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SERpresents brings together SER online events and resources to one place! Registration for webinars is free of charge to members and non-members. In most cases, webinars are recorded and available in the SERlibrary for SER Members.

Upcoming Events

SPC WEBINAR

Career Development Event: NIH/NIA Predoctoral (F) and Postdoctoral (K) Grant Application

October 9, 2024 10:00AM – 11:00AM (MST)

Join us for the October Career Development Event of the Student and Postdoc Committee (SPC) in which we will discuss NIH Predoctoral (F) and Postdoctoral (K) grant application with Drs. Maria Glymour, Katrina Kezios, and Sirena Gutierrez.

Presenter

mglymore

Maria Glymour Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health

Presenter

kkezios

Katrina Kezios Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Presenter

sgutierrez

Sirena Gutierrez Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco

WEBINAR

Quasi-experimental approaches in Epidemiology

November 13, 2024
10:00AM – 11:00AM (MST)

Join us for an insightful webinar on discussing the quasi-experimental approaches in Epidemiology, where we delve into innovative research methods that evaluate the effects of health interventions and exposures when randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are not possible. These approaches are essential for drawing reliable conclusions in situations where ethical, practical, or logistical constraints prevent the use of traditional experimental designs.

anandi

Arijit Nandi
Associate Professor, Department of Equity, Ethics and Policy and the Department of Epidemiology, McGill University School of Population and Global Health

rhamad

Rita Hamad
Associate Professor, Harvard School of Public Health; Director, Social Policies for Health Equity Research (SPHERE) Center

SERjournal Club

Longitudinal Associations Between Optimism and Objective Measures of Physical Functioning in Women

January 8, 2025
10:00AM – 11:00AM (MST)

Join us for the January Journal Club of the Student and Postdoc Committee (SPC) in which we will discuss the article “Longitudinal Associations Between Optimism and Objective Measures of Physical Functioning in Women” with the lead author, Dr. Hayami Koga.

hkonga

Hayami Koga
Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Hayami Koga is a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies. Her research focuses on whether psychological well-being, at a population level, is an important asset that contributes to a longer and healthier functioning lifespan. She is also interested in workplace well-being and how that may be associated with health. She holds a PhD in Population Health Sciences from the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and an MD from the University of Occupational and Environmental Health in Japan.

Past Events

SERjournal Club

State-Level Indicators of Childhood Educational Quality and Incident Dementia in Older Black and White Adults

September 11, 2024
10:00AM – 11:00AM (MST)

Join us for the September Journal Club of the Student and Postdoc Committee (SPC) in which we will discuss the article, “State-Level Indicators of Childhood Educational Quality and Incident Dementia in Older Black and White Adults” with the lead author, Dr. Yenee Soh.

ysoh

Yenee Soh
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Yenee Soh, ScD, SM is a social epidemiologist and research associate in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her research interests are focused on the social determinants of population health and health disparities across the life course. Specifically, her work has examined the role of social and psychosocial factors on cardiovascular morbidities, dementia and cognitive decline among middle-aged and older adults. She also has extensive experience working with prospective observational cohorts across multiple countries. At present, Dr. Soh’s research expands into understanding the intergenerational transmission of disease risk within families. X: @YeneeSoh

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Skills for an Epidemiologist in different work settings

July 10, 2024
10:00AM – 11:00AM (MST)

Are you enchanted by the idea of unraveling health mysteries through research, or perhaps you’re drawn to the public health practice? Maybe the ivory towers of academia beckon, or the innovative landscape of industry calls your name. Whatever your aspiration, our expert panel stands ready to illuminate the path, offering invaluable insights into the key skills, tantalizing career prospects, and sage advice for aspiring epidemiologists. Join us on this odyssey of discovery and chart your course to a captivating career where every setting holds the promise of adventure and impact!

