January 2021 - The Epidemiology Monitor

Biden Releases Long-Sought National Plan Against COVID-19

In This Issue

Roadmap Describes What It Will Take To Defeat This Virus

-5IFR Analysis Confirms Age Factor

Science, Data, and Public Health To Be In The Driver’s Seat, Not Politics If there is one criticism which epidemiologists and other public health professionals often made of the previous administration in 2020, it was the lack of a coordinated national plan to attack COVID-19. That void has now been amply filled with a detailed roadmap issued by President Biden which attacks COVID-19 on 7 principal 2 fronts.

Each front includes an overall goal describing key actions for that

goal and even more specific steps to be taken for each key action. Altogether, the 200 page document entitled a “National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness” contains 7 goals, 43 key actions, and 183 specific steps as well as a dozen or so executive orders and memoranda which are described as immediate actions.

-7UK Covid Variant May Be More Transmissible & Lethal -7Book Giveaway Update

- Biden con't on page 2

-8LAST CALL Epi Salary Survey

Cluster Of Adverse Events At One California Vaccination Clinic Triggers Pause In Use Of COVID-19 Vaccination Vaccinations Resume After Rapid Investigation A higher than usual number of apparently allergic reactions (fewer than 10) to a specific lot of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a single California drive through vaccination clinic in San Diego in mid-January prompted the California state epidemiologist Erica Pan to recommend a pause in the use of that January 2021

-9Near Term Epi Calendar

lot. She noted that the action was being taken “out of an extreme abundance of caution”.

-12Notes on People

Review Group

-14Marketplace

The state called upon the Western States Scientific Safety Review Group as - California cont'd on page 6 •

Volume Forty Two •

Number One

-Biden cont'd from page 1 The Epidemiology Monitor ISSN (0744-0898) is published monthly

by Roger Bernier, Ph.D., MPH at 7033 Hanford Dr,, Aiken, SC, 29803, USA. Editorial Contributors Roger Bernier, PhD, MPH Editor and Publisher

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Seven Goals The seven goals are in the following areas: 1. Restore trust with the American people.

2. Mount a safe, effective, and comprehensive vaccination campaign.

3. Mitigate spread through expanding masking, testing, data, treatments, health care workforce, and clear public health standards.

4. Immediately expand emergency relief and exercise the Defense Production Act. 5. Safely reopen schools, businesses, and travel while protecting workers.

6. Protect those most at risk and advance equity, including across racial, ethnic and rural/urban lines.

7. Restore U.S. leadership globally and build better preparedness for future threats.

Special Interest For Epidemiologists The first three of these goals will be of particular interest to epidemiologists and are described in more detail below.

This action will bring back the regular CDC public briefings that have been the all-important single point source of reliable information Americans have had in previous outbreaks. 

This action will collect much needed real-time data to provide effective surveillance of the pandemic and to track performance measures related to such key activities as testing, vaccinations, and hospital admissions. 



Establish a national COVID-19 response structure driven by both science and equity.

This structure’s main task will be to coordinate across the national government and establish clear lines of communication with state and local officials, including immunization program managers. 

Conduct regular, expert-led, science-based public briefings.

Engage the American people.

Recognizing that the federal government cannot solve this crisis alone, outreach will be prioritized and the input used to drive the response. 

Lead science-first public health campaigns.

Science and fact-based public education campaigns will be carried out as will efforts to dispel myths and misinformation about COVID-19.

Goal #1 1. Restore trust with the American people This the Biden administration plans to achieve by carrying out five key actions, including:

Publicly share data around key response indicators.

Goal #2 2. Mount a safe, effective, comprehensive vaccination campaign This goal will require 10 separate key actions to succeed, including: 

Ensure the availability of safe, effective vaccines for the American public.

The Biden administration expects to do this by expanding vaccine manufacturing and purchasing 

Accelerate getting shots into arms and get vaccines to the communities that need them - Biden con't on page 3

-Biden cont'd from page 2 

most.

The plan calls for ending the holding back of significant levels of doses and moving through the priority groups more quickly while remaining “laserfocused” on vaccinating the highest risk persons. These goals are to some extent in competition with one another and the plan does not make clear how these can be accomplished unless the supply of vaccine is greatly increased over a short period of time. 

