Author Archives: Erica Schipper

Environmental Epidemiology 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 receive training in environmental epidemiology with a focus on the asthma-related health effects of air pollution, including wildfire smoke. The fellow will support CDC’s activities by analyzing data, reviewing literature, and developing communications materials. The fellow will be trained in data management, epidemiologic analysis, and scientific presentation, and will develop expertise in related statistical and analytical methods. The fellow will also develop skills in critically reading epidemiologic literature and manuscript writing. 

Learning Objectives: The training offered in this fellowship will teach the fellow about asthma, the health effects of air pollution and wildfires and environmental epidemiology. The fellow will also learn about how CDC collaborates with and supports state health departments and other federal agencies to address environmental issues.

  1. Fellow will be able to review and summarize epidemiologic literature.
  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 Toni Bivens (fxi9 [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 Requirements: This 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 training in Epidemiology or Environmental 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:

  • Training in data management, epidemiology and biostatistics
  • Interest in environmental health 
  • Working knowledge of SAS or R statistical programs

For more information and to apply, please click here. 

Student Position, Supporting an Atlanta Area K-8 School’s COVID-19 Re-Opening Plan

Category : Student Opportunities

Drs. Lauren Christiansen-Lindquist and Dabney P. Evans are seeking to hire an MPH or MSPH student to assist with enhancing, implementing and evaluating a K-8 school reopening plan in Atlanta. Given that this work involves substantial community engagement, it is well-suited for an APE (we anticipate that the position would continue into the spring, at which time first year students could begin to count hours towards their APE).

The student will work under the supervision of Drs. Christiansen-Lindquist and Evans to provide technical support to The GLOBE Academy (GLOBE) – a dual language immersion public charter school serving K-8 students in the DeKalb County School District. The school serves approximately 1,000 students across two campuses located near Briarcliff Road: Lower Campus services grades K-3 while Upper Campus serves grades 4-8. In August 2021, GLOBE opened its doors for in-person instruction for the first time in 12 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In Summer 2021, Drs. Christiansen-Lindquist and Evans worked with an MPH student to develop school protocols and establish a school Health and Safety Playbook, utilizing guidance from CDC, the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE), and DeKalb County School District (DCSD). This playbook provides a foundation for a return to operations at The GLOBE Academy campuses under an in-person teaching model and includes information regarding both health and safety information as well as academic instruction. The Playbook has been subsequently updated several times as recently as August 2022 and its’ standard operating procedures (SOPs) reflect the evolving pandemic landscape.  In addition to enhancing GLOBE’s health and safety protocols, the candidate will maintain GLOBE’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard with constant surveillance of COVID-19 cases on campus and in the broader community.  It is vital that the candidate engage with pre-established community partners to assess the need for COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics, while supporting all other COVID-19 related needs of school administrators and nurses. 

Job Responsibilities

  • Develop GLOBE-specific communications on:
    • Messaging around important dates/holidays/school events when COVID-19 exposure is likely to increase 
    • Answering questions submitted by community members for the weekly newsletter
    • Resources for testing/vaccination in DeKalb County
    • Prevention messaging
    • Maintain and enhance GLOBE’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard
  • When school is in session, make periodic visits to GLOBE campuses to collect data on adherence to mitigation factors and meet with GLOBE stakeholders
  • When school is in session, coordinate and manage weekly testing clinics and facilitate data sharing between school nurses and administrators
  • Monitor an email account specifically dedicated to addressing COVID-related questions and concerns at GLOBE
  • Meet with GLOBE stake holders to identify ways to best support the community and modify plans, as needed 

Requirements

  • MPH/MSPH student in the Rollins School of Public Health with a REAL award
  • Strong organizational and communication (both written and oral) skills
  • Experience with health communication
  • Understanding of respiratory disease transmission and case management 
  • Quantitative data collection and analysis experience preferred

Length of Commitment 

This position will begin no later than September 1 and will continue at least through December 2022. There may be an opportunity to continue through Spring 2023. We anticipate a time commitment of 10-15 hours per week. 

To Apply

Interested applicants should complete this google form, where you will be asked to attach an updated resume. 

Digital Dialogue on Engaging Parents Around Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccines and Building Vaccine Confidence

Category : News/Events

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 6 months and older. Parents have lots of questions and child and family serving programs and staff have a unique opportunity to share information and engage parents around this new opportunity to save lives, prevent hospitalizations, and keep children safe. Come hear more about the why and how of vaccinating children against COVID-19 and learn about new tools and resources that will help you engage parents in this important conversation. Hosted by the CDC. 
 
This event will take place virtually on August 18 from 2-2:45pm. To register, please click here.
 

