SERexperts

Career development events featuring experts in the field on a specific topic area. Some events are organized by the Student and Postdoc Committee. Events may be live webinar, or pre-recorded events.

Upcoming Events:

Past Events:

September 15, 12:00-1:00pm ET

“What can I do with my PhD?: Employment opportunities outside of academia“

While the traditional career path following completion of a PhD is typically thought to be obtaining a postdoctoral fellowship then faculty position in academia, there are now more opportunities than ever for epidemiologists in the workforce. Join us for a panel discussion on employment opportunities outside of academia featuring panelists representing government and industry positions. Panelists will provide an overview of their personal career trajectory, how they got to where they are, and what motivated them to pursue their career. Additional time will be spent answering questions submitted by participants. When registering for this event, will be given the opportunity to anonymously submit queries beforehand.

Recording

This event is organized and sponsored by the SER Student and Postdoc Committee.

PRESENTER

Ashley Holub, PhD MA (she/her/hers)
Senior Clinical Research Scientist at GSK
Twitter: @ashtroid22

BIO

Dr. Holub is currently a senior research scientist at GSK in the pain division. She recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in medical devices epidemiology at Johnson & Johnson where she worked on studies related to joint replacements. Dr. Holub completed her PhD in epidemiology at the University of Rochester and has authored and co-authored several peer reviewed manuscripts across a variety of topics including mental health, pediatrics, emergency medicine, and cardiovascular health.

PRESENTER

Randy Stalter, PhD, MPH (he/him/his)
Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

BIO

Dr. Stalter is currently an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer at the CDC assigned to the Washington State Department of Health. He received his PhD in epidemiology from the University of Washington where his research focused on HIV prevention and family planning among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa. He previously worked for the human development organization FHI360 first as a global health research fellow and later as an associate scientist in the Contraceptive Technology Innovation department. He received his MPH in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh.

PRESENTER

Mitra Yousefi (she/her/hers)
Lead Epidemiologist, global vaccines at GDK

BIO

Dr. Mitra Yousefi is currently an Epidemiology Lead in global vaccines at GSK where she manages post-marketing vaccine epidemiology studies. She has also served as a Principal Epidemiology Biostatistician at the company, where she helped designs studies and develop statistical analysis plans for pre- and post-marketing vaccine studies. Prior to working in vaccine research, Dr. Yousefi was a research data analyst at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation where she advised P.I.s at the National Institutes of Health, Walter Reed Military Medical Center, and the Uniformed Services University on statistical designs and analyses in traumatic brain injury research studies.
Dr. Yousefi attended the University of Maryland College Park for her undergraduate studies, where she majored in Biochemistry and minored in British and American Literature. She then completed a post-bac fellowship at the National Institutes of Health before completing an MSPH and PhD in epidemiology at the University of South Carolina. During her undergraduate career, she also worked in x-ray crystallography, biochemistry, molecular biology, and microbiology labs at the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration.

June 2, 2021, 12:00-1:00pm ET

“National Institute of Health’s Loan Repayment Programs: Information Session”

You’re invited to an in-depth overview of the NIH Loan Repayment Program from the Division of Loan Repayment Director, Dr. Ericka Boone. The NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are a set of programs established by Congress designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research centers. The NIH LRPs pay up to $50,000 annually of qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in NIH mission-relevant research. Applicants must hold an M.D., Ph.D., Psy.D., Pharm.D, D.O., D.D.S., D.M.D. D.P.M, D.C., N.D., O.D., D.V.M, or equivalent doctoral-level degree (except for the Contraception & Infertility Research LRP). The NIH LRPs will accept applications from September 1-November 15. Don’t miss your opportunity to learn how you could receive up to $100,000 in educational debt relief! The hour will include responses to questions attendees send when registering for the event.

Note: Only individuals with United States citizenship (or U.S. national or permanent resident status) are eligible for the LRP.

Recording

INFORMATIONAL FLYER

This event is organized and sponsored by the SER Student and Postdoc Committee.

PRESENTER

Ericka Boone, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Loan Repayment
National Institutes of Health

MODERATOR

Kendra Sims
Doctoral Candidate
Oregon State University

May 12, 2021, 12:00-1:00pm ET

“#MeToo”

The #MeToo movement has brought to the fore seemingly endless stories of unwelcome and inappropriate sexual remarks or physical advances. No sector of society appears to be spared, including the field of epidemiology. In this webinar, we’ll present results from the SER survey about member’s experiences of sexual harassment as a graduate student, in the workplace, or at a conference. In consideration of consequences, we’ll discuss corrective ways forward with guest speaker Vicki Magley, Professor of Psychological Sciences at U Conn Storrs and member of the National Academy of Sciences Sexual Harassment in Academia Committee.