Create as many venues as needed for people to be vaccinated.

The list of sites to be used is very long and includes such places as physician offices, pharmacies, and retail stores. The plan does not mention how all these everyday sites will be prepared to handle any vaccine reaction emergencies should they arise, particularly those around anaphylactic reactions. 

Focus on hard-to-reach and highrisk populations.

The plan states that the programs needed to meet these goals are being or will have to be built, and local public health officials will have to play a critical role. Perhaps the most prominent of these targeted programs are those organized to vaccinate persons in long term care facilities. Less publicity has been given to any programs being developed to reach African Americans, the elderly in non-institutional settings, and the large group of Americans who are “vaccine hesitant”. 

Fairly compensate providers, and states and local governments for the cost of administering vaccinations.

While everyone has heard that vaccines are free, the cost of administering them is not. This plan recognizes that covering the costs of administration will be critical to achieving high vaccination coverage.

Several payment schemes are described including the use of the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund to reimburse state and local governments for vaccine administration expenses. 

Drive equity throughout the vaccination campaign and broader pandemic response.

'...remaining “laserfocused” on vaccinating the highest risk persons.'

The need for equitable vaccination has been widely recognized as epidemiologists have identified the hardest hit populations. This plan will assure the hardest hit have been identified, make sure vaccines are sent there and that cost barriers to administration are removed. The federal government will have to rely on community-based organizations to achieve this equitable vaccination coverage. 

Launch a national vaccination public education campaign.

The plan calls for an “unprecedented vaccination public health campaign at all levels. There is no mention of a target vaccination level needed to achieve herd immunity, but it could be as high as 90% of adults if children are not eligible for vaccination. 

“The federal government will have to rely on community-based organizations..."

Bolster data systems and transparency for vaccinations.

- Biden con't on page 4

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-Biden cont'd from page 3 Vaccination progress will be tracked and the data used to drive the vaccination program. As mentioned above, no target level vaccination aim is given in the plan. 

“Trust in the vaccine is considered essential..."

Monitor vaccine safety and efficacy.

Trust in the vaccine is considered essential and the plan calls for scientists to be in charge of safety and efficacy decisions and for these data to be made publicly available. A recent pause in vaccination with Moderna vaccine in California (see article in this issue) is an example of the kind of realtime safety monitoring that is needed to maintain public trust. 

Surge the healthcare workforce to support the vaccination effort.

Special exemptions and measures will be encouraged to allow more qualified people to administer vaccines.

There will be created a COVID-19 Pandemic Testing Board to oversee a clear, unified approach to testing seen as a cornerstone disease control activity. 

Under this objective, the administration will support multiple activities, including school screening, create a dedicated CDC Testing Support Team, and spur development of at-home tests. 



“...the US will create a US Public Health Job Corps."



Implement masking nationwide by working with governors, mayors, and the American people.

Everywhere he can, President Biden has made mask wearing mandatory and is asking everyone to wear masks.

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

Scale and expand testing.

Prioritize therapeutics and establish a comprehensive, integrated COVID-19 treatment discovery and development program.

Develop actionable, evidencebased public health guidance

Metric-driven reopening guidance is called for for schools and businesses. 

Goal #3 3. Mitigate spread through expanding masking, testing, treatment, data, workforce, and clear public health standards.

Prevention through vaccination will not be enough to address the COVID crisis. Strengthened control measures will also be needed, including,

Effectively distribute tests and expand access to testing.

Expand the US public health workforce and increase clinical care capacity for COVID-19

Several activities are planned to build and support an effective public health workforce to fight COVID-19 and the next public health threat. Of special note, the US will create a US Public Health Job Corps. 

Improve data to guide the response to COVID-19

To read the complete report, visit: https://bit.ly/39rdj7v ■

Meta-Analysis Of Infection Fatality Rates Confirms Increasing COVID Risk With Age Results Explain Why Overall Estimates Of IFR’s Have Varied So Widely A report published online in December in the European Journal of Epidemiology (EJE) has reviewed data from 27 separate studies with seroprevalence data on COVID-19 in surveys of representative populations in 34 separate locations in the US, Canada, Asia, and Europe. Levin and colleagues linked seroprevalence data with reported fatalities within 4 weeks to estimate the risk of death from COVID-19.

