Birth Defects Surveillance and Research Fellowship, CDC

Description: 

Three research opportunities are currently available with the Birth Defects Monitoring and Research Branch of 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. The Birth Defects Monitoring and Research Branch conducts birth defects surveillance and research into the possible causes and long term outcomes of birth defects. 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 science, epidemiological and analytical knowledge of participants. Under the direction of senior scientists, participants will train within the Birth Defects Monitoring and Research Branch in the analysis of public health data, and learn about how surveillance and research can impact public health policy. Participants are assigned to train on various projects and can expect to gain valuable learning experiences in surveillance and research study management, database cleaning, data analyses, and interpretation of the results, writing manuscripts and giving oral presentations. They will get an overview of the practice and application of public health policy used to support public health programs. Participant training involves:

• literature searches
• review of databases
• use of statistical software
• analyses of data and summarization of findings
• participation in surveillance and research projects
• preparation of scientific manuscripts, posters, presentations, and fact sheets, and other information
• utilization of MarketScan or other claims or health record data
• determining the effects of medications during pregnancy
• assessing risk factors for birth defects
• assessing the long term morbidity and mortality of infants born with birth defects or neonatal abstinence syndrome
• verbal and written presentations of epidemiologic studies or surveillance activities at scientific conferences
• development of manuscripts for disseminating the results in peer-reviewed publications

Qualifications

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

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in qualitative and quantitative research using SAS, SPSS, R or other statistical software
• Experience with reference management software
• Experience with claims data (Marketscan, HCUP, Medicaid Max)

Apply: 

• Click here to learn more about the position and apply online! 
• Application Deadline: June 1st, 2020 3PM EST

Post Doctoral Fellowship in MDR-TB, Harvard Medical School

Project Description

Applications from PhD or other doctoral-level degree holders are invited for a full-time project focused on improving the quality of evidence generated from observational treatment cohorts of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB).  The position will be based in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine (DGHSM) at Harvard Medical School, which conducts research to improve the practice of medicine, the delivery of treatment, and the development of health care policies locally and worldwide. Researchers at DGHSM have a long history of conducting research on tuberculosis, HIV, and other conditions. The selected candidate will join a team of epidemiologists and clinicians aiming to improve access to high-quality evidence-based care for MDR-TB around the world.

The postdoctoral fellow will work with us on two initiatives:

1. The endTB observational study, comprised of over 2,600 patients in 17 countries, is the largest multi-country study of patients receiving MDR-TB treatment with the newer drugs, bedaquiline and delamanid.  The postdoctoral fellow will apply advanced epidemiologic methods (e.g., marginal structural models, g-estimation) to longitudinal data to answer pressing outstanding questions related to the safety and effectiveness of different MDR-TB regimens. Under this NIH-funded initiative, the postdoctoral fellow will also contribute to the implementation of a prospective cohort study of patients receiving a shortened, all-oral MDR-TB regimen in one of five countries. (70% effort)
2. Research Excellence to Stop TB Resistance (RESIST-TB), in partnership with Harvard University, is leading a research initiative to explore the challenges associated with use of observational data and enhance its utility to guide the development of MDR-TB treatment recommendations. With collaborators from multiple institutions, the fellow will support development of tools and guidance for optimizing the confidence and evidence gleaned from observational studies of MDR-TB. Examples include adaptation of the STROBE checklist with a focus on quality for guideline development and guidance for minimizing loss of confidence in observational studies used for guidelines due to: limitations in study design or execution, imprecision, indirectness, inconsistency, and publication bias. (30% effort)

The successful applicant will be expected to participate as lead author on publications arising from this work and to communicate findings in oral presentations at national and international conferences.  We are seeking candidates willing to commit to at least 2 years of work on this project.

Qualifications and Skills

• Doctoral degree holders (or 2020 degree candidates) in Epidemiology, Biostatistics or related field.
• Experience applying advanced epi methods, including: marginal structural models, g-formula and simulation studies.
• Advanced programming skills in a statistical package such as SAS, Stata, or R.
• Strong writing skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively.
• Interested in global health.
• Experience in any of the following areas is desirable: guideline development, application of GRADE methodology, meta-analysis, pharmacoepidemiology.