Bill Gruber <br/> Adjunct Professor Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School

Bill Gruber
Adjunct Professor Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School

Ashley Redding <br/> Epidemiologist at Henry Ford Health; Part-Time Faculty at Wayne State University <br/>

Ashley Redding
Epidemiologist at Henry Ford Health; Part-Time Faculty at Wayne State University

Stephanie Shiau <br/> Assistant Professor, Rutgers School of Public Health <br/>   <br/>

Stephanie Shiau
Assistant Professor, Rutgers School of Public Health

WEBINAR

Building and Maintaining Epidemiologist-Clinician Teams

May 29, 2024
10:00AM – 11:30AM (MST)

In this session, an epidemiologist (Dr. Sutcliffe) and clinician (Dr. Lowder) with an established research partnership will discuss how to identify good collaborators and will provide advice on best practices for working with an epidemiologist (or clinician).

Presenter

 Siobhan Sutcliffe <br/> Washington University in St. Louis

Siobhan Sutcliffe
Washington University in St. Louis

Presenter

Jerry Lowder <br/> Washington University in St. Louis

Jerry Lowder
Washington University in St. Louis

Moderator

Stephanie Mayne <br/> Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia & University of Pennsylvania

Stephanie Mayne
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia & University of Pennsylvania

Moderator

Marzieh Ghiasi <br/> Michigan State University <br/> <br/>

Marzieh Ghiasi
Michigan State University

Facilitator

Elizabeth Yanik <br/> Washington University in St. Louis <br/> <br/>

Elizabeth Yanik
Washington University in St. Louis

WEBINAR

Social determinants of health in the EHR: Are we there yet?

May 22, 2024
10:00AM – 11:30 AM (MST)

This webinar will provide an up-to-date description of the availability of social determinants of health (SDoH) data in electronic health records (EHRs) and the utility of these data for epidemiologic research. The webinar will describe structured and unstructured sources of SDoH data in EHR systems and the opportunities and challenges of using these data for research. The session will provide examples of EHR-based epidemiologic studies of SDoH and describe the future outlook for EHR-based SDoH data.

Dr. Annemarie Hirsch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Geisinger and Director of the Geisinger-Johns Hopkins University Center for Community Environment and Health (CCEH). Geisinger is a pioneer in EHR-based research and the CCEH is a leader in the integration of EHR and geospatial data. Dr. Hirsch has studied a range of health outcomes in relation to the social, built, and natural environment, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and Lyme disease. She has contributed to the growing literature on how to use EHR data in epidemiology research.[wpex] She is part of two CDC-funded networks dedicated to supporting efforts to transition from traditional disease surveillance to EHR-based surveillance, the Assessing the Burden of Diabetes by Type in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults (DiCAYA) Network (PI) and the Surveillance Based Lyme (SubLyme) Network. Dr. Hirsch is also the PI of Geisinger’s Innovative Cardiovascular Disease program, funded by the CDC to integrate health information technology and geographic information systems into strategies to reduce disparities in hypertension. [/wpex]

Annemarie Hirsch
Department of Population Health, Center for Community Environment and Health, Geisinger

Dr. Annemarie Hirsch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Geisinger and Director of the Geisinger-Johns Hopkins University Center for Community Environment and Health (CCEH). Geisinger is a pioneer in EHR-based research and the CCEH is a leader in the integration of EHR and geospatial data. Dr. Hirsch has studied a range of health outcomes in relation to the social, built, and natural environment, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and Lyme disease. She has contributed to the growing literature on how to use EHR data in epidemiology research.Read more

WEBINAR

Short talks, long talks, job talks. Let’s talk about giving talks!

May 22, 2024
12:00PM – 1:30 PM (MST)

Do you have an oral presentation to give? A short one for a conference (SER!)? Or a long one for a research seminar? Or maybe you need to give a job talk. Giving a great talk is an important skill for any epidemiologist. In this webinar, we’ll review strategies to improve the quality and impact of your talks. We’ll describe some pro tips and pitfalls (generated by crowdsourcing from some SER members). And we’ll discuss how to manage public speaking when…well…you don’t love being in front of a lot of people.

Everyone with an interest in giving better presentations is welcome and encouraged to come. We especially encourage early career folks with an oral presentation at SER to come.

