Author Archives: Emma Butturini

AHA Fellowship in Cardiometabolic Health, Johns Hopkins University

Category : Alumni

Description 

The American Heart Association (AHA) Strategic Focused Research Network (SFRN) site at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) is recruiting a post-doctoral fellow for a 2-year training program in Cardiometabolic Health and Type 2 Diabetes to work on our population/clinical science project.

Our SFRN is a collaboration between Cardiology, Epidemiology and Endocrinology at Johns Hopkins University. JHU is one of 4 centers in this AHA network, and the post-doctoral fellow will have opportunity for cross-center collaboration and engagement in AHA national activities.

The 2021 fellowship position will start July 1, 2021 and conclude June 2023.

The Johns Hopkins project entitled “Adipokines and Cardiometabolic Health: Implications for Heart Failure” is investigating how adiposity and hormones produced from fat tissue called adipokines might contribute to progressive metabolic risk along the spectrum from metabolically healthy obese to metabolic syndrome/diabetes with heart failure. The project also involves investigating whether mitochondrial injury, reflected by mitochondrial DNA copy number, partially mediates the association of trajectories of adipokines and metabolic risk with cardiac injury and heart failure. The project will also provide further mechanistic insight into these risk associations by leveraging adipose tissue expression from an obesity biobank and proteomics in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort. A collaborative project across the SFRN centers provides further opportunity for training and scientific discovery.

The AHA Fellow will work on original science projects under the mentorship of our diverse multi-disciplinary team, guided by their own Individualized Development Plan (IDP). The fellow will participate in a series of training didactics at JHU, as well as in national AHA training-related activities held in conjunction with the other SRFN networks through teleconferences, annual scientific meetings, and semi-annual updates.

 

Requirements

  • Center Fellows must exhibit a strong commitment to research with an interest in Cardiometabolic Health.
  • The Fellowship Candidate ideally should have a background in epidemiology or prior clinical research, and have prior research experience as demonstrated by at least 2 prior publications.
  • Center Fellows must hold an MD, DO, PhD, or equivalent doctoral degree.
  • Center Fellows must meet one of the citizenship criteria throughout the duration of the award:
    • U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident
    • Pending Permanent Resident (must have applied for permanent residency and have filed Form I-485 with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and have received authorization to legally remain in the U.S., having filed an Application for Employment Form I-765)
    • E-3 – Specialty Occupation Worker
    • F-1 Visa – student
    • G-4 Visa – family member of employee of internal organizations and NATO
    • H1-B Visa – temporary worker in a specialty occupation
    • J-1 Visa – exchange visitor
    • O-1 Visa – temporary worker with extraordinary abilities in the sciences
    • TN Visa – NAFTA professional
  • Center Fellows must commit 75 percent effort to research training.
  • Center Fellows may not hold another AHA affiliate fellowship or AHA Fellow-to-Faculty Transition Award for the duration of their time as a named fellow at an AHA Strategically Focused Center.
  • Center Fellows cannot hold a faculty/staff position any time during their two-year fellowship. (Exception: M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. applicants with clinical responsibilities who hold a title of instructor or similar due to their patient care responsibilities.)
  • Women and under-represented minority (URM) applicants are encouraged to apply.

 

How to Apply 

**Application deadline: May 1st, 2021**

Applicants will submit a written application for the training program includes:

  1. Personal statement addressing the trainee’s interest in the Center’s Population project, past research experiences, long-term career goals, and how these plans align with a focus on Cardiometabolic Health.
  2. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  3. Graduate school transcripts
  4. Two or more letters of recommendation from prior supervisor(s).
  5. If enrolled in a clinical training program, letter of support from the applicant’s Division Chief/Department Chair indicating a commitment to support the trainee’s time and effort during the AHA Fellowship training program (if applicable)

 

Contact Information 

For more information and request for application, please contact:

Application materials should be sent: Attn.: Dr Erin Michos, Blalock 524-B, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21287 or edonnell [at] jhmi [dot] edu.