Recording

SESSION CO-CHAIR

Martha Werler
Boston University

SESSION CO-CHAIR

Wendy Nembhard
University of Arkansas

PRESENTER and DISCUSSANT

Vicki J. Magley
University of Connecticut, Storrs

March 10, 2021, 12:00-1:00pm ET

“Equitable Distribution of Vaccines for COVID-19”

Sponsored by the SER Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee, this upcoming SERexpert event will explore the distribution and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines though different lenses, including equity considerations in planning, vaccine hesitancy, and public health communication. Speakers will discuss how COVID-19 continues to disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities the most while vaccine rollouts lag and have tended to target whites. This event will feature brief introductions followed by a moderated roundtable discussion.”

Recording

Moderator

Nicole Basta
McGill University

BIO

Dr. Basta is an infectious disease epidemiologist specializing in designing, implementing, and analyzing biological, clinical, and behavioral studies to 1) evaluate the impact of vaccines and immunization programs, 2) increase vaccine awareness, acceptance, and uptake, and 3) advance our understanding of the epidemiology and natural history of infectious diseases. She has focused on a number of globally challenging diseases including influenza, meningococcal disease, HPV, measles, and COVID-19. Dr. Basta’s research combines methods and tools from epidemiology, biostatistics, vaccinology, immunology, ecology, and public health to generate critical evidence to inform infectious disease prevention and control strategies.

Presenter

Elaine Hernandez
Indiana University

Presenter

Mercedes Carnethon
Northwestern University

BIO

Dr. Carnethon is the Mary Harris Thompson Professor and Vice Chair of Preventive Medicine and Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes in the population subgroups defined by race/ethnicity, geography, socioeconomic status, gender and sexual orientation/gender identity. Dr. Carnethon and her team have examined the role that health behaviors such as sleep, physical activity and diet play on health across the lifecourse. Her research findings have been disseminated broadly through major print (e.g., Chicago Tribune, USA Today, New York Times), local and national media.

Presenter

Catherine Troisi
University of Texas

BIO

Dr. Troisi teaches courses in public health and leadership with research interests in infectious disease epidemiology. Her research interests are in infectious disease epidemiology, and she has research grants in the areas of HIV, viral hepatitis, and improving immunization rates.
She has previously served as Assistant Director at the Houston Health Department. She is the recipient of the 2018 ASPPH Academic Public Health Practice Excellence Award. She is a member of the International Network of Epidemiology in Policy as a National Association of County and City Health Officials representative workgroup as well as many local and state public health advisory boards.

February 17, 2021, 12:00-1:00pm ET

“Adapting to the Pandemic Job Market”

The pandemic offers unique opportunities and considerations for trainees deciding next professional steps. Additionally, the new reality of virtual hiring necessitates different approaches for standing out as a job candidate. After outlining their professional trajectories, our panelists will discuss ways to distill your research focus into a captivating elevator pitch as well as conveying your capability during a hiring interview. Additionally, the panel will bring their experiences in academia, government, and industry to virtual interviewee strategies for higher education positions as well as non-academic tracks.

Recording

PRESENTER

Erika Braithwaite
Precision Analytics

BIO

Erika Braithwaite is co-founder and CEO of Precision Analytics, a Montreal based health data science start-up specializing in analytics and data visualization in the biopharmaceutical sector. After completing her BA and MSc in psychology, she earned her PhD in epidemiology and biostatistics from McGill University. Throughout her academic career, Erika worked as a freelance statistical consultant and upon graduation in 2017, started a small statistical consultancy with Kathryn Morrison, PhD. Precision Analytics provides support to organizations across all stages of the drug development process, from early stage biotechnology start-ups to post-marketing pharmaceutical research in larger firms. The services they provide include: expertise in study design, analytics including predictive modelling and causal inference, and customized software platforms for health data science.

Erika is also a passionate R user. She co-founded the Montreal chapter of the R-Ladies meetup group, which is part of a global non-profit organization that promotes gender diversity in the R programming community (https://rladies.org/about-us/). She co-hosts free monthly meetups, where members learn, share and network with people who are passionate about programming.