William (Bill) Miller, MD, PhD, MPH is Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Bill is the current president of the Society of Epidemiologic Research. He is an infectious diseases epidemiologist and was also trained as an infectious diseases physician. His own research focuses on HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and substance use. He is Editor-in-Chief for the journal, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and was, until recently, an associate editor for Epidemiology. Bill has been helping people give talks, write papers, and write grants for over 30 years.

William C. Miller
Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

William (Bill) Miller, MD, PhD, MPH is Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Bill is the current president of the Society of Epidemiologic Research. He is an infectious diseases epidemiologist and was also trained as an infectious diseases physician. His own research focuses on HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and substance use. He is Editor-in-Chief for the journal, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and was, until recently, an associate editor for Epidemiology. Bill has been helping people give talks, write papers, and write grants for over 30 years.

SERjournal Cub

“Testing lifecourse theories characterising associations between maternal depression and offspring depression in emerging adulthood: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children”

May 15, 2024
10:00AM – 11:30AM (MST)

Join us for the May Journal Club of the Student and Postdoc Committee (SPC) in which we will discuss the article, “Testing lifecourse theories characterising associations between maternal depression and offspring depression in emerging adulthood: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children” with the lead author, Dr. Dawid Gondek.

Dawid Gondek completed his PhD in quantitative social science at University College London in 2020. He also holds an MSc in Clinical Mental Health Sciences from UCL. Dawid Gondek’s interests are in population mental health and wellbeing from the life course perspective. His research focuses on better understanding generational and life course trends of mental health, their determinants and consequences. His main focus is on how early life exposures affect mental health later in the life course. Dawid’s expertise is in analysing large population-based longitudinal datasets, such as birth cohorts or household panels, using advanced statistical methods. Currently, Dawid works on the CovidGen project that examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on wellbeing of young people.

Dawid Gondek
Senior Researcher, FORS - Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences

Dawid Gondek completed his PhD in quantitative social science at University College London in 2020. He also holds an MSc in Clinical Mental Health Sciences from UCL. Dawid Gondek’s interests are in population mental health and wellbeing from the life course perspective. His research focuses on better understanding generational and life course trends of mental health, their determinants and consequences. His main focus is on how early life exposures affect mental health later in the life course. Dawid’s expertise is in analysing large population-based longitudinal datasets, such as birth cohorts or household panels, using advanced statistical methods. Currently, Dawid works on the CovidGen project that examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on wellbeing of young people.

WEBINAR

Bridging data to decisions: The Who, What, When, and Why of Public Health Choices

May 8, 2024
10:00AM – 11:30AM (MST)

What does it mean to make evidence-based decisions? Precision medicine promises to solve decision-making algorithmically. Foundational work in causal inference has made headway towards fulfilling this promise. However, behind a sometimes opaque technical literature lies an underlying normative proposition about how humans should make decisions: each individual is a member of a group defined by discrete features, and they should choose the treatment with the best average outcome among their group. Read more

Aaron L. Sarvet <br/> Department of Mathematics, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland

Aaron L. Sarvet
Department of Mathematics, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland

Kerollos N. Wanis <br/> Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

Kerollos N. Wanis
Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

Kara E. Rudolph <br/> Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

Kara E. Rudolph
Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

Mats J. Stensrud <br/> Department of Mathematics, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland

Mats J. Stensrud
Department of Mathematics, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland

WEBINAR

Omics Studies and Insights Into The Complexity Of Interactions Underpinning The Epidemiologic Triangle

May 1, 2024
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (MST)

This SER webinar session will explore how Omics-based data can inform the complexities of the epidemiologic triangle. Highlighted insights will include information on diversity of populations, environments, and pathogens, as well as cutting edge insights to understand their interactions. Dr. Anne Justice, Associate Professor at Geisinger Health System, Danville PA, will provide an overarching description of Omics, as a hypothesis free approach to studying diversity within and between human populations, and hypothesis driven approaches such as by studying candidate gene studies. Dr. Dana Pasquale, Assistant Professor at Duke University, will give a talk on how omics-based methods can be applied to study agent (pathogenic) diversity and host-pathogen interactions. Finally, Dr. Davenport, Assistant Professor of biology at Pennsylvania State University, will explore the varied ways in which Omics methods can be used to investigate environmental diversity, as well as the vertices from host to the environment. In each of these parts we will ask speakers to highlight the limitations and strengths of Omics, as an agnostic approach to screen for associations between host-environment-agent interactions. Speaker talks will be followed by Q&A sessions.