Additional Information 

• Click here to learn more about the position
• Click here for more information about the department. 

Application Instructions

Email the following items in one PDF with the surname as the first word of the PDF file:

1. Cover letter stating long-term career aims, interest in the project, and suitability for the position, specifically referring to the criteria listed above
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Two or three relevant publications or manuscripts
4. Contact information for three to five potential references. 

Applications should be emailed to: rebecca_grow [at] hms [dot] harvard [dot] edu

Senior Health Economist / Epidemiologist, Booze Allen

Position Description:

Drive transformational analytical change in a healthcare setting as a subject matter expert working within a DoD. Focus on leveraging technical expertise in support of their client, leading to data-driven decision making and improving the health of a large population of people. Apply data analysis expertise and translate complex ideas into actionable recommendations and support senior leadership of the agency by providing customized and comprehensive data sets. Provide clients with the critical insight that they need to improve the lives of those they serve. This position is located in San Antonio, TX.

Basic Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience with basic SQL for data manipulation or SAS Institute’s statistical analysis software packages
• 1+ years of experience with software management and data retrieval
• Experience in public health, epidemiology, population health, or developing and deploying clinical performance metrics in a health setting
• Experience with working in a direct client-facing consulting role and building trust with clients
• Experience with using data and predictive modeling to provide recommendations to clients in a healthcare setting
• Knowledge of Tableau or Qlik
• Ability to lead the development of briefings and technical reports for senior organizational leadership
• Ability to obtain a security clearance
• MA or MS degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a health research-related field or 5 years of experience in public and population health, data analytics, or informatics fellowship in lieu of degree

Additional Qualifications:

• Experience in working with the DoD and Air Force clients
• Experience with working in healthcare quality improvement
• Ability to operate on shift work, evening, weekend schedules, and on-call hours to support mission

Additional Information:

Applicants selected will be subject to a security investigation and may need to meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

Apply: 

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

Biostatistical Analyst, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Description:

The Biostatistical Analyst manages, coordinates, and performs data- and programming-related activities for health services research studies examining the science of surgical care delivery. Functioning very independently and under the general direction of the Principal Investigator, performs complex statistical analyses of health services data often involving cleaning and merging of large administrative datasets. May identify, develop, and implement new computational techniques. In this position, the biostatistical analyst will: 

1. Under general supervision of the Principal Investigator, applies, researches, and develops statistical models for analysis, inference, and prediction from a variety of large data bases.
2. In collaboration with investigators and trainees, contributes to scientific literature, reports, journals and presentations.
3. Assists in orientation and training of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and other personnel as needed.
4. Participate as a collaborator in the preparation and dissemination of research findings through presentation and publication in scientific journals.

Database administration responsibilities:

1. Maintain data security and compliance in adherence to Partners Data and Research computing standards for DUAs, IRBs, Data Storage, etc.
2. Addition database responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
3. Acquire potential data sources and follow-on steps of cleaning, aggregating and importing data from a variety of sources
4. Analyze data quality and recommendations for remediation of quality issues
5. Manage reviews of all data includes data collected via surveys and other mechanisms
6. Other duties as assigned

• Masters degree in quantitative field such as statistics, biostatistics, or epidemiology. 
• Strong academic credentials required. (MPH with concentration in epidemiology and biostatistics is acceptable with appropriate post-graduate experience.)
•  This position is a good fit for someone with 0-2* years of research experience in analysis of complex health services-related datasets.
• *Preference 2+ years of experience

Skills/Competencies Required: 

• Strong theoretical statistical background and data analysis skills.
• Substantial experience applying sophisticated statistical methods to analyze complex datasets.
• Solid data analysis programming skills using STATA, SAS and/or R.
• Excellent time management/organizational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal presentation skills.
• Ability to work well in a multidisciplinary team setting.
• High degree of initiative and ability to persevere on challenging research problems.
• Willingness to seek and accept guidance from senior personnel, as needed.