Case Fatality Rate While the link between age and COVID-19 and severity has been widely reported based on the Case Fatality Rate (CFR), the real risk of dying from COVID has remained unclear because of a number of pitfalls surrounding the development of the CFR. For example, asymptomatic cases have occurred and case reporting has favored severe cases over milder or asymptomatic cases. Also, testing availability has not been uniform over time and place.

Levin and colleagues sought to overcome these shortcomings by using seroprevalence studies in numerous locations to calculate not the CFR but the Infection Fatality Rate (IFR).

Infection Fatality Rate The IFR has been calculated from other work and has been found to range from 1% in New York City to a low of 0.6% in Geneva to a high of 2% in northern Italy. According to Levin

and colleagues “Such estimates have fueled intense controversy about the severity of COVID-19 and the appropriate design of public health measures to contain it, which in turn hinges on whether the hazards of this disease are mostly limited to the elderly and infirm. “

“...the real risk of dying from COVID has remained unclear..."

The variable estimates for the overall IFR’s have led to the view that research on age-stratified IFR’s is urgently needed to inform policy making which was the goal of the work by Levin and colleagues. The IFR’s estimated by them are included in the table below. A major conclusion of the Levin group is that “about 90% of the variation in population IFR across geographical locations reflects differences in the age composition of the population and the extent to which relatively vulnerable age groups were exposed to the virus."

Infection Fatality Rates Age

Risk %

At 10

.002

Per Increased 100,000 Risk Compared to Age 10 2 ---

At 25

.01

10

5X

At 55

.04

40

20X

At 65

1.4

1,400

700X

At 75

4.6

4,600

2300X

At 85

15

15,000

7500X

- IFR con't on page 6

“...estimates have fueled intense controversy about the severity of COVID-19 and the appropriate design of public health measures..."

5

-California cont'd from page 1

“No reason was uncovered for why these reactions occurred at that site on those dates."

well as allergy and immunology specialists to review three types of data—the procedures and staffing at the vaccination site, the distribution of the vaccine lot in other parts of California and the US, and clinical and other details about seven individuals who reportedly had adverse events on January 12 and 13. Reviewers examined signs and symptoms, time intervals between vaccination and onset, treatments received, and any histories of allergic or anaphylactic reactions. All seven patients recovered.

Conclusion The advisory group concluded that one or more of the seven affected persons had angioedema but anaphylaxis was not confirmed. No reason was uncovered for why these reactions occurred at that site on those dates.

Discussions were held with CDC, FDA, and the manufacturer as well.

All Clear

safely vaccinated with this lot in other states, and given the severity of the ongoing pandemic as well as the limited supply of vaccine, the Workgroup recommended that vaccination with this Moderna lot could continue in California and other states represented in the Workgroup.

The recommended pause was issued on January 17 and resumption was called for on January 20.

Final Statement According to Pan, there was “no scientific basis to continue the pause.”

She added, “These findings should continue to give Californians confidence that vaccines are safe and effective, and that the systems put in place to ensure vaccine safety are rigorous and science-based.”

To read the advisory group’s report, visit: https://bit.ly/39r0f29 ■

In light of the facts that many other persons had been and were being

“...no scientific basis to continue the pause.”

-IFR cont'd from page 5 The CFR overestimates the true risk of death because the number of persons in the denominator is lower than it should be. Thus, the CFR to IFR ratio varies by age because of the higher prevalence of infections in the younger age groups.

Thus, the ratio is 15:1 in the 30-49 year age group, about 7:1 for ages 50-69, and about 5:1 for ages 70-79, according to Levin and colleagues. ■

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Variant Strain of COVID-19 May Be Both More Transmissible And More Lethal Says UK Advisory Group A COVID-19 variant of concern (VOC) identified as B.1.1.7 and circulating predominantly in Britain has previously been characterized as more transmissible than the original COVID19 virus but not a cause of significant differences in the risk of hospitalization and death. However, based on new analyses, the VOC B.1.1.7 is now being judged as possibly more lethal as well.

Advisory Group In a review of various case-control and other epidemiologic studies by the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group in the United Kingdom, it concludes “there is a realistic possibility that VOC B.1.1.7 is associated with an increased risk of

death compared to non-VOC viruses.”