 

 

 

From Epi to Advocacy: Part 1

Category : PROspective

In this first of two segments on using epidemiologic research to power health advocacy efforts, Dr. Anke Huels discusses the importance of working with interdisciplinary teams and engaging with stakeholders to create recommendations that are actionable and relevant to affected communities during her work with the Trisomy 21 Research Society’s COVID-19 task force. 

 

How do you translate epidemiologic work into advocacy efforts?

By Anke Huels (PhD, MSc)

 

Let’s be honest: How many of our epidemiologic research projects have a direct impact on public health? When I review my own research from previous years, I would say not that many. Don’t get me wrong. Some projects we work on make a difference in our specific fields of research. But we usually don’t expect the general public to be interested in our research findings and we don’t expect them to have a direct impact on political decisions.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I joined the Trisomy 21 Research Society (T21RS) COVID-19 task force as expert for biostatistics and epidemiology. Health conditions, immune dysfunction, and premature aging associated with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) were hypothesized to impact the clinical course of COVID-19. Our goal was to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with Down syndrome and to find out whether they are more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 than the general population.

 

Get out of your comfort zone and work in interdisciplinary teams!

If you discuss your epidemiologic findings only with other epidemiologists, it is very unlikely that you will reach the general public and decision makers. You can conduct a perfect epidemiologic analysis and write a beautiful research article. However, if you want your work to make a difference, you need to discuss it with people from different fields and have a good answer to the question “so what?”. As epidemiologists, we are trained to cautiously discuss all limitations of our analysis and often told to avoid stating any policy recommendations based on our findings. But what if our study is by far the largest study that has ever been conducted on this topic, and the community and policy makers are begging for information and advice?

Our study on the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with Down syndrome was based on more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients with Down syndrome from all over the world. Most previous studies were case reports of less than 10 COVID-19 patients with Down syndrome. Most importantly, the Down syndrome community was begging us for information about how dangerous COVID-19 is for individuals with Down syndrome and recommendations on what they could do to protect them in the best possible way. The other members of the T21RS task force were clinicians from all over the world – most of them with limited knowledge of epidemiology but an excellent understanding of the medical conditions and the kind of questions and worries patients (and their caregivers) had. Consequently, it was a continuous back and forth within the task force until we agreed on the conclusions we could draw from our data and which questions we could not answer.

In addition, we had regular stakeholder meetings with members of various Down syndrome advocacy initiatives and societies. During the stakeholder meetings, we shared our epidemiologic results and discussed the best ways of communicating them. In our study, we found that individuals with Down syndrome have a three-fold increased risk for mortality after infection compared to the general population. But what are the consequences of these findings? Does that mean that individuals with Down syndrome should be shielded? What about the adverse impact of having to stop the therapies and care they need and losing their daily routine? What about children with Down syndrome? What happens if parents of children with Down syndrome panic after reading our findings and take their kids out of their daily routine? It was clear that we could not simply report or findings without discussing their impact on the Down syndrome community. Therefore, it was crucial to have on-going discussions with clinicians and stakeholders to find the right balance between reporting our results and being clear about their implications.

 

Stay tuned for next week’s segment where Dr. Huels will discuss specific strategies for disseminating research in a timely and effective manner, and connecting the findings to direct advocacy efforts!

 

 

Dr. Anke Huels (PhD, MSc) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, with a joint appointment in the Department of Environmental Health. To learn about Dr. Huels’ ongoing projects, visit her website to hear more about the current work in the Huels Lab. 

 

 

Birth Defects Surveillance and Research Fellowship, CDC

Category : Post-Grad Student Opportunities

Description 

Three research opportunities are currently available in the Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders (DBDID), within the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. 

NCBDDD’s mission is to improve the health of children and adults by preventing birth defects and developmental disabilities, and complications of heredity blood disorders; promoting optimal child development, and the health and wellness among children and adults living with disabilities. Participants will train within the Birth Defects Monitoring and Research Branch or the Infant Outcomes Monitoring, Research, and Prevention Branch. The DBDID conducts birth defects surveillance and research into the possible causes and long term outcomes of birth defects, emerging threats to infants/pregnant women, intervention and prevention activities.

