Author Archives: Erica Schipper

Fellowship on Epidemiology and Data Analysis, CDC Emerging Threats Team

Category : Alumni

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

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a master’s or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields (e.g. Epidemiology, Public Health). Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred skills:

  • Good written and oral communication skills and as well as strong data management and analysis skills, with experience in SAS, R, Python, and SQL.
  • An interest in maternal and child health issues, with a particular interest in the impact of infectious disease during pregnancy, including COVID-19, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis C, syphilis, Zika virus, and STORCH pathogens.
  • Some baseline knowledge or interest in COVID-19, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis C, syphilis, Zika, or infectious disease epidemiology and the epidemiology of STORCH pathogens is highly desirable.
  • Some experience in conducting literature searches and summarizing scientific literature. 
  • Candidates with evidence of publications in peer-reviewed journals are favorable for this appointment.
Eligibility Requirements
  • Degree: Master’s Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 month(s).
  • Discipline(s):
    • Communications and Graphics Design (<a style="background-color: transparent;color: #0d4db5;text-decoration: none;cursor: pointer" title="" role="button" href="https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/CDC-NCBDDD-2022-0326#" data-toggle="popover" data-title="Communications and Graphics Design" data-content="
      • Science Writing
      ” data-original-title=””>1 )
    • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (<a style="background-color: transparent;color: #0d4db5;text-decoration: none;cursor: pointer" title="" role="button" href="https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/CDC-NCBDDD-2022-0326#" data-toggle="popover" data-title="Computer, Information, and Data Sciences" data-content="
      • Databases, Information Retrieval, and Web Search
      ” data-original-title=””>1 )
    • Life Health and Medical Sciences (<a style="background-color: transparent;color: #0d4db5;text-decoration: none;cursor: pointer" title="" role="button" href="https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/CDC-NCBDDD-2022-0326#" data-toggle="popover" data-title="Life Health and Medical Sciences" data-content="
      • Epidemiology
      • Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses
      • Population Medicine
      • Population Medicine, Public Health and Epidemiology
      • Public Health
      ” data-original-title=””>5 )
    • Mathematics and Statistics (<a style="background-color: transparent;color: #0d4db5;text-decoration: none;cursor: pointer" title="" role="button" href="https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/CDC-NCBDDD-2022-0326#" data-toggle="popover" data-title="Mathematics and Statistics" data-content="
      • Analysis
      • Biometrics and Biostatistics
      • Probability and Statistics
      ” data-original-title=””>3 )

Research Project: Under the ORISE Research Participation program, this fellowship will offer the opportunity to train in the Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders in the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD). The ORISE participant will have the opportunity to gain experience in conducting research and surveillance activities, as well as collecting, reviewing, and analyzing epidemiologic and programmatic data. Participant will train on projects that focus on the role of prenatal exposures on pregnancy, fetal, infant, and child outcomes. Prenatal exposures of interest include, but are not limited to: COVID-19, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis C, syphilis, Zika virus, and other infectious diseases. Training will occur under the direction of an assigned Advisor/Mentor on the Emerging Threats Epidemiology and Research Team. 

Learning ObjectivesThere are several main learning objectives that this appointment could include:

  1. Gain familiarity with the Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network (SET-NET) which includes mother-baby longitudinally linked surveillance for COVID-19, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis C, syphilis, and other infectious diseases;
  2. Gain familiarity for other Zika surveillance and research projects in the U.S. and in Colombia: US Zika Pregnancy and Infant Registry, Proyecto Vigilancia de Embarazadas con Zika (VEZ) and Zika en Embarazadas y Ninos (ZEN);
  3. Enhance skills in performing data management and analysis through the collection, review, and analysis of epidemiologic and programmatic data generated by these surveillance systems and studies, and other projects involving epidemiologic and programmatic data from emerging threats surveillance and research and other relevant infectious diseases during pregnancy and effect on infant health;
  4. Develop protocols and standard operating procedures for surveillance and research activities, leveraging existing surveillance and study platforms to capture pregnancy, birth, clinical, and developmental outcomes arising from a range of exposures during pregnancy and participate in data systems and approaches to improve quality and speed of the surveillance system;
  5. Perform literature reviews and, where needed, systematic reviews and meta-analyses to describe existing evidence of the influence of infectious diseases and other in-utero exposures on fetal, infant, and child development;
  6. Engage in CDC emergency response procedures; and
  7. Collaborate and engage other staff from the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), other CDC centers, institutes, or offices, other federal organizations, health departments, partners, and international health ministries and organizations.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Van Tong (vct2 [at] cdc [dot] gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2022.  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 full-time.