Making the Call for MCH: Exploring the Maternal Mental Health Hotline and the 988 Crisis Lifeline

Category : News/Events

Join the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs for this national webinar exploring the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, the 988 Suicide Prevention Crisis Lifeline, and opportunities for public health agencies to partner to promote their success and support MCH populations’ mental health and wellbeing.

Panelists include:

  • Dr. John Draper, Executive Vice President, National Networks, Vibrant Emotional Health & Executive Director, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
  • Dawn Levinson, Behavioral Health Lead, Division of Healthy Start and Perinatal Services, Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)
  • Richard McKeon, Chief, Suicide Prevention Branch, Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

This event will take place virtually on August 27 from 3-4pm. To register, please click here.

 

Mathematical Statistician Positions, CDC Division of Reproductive Health

Category : Alumni

The Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) is recruiting two Mathematical Statisticians, GS-1529-13. The Division of Reproductive Health is one of nine divisions within CDC’s NCCDPHP.  DRH is the focal point for issues related to women’s and men’s reproductive health. The Division’s activities and programs provide support to organizations and institutions, as well as providers and consumers, across the U.S. and around the world. 

Vacancy Announcement Number:

DH: HHS-CDC-DH-22-11591514: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/669253400

Opening date: August 4, 2022

Closing date: August 15, 2022

About the position:

The Division of Reproductive Health (DRH), Women’s Health and Fertility Branch (WHFB), is seeking two Mathematical Statisticians, GS-1529-13 for the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) team.  The team’s mission is to promote the collection, analysis, and dissemination of population–based data of high scientific quality and to support the use of data to develop policies and programs in order to decrease maternal and infant morbidity and mortality.  Key activities of the team include:

  • Collect and analyze data collected from 50 sites from women with a recent live birth that are used to inform state maternal and infant health programs
  • Monitor changes in maternal and child health indicators (e.g., unintended pregnancy, breastfeeding, smoking, infant health)
  • Provide data for state health officials to use to improve the health of mothers and infants

 

These positions will be responsible for conducting the following activities: 

  • Provide expert assistance in techniques such as logistic regression analysis, categorical data analysis, multiple regression analysis, and techniques involving mixed models, and applies innovative analytical approaches to surveillance and epidemiological investigations of reproductive health data.
  • Provide authoritative advice on optimal research design and analysis methods and on the impact that alternative research/study designs may have on study analysis and validity.
  • Serve as senior technical advisor developing methods and selecting techniques to conduct methodological research to improve sample surveys.
  • Conduct evaluations of data collection, processing, weighting, and analysis methodologies.
  • Design, develop, and implement mathematical statistical models, methods, and/or techniques for weighting complex survey data.
  • Advise on sampling principles, goals, and techniques for design and analyses of population-based public health surveillance systems.
  • Conduct data quality control on sampling frame data, raw survey data, weighted survey data, and test data from surveys and surveillance systems.

Qualifications and Requirements:

  • Interest in pregnant or postpartum women or women of reproductive age and conducting public health surveillance
  • Background in statistical methodology, developing research strategies and data analysis plans 
  • Experience with SAS for data analysis
  • Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills

Application deadline: August 15, 2022

Point of Contact:

Cynthia H. Cassell, PhD
Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) Team Lead

Phone 678-429-6444
Email: chcassell [at] cdc [dot] gov

 

Fall 2022 Course Offering: GH 544: Field Trials and Intervention Studies

Category : Student Opportunities

Instructor: Dr. Robert Bednarczyk (rbednar [at] emory [dot] edu)

This course will develop understanding of design, conduct, and analysis of field trials and intervention studies. The course will focus on methods relevant to community and facility-based trials in resource poor settings. However, several skills covered in this course will also be applicable to field and clinical trials in developed countries.
 
First AND Second year students welcome!

ORISE Fellowship, Office on Smoking and Health/Epidemiology Branch

Category : Alumni Student Opportunities

Organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Center/Division/Branch: NCCDPHP/Office on Smoking and Health/Epidemiology Branch (Surveillance)

The ORISE Research Participation Program at CDC is a training and succession planning mechanism designed to provide opportunities to students, postgraduates, and university faculty to participate in project-specific CDC research, current public health research, and developmental activities. It is an educational and developmental program formed in partnership with Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) through an Interagency Agreement.

Criteria:

  1. The ORISE fellow must be enrolled in an accredited college or university working toward a degree in a STEM or Public Health field; or have received a college degree within 5 years prior to the initial ORISE appointment date; or serve as a full-time faculty member at an accredited college or university within the United States.

  2. The fellow may be a non-US citizen, but must comply with all applicable immigration laws and requirements authorizing employment within the United States.