PRESENTER

Cheryl L Clark
Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs

BIO

Dr. Clark has more than 20 years of progressive experience in state government and public health field. She has been employed for 4.5 years at the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP), a national membership and advocacy non-profit organization located in Washington, D.C. As the Associate Director of Equity, Epidemiology, & Evaluation, she provides leadership for AMCHP’s internal/external equity operational platform and metrics as well as implementation, technical assistance, and consultation on epidemiology, data, and evaluation for members, external partners, and fellow staff. In prior positions, she has served as a senior-level epidemiology consultant, manager of an applied epidemiology unit, federal/state grant manager, lead program evaluator, informatics consultant, and lead epidemiologist on state child and maternal death review committees at the Florida Department of Health. Currently, she is co-leading AMCHP on an organizational road to ensure equity in all internal and external operations by serving as a co-chair and a liaison to internal and external equity committees.

Dr. Clark has an MPH in Community Health Education from the University of South Florida and attained her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) in Epidemiology & Biostatistics at Florida A & M. She is a long-time Registered Health Information Management Administrator (RHIA) with a BS in Health Information Management Administration.

PRESENTER

Rebecca Burne
Analysis Group

BIO

Rebecca Burne is a Manager at Analysis Group, a global economic consulting firm. Prior to joining Analysis Group, Rebecca completed her MSc in statistics in South Africa before going on to earn her PhD in biostatistics from McGill University, during which time she also was a research assistant and course lecturer. Since joining Analysis Group, Rebecca has specialized in health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), biostatistics, and epidemiology. Her experience includes retrospective analyses of various data sources such as medical insurance claims and electronic medical records, and the design of chart review studies. Rebecca has conducted research in multiple clinical areas, such as oncology, hematology, cardiology, and gastroenterology.

Analysis Group was founded in 1981, and is one of the largest international economics consulting firms, with more than 1,000 professionals across 14 offices. Analysis Group’s health care experts apply analytical expertise to health economics and outcomes research, clinical research, market access and commercial strategy, and health care policy engagements, as well as drug safety-related engagements in epidemiology. Analysis Group’s internal experts, together with its network of affiliated experts from academia, industry, and government, provide our clients with exceptional breadth and depth of expertise and end-to-end consulting services globally.

MODERATOR

Kendra Sims
Oregon State University

November 4, 2020, 12:00-1:00pm ET

“Practicing Consequential Epidemiology: The Work of CDC’s Disease Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS)”

Please join us for SER’s first collaborative webinar with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Global Disease Detectives! Hosted by Dr. Eric Pevzner, the Chief to the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Program, join us to learn about this world-renowned applied epidemiology fellowship program of the elite disease detectives! Following an overview of the program by Dr. Pevzner, two CDC EIS Officers will present their work. This will be an exciting look into the world of the famous Global Outbreak Detectives! The presentation is sponsored by the SER Membership and Nominations Committee and will be moderated by SER Member and Epidemiologist, Dr. Mike Jackson (CDC EIS Alum, 2008-2010). Following the presentations, the panelists will be available for questions about the program.

This event is sponsored by SER’s Membership & Nominations Committee

Recording

HOST

Eric Pevzner, PhD, MPH
CAPT, U.S. Public Health Service
Chief, Epidemiology Workforce Branch
Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS)
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

SER MODERATOR

Michael L. Jackson, PhD, MPH
Associate Scientific Investigator
Kaiser Permanente
CDC EIS Officer (2008-2010)
SER Member, Since 2011

GLOBAL DISEASE DETECTIVES

September 16, 2020, 12-1pm ET

“Strategies for Successful Remote Mentor-Mentee Relationships”

The importance and feasibility of mentorship from afar extends beyond current social distancing guidelines. Accordingly, this upcoming webinar focuses on the makings of successful mentors as well as mentees. Our panelists are eager to pass on their combined decades of experience remoting guiding trainees to early-stage scholars. Topics include expectation-setting, workflow management, and collaborations. Registering will give participants an opportunity to anonymously submit queries beforehand.