The group notes that the absolute risk of death remains low.

The conclusion is based on findings that showed an increased case fatality rate for persons infected with B1.1.7 compared to persons infected with non-VOC viruses. According to the advisory group, the relative increase in CFR was seen across age groups. The group came to its conclusion after examining 10 different datasets and finding statistically significant positive effect estimates in six of these datasets ranging from 1.28 to 1.91.

“...there is a realistic possibility that VOC B.1.1.7 is associated with an increased risk of death compared to non-VOC viruses.”

To read the full report of the advisory group, visit: https://bit.ly/36hqO7S ■

Editor’s Report Readers Respond In Large Numbers To Book Giveaway The Epidemiology Monitor received an enthusiastic response to its offer to give away free of charge approximately six dozen epidemiology related books that were part of a collection amassed by the Epi Monitor.

Readers were invited to list one to three titles they were interested in. An estimated 125 persons made approximately 300 requests for titles and we distributed all six dozen books to the first readers who requested the free title in email requests sent to us.

Readers received the free book if they were the first to request it whether it was their first, second, or third choice.

In this way we assured that as many different persons as possible received a book.

All books were sent to readers in the US before Christmas at the book mailing rate which should reach all recipients by late December or early January. Books were sent to 24 different states with California, Maryland, and New York receiving 4-6 books in each of those states and the remaining states received a smaller number or a single free book.

“An estimated 125 persons made approximately 300 requests for titles..."

The Epidemiology Monitor received many expressions of gratitude for the book giveaway and we in turn were grateful to our readers for giving these books another home and extending their useful life. ■

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LAST CALL Announcement

2021 National Survey of Faculty Salaries in Academic Epidemiology Deadline Extended An Extra Week The survey of salary data for academic epidemiologists during the academic year 20192020 is now available to be completed. The survey is being sent via email to over 100 departments of epidemiology and preventive medicine to identify and promote competitive compensation for faculty members.

better publicize the survey and its results, but has also increased the response rate. As was done last year, the University of Pennsylvania will perform the analysis of de-identified data and will be blinded to all identifying institutional information.

To learn if your organization and/or contact person has received this survey link please CLICK HERE. If your department is not included, please contact The Epidemiology Monitor at editor@epimonitor.net if you are interested in participating in the survey on behalf of your institution.

One institutional representative from each participating institution should provide all anonymized faculty salary data within their division or department of epidemiology. To perform the analysis, the University of Pennsylvania will have access to the information only after it has been stripped of any institutional identifiers. Surveys must be completed by Friday, February 12, 2021.

The continued partnership between the University of Pennsylvania and The Epidemiology Monitor has not only helped to

â–

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Near Term Epidemiology Event Calendar Every December The Epidemiology Monitor dedicates that issue to a calendar of events for the upcoming year. However that often means we don't have full information for events later in the year.

Thus an online copy exists on our website that is updated regularly.

To view the full year please go to: http://www.epimonitor.net/Events The events that we are aware of for the next two months follow below.

February 2021 February 1-5 http://bit.ly/3539f92 Short Course / Advances in Genome-Wide Association Studies / Erasmus MC / Rotterdam, The Netherlands February 1-19 http://bit.ly/2sTfuh Summer Program / Public Health Summer School / University of Otago / Wellington, New Zealand February 8-12 https://bit.ly/3lRZeDf Winter Program / Winter School in Clinical Epidemiology / UMIT / Tirol, Austria February 15-19 http://bit.ly/3479sa5 Short Course / Advanced Clinical Trials / Erasmus MC / Rotterdam, The Netherlands February 15-18 https://bit.ly/2K3rsxp Conference / 2021 Health Datapalooza / Academy Health / VIRTUAL February 16-18 https://bit.ly/2K3rsxp Conference / 2021 National Health Policy conference / Academy Health / VIRTUAL February 18-19 http://bit.ly/2Wrf79i Conference / 4th Early Career Researchers Conf on Environmental Epidemiology / Multiple / VIRTUAL February - March http://bit.ly/33XqJSJ Short Course / Intensive Course in Applied Epidemiology / University of Aberdeen / VIRTUAL

Help complete the epi calendar for 2021 The events listed below in blue have traditionally run in February each year. As of the date of publication, we cannot locate updated information for these specific events for 2021. We will be updating our calendar monthly throughout 2021. If you have any information on these events please contact us at events@epimonitor.net Please check our website and newsletter issue often for new information.