  3. The initial ORISE appointment is approved for one year, with subsequent extensions in one year intervals which is limited to a total of up to five years from the initial start date.

  4. The CDC mentor is responsible for the daily guidance or leadership of the participants, including performance appraisals, disciplinary actions, and establishing schedules (days and hours).

  5. The ORISE participant must be located in a CDC facility (i.e., Atlanta, GA) with the assigned mentor.

Requirements for ORISE candidate (CDC Office on Smoking and Health, Epidemiology, Surveillance team):

In general, the ORISE fellow searches, synthesizes and interprets information relevant to advance tobacco prevention and control efforts. Reviews and analyzes studies and projects assessing public health issues related to tobacco prevention and control in order to make recommendations or processes, procedures and/or policies related to public health programs, practices and research. Communicates information to various audiences. Prepares scientific and other articles and technical reports for publication.

More specifically, the fellow will be trained in surveillance and evaluation, and provide analytic support related to critical priorities of the Office; the fellow will serve a key role in: conducting surveillance, analysis, and research; assist in developing data summaries/briefing documents, authoring (co-authoring) papers and other materials, and supporting activities with internal and external audiences to advance tobacco prevention and control efforts. The fellow will also support the three cycles of National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) – i.e., work on publications based on collected data from past year; day to day survey support for administration of current year’s data; help prepare the data collection of future years.

Eligibility Requirements

  1. Degree: Master’s Degree or Doctoral-level degree received within the last 5 years.

  2. Discipline(s): Public health. Life health, or Medical science

Desired skills:

  1. Strong data analysis skills

  2. Experience with statistical tools: SAS (intermediate to advanced level) and preferably SAS-callable SUDAAN

  1. Good writing skills

  2. Experience with data visualization, data modernization and/or data linkages

Tentative Stipend (TBD, to be decided by CDC HRO):

*The initial stipend is determined by CDC HRO (in consideration of the educational level obtained), but see below for an idea.

  1. Master’s degree = equivalent to GS-9 step 1

  2. MD/PhD/equivalent = equivalent to GS-11 step 1 [MD/PhD equivalent with at least two years of related post graduate work will have a stipend equivalent to GS-12 step 1]

*Initial stipend will be based on the GS-pay table in place on the appointment start date*

  1. Send your CV to jze1 [at] cdc [dot] gov with subject line: “ORISE fellowship candidate: OSH Surveillance”

  2. Go to: https://www.zintellect.com/, and register


Application Deadline: ASAP

Child Health Research Assistant, HealthMPowers

Category : Student Opportunities

Child Health Research Assistant 

HealthMPowers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to championing healthy habits while transforming environments where children live, learn, and play. Using the evidence-based guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HealthMPowers has a proven track record of improving health knowledge, behavior, physical fitness and environments for sustainable health improvements in low-income communities.

Summary

The Research Assistant is responsible for conducting literature reviews, data management, maintaining files, assisting with data analysis and generating correspondence and reports for the Georgia Early Care and Education Nutrition and Physical Activity (GA ECE NPA) Recognition System. Funded by Nemours Children’s Health, the GA ECE NPA Recognition System aims to celebrate childcare providers who meet best practices in nutrition and/or physical activity while providing clear pathways and equitable access to supports to improve their childcare programs and meet these best practices.

  • Job Title: Child Health Research Assistant, Early Care and Education Setting
  • Reports to: Health Education Programs Officer
  • Salary: N/A, Unpaid research opportunity
  • Work Location: Exclusively virtual (remote work only)
  • Duration: 40-50 hours over a 1- to 2-month period starting September 6, 2022 
  • Positions Open: 2 

Roles and Responsibilities

  • Conduct a literature review crosswalk on nutrition and physical activity best practices using established sources, including but not limited to the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS), Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and state licensing.
  • Generate requested data to update the Georgia Nutrition and Physical Activity (GaNPA) Assessment, an interactive online assessment tool designed to support childcare providers with environmental policy and practice improvements in healthy eating and physical activity among children, staff, and families.
  • Research, collect, clean, enter, and store all data while maintaining timely and accurate records.
  • Coordinate data collection and evaluation with other research assistant(s), staff, and consultants, as appropriate.
  • Prepare and/or present findings to the GA ECE NPA Recognition System Pilot Committee, which consists of state governmental agencies, universities, advocacy groups, professional associations and coalitions, childcare providers, and other nonprofit organizations.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Competencies

  • A commitment to producing high-quality, detailed, and timely work
  • The ability to learn quickly, work in a fast-paced environment, and multi-task effectively
  • The ability to identify challenges and actively work to find solutions
  • The ability to work effectively with others at all levels of an organization while consistently displaying a high level of professionalism in all interactions
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • The ability to work well independently while collaborating with others on meeting common goals

All interested candidates should send their resumes to Danielle Adamson at danielle [dot] adamson [at] healthmpowers [dot] org. 