Apply: 

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

Geospatial Epidemiologist, Perspecta

Job Responsibilities

Qualifications

Pharmacoepidemiology Study Manager, MERCK

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

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! 

MCH Performance Measurement and Evaluation Fellowship, HRSA

Description 

A research opportunity is currently available with the Office of Epidemiology and Research (OER), in the Division of Epidemiology, of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) located in Rockville, Maryland

The mission of OER is to: 1) Build data capacity at the national, State and local levels; 2) Strengthen the present and future workforce in maternal and child health (MCH) epidemiology and research; 3) Support applied research to ensure that MCH initiatives are evidence-based and reflect the state-of-the-science; and 4) Disseminate information and strengthen the evidence base in MCH.

OER plays a central role in MCHB through its support for performance measurement, data analysis, research, and evaluation activities across the bureau. Specifically, the Division of Epidemiology (DE) provides technical assistance and scientific consultation to all of MCHB’s divisions and offices across the lifecourse of program development, implementation, management, and performance assessment. In order to optimize this work, DE assigns a senior level epidemiologist or health services researcher to each MCHB division and office in order to customize the technical assistance provided to them. The selected participant will be paired with one of these senior staff members to observe, learn from, and apply new analytic and methodological approaches within the parameters of “real life” programmatic and policy decision making processes. 

Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will be trained in the following four areas:

• Participate in research and analytic support, as appropriate, to selected programs and initiatives (e.g., Healthy Start, Home Visiting and related maternal health investments) to improve the development, implementation and/or monitoring of selected MCHB investments. Activities may be requested by the MCHB Performance Measurement and Data Council Chair, OER leadership and senior staff, and by the MCHB Office of the Associate Administrator and other MCHB Offices and Divisions.
• Contribute to research, analytic, and technical support to assess MCHB performance measurement and evaluation activities designed to quantify the impact of MCHB investments.
• Participate in support for the annual National Survey of Children’s Health, including data checks and analyses, communications with experts, and review and comment on content and design decisions.
• Collaborate with MCHB scientists and MCH experts on data analyses and presentations of the data to support HRSA’s and MCHB’s vision and mission.  Analyses utilizing MCHB-supported data will be prioritized and may result in manuscripts, data briefs and other materials of publishable quality.

Learning Goals and Objectives

• Gain first-hand exposure to and understanding of major maternal and child health investments supported by the Federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau
• Train in support of research, analyses and synthesis of performance measurement and/or evaluation data for major maternal and child health investments supported by the Federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau, e.g., Healthy Start
• Train in support of research and analyses of data from the National Survey of Children’s Health resulting in publishable written products, including a manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed scientific journal
• Gain first-hand exposure to and understanding of how a major national survey is designed and implemented on an annual basis
• Refine data processing and analyses skills utilizing SAS/SUDAAN or STATA
• Refine and expand written and oral communicative skills and competencies

Qualifications 

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 and will reach completion by July 2020. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred skills/experience:

• Coursework and/or professional experience in maternal and child health, program evaluation, performance measurement, and policy analysis
• Assessment and/or program development and management as related to the health of maternal and child populations
• Data analyses using statistical processing software packages, such as STATA or SAS
• Ability to critically search and synthesize scientific literature
• Strong written and oral communication skills

Apply 

Click here to apply online! A complete application consists of:

• An application
• Transcripts 
• A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
• One educational or professional recommendation. Your application will be considered incomplete, and will not be reviewed until one recommendation is submitted.

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

If you have questions, send an email to HHSrpp [at] orau [dot] org. Please include the reference code (HHS-HRSA-2020-0101) for this opportunity in your email.