Presenter

Anne E. Justice
Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, Geisinger Health System, Danville PA

Anne Justice is an Associate Professor at Geisinger in the Department of Population Health Sciences. She uses her skills in genetic epidemiology, anthropological genetics, and bioinformatics to bring together the bio-cultural, genetic, and public health perspectives to investigate the genomic underpinnings of complex disease risk across the lifecourse. Her team identifies and refines electronic health record (EHR)-derived complex disease traits for genomic discoveries with a focus on obesity and cardiometabolic diseases. Read more

Presenter

Emily R. Davenport
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Eberly College of Science, Joint appointment with Huck Life Sciences Institute, Penn State University, University Park PA

Emily R. Davenport is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Penn State University who is interested in understanding the relationship between humans and our microbiomes. Having long been interested in microbes, Dr. Davenport earned a Bachelor of Science degree with comprehensive honors in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007. She became familiar with genomic techniques while working at the microarray company Roche NimbleGen between 2007 and 2009. Read more

Presenter

Dana K. Pasquale
Assistant Professor in Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC

Dr. Dana K Pasquale earned a PhD in infectious disease epidemiology from UNC-Chapel Hill, earned an MPH in health behavior from East Carolina University, and completed three years as a postdoc in the Duke University Department of Sociology. She combines social network and pathogen genetic data to study infectious disease transmission networks. The majority of Dana’s work is domestic, examining HIV and syphilis transmission in North Carolina. Read more

WEBINAR

Novel Approaches to Cancer Epidemiology: Molecular Epidemiology that Integrates Tumor Heterogeneity Strengthens Causal Inference

April 24, 2024
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (MST)

Cancer is a heterogeneous complex health outcome that is driven by an individual’s germline genetics, ancestry, lifestyle, diet, somatic mutations, immunity, microbiota, environment, health care, and society. To address this complexity, molecular epidemiology, along with immunology and microbiology, has been integrated into cancer epidemiology. A key challenge is that analytical approaches in cancer research must keep up with this torrent of molecular data. Fortunately, novel approaches in molecular epidemiology allow for the inference of etiology, carcinogenesis, and prevention potentials by more profound integration of tumor characteristics into epidemiologic research. In parallel, advances in analytical frameworks, including inverse probability weighting for missing biomarker data, instrumental variable methods, and target trial emulations, help infer causality. Epidemiologists are also critical for interpreting molecular differences in tumor features related to race and ancestry. Integrative approaches promise to decipher and resolve some of the seemingly paradoxical findings debated in the literature.

The objective of this webinar is to present the latest approaches and real-world challenges in molecular epidemiological studies of cancer by early-career investigators representing diverse expertise. This webinar seeks to promote a better understanding of both biomarkers and analytical approaches and foster future collaborations.

Schedule
Read more

Presenter

Tomotaka Ugai,<br/> Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Tomotaka Ugai,
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Presenter

Hwa-young Lee,<br/> The Catholic University of Korea <br/> <br/> <br/>

Hwa-young Lee,
The Catholic University of Korea


Presenter

Cheng Peng, <br/> Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School <br/> <br/>

Cheng Peng,
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Presenter

Minkyo Song,<br/> National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health

Minkyo Song,
National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health

Presenter

Konrad H. Stopsack, <br/> Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Konrad H. Stopsack,
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Presenter

Naoko Sasamoto, <br/> Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Naoko Sasamoto,
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School

SERjournal Cub

Nonparametric Causal Effects Based on Longitudinal Modified Treatment Policies

April 10, 2024
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (MST)

Join us for the April Journal Club of the Student and Postdoc Committee in which we will discuss the article, “Nonparametric Causal Effects Based on Longitudinal Modified Treatment Policies” with the lead author, Dr. Iván Díaz.