Short Course / Mendelian Randomization / University of Bristol / http://bit.ly/352CzfT Short Course / Causal Inference in Epidemiology / University of Bristol / http://bit.ly/2E2pDL6 Short Course / Climate Change & Health / University College London / https://bit.ly/2JId5dN Short Course / Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Global Health Policy / University College London / http://bit.ly/36hmEKR Short Course / Psychopharmacology / Erasmus MC / https://bit.ly/2zSUnwy Short Course / Using R for Statistics in Medical Research / Erasmus MC / http://bit.ly/2P2HN5O

Conference / 30th Annual Scientific Meeting of the JEA / Japan Epidemiological Association / http://bit.ly/34bRKC1 Conference / 2021 Northwest Tribal Health Conference / Tribal Epidemiology Centers / http://bit.ly/2Pdh4Ud

March 2021 March 2 http://bit.ly/2K4p3Dl Short Course / Advanced Multiple Imputation Methods to Deal with Missing Data / University of Bristol / VIRTUAL March 2-4 http://bit.ly/35ktoHC Short Course / Epidemiology for Risk Analysis / University of MD & Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition / VIRTUAL March 2-5 http://bit.ly/2P1uouz Conference / Epi Lifestyles 2021 Scientific Sessions / American Heart Association / Chicago, IL & VIRTUAL March 8-10 http://bit.ly/36fpmAn Conference / Teaching Prevention 2021: Promoting Adaptability, Resilience and Sustainability / APTR / Assn for Prevention Teaching & Research / VIRTUAL March 8-12 http://bit.ly/2YqNE82 Short Course / Environmental Health Risk (formerly Analyzing Risk) / Harvard University / VIRTUAL March 17-19 http://bit.ly/2K4p3Dl Short Course / Mendelian Randomization (A) / University of Bristol / VIRTUAL March 18-19 http://bit.ly/353kNZY Conference / 93rd Annual Meeting - American Epidemiological Society / AES / VIRTUAL March 19-20 http://bit.ly/2KxNfOj Conference / 7th International Conference on Neurology & Epidemiology (ICNE2021) / World Federation of Neurology / VIRTUAL March 22-25 http://bit.ly/3nvV5X4 Short Course / Pharmacoepidemiology In The Era Of Covid-19 / London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine / VIRTUAL March 23-25 http://bit.ly/2K4p3Dl Short Course / Epigenetic Epidemiology / University of Bristol / VIRTUAL March 24-26 http://bit.ly/3oTg72f Conference / Annual Meeting - Society for Veterinary Epidemiology / SEVPM / VIRTUAL March 26 http://bit.ly/2K4p3Dl Short Course / Advanced Epigenetic Epidemiology / University of Bristol / VIRTUAL March 29-31 http://bit.ly/34XZw3L Conference / 44th Annual Conference - American Society of Preventive Oncology / ASPO / VIRTUAL March 29-31 http://bit.ly/3ajVnwD Short Course / Mendelian Randomization / Erasmus MC / VIRTUAL March 29-31 https://bit.ly/2C4g1PE Short Course / Quality of Life Measurement / Erasmus MC / VIRTUAL

March 2021 March 31 - April 1 http://bit.ly/2P0QY6w Conference / Public Health Research and Science Conference 2020 / Public Health England / Manchester, England

Help complete the epi calendar for 2021 The events listed below in blue have traditionally run in March each year. As of the date of publication, we cannot locate updated information for these specific events for 2021. We will be updating our calendar monthly throughout 2021. If you have any information on these events please contact us at events@epimonitor.net Please check our website and newsletter issue often for new information.

