APE Opportunity, Emory School of Medicine

Practicum Description

Studies have suggested that female researchers’ productivity and career progression has been impeded relative to that of male researchers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The School of Medicine seeks a practicum student to lead data collection, data curation, and exploration of gender effects on research productivity and career progression among faculty researchers in the Woodruff Health Sciences Center. Indicators will include but are not limited to (i) the number of new grant submissions as principal investigator or multiple principal investigator (COVID and non-COVID), (ii) the number of new grant applications funded as principal investigator or multiple principal investigator (COVID and non-COVID), and (ii) the number of peer-reviewed, original research articles submitted and accepted as senior/corresponding author, as well as the impact factor associated with those articles (COVID and non-COVID). We will also gather information about the effects of the research slow-down on clinical trial accrual and the need to move to remote data gathering. In addition, we wish to analyze life stressors during this time, including laboratory/group size, dependent care responsibilities, health issues, etc.

This practicum is organized to allow students to gain research methods and data analysis skills within the constructs of gender and causality. Under the mentorship of School of Medicine faculty and staff, this practicum project may lead to publication.

Skills and Qualifications

• Statistical fluency, investigative creativity, and analytical rigor.
• Experience with data analytics tools such as MS-Excel, Redcap, SPSS, R.
• Ability to work independently and carry out assignments based on goals and deadlines.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Practicum to start within the 2021 Spring semester. Student is expected to complete a minimum of 200-hours to produce at least 2 project deliverables.

How to Apply

Keep an eye out for when the position is posted on Handshake, and email Natalie Fields at natalie [dot] a [dot] battles [at] emory [dot] edu if you are interested and would like to learn more about this opportunity! 

Summer Injury Research Fellowship, IPRCE

Description

The Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory (IPRCE) Summer Injury Research Fellowship (SIRF) is a ten-week paid summer (mid-May – July) fellowship in which fellows partner closely with a community-based organization or government agency to complete a well-defined injury prevention and control project that advances public health in Georgia.  The goal of this fellowship is to reduce injury-related morbidity and mortality in Georgia, and to train the next generation of public health practitioners and scholars in injury prevention and control.

Eligibility 

In order to be eligible for SIRF, applicants must be full-time Masters students with a strong academic record and at least one more semester of coursework remaining before graduation at the time they complete their fellowship.  In addition, students must be able to demonstrate they have the following skills, acquired through classes, internships/fellowships, or at work:

1. Understanding of the epidemiology of unintentional/intentional injuries, including etiology and risk and protective factors;
2. Knowledge of the impact of injuries on health and society in terms of mortality, morbidity, disability and cost;
3. Ability to identify and apply public health strategies and principles for the primary and secondary prevention and control of injuries.

Information Session 

An informational session (held via Zoom) for students who are interested in applying for a SIRF will be held on Wednesday, February 10 from 1-2pm.  

Students who wish to participate in the SIRF informational session should RSVP to Laura Donnelly at ldonnel [at] emory [dot] edu. 

Application Information 

• Deadline: Friday, February 19th, 2021
• Click here to access the online application! 
• Questions and completed applications should directed to Laura Donnelly at ldonnel [at] emory [dot] edu

Health Economics & Outcomes Research Internship, AbbVie

Internship Description 

As an AbbVie intern, you will participate in a paid, ten to twelve-week summer program that is focused on providing students with robust scientific projects throughout the summer. Throughout the summer, the interns will be engaged in several development and networking activities. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the location (AbbVie Campuses are in Illinois, New Jersey, and California) and format (virtual, on-site or hybrid) of the internship will be confirmed prior to start of the internship program.

The purpose of the internship is to provide meaningful, hands -on research experience and professional development opportunities to students with proven academic performance and leadership potential. Ideal candidates will combine technical and business knowledge with analytical strength and creative problem-solving abilities.

Organization Description

AbbVie’s mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people’s lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women’s health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit their website. 

Practicum Opportunity, RSPH

Opportunity Description

Dr. Michael Goodman in the Department of Epidemiology has a practicum opportunity for students to collaborate with an organization that represents men who do not identify as transgender, but express themselves as gender non-conforming, “cross-dressers”.

The partner institution is interested in conducting a survey of their members both in the US and internationally.  The survey itself is being developed by the organization, but the student would be in charge of developing an online instrument, and collecting/analyzing the data. Dr. Vin Tangpricha from the Division of Endocrinology is also involved in this project. 