 

Research Project

The purpose of this fellowship program is to provide an educational experience to individuals interested in the field of public health and reproductive and birth defects epidemiology. Opportunities are aimed at furthering the health communication science, epidemiological and analytical knowledge of participants. Participants are assigned to train on various projects and can expect to gain valuable learning experiences in the development, implementation, and evaluation of health communication campaigns, surveillance and research study management, database cleaning, data analyses, intervention, prevention strategies, interpretation of the results, writing manuscripts and giving oral presentations.

 

Learning Objectives

Participant training involves some or all of the following:

  • literature searches
  • participation in surveillance and research projects
  • translation of scientific research and data into consumer-focused materials
  • development and evaluation of social media
  • website management
  • use of statistical software, analyses of data and summarization of findings
  • intervention and prevention activities
  • utilization of MarketScan or other claims or health record data
  • assessing risk factors for birth defects and the long term morbidity and mortality of infants born with birth defects
  • verbal and written presentations of epidemiologic studies or surveillance activities at scientific conferences
  • preparation of scientific manuscripts, posters, presentations, and fact sheets, and other information

 

Mentors

 The mentors for these opportunities are Laura Pabst (lnw9 [at] cdc [dot] gov) and Bill Paradies (wep2 [at] cdc [dot] gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

 

Qualifications

Minimum

The qualified candidate should have received a master’s degree in one of the relevant fields, or be currently pursuing the degree with completion by the end of May 2021. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date. 

Preferred

  • Strong writing, verbal, and interpersonal skills.
  • Experience in:
    • qualitative and quantitative research using SAS, SPSS, R, SUDAAN or other statistical software
    • reference management software
    • claims data (Marketscan, HCUP, Medicaid Max), or other large datasets
    • communication principles, methods, practices, techniques, and analytical methods to execute and measure health communication campaigns and outreach efforts
  • Background in epidemiology or maternal and child health

 

How to Apply 

Click here to read more about this position an apply online!

 

 

APE Opportunity, RSPH

Category : APE/ILE Student Opportunities

Description

Dr. Julie Gazmararian in the Department of Epidemiology has a summer APE opportunity for an EPI student to work on a developing a summary report to provide to two high schools in Barrow County that participated in two surveys (one conducted pre-COVID and the other post-COVID).  This report would be more of a “lay summary” of results with the target audience being school administrators and teachers. There is a lot of really interesting data on sleep habits, impact of COVID (for post-COVID survey), mental and physical health, health behaviors – plus demographics on the participants and decision to be in person or virtual.  There is likely enough work for 2 APE students as well as thesis opportunities.

Click here to see a report that their group developed for the schools from a different survey to get a sense of the type of work/analysis and template.

 

Contact Information

To learn more about this opportunity and express interest, contact Dr. Gazmararian at jagazma [at] emory [dot] edu.

Clinical Research Coordinator II, Emory School of Medicine

Category : Alumni

Description

The Adolescent Medicine Clinical Research Coordinator II (CRC II) is responsible for the oversight of all research within the Section. This position will support the research endeavors of two board-certified adolescent medicine physicians.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Handles administrative activities generally associated with the conduct of clinical trials.
  • Provides guidance to less experienced staff.
  • Manages research project databases, develops flow sheets and other study related documents, and completes source documents/case report forms.
  • Interfaces with research participants, determines eligibility and consents study participants according to protocol.
  • Approves orders for supplies and equipment maintenance.
  • Assists in developing recruitment strategies and conducting screenings for study participants including interviews and questionnaires.
  • Supervises collection of study specimens and processing.
  • Establishes case packages for study procedures, monitors scheduling of procedures and charges, coordinates other services as needed.
  • Ensures compliance with research protocols, reviews case report forms and audits for accuracy with source documents, attends monitoring meetings with sponsors.
  • Prepares regulatory submissions with appropriate credentialing and training.
  • May perform phlebotomy or diagnostics.
  • Performs related approved responsibilities as required.