Iván Díaz (he/him) is an Associate Professor of Biostatistics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Díaz’s research focuses on causal inference from observational and randomized studies, ranging from definitions and estimation of causal effects with complex data structures, to the study of optimal statistical methods. He works at the intersection of causal inference, machine learning, and mathematical statistics to develop methods that provide relevant answers to substantive questions using state-of-the-art data analysis techniques.

Iván Díaz
Associate Professor, Division of Biostatistics Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Iván Díaz (he/him) is an Associate Professor of Biostatistics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Díaz’s research focuses on causal inference from observational and randomized studies, ranging from definitions and estimation of causal effects with complex data structures, to the study of optimal statistical methods. He works at the intersection of causal inference, machine learning, and mathematical statistics to develop methods that provide relevant answers to substantive questions using state-of-the-art data analysis techniques.

WEBINAR

Counting contacts? : The case for public health surveillance of social behaviors that transmit common infections

April 3, 2024
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (MST)

Surveillance for health-related risk behaviors is commonplace for chronic diseases, but not for common infections like influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and norovirus which are transmitted from person-to-person. As the COVID-19 pandemic made clear, these behaviors can change dramatically in response to an individual’s perceived or actual risk of illness, as well as the availability of interventions like social distancing measures or vaccination. In the absence of a pandemic, routine annual events (i.e., holidays) as well as changing social and cultural mores (i.e., the rise of remote work and school) rearrange the number and type of routine, daily social interactions among members in a community. Surveillance focused on social contact can monitor behaviors that change infection risk through time, illuminating differences in disease burden by group and informing strategies to target and monitor the impact of interventions. However, methods to collect this data which minimize bias and ensure population representativeness remain elusive.

Presenter

Carol Liu,<br/> Emory University

Carol Liu,
Emory University

Presenter

Mark Lurie,<br/> Brown University

Mark Lurie,
Brown University

Presenter

Ayesha Mahmud, <br/> University of California, Berkeley

Ayesha Mahmud,
University of California, Berkeley

Presenter

Kayoko Shioda,<br/> Boston University

Kayoko Shioda,
Boston University

Moderator

Kristin Nelson, <br/> Emory University

Kristin Nelson,
Emory University

WEBINAR

The application of novel epidemiological methods/concepts to study human health: using liver cancer as an example

March 6, 2024
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (MST)

In this symposium, we will use liver cancer as an example to show how these novel methodology/concepts are utilized to inform disease etiology, risk stratification, and early detection. Liver cancer incidence is on the rise worldwide and has significant global health disparities with much higher incidence in low-to-middle income countries such as Africa. However, liver cancer incidence has also been tripled since the 1980s with unclear underlying causes in developed countries such as US. Additionally, liver cancer is often fatal due to a delay in cancer diagnosis and no effective early screening. This symposium will highlight how novel methodology/concepts can be used to improve knowledge on liver cancer etiology, in particular non-viral risk factors such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and biomarkers of liver cancer progression and early detection. Symposium attendees will learn how to use innovative methods/concepts and further advance these concepts when applying them to their studies. Discussion with the speakers and attendees will center on opportunities for research, including methodological advances that can strengthen future studies to close gaps in disease etiology and early biomarkers.

View Full Overview Here!

Session Chair:

  • Xuehong Zhang, MBBS, ScD

Presenters:

  • Yikyung Park, ScD, Circadian rhythm disrupting lifestyle: Emerging risk factors for cancer
  • Yinan Zhang, PhD, Locus-specific repetitive element DNA methylation in viral-associated liver cancer 
  • Towia Libermann, PhD, Applications of proteomics to epidemiological studies to inform disease etiology, biology, and early detection

SER Mid-Year Meeting

SPC Virtual Oral Abstract Presentations

March 6, 2024
12:00PM – 1:30PM (MST)

Ruth Geller <br/> Boston University School of Public Health

Ruth Geller
Boston University School of Public Health

Nicholas Grubic <br/> University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Nicholas Grubic
University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Peter Larson <br/> University of Michigan Institute for Social Research