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

 

For more information and to apply, please click here.


Public Health Analyst II – Remote, Tanaq Support Services

Category : Alumni

Overview

Tanaq Support Services (TSS) delivers professional, scientific, and technical services and information technology (IT) solutions to federal agencies in health, agriculture, technology, and other government services. TSS is a subsidiary of the St. George Tanaq Corporation, an Alaskan Native Corporation (ANC) committed to serving Federal customers while also giving back to the Tanaq native community and shareholders. 

About the Role

We are seeking a Public Health Analyst II to provide support for the Office of the Director (OD), Division of Reproductive Health (DHR) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Responsibilities

  • Support CDC Scientific Clearance Transformation Initiative:   
  • Support the Office of the Associate Director for Science ensure coordination and collaboration in activities. 
  • Compile information across the Division to support CDC Scientific Clearance Transformation Initiative. 
  • Prepare analytical reports to support clearance timeliness.  
  • Create and maintain platforms to support preclearance and manuscript concept clearance processes.
  • Draft email correspondence and guidance documents for ongoing dissemination to raise awareness and support for Division science-related activities. 
  • Perform reference checks and literature reviews as needed to support dissemination of strategic science. 
  • Support Science Regulatory Requirements:   
  • Aid in the compliance of the OMB Paperwork Reduction Act, including reviewing and editing documents to meet approval requirements.
  • Assist in compliance with Human Subject Research requirements, including review and editing of Institutional Review Board documents to meet approval requirements. 
  • Maintain compliance with confidentiality protections, including review and editing of documents to meet approval for Assurance of Confidentiality and Certificate of Confidentiality applications.
  • Support transition of surveillance systems to comply with Revised Common Rule. 
  • Support compliance of Data Management Plans across Division as required by CDC and NCCDPHP procedures. 
  • Support compliance of Project Determinations across Division as required by CDC and NCCDPHP procedures.  
  • Support compliance of Data Use Agreements across Division as required by CDC and NCCDPHP procedures.  
  • Provide support for strategic assessments to demonstrate program and policy impact and support strategic surveillance and data collection planning.  
  • Deliver support for communicating with CDC grantees for compliance with applicable scientific regulatory requirements e.g., common data use agreements

Qualifications:

  • 4+ years of experience working as a Public Health Analyst, preferably with the CDC. 
  • Previous experience with CDC programs, policies, procedures, and communication activities required. 
  • Experience with CDC’s Scientific Clearance processes 
  • Experience with CDC’s Science Regulatory Requirements 
  • Experience liaising and supporting division management  
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team 
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including advanced Microsoft Excel. 
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills and attention to detail. 
  • Superior multi-tasking and organizational skills; ability to manage multiple project and prioritize assignments, while remaining flexible to changing priorities and new initiatives. 
  • Ability to obtain a government clearance. 

For more information and to apply, please click here.


Emory Undergraduate Journal Club Seeking Graduate Student Mentors

Emory Undergraduate Journal Club  is an undergraduate organization that connects undergraduate students with graduate mentors. The role of mentors is to help students learn to read and understand scientific literature as well as practice presentations on scientific articles. Mentors will be assigned a group of undergraduates with similar research interests. Throughout the semester, mentors will meet with students weekly or biweekly (up to their discretion) to help guide students through reading a scientific paper and then facilitating discussion about the journal article. We are still looking for graduate mentors to lead subject groups for this upcoming fall semester, so if you are a graduate student interested in sharing your research experience with undergraduates, please fill out this interest form by Wednesday, September 14th at 11:59 PM: https://forms.gle/uN11BbjNsC7vffwA6. We would host a mentor orientation meeting to explain the specific roles and responsibilities soon!