Recording

PANELIST

Anne Marie Jukic, PhD, MSPH
Investigator
National Institute
of Environmental Health Sciences
Epidemiology Branch

PANELIST

William C. Miller, MD, PhD, MPH
Senior Associate
Dean of Research
Professor
Ohio State University

PANELIST

Maureen A. Murtaugh, PhD, RDN
Professor
Division of Epidemiology
Department of Medicine
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Population Health

PANELIST

Martha Werler
Professor and Chair of Epidemiology
Boston University
School of Public Health
President, SER

MODERATOR

Kendra Sims
Doctoral Candidate
Oregon State University

September 9, 2020, 12-1pm EST

“CSTE Applied Fellowship Program“

Please join us for SER’s first, collaborative webinar with The Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Applied Epidemiology Fellowship (AEF) Program! Hosted by Amanda Masters, the Deputy Director for Governance, Strategy and Support Program (CSTE), join us to learn about this Applied Epidemiology Fellowship program! This unique fellowship program is designed for recent master’s or doctoral level graduates in Epidemiology (or a related field) whom are interested in public health practice at the state/local level. Following an overview of the program, two CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellows will present their research. Following the presentations, the panelists will be available to answer any questions you might have regarding the program.

This event is sponsored by SER’s Membership & Nominations Committee

Recording

HOST

Amanda Masters, MPH
CSTE Deputy Director of Governance
Strategy and Support

CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellows

MODERATOR

Robert C. Orellana, PhD, MPH

Senior Epidemiologist

CDC Foundation

August 19, 2020, 12:00pm – 1:30pm EDT

“Networking, the Job Market, and the Pandemic”

This upcoming professional development panel addresses early career advancement during the unique constraints posed by 2020. Professionals from government, industry, and academia will reflect upon their own winding career paths and discuss the state of the pandemic job market, opportunities and challenges. Participants will then have an opportunity to ask about remote networking advice and job search strategies. Registering will give participants an opportunity to anonymously submit queries beforehand.

Recording

PANELIST

Adan Z. Becerra, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Associate Program Director for Clinical Research
Department of Surgery
Rush University Medical Center

PANELIST

Stephen E. Gilman, ScD
Senior Investigator and Chief
Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch
Division of Intramural Population Health Research
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute
of Child Health and Human Development

PANELIST

Jennifer Rider, ScD, MPH
Associate Director, Outcomes Science & Services

PANELIST

Rulla Tamimi, ScD
Weill Cornell Medicine
(Interim) Assistant Professor
of Population Health Sciences
Division Chief of Epidemiology
Associate Director
of Population Science
Sandra and Edward Meyer
Cancer Center

July 29, 2020, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT

“Health equity during the COVID-19 pandemic: urban-rural dimensions”

Sponsored by the SER Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee, this upcoming SERexpert event will explore the differential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in rural and urban communities in the US. Speakers will describe the impact of COVID-19 on rural and urban communities, challenges to confronting the virus and inequities in who is impacted within and between these settings. Given the differences in population density, access to health care and population demographics a focus on rural and urban communities will help highlight the dimensions of inequity exacerbated by COVID-19.

This event is sponsored by SER’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Recording

PRESENTER

Mary Bassett
Harvard University

PRESENTER

Carrie Henning-Smith
University of Minnesota

MODERATOR

Yvette Cozier
Boston University

May 13, 2020

Grant writing for early career epidemiologists, part III: Funding opportunities from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The last in the three-part series on grant writing for trainees will highlight some non-traditional funding opportunities. Foundational grants are among the lesser known alternatives to those offered by governmental agencies, and are available to researchers at various career stages and often to non-U.S. citizens. During presentations of their projects as well as attendee Q and A, a panel of interdisciplinary researchers will be able to speak to the unique considerations involved in obtaining funding from private agencies.

This event is sponsored by SER’s Student and PostDoc Committee

Recording

PANELIST

Max Aung, PhD, MPH
University of Michigan
School of Public Health

PANELIST

Brittney Butler, MPH
Ohio State University
College of Public Health

PANELIST

Magdalena Cerda, DrPH
New York University
School of Medicine

MODERATOR

Kendra Sims, MPH
Oregon State University

February 19, 2020, 12-1pm EST

Grant Writing for Early Career Epidemiologists, Part II:
“Jumpstarting a career-building research project (pre-doctoral perspective)”

The second in the three-part series on grant writing for trainees will focus on pre-doctoral level fellowships. Three recent recipients of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F31) will briefly present on the training plans accompanying their dissertation project, before answering attendee questions. Learn how professional and personal experiences can inform the process of formulating research ideas, ways to leverage institutional resources as well as mentorship, and approaches for incorporating feedback.