Contact Information

To learn more about this practicum opportunity, please send an email to Dr. Goodman at mgoodm2 [at] emory [dot] edu to express interest. 

National Cancer Database APE Opportunities, Winship Cancer Institute

COVID-19 Prevention in Nursing Homes APE Opportunity, Emory

Opportunity Description

The COPING Study (COVID-19 Prevention in Nursing Homes) is an Emory University research study funded by the CDC that aims to examine COVID-19 serology among healthcare workers in nursing homes in Georgia. This APE opportunity is for Epi and BSHES masters students and primary data collection opportunity for Epi PhD students.

For this study, Dr. Scott Fridkin, the principal investigator, is looking for one or more students to assist with on-site data collection activities at participating nursing homes. All study staff, including any participating students, will be compliant with nursing homes’ requirements to be allowed on site.

See the flyer below for a more detailed description of the study and the position requirements.

How to Apply 

• If interested, please send an email expressing interest to Joseph Kellogg at joseph [dot] kellogg [at] emory [dot] edu 

COVID-19 Related APE Opportunities, RSPH

General Description:

The following positions are being offered as Applied Practice Experiences (APE) for current MPH students in the Rollins School of Public Health.  These positions will work in partnership with Emory faculty and key staff at the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) to enhance GDPH’s surveillance and response process to the current COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia.  There are seven projects or APE opportunities available.  Interested students are asked to review the general job responsibilities and project-specific descriptions outlined below and indicate in a cover letter which top two projects/APE opportunities interest them. After a student has been selected for an APE opportunity they will meet with the designated Emory faculty who will serve as the student’s APE Field Supervisor.  The student and Field Supervisor will meet to identify how the APE will meet MPH foundational and concentration competencies, discuss the project’s goals/objectives, and outline the specific deliverables that will be produced at the end of the APE.

General Job Responsibilities (Students will assist with some but not likely all of the following):

1. Provide assistance with data collection, data cleaning and data quality assurance of data reported to the GDPH on COVID-related cases in Georgia
2. Provide assistance with descriptive analyses, network analyses and the development of risk profiles for various demographics related to COVID-related infection
3. Provide assistance in the development of public health reports/tools to assist GDPH with COVID-related risk mitigation and decision-making

Project Descriptions:

Project I: Geospatial

1. Assist in geocoding process and develop central repository of geocoded information
2. Establish spatial connections among cases (e.g., network analysis)
3. Assist in the development of descriptive and predictive analyses, including the development of items/products for dissemination
4. Assist in the ongoing development and maintenance of Facility Tool in SendSS

Project II: Persons Under Investigation

1. Ensure data quality by:
   1. Identifying where pertinent data are missing (e.g., county, city, exposures, symptoms, outcomes); providing a standard file with documentation of which data points to modify and how, and; creating standard code to perform data quality checks
   2. Identifying where data are logically inconsistent and providing standard file with documentation of which data points to modify and how
   3. Providing weekly standardized analytic file following data quality checks
2. Provide standardized means of characterizing the burden of COVID-19 in Georgia. Consider analyses conducted in other projects (Geospatial, Health Inequity, etc.)

Project III: Syndromic Surveillance

1. Analyze textual information from syndromic surveillance data to identify potential COVID emergency department visits
2. Analyze textual information on death certificates as a means of determining if they may be used as syndromic surveillance

Project IV: Health Inequities and Underlying Conditions

1. Characterize health inequities specific to COVID in Georgia (e.g., health care access, health care coverage)
2. Characterize burden of COVID among persons with known underlying conditions
3. Assist in the development of risk profiles for differing demographics (e.g., care takers)
4. Develop recommendations to mitigate impact of health inequity on COVID-19 transmission

Project V: Injury

1. Describe injury-related outcomes (e.g., homicide, suicide, accidental firearm, overdoses) using available data sources
2. Monitor motor vehicle crash burden
3. Assist in the analyses of burden of injury among the elderly who are living at home
4. Identify analyses to characterize the relationship between domestic violence and sheltering in place policies

Project VI: Social Media

1. Develop method for surveilling COVID-19 using social media feeds
2. Develop analyses and products to assist in using this analysis for the purpose of ongoing surveillance
3. Perform retrospective analysis of social media

Project VII: Transmission Dynamics

1. Ensure quality and completeness of data fields germane to disease transmission (e.g., exposures – household, institution, incarceration, travel), also subsequent data cleaning and curation.
2. Estimate reproductive numbers at county-level and facility-level.
3. Estimate serial interval based on contact tracing data and explore potential heterogeneity among different types of contacts (e.g. between different age groups and sex), potentially can be cross validated with third-party (e.g. facebook) social contact information.
4. Conduct social distancing and disease transmission analyses to better understand relationships between: a) policies, b) social distancing and other “behaviors” (e.g., transportation), and c) disease transmission.