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to nkoduri [at] emory [dot] eduor maddie [dot] hasson [at] emory [dot] edu.


The Mystery and Epidemiology of Long COVID

Category : News/Events

This is a live webinar scheduled for September 29, 2022 at 12 pm CT.

Two and a half years into the COVID-19 pandemic, there is emerging evidence that in some patients, its symptoms may linger for months or even years after the initial infection. While prevalence estimates vary widely, such ‘long COVID’ symptoms likely persist in more than 10% of all COVID-19 cases. This webinar will summarize the current scientific debate about long COVID– is it an autoimmune disease, a consequence of comorbidities, or something else? We will draw on a recent study of 100,000+ COVID-19 cases to understand who is susceptible to long COVID, how long the symptoms can last, and whether vaccination can improve long COVID outcomes.

This webinar is presented by Stella Aslibekyan, PhD, Senior Scientist, Genetic Epidemiology, 23andMe; Adjunct Professor, Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham & University of Kentucky. This webinar is co-sponsored by Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance, the Region IV Public Health Training Center, and the Deep South Center for OH&S .

 

To register and attend, please click here

 

 


Emory Urban Health Initiative: Applying Principles of Participatory Community Engagement to Advance Health Equity

Category : News/Events

This is a 90-minute live webinar on September 14, 2022 from 12 – 1:30 pm ET.

The Emory Urban Health Initiative (UHI) has a mission to provide health disparities education and advocacy, build collaborative partnerships, and develop best practice models with low-wealth communities and those who work with them to advance equity in health and well-being. In this webinar, Stacie Schmidt, MD, the Co-Director of the Emory Urban Health Initiative (UHI),  Carolyn Aidman, PhD, the Associate Director of  Emory UHI, and Joan Wilson MS, JM, FACHE, the Assistant Director of Emory UHI will describe the work of UHI in advancing the social, economic, and ecological well-being of communities in the Atlanta metro area. Participants will learn about best-practice models for participatory community engagement within low-wealth and underserved communities. Attendees will also gain perspective about the collaborative model of the program in developing health career students into future professionals who embrace and engage communities in self-efficacy and experiential approaches to solving the health problems affecting their communities.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the purpose of the Emory Urban Health Initiative in advancing the social, economic, and ecological wellbeing of communities in the Atlanta metro area.
  • Identify at least 2 best-practice models for participatory community engagement with low-wealth communities.
  • Explain how the Urban Health Initiative model fosters growth of future health career professionals who embrace and implement community-engaged principles in their future work.

To register and attend, please click here


Good Habits to Develop at the Start of Your Semester

Category : PROspective

Written by Kaylan Ware

After being away from your studies for the summer, it can be difficult to reestablish a routine that works for you. Incorporating daily practices that boost your mood and productivity early in the semester can increase your chances of developing good habits. Start by considering what’s important to you this school year, then try using these strategies to improve your productivity, balance, and well-being. 

  1. Set intentions. Identify your values and goals this year. This does not have to be school related. Let’s say you want to learn a new skill or spend more time with friends. Decide on actionable steps to attain your intentions and reinforce your intentions daily by reflecting on them. It helps to write your intentions down and place them somewhere you’re likely to look. 

Here’s an example of an intention: “This school year, I want to engage in at least three co- curricular activities.”