Winter School / CGEpi Winter School / LMU Munich / http://bit.ly/3oOABsS Short Course / Using R for Statistics in Medical Research / Erasmus MC / http://bit.ly/2P2HN5O Conference / (InFORM) 2020 Conference / American Public Health Laboratories / http://bit.ly/37mqHZz Short Course / Genetic Epidemiology / University of Bristol / http://bit.ly/2s6QPpm Short Course / Epigenetic Epidemiology / University of Bristol / http://bit.ly/2sZXhyT Short Course / Advanced Epigenetic Epidemiology / University of Bristol / http://bit.ly/2E0uZ9K Short Course / Multiple Imputation for Missing Data / University of Bristol / http://bit.ly/38mpccj Meeting / 2020 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) Annual Meeting / CDC / http://bit.ly/34ee010 Short Course / Clinical Trials: Conduct and Analysis 2020 / Kings College London / http://bit.ly/38rqnaL Short Course / Perinatal Epidemiology & Maternal Health / University College London / http://bit.ly/2s5C6Le Conference / 2021 Annual Conference on Vaccinology Research / National Foundation for Infectious Diseases / http://bit.ly/2EeQbIY Conference / Public Health Research and Science Conference 2021 / Public Health England / http://bit.ly/2P0QY6w

Epidemiology Events Do you have an event of interest to the epi community?

Please help The Epidemiology Monitor keep the community informed by sending your event information to us for inclusion in the calendar on our website and in the monthly issue of The Epidemiology Monitor http://www.epimonitor.net/Events.htm

events@epimonitor.net

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Notes on People Do you have news about yourself, a colleague, or a student?

Please help The Epidemiology Monitor keep the community informed by sending relevant news to us at this address for inclusion in our next issue. people@epimonitor.net

Hired: Jodie Guest, infectious disease epidemiologist, as advisor for the 2021 Iditarod team and its COVID-19 mitigation plan for the race scheduled for March 2021. Dr. Guest is research professor and vice chair of the Department of Epidemiology at Emory University. She told the Iditarod newsletter, “Being able to provide epidemiology expertise to a sport I love is an exciting opportunity as we ensure this race will continue safely in 2021 and beyond.”

Appointed: Sean Hennessy, as Interim Director of the Division of Epidemiology in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Perlman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr Hennessy is currently Professor of Epidemiology and of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at Penn. He also directs Penn’s Center for Pharmacoepidemiology Research and Training (CPeRT).

Died: George Schmid, of Stone Mountain Georgia, on January 14, 2021 at age 73.

The cause of death was neuroendocrine cancer. Dr Schmid worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and at the World Health Organization in Genev As described in his obituary, his initial work at the CDC focused on zoonotic diseases, but his epidemiological skills quickly led to him being tasked to leadership roles in ground breaking research on Lyme Disease and the toxic shock syndrome. Within a few years, he began his work on control and prevention programs for sexually transmitted infections and associated diseases. His expertise was widely recognized, and, over the years, he was involved in many projects on six continents.

- People cont'd on page 13

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Notes on People, continued from page 12 Do you have news about yourself, a colleague, or a student?

Please help The Epidemiology Monitor keep the community informed by sending relevant news to us at this address for inclusion in our next issue. people@epimonitor.net

Died: Daniel Wartenberg, on August 21, 2020 at the age of 68. He contributed for many years as an environmental epidemiologist at the Rutgers Medical School Occupational Health Sciences Institute. He was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease at age 61 and became an Alzheimer’s advocate and teacher. An especially appreciative memorial recounting his professional and personal life was published in November 2020 in Environmental Health Perspectives by colleagues and family.

Honored: Michael Baker, as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to public health science. Dr Baker has been professor of public health at the University of Otago in Wellington since 2013 and is director of the Health Environment Infection Research Unit. He helped promote the strategy to eliminate COVID from New Zealand rather than focus on mitigation and flattening the curve. He told local media, “I guess it symbolizes the fact that the population approach that we all practice—and it’s a big team of us doing this—really can make a difference, I think, particularly when the country is confronted with a new poorly-understood threat like the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Newsmaker: David Dausey, Duquesne University epidemiologist who specializes in the performance of public health systems, told WITF broadcasting services that “The leadup and development of vaccines, that was fantastic. But you know, just to absolve yourself of responsibility after that—saying that it’s the state’s issue—that’s patently absurd…the whole point of the federal government is that they are supposed to be the maestro here.” He compared the current vaccine distribution to a “train wreck in slow motion.”