Multiple GRA Opportunities, Emory Global Diabetes Research Center

Category : Student Opportunities

GRA Opportunities: Contribute on multi-institutional NIH-funded studies on COVID-19, diabetes and health disparities

The Emory Global Diabetes Research Center is seeking several first and second year Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) to contribute to two projects, funded as part of NIH-funded RADx-UP COVID Testing and Diabetes Studies, and are joint projects with Morehouse School of Medicine and Georgia Institute of Technology:

  1. 1)  Project PEACH 1 (RADx-UP): The RADx Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) program, is a part of the NIH-funded, Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative. Emory’s RADx-UP program, known as Project PEACH (Promoting Engagement and COVID-19 Testing for Health), aims to better understand COVID-19 testing patterns among underserved and vulnerable populations, particularly those at risk for or living with diabetes. The mixed methods study will help understand disparities in disease progression and outcomes and guide development of strategies to reduce disparities in COVID-19 testing. Data will also inform information about testing for minority populations affected by diabetes and associated comorbidities, including pre-diabetes and obesity.

  2. 2)  Project Peach2: Building on knowledge gained in Project PEACH 1, Project PEACH 2 will address the on-going need to find sustainable, easy to disseminate, and acceptable ways to increase and sustain COVID-19 testing to overcome barriers to testing such as scheduling and attending appointments, and stigma. This study will test the feasibility, acceptability and sustainability of at-home COVID-19 testing among the high-risk population of individuals affected by or at risk for diabetes by developing targeted behavioral nudges. Nudges will be developed based on findings from Project PEACH 1 and will consist of text or social media messages designed to provide indirect suggestions and positive reinforcements to encourage choices and change behaviors around disease prevention, particularly in a pandemic situation.

Positions will support research in areas of diabetes and chronic disease management as well as health equity and disparities. GRAs will gain relevant hands-on experience in the MPH Foundational Competencies listed below, as well as others specific to their concentrations. Relevant experience includes:

  • Working on cross-institutional teams;
  • Developing and participating in qualitative data collection, management and analysis;
  • Participating in the planning and conduct of quantitative and qualitative research to develop
  • culturally appropriate interventions;
  • Utilizing large public health databases for targeted programming and intervention development;
  • Collaborating on a team to develop targeted social media-based communications for
  • interventions.

Positions Available

There are several positions available according to student interests, as well as opportunities for APE, student theses, and capstone projects.

Spanish-speaking GRAs are urgently needed to participate in survey authentication, recruitment, participation in in-person events, scheduling and conducting interviews in Spanish, data management, translation and cleaning of transcripts and data analysis, and development of culturally appropriate messaging for the Phase 2 study.

  • Individuals with training and/or experience in qualitative data analysis are needed to assist with interview data preparation, analysis, and interpretation that will inform the development of targeted intervention messages.
  • GRAs interested in or with experience developing apps and public health messaging for social media.

Please e-mail your resume to Wendy Gill (wggill [at] emory [dot] edu).

Fall 2022 Teaching Assistant Opportunity

Category : Student Opportunities

Course name: MSCR 530 Analytic Methods for Clinical Research I

Teaching Assistant Responsibilities:

  • Attend lectures regularly (~3 hours weekly, in person or via Zoom). Class times are Mondays 3:10-5pm and Wednesdays 1-2:50pm.
  • Grade assignments (1 analysis exercise, 2 problem sets)
  • Assist answering student questions via email/Zoom

TA type: paid, hourly rate.

MSCR 530 Course Description:

MSCR 530 is a 3-credit required course in Emory’s Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) Program. Most students in the MSCR program are clinician scientists. The content of MSCR 530 focuses on epidemiologic methods, including the determinants and distributions of health outcomes in human population with an emphasis on hypothesis formulation; causal inference; experimental vs. observational research; measurement; detection of interaction; study design (e.g. cohort, cross-sectional, case-control); evaluation of the sources and direction of bias; control of confounding factors; random error; and epidemiology in clinical settings (screening, diagnosis, and therapy). The primary goals of the course are to 1) provide a working knowledge of the fundamentals of epidemiologic methods, 2) provide a foundation for more advanced study of epidemiologic and analytic methods, and 3) to develop the type of critical thinking to make epidemiology fundamentals meaningful in clinical research.  

Instructor:

Matthew Magee, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor

Hubert Department of Global Health

Rollins School of Public Health

Emory University

Contact information: mjmagee [at] emory [dot] edu

 

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  • 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?
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