  1. Set daily goals. Either in the morning or the night before, reflect on all you want to get done in your day. Make a list and check items off as you complete them. Include smaller tasks like washing clothes and larger, more time-consuming tasks like finishing a presentation for class. This helps you maintain a realistic schedule for your day, giving you an idea of the amount of time you will dedicate to certain tasks and how much free time you may have.
  2. Make sleep a priority. A poor sleep schedule can affect your mood, ability to cope with stress, your ability to concentrate and more. To begin prioritizing sleep, it would help to establish a regular sleep schedule and create a bedtime routine. Consider what your busiest day looks like and think about how many hours of sleep you’d like to get. Aim for 7-9 hours if possible. Having a bedtime routine may include showering, reading a book or meditating. Your routine can help relax your body and mind before bed. Be sure to limit screen time, too!
  3. Practice mindfulness. There are so many ways to practice mindfulness. Deep breathing, yoga, coloring, and journaling are all activities where mindful strategies are present. Mindfulness activities can help increase emotional awareness and decrease stress and anxiety. Add mindful moments throughout your week by focusing on your breath, observing your thoughts, listening actively, and observing your surroundings using all five senses. 
  4. Take a break. It can be overwhelming to consider pausing when you have assignments piling up and due dates approaching, but it is important to utilize breaks to rest and take care of yourself to enhance focus and performance. Build breaks into your schedule to rest and reset so you can tackle your next tasks reenergized. If you need help deciding what to do during a 30-second break or even an hour-long break, visit Campus Life’s Take a Break webpage for inspiration and resources.

Remember to be intentional about incorporating these strategies and practices into your everyday life. Sometimes it can be difficult to stick with an activity long enough to make it a habit. Try finding an accountability partner – a friend, classmate, or mentor – that will check-in and help motivate you to achieve your goals. 

Also, check out the Office of Health Promotion’s Instagram page (@EmoryOHP) for wellness tips and programs!


Kaylan Ware is a 2nd year Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences student at Rollins with interests in health communication, health equity, and chronic disease prevention. She works as the Health Communications Graduate Assistant in Emory’s Office of Health Promotion.


Trinity Health Fellowship Program

Category : Alumni

The Trinity Health Fellowship provides a 12-month experience in one of America’s most desired programs for not-for-profit, multi-unit health systems. The advantages of a Trinity Health Fellowship include:

  • Two senior executive preceptors for every fellow
  • Organizational and potential local opportunities in twenty states: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon and Ohio (Note: Locations vary year-to-year)
  • Programs tailored to fellows’ interests
  • Competitive salary and benefits package
  • Potential post-fellowship opportunities for employment at Trinity Health

Each year we strive to assemble a diverse group of fellows who bring a wide-range of perspectives gained from their personal backgrounds and graduate programs.

Beginning in June 2023, we are offering several unique fellowships in focused areas including:

  • Community Health and Well-Being
  • Mission Integration
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Trinity Information Services
  • Trinity Health Medical Group

We also have fellowships based at our site of care locations in:

  • Connecticut
  • Illinois
  • Iowa
  • Maryland
  • Michigan

The deadline to apply on the NAFCAS website is October 7, 2022. https://nafcas.liaisoncas.com

For more information about the Trinity Health Fellowship Program, please reach out to Tracy Bender at bendertr [at] trinity-health [dot] org, or fellowship [at] trinity-health [dot] org.


Asthma Epidemiology and Health Disparities Fellowship, CDC

Category : Alumni

CDC Office and Location: A research training opportunity is currently available with the Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice (DEHSP) within the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located in Atlanta, Georgia. 

The CDC is one of the major operation components of the Department of Health and Human Services. CDC works to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same.

Research Project: The fellow will focus on asthma epidemiology with a emphasis on health disparities. S/he will be supporting the CCARE (Controlling Childhood Asthma Reducing Emergencies) Initiative by analyzing data on asthma programs and asthma hospitalizations and emergency department visit. S/he will train in data management, analysis and presentation, for both large data sets and smaller programmatic data sets and related statistical and analytical methods. S/he will also be training in program evaluation and manuscript writing. 

Learning Objectives: The fellow will have the opportunity to train and expand their knowledge of asthma epidemiology, evaluation, programs and surveillance, and concepts of health disparities. 

  1. Fellow will be able to manage large data sets in preparation for data analysis.
  2. Fellow will be able to conduct an epidemiological analysis and provide appropriate interpretation.
  3. Fellow will be able to present analytic findings to a public health audience.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Dr. Kanta Sircar (ddq0 [at] cdc [dot] gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: October 1, 2022.  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 full-time.

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

Citizenship RequirementsThis opportunity is available to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR).

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.