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Emergency Medicine, Injury Prevention Center Faculty MD-MPH or PhD, Senior Scientist The Department of Emergency Medicine (EM) at the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) seeks an academic faculty member, for our Injury Prevention Center (IPC).

Applicants can be at the Assistant, Associate or Professor level, with IPC leadership opportunity for applicants with significant experience.

BMC is a level-one trauma center with an annual census of over 130,000, serving as Boston’s major safety net hospital. The Department of Emergency Medicine is an independent academic department within BUSM and BMC. The BMC ED is the medical control hub and academic base for Boston EMS. We seek candidates with a demonstrated record of injury prevention research to join and assume leadership roles in the IPC. The BMC IPC, founded in 2000, is an ED-based research, education, and advocacy collaborative with focus on opioid harm reduction interventions, violence intervention advocacy, traffic fatalities, youth concussion/brain injury, and older adult falls epidemiology and intervention. IPC personnel include PhD researchers and EM clinicians who collaborate closely with the BUSM Departments of Surgery, Pediatrics, Neurology, and Geriatrics, the Boston University School of Public Health, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and other regional and national injury research centers.

Successful candidates will have a MD, PhD, or equivalent degree, and will demonstrate a commitment to the training of EM residents and students and mentoring of junior faculty. Candidates may have expertise in one or more of the current IPC focus areas or in other areas of injury prevention. Preference will be given to applicants with a proven track record in injury prevention research and grant funding. The position comes with competitive salary commensurate with experience, an excellent benefits package, and a faculty appointment.

BMC/BUSM is an equal opportunity/affirmative employer. The BMC Department of Emergency Medicine is exceptionally committed to diversity and inclusion within our faculty and residents and welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds.

For further information, contact: Jonathan Olshaker, MD Professor and Chair Department of Emergency Medicine Boston University School of Medicine Chief, Department of Emergency Medicine Boston Medical Center BCD Building, 1st Floor Boston, MA 02118 Email: olshaker@bu.edu

Cardiovascular / Diabetes Epidemiology Research Scientist (Mid-Senior Level) Southern California (KPSC) is recruiting candidates for an The Department of Research & Evaluation (R&E) at Kaiser Permanente established Mid-to-Senior level Research Scientist (equivalent to Associate or Full Professor, respectively) to join a program of research on cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Persons with interests and expertise in the following areas are particularly encouraged to apply: prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (including heart disease and vascular disease and related conditions including diabetes and chronic kidney disease), optimizing cardiovascular disease and diabetes outcomes, health disparities in cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The position will benefit from collaborative opportunities with existing research programs in cardiovascular disease (e.g., Cardiovascular Research Network), diabetes (e.g., SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study, Diabetes in Children and Young Adults (DiCAYA), Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome Study).

Qualifications: Doctoral Degree (Ph.D., Dr.PH, MD, ScD) in epidemiology or related fields or equivalent training and mastery.

Competent in advanced research methods, including statistical techniques and study design commonly used in epidemiology. At least 7 years of postdoctoral experience and proven success in the academic environment with an established track record in extramural grant funding, scientific publications and mentoring junior investigators required. Must be able to consistently demonstrate the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors necessary to provide superior and culturally sensitive service to all.

The successful candidate will be expected to:  Develop and direct an independent, externally funded program of research that is aligned with the clinical practice resulting in the translation of results directly to patient care.  Collaborate with investigators within R&E and with external investigators in health care and academic settings to advance knowledge in the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  Mentor junior-level research scientists and post-doctoral fellows.  Provide service to the scientific community through reviewing manuscripts for publication and serving on editorial boards and grant review panels.  Present at internal and national and international scientific meetings.  Maintain awareness of scientific developments within area of expertise, both in terms of new methodology and new research activities.  Serve on and may chair departmental committees based on experience and expertise.  Teach/lecture in internal and academic settings.  May serve on faculty of the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine.  Consistently supports compliance and the Principles of Responsibility (Kaiser Permanente’s Code of Conduct) by maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of information, protecting the assets of the organization, acting with ethics and integrity, reporting non-compliance, and adhering to applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, accreditation and licensure requirements (if applicable), and Kaiser Permanente’s policies and procedures. In addition to defined technical requirements, accountable for consistently demonstrating service behavior and principles defined by the Kaiser Permanente Service Quality Credo, the Kaiser Permanente mission as well as the specific departmental/organizational initiatives.