Peter Larson
University of Michigan Institute for Social Research

Sarah A. Phillips<br/> Eastern Virginia Medical School <br/> <br/>

Sarah A. Phillips
Eastern Virginia Medical School

Jeffrey Alexander Chan <br/> Department of Social Medicine at Maastricht University in the Netherlands <br/> <br/>

Jeffrey Alexander Chan
Department of Social Medicine at Maastricht University in the Netherlands

Angela D’Adamo <br/> Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Angela D’Adamo
Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Mitra Mosslemi <br/> University of Pittsburg <br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> <br/>

Mitra Mosslemi
University of Pittsburg




Terry Zhou<br/> Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health </br/> <br/> <br/> <br/>

Terry Zhou
Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health



Lucila Vilela  <br/> Brazil and an Epidemiology/Biostatistics MPH student at Cuny <br/> <br/> <br/>

Lucila Vilela
Brazil and an Epidemiology/Biostatistics MPH student at Cuny


SER Mid-Year Meeting

Addressing Antifatness in Epidemiologic Research

March 7, 2024
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (MST)

In epidemiologic studies, body weight or obesity is often considered as a risk factor or health behavior for many diseases and health conditions. Public Health’s focus on “obesity epidemic” and “weight loss” has increased exponentially within the last few decades. However, the stigma and discrimination toward overweight or obese individuals that came with it were often overlooked and not accounted for in research. Weight stigma can lead to adverse outcomes on psychological and physical health, and decreased quality of health care and quality of life.
A common misassumption is that weight is a behavior that results from individual’s control and choices. It reinforces negative attitudes or stereotypes toward people live with overweight or obesity such as lack of self-discipline, weak-willed, or laziness. It was estimated that the prevalence of weight discrimination increased by 66% in early 2000 in the US. The continuation of weigh stigma (also known as “antifatness” or “fatphobia”) has damaging the societal values of equity, diversity, and inclusion. To reduce its impact, weight stigma must be recognized and addressed by the public health community. The goal of this symposium is to bring awareness and understanding to this issue, while giving ample time to generate discussion on the potential implications and identification of strategies or policies for remediation.

This session will provide an overview and introduction to the subject of weight-related bias and discrimination. It will emphasize the needs of a weight-inclusive approach and engage students, researchers, and policy makers in critical thought about how to best measure health without using weight or BMI as a marker, how to focus on behaviors that impact health (i.e. nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and smoking cessation), and how given access to stigma-free health care and opportunities.

Patricia Nece,  <br/> Obesity Action Coalition <br/> <br/>

Patricia Nece,
Obesity Action Coalition

Rebecca Pearl, PhD <br/> University of Florida <br/> "Introduction and overview of weight stigma" <br/>

Rebecca Pearl, PhD
University of Florida
"Introduction and overview of weight stigma"

Katherine Flegal <br/> Stanford University <br/> "Biased and uncritical epidemiologic research may contributed to weight stigma."

Katherine Flegal
Stanford University
"Biased and uncritical epidemiologic research may contributed to weight stigma."

Erick Forno <br/> Indiana University <br/> "How do physicians communicate with parents with children that are overweight or obese"

Erick Forno
Indiana University
"How do physicians communicate with parents with children that are overweight or obese"

Ragen Chastain <br/> Board Certified Patient Advocate <br/> "Research for Every Body – Identifying and Eradicating Weight Stigma in Epidemiological Research"

Ragen Chastain
Board Certified Patient Advocate
"Research for Every Body – Identifying and Eradicating Weight Stigma in Epidemiological Research"

SERdigital

A Call for Descriptive Epidemiology

February 14, 2024
10:00AM (MST)

Despite the importance of focusing on person, place, and time in public health research, the field invests little time in training on descriptive epidemiology. This branch of epidemiology is often viewed as less “sexy”, harder to publish, and less likely to be funded, yet it is the cornerstone of much of what we do in epidemiology. Furthermore, and arguably more troubling, potentially because it is ubiquitous, we often do not reflect on biases present in descriptive epidemiology. The COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent coronavirus disease have highlighted the importance of descriptive epidemiology in responding to serious public health crises and have raised discussions about the potential impact of descriptive epidemiology. This session will provide an understanding of the concept of descriptive epidemiology and some key components of conducting valuable descriptive epidemiologic studies.