The successful applicant(s) will be required to comply with Environmental, Safety and Health (ES&H) requirements of the hosting facility, including but not limited to, COVID-19 requirements (e.g. facial covering, physical distancing, testing, vaccination).

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

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a master’s degree in one of the relevant fields (e.g. Public Health with an emphasis in Epidemiology, Chronic Disease Prevention, Asthma, Health Disparities, or Respiratory Health), or be currently pursuing the degree with completion by December 31, 2022. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred skills:

  • Some training in data management, epidemiology and biostatistics.
  • An understanding of SAS or R
  • An understanding of public health programs and evaluation and concepts of health disparities
Please click here for more information and to apply

Town Hall: Voting and Health

Category : News/Events

The Social Determinants of Health Certificate Program will be hosting a town hall discussion on September 7, 2022 from 12:00 to 1:00pm in the CNR Auditorium.

While you may join us via this zoom link, we would love to see you in person so you can participate and ask questions!

Speakers:

Imani Barnes, is the Assistant Colony Manager of Operations for Managed Breeding Services at the Division of Animal Resources, School of Medicine. She is a Georgia State Representative Elect in DeKalb County.

Rebecca Mitchell is a PhD Epidemiologist and a veterinarian. She is currently a Georgia State Representative in Gwinnett County.

Sara Tindall Ghazal is the Policy Director Georgia General Assembly House Of Representatives (Democratic) and one of five members of the Georgia State Election Board.


FDA Evaluate the Impact of Regulatory Activities Fellowship

Category : Alumni

A research opportunity is available in the Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology- Immediate Office, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Silver Spring, Maryland.

This project will explore trends in nonprescription drug cases captured in the National Poison Data System during COVID-19. We are using the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ (AAPCC) National Poison Data System (NPDS) for this project. We aim to evaluate the impact of FDA’s regulatory activities, which may include labeling changes, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS), or Drug Safety Communication (DSC). The project may provide insight on whether FDA should develop guidance on how to communicate/manage marketed drugs during unprecedented times like the COVID pandemic; and will help improve evidence-based regulatory decisions. Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will learn how to handle and use the real-world data (RWD) such as patient-level longitudinal data or large cross-sectional data sets. In addition, the participant will learn how to design and propose regulatory research; then conduct and summarize the study results.

This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and FDA. The initial appointment is for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of FDA contingent on the availability of funds. The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. The appointment is full-time at FDA in the Silver Spring, Maryland, area. Participants do not become employees of FDA, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits.

Completion of a successful background investigation by the Office of Personnel Management is required for an applicant to be on-boarded at FDA.  OPM can complete a background investigation only for individuals, including non-US Citizens, who have resided in the US for a total of three of the past five years.

FDA requires ORISE participants to read and sign their FDA Education and Training Agreement within 30 days of his/her start date, setting forth the conditions and expectations for his/her educational appointment at the agency.  This agreement covers such topics as the following:

  • Non-employee nature of the ORISE appointment;
  • Prohibition on ORISE Fellows performing inherently governmental functions;
  • Obligation of ORISE Fellows to convey all necessary rights to the FDA regarding intellectual property conceived or first reduced to practice during their fellowship;
  • The fact that research materials and laboratory notebooks are the property of the FDA;
  • ORISE fellow’s obligation to protect and not to further disclose or use non-public information.
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 five years of the appointment start date. 

Preferred skills:

  • Knowledge in statistics and analytical skills
  • Skills in SAS

For more information and to apply, please click here.


Upcoming Events

  • Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Seminar December 5, 2024 at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Seminar Series Event Type: Seminar SeriesSpeaker: Kylie AinslieContact Name: Mary AbosiContact Email: mabosi@emory.eduRoom Location: CNR PLAZA - Rollins AuditoriumTitle: Scabies, who cares?
  • Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Seminar December 6, 2024 at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Seminar Series Event Type: Seminar SeriesSpeaker: Sanjib Basu, PhDContact Name: Mary AbosiContact Email: mabosi@emory.eduRoom Location: CNR_1000 Richard M. Levinson PhD ClassroomTitle: High-Dimensional Joint Model for Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Risk and Social Determinants of Health

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