This position will include a core support package for the successful applicant that can be used to conduct pilot studies that leverage existing infrastructure to facilitate the development of an extramurally funded research program. This support includes staffing for administrative tasks, programming and analysis, and research support as well as modest funding for non-personnel-related costs.

KPSC is a leading integrated health care system that provides comprehensive care for approximately 4.5 million members of diverse race and ethnicity from Southern California. The integrated health care provided to these members is tracked through a system-wide electronic health record (EHR), which includes membership, utilization, vital signs, laboratory and pharmacy records. Research scientists in R&E have access to unparalleled data resources including a Research Data Warehouse that combines curated EHR data for both inpatient and outpatient visits with additional data from external registries and outside claims. In addition, the Department maintains a Virtual Data Warehouse to facilitate collaboration with external researchers.

A description of the Department of Research & Evaluation is available on the web at http://kp.org/research.

It is home to 30+ doctorally-prepared investigators and over 350 support staff. The Department is located in Pasadena, California, a community of 140,000 residents and the home of the California Institute of Technology, the Rose Bowl, the Jet Propulsion Lab, and other historical and cultural sites. Information about the community can be found at https://www.visitpasadena.com.

KPSC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and offers a comprehensive compensation package, including employerpaid medical, dental and coverage for eligible dependents. Competitive wages, generous paid time-off and a comprehensive retirement plan are just part of the exceptional benefits offered to Kaiser Permanente employees.

For immediate consideration, interested candidates should submit their letter of interest, CV and references to Dr. Kristi Reynolds, Director of Epidemiologic Research by visiting www.kp.org/careers, referencing position number 915948. For additional information please contact jody.j.perez@kp.org

Columbia University's Department of Epidemiology has a summer institute every June called episummer@columbia that enables anyone anywhere in the world to engage in the worldclass coursework and high-quality instruction offered at Columbia University. It provides opportunities to gain foundational knowledge and applied skills for advancing population health research. episummer@columbia’s intensive short courses are offered in synchronous or asynchronous online learning formats. Registrants for episummer@columbia courses need access to high-speed internet. Specific information about online access is provided to registrants before the course begins.

episummer@columbia: synchronous learning Our synchronous courses vary in length from 4 hours to 20 hours delivered in an online live format. These courses are offered only on a specific date and time allowing registrants the ability to interact live with their episummer@columbia course instructor and other registrants.

episummer@columbia: asynchronous learning Each asynchronous course, varying in length from 5 hours to 40 hours, contains lectures and course material presented online with materials released by the instructor accordingly. The flexible format will include video or audio recordings of lecture material, file sharing and topical discussion fora, self-assessment exercises, real-time electronic office hours and access to instructors for feedback during the course.

Detailed information on the program:

http://bit.ly/3osj5Kn

Registration for 2021 is open:

http://bit.ly/2WdMtIy

Division of Preventive Medicine Brigham & Woman's Hospital Harvard Medical School

MULTI-OMICS AND SYSTEMS EPIDEMIOLOGIST ASSISTANT / ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

The Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School seeks an Assistant or Associate Professor level scientist in multi-omics and systems epidemiology. Applicants should possess a PhD and/or MD degree and have several years of relevant experience. Opportunities exist for collaboration with an active research group and access to large cohorts and blood/DNA repositories. Preference will be given to individuals who have demonstrated the ability to obtain grant support for their research. Applicants should have well documented commitment to epidemiologic research, and expertise in integration of multi-omics biomarker research (genomics, epigenetics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and/or proteomics) in relation to chronic disease epidemiology or aging research. Appointment at the level of Assistant or Associate Professor and compensation will be commensurate with experience and institutional policies, including teaching activities with Harvard-affiliated students/trainees.

Please send CV, a description of research goals and accomplishments, a summary of current and past grant support, names of at least three references, and representative reprints of 3-5 original reports by February 15, 2021 to: JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH Chair, Multi-Omics and Systems Epidemiology Search Committee Division of Preventive Medicine Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School 900 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA 02215-1204 Email: jmanson@rics.bwh.harvard.edu Phone: 617-278-0855 We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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