 

Additional Job Details 

  • Administers activities associated with the conduct of clinical trials including creation and management of research protocols, project databases, flow sheets and other study related documents.
  • Directs recruitment of research participants, including determination of eligibility, consenting study participants, and administering interviews and questionnaires.
  • Prepares regulatory documents for grants and human subjects approvals.
  • Supervises other research staff (including students and trainees) within the Section.
  • Additional duties include literature searchers, preparation of research and teaching presentations, and statistical analysis of data.

 

Qualifications

Minimum

  • High School Diploma or GED and five years of clinical research experience. OR
  • Two years of college in a scientific, health related, or business administration program and three years clinical research experience OR
  • Licensed as a practical nurse (LPN) and two years clinical research experience OR
  • Bachelor’s degree in a scientific, health related, or business administration related program and one year of clinical research experience OR
  • Master’s degree, MD or PhD in a scientific, health related or business administration program

Preferred

  • Biostatistical skills including analyses of quantitative data.
  • Experience conducting research interviews/focus groups.

 

How to Apply 

Click here to read more about this position and apply online! 

 

Engaging MCAH Policy & Advocacy Event, 4/20

Category : News/Events

Description 

The UC Berkeley Center of Excellence in Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) would like to invite you to our Policy and Advocacy Event on Tuesday, April 20th from 5:30-6:30 pm (PT), followed by a networking session afterwards until 7pm.

We will have panelists who span the MCAH policy space (government, nonprofit, law, etc.) discussing their career journeys and experiences in advocating for evidence-based MCAH policies.

Join us for a conversation on both skills and knowledge that are needed to work in MCAH policy and advance health equity.

Panelists

  • Dean Michael Lu, The Director of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 2012-17
  • Lisa Asare, Assistant Commissioner for Family Health Services, New Jersey Department of Health
  • Loren Hampton, UC Hastings Law Student (class of 2022) and Legal Intern at NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (UC Berkeley MCAH Alum ’19)
  • Lili Farhang, Co-Director of Human Impact Partners

 

How to Register 

If you are interested in attending, click here to register. You will receive a confirmation with the Zoom details once you register. 

Tools for Wellness and Self-Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic, 4/20

Category : News/Events

Description 

During this webinar, we will focus on helping public health professionals develop tools needed to enhance their self-care and overall wellness. Approaching wellness from a holistic perspective, participants will leave with actionable items to develop a plan for self-care. The objective is to increase the investment in their personal wellness and self-care while becoming an example for those they serve. This webinar will teach them how to relieve the stresses they face in healthy ways and help them identify mental health resources and natural supports.

 

Event Information 

  • Date/Time: April 20th, 12:00-1:30 pm
  • Click here to register for this live webinar! 

ECRC Student Presentations, 4/20

Category : News/Events

Description 

The Emory COVID-19 Response Collaborative (ECRC) is highlighting the work of Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH) students in ECRC projects with state and local health departments in Georgia. 

Each student will have 20 minutes for their presentation time block – 10 minutes for presentations and 10 minutes for Q&A. There will be 3 Zoom rooms attendees can choose from for each session and everything will be recorded in case you aren’t able to get to all the sessions you would like! Presentations cover topics related to: Racial and Social Disparities, Death/Survival Rates, and Impact on Communities and Programs.

 

Event Information 

  • Please join on Tuesday, April 20th from 12-1 PM EST to learn about their hard work.
  • Registration is required to attend this event, click here to register!

 

HIV Testing and Laboratory Fellowship, CDC

Category : Post-Grad Student Opportunities

Description 

A research opportunity is currently available with the Behavioral and Clinical Surveillance Branch (BCSB) of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) within the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. 

