the cause and probable source of such outbreaks; prepares reports on investigation findings.
  • Participates in the investigation of environmental health threats by collecting and analyzing health and environmental data, preparing interpretation of findings and disseminating recommended prevention and control measures.
  • Responds to requests for data on health-related statistics and associated risk behaviors; designs, codes, and constructs variables by utilizing computer software appropriate for epidemiologic analysis.
  • Prepares detailed statistical reports and analyses of data that include, but are not limited to, specific geographic area, population size, gender, race, age, and medical condition.
  • Analyzes health trends and patterns in the county population and assists in the development of a community health profile with policy recommendations.
  • Reviews epidemiological case history forms completed by District nurses or physicians to gather information and to ensure accuracy and completeness of forms.
  • Prepares summaries of epidemiologic studies for presentations in community settings or at professional meetings.
  • Assists in the preparation of a grant application to support enhanced surveillance and targeted epidemiologic research on a specific health-related issue.

 Desirable Qualifications

  • Experience using SAS/ACCESS to import data in various formats including tab- or comma delimited, and/or analysis of large datasets using Base SAS.
  • Experience using Microsoft Excel and/or Microsoft Access to enter and summarize data.
  • Experience using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to create thematic maps and conduct spatial analysis.
  • Experience conducting literature searches using multiple methods including online journal databases and other internet sources.
  • Experience as a lead or co-author on at least one peer-reviewed publication.

Click here to learn more about the position and the application process! 

 

COVID-19, Global Environmental Change, and Opportunities to Progress Toward SDGs: Webinar Series, 4/28

Category : GLEPI News/Events

Description

This first session from a series of online webinars explores the proximal and distal causes of the pandemic and the complex relation between infections, climate and other global environmental change. How do global environmental changes such as biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution, and urbanization facilitate the occurrence of new epidemics or modulate their public health impact?

Click here to view a pdf with more detailed information regarding the webinar series and the individual, upcoming events! 

Programme

  • Introduction to the series. COVID-19 and Planetary Health (Josep M Antó, ISGlobal)
  • The Day After (Oriana Ramírez, ISGlobal)
  • Global environmental pollution and resilience to infections (David Savitz, Brown University, USA)
  • Land use change and biodiversity loss (Fernando Valladares, CSIC)
  • Lessons from SARS, Ebola, Nipah – how our relationship with other animals got us here (Júlia Vergara, IRTA-CRESA)
  • Moderated discussion (15 min). Moderator: Cathryn Tonne

This is the first of a series of online webinars featuring presentations from area experts and moderated discussion to foster knowledge exchange across a broad audience. It is offered by ISGlobal and the Day After (el Día Después in Spanish) platform, and is oriented to a general scientific audience. It will be in English.

Register 

  • Click here to register for the first event in the webinar series on April 28th at 9am EST (15:00 CEST)

Virtual Career Fair, 5/15

Category : News/Events

Check out this opportunity to interact with top-notch employers seeking candidates with public health degrees in live chat sessions.  For more information send an email with questions to ASPPH [at] CareerEco [dot] com! 

See the attached flyer for more details. 

Click here to register for the event on May 15th!

Diabetes and COVID-19 Webinar, 4/27

Category : News/Events

Description 

The global COVID-19 pandemic has created numerous challenges for persons with diabetes and for the health professionals who help manage their care. Higher rates of COVID-19 related hospitalizations and mortality, difficulty in accessing medicines and supplies, and the lack of in-person clinic visits due to lockdowns and social distancing and the resulting rapid shift to tele-medicine have caused an unprecedented overturning of the status quo. As the US healthcare system is forced to deal with disparities in care, can it benefit from procedures and low-cost technology that are standard in India? With the US ahead in the COVID-19 timeline, what are lessons that India can learn from the US experience? Will the future of diabetes care in India and the US look more similar than it has in the past?

Click here to register for the webinar! 

Follow Us

Recent Posts

Upcoming Events

  • EGDRC Seminar: Lynn Aboue-Jaoudé January 14, 2025 at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Seminar Series; tinyurl.com… Online Location: https://tinyurl.com/Lynn-Abou-JaoudeEvent Type: Seminar SeriesSeries: Health System Users in Vulnerable Situations: Normative Experiences and “New Ways of Life”Speaker: Lynn Abou-JaoudéContact Name: Wendy GillContact Email: wggill@emory.eduLink: https://tinyurl.com/Lynn-Abou-JaoudeDr. Lynn Abou-Jaoudé studies sociocultural challenges in healthcare experiences, focusing on qualitative research and diabetes prevention at the University of Lille’s LUMEN lab.
  • GCDTR Seminar: Erin Ferranti, PhD, MPH, RN January 21, 2025 at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Seminar Series; tinyurl.com… Online Location: https://tinyurl.com/ErinFerrantiEvent Type: Seminar SeriesSeries: Cardiometabolic Risk and Resource Connection in Maternal HealthSpeaker: Erin Ferranti, PhD, MPH, RNContact Name: Wendy GillContact Email: wggill@emory.eduRoom Location: RRR_R809Link: https://tinyurl.com/ErinFerrantiDr. Erin Ferranti, Emory Assistant Professor, researches women’s cardiometabolic disease prevention, health inequities, maternal morbidity, farmworker health, diabetes, and hypertension using biomarkers for early risk identification.

Follow Us on Social Media:

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Meta

Topics

Upcoming Events
  • EGDRC Seminar: Lynn Aboue-Jaoudé January 14, 2025 at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Seminar Series; tinyurl.com… Online Location: https://tinyurl.com/Lynn-Abou-JaoudeEvent Type: Seminar SeriesSeries: Health System Users in Vulnerable Situations: Normative Experiences and “New Ways of Life”Speaker: Lynn Abou-JaoudéContact Name: Wendy GillContact Email: wggill@emory.eduLink: https://tinyurl.com/Lynn-Abou-JaoudeDr. Lynn Abou-Jaoudé studies sociocultural challenges in healthcare experiences, focusing on qualitative research and diabetes prevention at the University of Lille’s LUMEN lab.
  • GCDTR Seminar: Erin Ferranti, PhD, MPH, RN January 21, 2025 at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Seminar Series; tinyurl.com… Online Location: https://tinyurl.com/ErinFerrantiEvent Type: Seminar SeriesSeries: Cardiometabolic Risk and Resource Connection in Maternal HealthSpeaker: Erin Ferranti, PhD, MPH, RNContact Name: Wendy GillContact Email: wggill@emory.eduRoom Location: RRR_R809Link: https://tinyurl.com/ErinFerrantiDr. Erin Ferranti, Emory Assistant Professor, researches women’s cardiometabolic disease prevention, health inequities, maternal morbidity, farmworker health, diabetes, and hypertension using biomarkers for early risk identification.
#Trending

Epidemiology Department Rollins School of Public Health