How to Apply: 

Submit a cover letter and resume to Laura Donnelly at ldonnel [at] emory [dot] edu. 

*Please note that in the cover letter you should specifically indicate which top two of the seven projects you would like to apply to as an APE.

Timeline: 

These APE positions will begin in May 2020.

Practicum Opportunity, Morningside Center

Practicum Goal:

For each type of cancer, find, evaluate and summarize existing clinical data (retrospective and small prospective studies) on supporting the use of off-label combinations of FDA approved non-cancer and cancer drugs. 

Background:

Cancer patients have co-morbid conditions like diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  Therefore, along with their cancer treatments (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, etc.) they are also taking drugs like metformin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBS), and statins.  Many observational studies (case-control and cohort) have investigated the associations of these non-cancer drugs with cancer outcomes (off-label use).  Evaluation of quality and statistical methods used in these studies will allow us to determine if a given drug is ready for prospective clinical trials.

Tasks:

• For each type of cancer, search PUBMED and other databases for Human data on off-label use.
• Review statistical methods used and determine quality of the paper.
• Summarize papers using a pre-agreed format and considering both safety and efficacy (QOL, PFS, OS; RR), and any biomarker use.
• Tabulate studies for different agents (Aspirin/NSAIDS, metformin, statins, etc.).
• Summarize the reviewed literature in a form of a meta-analysis (if sufficient number of studies is available)

Organization Description:

The Morningside Center for Innovative and Affordable Medicine (Morningside Center): We are an interdisciplinary unit within the Woodruff Health Sciences Center at Emory University consisting of a core group of staff, and affiliated faculty from across Emory. Extending the vision of GlobalCures Inc., a non-profit medical research organization, the Morningside Center was created to promote research, education, and advocacy for effective and affordable medical treatments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• MPH (1^st or 2^nd year) or PhD candidate

How to Apply: 

Send an email to Nika Fedirko vfedirk [at] emory [dot] edu and Krista Charen kharkre [at] emory [dot] edu by May 15^th:

• In the subject line indicate that you are applying for the summer position/practicum
• Attach your CV and a writing example
• Describe your level of proficiency with reviewing and summarizing epidemiologic literature

Summer 2020 Internship, Remedy Partners

General Application:

Remedy hires interns across our company including Analytics, Technology, Product, and Corporate departments. If you’re interested in healthcare but are unsure what you want to do, please submit an application here and we’re happy to work with you to find what’s best!

Our Mission:

Remedy Partners is an innovative healthcare services and technology company specializing in “bundled payment” programs. Bundled payments are an innovative new payment model that includes financial and performance accountability in episodes of care. Episode payment programs represent an important advance in the organization and financing of health care services in both the public and private sectors. 

The company’s mission is to dramatically improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery by developing and managing episodic payment programs in partnership with leading healthcare organizations.

We take our role seriously and constantly remind each other that every patient in Remedy’s program is someone’s mother, brother, father, sister, friend or other relative. Empathy for the challenges patients face after a hospitalization keeps us focused on the important role we can play. 

• Interest in a career in the healthcare field
• An ability to independently find solutions to a problem; organizational skills to breakdown a complex issue into a manageable action plan
• Strong analytical and trouble-shooting skills
• Ability to work cross-functionally and communicate with both technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong listening skills to gather requirements and understand the technical and non-technical barriers to project completion
• An interest in learning about healthcare data and technology and how it’s applied in a professional setting
• Expected graduation date in 2021

• Paid internship
• Potential opportunity for full-time position
• Volunteer opportunities
• Weekly Lunch & Learns with executive leadership

Apply

Click here to learn more about the position and apply on Handshake!

Thesis Opportunity in Congenital Heart Defect Surveillance

Project Description

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact Information 

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