 

Research Project

This fellowship offers the opportunity to gain experience in public health surveillance. With 23 participating metropolitan project areas throughout the United States, the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) system collects and reports data on three populations at increased risk for HIV infection: men who have sex with men, persons who inject drugs and heterosexually active persons at increased risk for HIV in the United States. NHBS data are used to monitor issues affecting these populations, which include describing racial disparities, reporting HIV prevalence and awareness, exploring the prevalence HIV-related risk behaviors, such as drug use and sex, and examining access to HIV testing, care and prevention. NHBS collects data through personal interviews and HIV testing and is the only national source of data on HIV-negative members of high-risk populations. Experience through this fellowship will focus on biological surveillance and data management activities as part of NHBS.

 

Learning Objectives

Specific opportunities during the fellowship may include:

  • Participate in learning proper sample collection and storage of dried blood spots (DBS) for HIV testing in field settings.
  • Process and record specimens for long-term storage and testing.
  • Conduct data entry and analysis of serologic and NAT data.
  • Manage and assist in development of large databases of surveillance and laboratory data.
  • Review data entered by health departments and field sites to identify and resolve data quality issues.
  • Correspond with health department partners regarding DBS collection, quality, and packaging and shipping issues.
  • Assist with coordination of NHBS implementation activities.
  • Learn about sampling and testing methods for a large, multi-site surveillance program.
  • Conduct data analyses and participate in preparation of reports and articles for peer-reviewed journals.
  • Assist in the development of guidance documents for NHBS.
  • Research technical issues that arise from data collection and management processes.
  • Help provide training to health department staff.

 

Mentor(s)

The mentor for this opportunity is Kathryn Lee (hgi2 [at] cdc [dot] gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

 

Qualifications 

Minimum

The qualified candidate should have received a master’s or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields, or be currently pursuing one of the degrees with completion by May 2021. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred 

  • Experience using statistical software (SAS preferred) and data management software (Excel, Access)
  • Strong data management skills
  • Strong writing and communication skills
  • Knowledge of HIV prevention and infectious disease
  • Experience with HIV testing

 

How to Apply 

Click here to read more about this opportunity and apply online! 

 

Sentinel Surveillance Epidemiologist II, Georgia DPH

Category : Alumni

Job Summary

Under supervision of the Respiratory Disease Epidemiologist, the Sentinel Surveillance Epidemiologist 2 will be responsible for providing surge epidemiologic support in developing and conducting epidemiologic and outbreak investigations, surveillance and interventions, and implementing measures of control. This position will conduct surveillance of COVID-19 and other acute infectious diseases. The position will collect, analyze and interpret statistical data related to individual cases and outbreaks of COVID-19, respond to inquiries about, and improves response plans and surveillance systems for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Collect, analyze, manage, and interpret quantitative and qualitative data.
  • Receive, interpret, and respond to requests for data from DPH.
  • Maintain existing datasets and corresponding documentation.
  • Assist in developing recommendations for data-driven, evidence-based interventions, policies, and control measures in response to epidemiologic findings.
  • Prepare written reports and presentations that communicate necessary information to staff, the public, and partners.
  • Identify surveillance needs; assist with design, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of public health surveillance systems.
  • Provide epidemiologic input into epidemiologic studies, public health programs, and community public health planning processes.
  • Strong oral and written communication and interpersonal and organizational skills.

 

Qualifications

Minimum

  • Master’s degree in Public Health or a closely related field from an accredited college or university AND Two years of experience performing epidemiologic work or work in a closely related field OR
  • Bachelor’s degree in any field from an accredited college or university AND Three years of experience performing epidemiologic work or work in a closely related field OR Two years at the lower level (HCP180) or position equivalent.

Preferred

  • MPH or MSPH, awarded by an Association of Schools of Public Health accredited program, with a concentration in Epidemiology or at least 24 credit hours in epidemiology and biostatistics
  • At least two years of experience performing epidemiologic activities
  • Relevant knowledge of job area indicated by at least 3 graduate-level credit hours or one year of work experience in that area

 

How to Apply 

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

 

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