Adverse Childhood Experiences Research Fellowship, CDC

Description 

A research opportunity is currently available with the Division of Violence Prevention, Research Evaluation Branch (DVP/REB), within the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will be involved with research related to evaluating comprehensive community-based prevention strategies for primary prevention of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) (i.e., potentially traumatic experiences, such as child abuse and neglect and/or parental substance abuse, that occur before the age of 18) and subsequently opioid misuse. The participant will collaborate with REB scientific staff to: 

• Collaborate with community organizers to evaluate the process and impact of community organizing and transformational narrative change in partnership with public health across three communities
• Participate in social network analysis, policy evaluation, and the evaluation of narrative change
• Conduct secondary data analyses to better understand populations at disproportionate risk of ACEs, opioid misuse, and multiple forms of violence
• Conduct or contribute to systematic reviews to better understand interconnections between ACEs and health equity for marginalized groups

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 CDC. The initial appointment can be up to one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of CDC 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 CDC in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Participants do not become employees of CDC, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits.

Qualifications 

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 and will reach completion by June 2020. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred skills:

• Experience with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) research, community-level research methodologies, and/or public health policy research with marginalized communities 
• Experience or knowledge regarding research on violence and violence prevention or a related research area
• Experience or knowledge related to community/societal level prevention strategies (e.g., policies, norms change, narrative/message development; addressing social/structural conditions)
• Experience or knowledge related to marginalized communities (e.g., racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities)
• Experience with data analysis and rigorous evaluations of prevention strategies
• A track record of scientific productivity demonstrating strong skills in methodology, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis
• Strong written and oral communications skills exemplified by scientific publications
• Ability to collaborate with other scientific and professional staff on behavioral research

Apply 

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

Epidemiologist II, IHRC

Description 

IHRC, Inc. provides scientific, information management, management consulting, bioinformatics, and administrative program support to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other Federal and private sector clients. The successful candidate will be a full-time employee of IHRC, Inc. and will be assigned to the Influenza Division (Flu), National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), at the CDC, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, to provide emergency response support for biological science work as related to viral agent response.

Scope of Work 

The Epidemiologist II will provide support for critical epidemiological activities, including support for the development of evidence-based Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Vaccine Statements and the development and evaluation surveillance systems that assess the prevalence and severity of pandemic associated mortality and hospitalizations to determine virulence and pathogenicity of novel respiratory viruses.

Major Duties and Responsbilities

• Provide project management support and technical assistance for ongoing cohort studies, case-control studies, vaccine immunogenicity trials, and reviews and compilation of vaccine efficacy, effectiveness, and safety data that will inform ACIP recommendation materials.
• Conduct literature reviews and prepare technical summaries to support presentations to the ACIP.
• Draft vaccine statements and draft guidance for vaccine recommendations
• Provide support to global partners for the introduction of antivirals and vaccines.
• Support protocol development for small studies to support the development of vaccines in partner countries.
• Support the development of data management plans for distinct but related data sets.
• Support the development of training materials for health care workers for issues related to the emergency response and use of vaccines and antivirals.
• Support the implementation of processes for monitoring and evaluation of program effectiveness.
• Prepare technical and non-technical summaries of work, scientific reports, and manuscripts for publication.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

• Advanced degree in Epidemiology (MPH or higher), or a field related to the responsibilities of the position
• 2-4 years professional experience, as related to the responsibilities of the position

Required:

• Two years of experience in providing epidemiologic support
• Experience providing support for CDC outbreak activities
• Strong understanding of design and implementation of research and epidemiologic studies
• Organizational skills demonstrating high attention to detail and the ability to organize multiple priorities
• Strong interpersonal skills required for team work and interaction with people across CDC and with external partners
• Strong knowledge of SAS, SPSS, Stata, or other statistical software
• Proficiency in writing comprehensive statistical and analytical reports
• Excellent written and oral communications

Desirable:

• Experience in conducting research on epidemiology of infectious diseases

Additional Position Information:

To apply for this position:

• To view all of our open positions, and to apply to those positions in which you may be interested, please visit our Career Center, which can also be reached by visiting www.ihrc.com/Careers and clicking on the “View Opportunities” link.