This event is sponsored by SER’s Student and Postdoc Committee

PANELIST

Alexis Reeves, MPH
PhD candidate in Epidemiologic Science at the University of Michigan. Read more

PANELIST

Joëlla Adams, MPH
PhD candidate in the Department of Epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health. Read more

PANELIST

Mary Willis, MPH
PhD candidate in Environmental and occupational Health with a minor in Biological Data Science at Oregon State University. Read more

MODERATOR

Kendra Sims
Doctoral Candidate in Epidemiology at Oregon State University.

September 11, 2019, 12-1pm EST

“Grant Writing for Early Career Epidemiologists, Part I: Writing Your Own Postdoctoral Training Grant (Fs and Ks)“

Join us for the first in a 3-part series about grant writing for trainees! This webinar will focus on topics relevant to NIH postdoc Fs and Ks: general application requirements, submission timelines, and recommended resources. Our panel includes current and prior awardees, along with an experienced mentor. After describing their own experiences, the panelists will answer any questions you have about the process.

Recording

Mentor

Maria Glymour
University of California, San Francisco

K99 Awardee

Michael Harhay
University of Pennsylvania

K Awardee

Traci Bethea
Boston University

F Awardee

Stephanie Leonard
Stanford University

Moderator

Julie Petersen
Boston University

Career development events featuring experts in the field on a specific topic area. Some events are organized by the Student and Postdoc Committee. Events may be live webinar, or pre-recorded events.

Upcoming Events:

Past Events:

September 15, 12:00-1:00pm ET

“What can I do with my PhD?: Employment opportunities outside of academia“

This event is organized and sponsored by the SER Student and Postdoc Committee.

PRESENTER

PRESENTER

PRESENTER

June 2, 2021, 12:00-1:00pm ET

“National Institute of Health’s Loan Repayment Programs: Information Session”

This event is organized and sponsored by the SER Student and Postdoc Committee.

PRESENTER

MODERATOR

May 12, 2021, 12:00-1:00pm ET

“#MeToo”

SESSION CO-CHAIR

SESSION CO-CHAIR

PRESENTER and DISCUSSANT

March 10, 2021, 12:00-1:00pm ET

“Equitable Distribution of Vaccines for COVID-19”

Moderator

Presenter

Presenter

Presenter

February 17, 2021, 12:00-1:00pm ET“Adapting to the Pandemic Job Market”

PRESENTER

PRESENTER

PRESENTER

MODERATOR

November 4, 2020, 12:00-1:00pm ET

“Practicing Consequential Epidemiology: The Work of CDC’s Disease Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS)”

This event is sponsored by SER’s Membership & Nominations Committee

HOST

SER MODERATOR

GLOBAL DISEASE DETECTIVES

September 16, 2020, 12-1pm ET

“Strategies for Successful Remote Mentor-Mentee Relationships”

PANELIST

PANELIST

PANELIST

PANELIST

MODERATOR

September 9, 2020, 12-1pm EST

“CSTE Applied Fellowship Program“

This event is sponsored by SER’s Membership & Nominations Committee

HOST

CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellows

MODERATOR

August 19, 2020, 12:00pm – 1:30pm EDT

“Networking, the Job Market, and the Pandemic”

PANELIST

PANELIST

PANELIST

PANELIST

July 29, 2020, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT

“Health equity during the COVID-19 pandemic: urban-rural dimensions”

This event is sponsored by SER’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee

PRESENTER

PRESENTER

MODERATOR

May 13, 2020

Grant writing for early career epidemiologists, part III: Funding opportunities from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

This event is sponsored by SER’s Student and PostDoc Committee

PANELIST

PANELIST

PANELIST

MODERATOR

February 19, 2020, 12-1pm EST

Grant Writing for Early Career Epidemiologists, Part II:“Jumpstarting a career-building research project (pre-doctoral perspective)”

This event is sponsored by SER’s Student and Postdoc Committee

PANELIST

PANELIST

PANELIST

MODERATOR

September 11, 2019, 12-1pm EST

“Grant Writing for Early Career Epidemiologists, Part I: Writing Your Own Postdoctoral Training Grant (Fs and Ks)“

Mentor

K99 Awardee

February 17, 2021, 12:00-1:00pm ET

“Adapting to the Pandemic Job Market”

Grant Writing for Early Career Epidemiologists, Part II:
“Jumpstarting a career-building research project (pre-doctoral perspective)”