Dr. Matthew Fox (He/him) is a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Global Health at Boston University. [wpex] His research interests include treatment outcomes in HIV-treatment programs, infectious disease epidemiology (with specific interests in HIV and pneumonia), and epidemiologic methods. He works on ways to improve retention in HIV-care programs in South Africa from the time of testing HIV-positive through long-term treatment. As part of this work, he is involved in analyses to assess the impact of changes in South Africa’s National Treatment Guidelines for HIV. He also does research on quantitative bias analysis and co-authored a book on these methods, Applying Quantitative Bias Analysis to Epidemiologic Data (http://www.springer.com/public+health/book/978-0-387-87960-4). He is also the host of a public health journal club podcast called Free Associations designed to help people stay current in the public health literature and think critically about the quality of research studies (https://bit.ly/30fPApj) and a podcast on Epidemiologic Methods called SERious Epi (https://seriousepi.blubrry.net/). He currently teaches a third-level epidemiologic methods class, Advanced Epidemiology as well as two other doctoral-level epidemiologic methods courses. Twitter: @profmattfox [/wpex]

Matthew Fox, DSc, MPH
Professor of Epidemiology and of Global health, Boston University School of Public Health

Dr. Matthew Fox (He/him) is a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Global Health at Boston University. Read more
Dr. Lesko (She/her) has expertise in the development and application of epidemiological methods for the analysis of imperfect and incomplete observational data. [wpex] Her research primarily focuses on causal inference, time-to-event analyses, describing the HIV care continuum, and the impact of mental health and substance use on clinical outcomes and engagement in care for people with HIV. Twitter: @leskocar [/wpex]

Catherine Lesko, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Dr. Lesko (She/her) has expertise in the development and application of epidemiological methods for the analysis of imperfect and incomplete observational data. Read more

PANEL DISCUSSION

Mentoring Through Transitions: A Panel Discussion

January 24, 2024
10:00AM (MST)

Across career paths in epidemiology, we have to navigate transitions through different stages of our career. Please join the SER Mentoring Committee as we host a webinar featuring panelists who have experience both as mentees and mentors in navigating through career transitions. Our goal is to answer questions relating to mentoring across various careers stages and how to optimize the mentee-mentor relationship throughout each stage. Through registration for this event you will have the opportunity to submit anonymous questions for the panelists.

Moderator<br/> Sonia Grandi<br/>The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto

Moderator
Sonia Grandi
The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto

Moderator<br/>Stephanie Shiau<br/>Rutgers School of Public Health

Moderator
Stephanie Shiau
Rutgers School of Public Health

Panelist<br/> Leslie McClure<br/> Saint Louis University

Panelist
Leslie McClure
Saint Louis University

Panelist<br/>Theresa Chapple-McGruder<br/>Village of Oak Park

Panelist
Theresa Chapple-McGruder
Village of Oak Park

Panelist<br/> Brian Whitcomb<br/>University of Mass, Amherst

Panelist
Brian Whitcomb
University of Mass, Amherst

Panelist<br/>Jaimie Gradus<br/> Boston University

Panelist
Jaimie Gradus
Boston University

SERjournal Club

Quantification of selection bias in studies of risk factors for birth defects among livebirths.

January 10, 2024
10:00AM (MST)

Dominique Heinke, ScD, Senior Research Scientist, University of Washington

Article: Quantification of selection bias in studies of risk factors for birth defects among livebirths.

Dominique Heinke is an epidemiologist with a passion for advancing research on groups often considered too small to study. Her work frequently utilizes descriptive epidemiology grounded in modern causal inference theory to conduct clinical and policy-relevant research on rare and neglected outcomes, like stillbirth. She is currently a Senior Research Scientist at the University of Washington where her work focuses on substance use and HIV with a special interest in gender minority populations.twitter: @epi_d_nique
blusky: @epidnique.bsky.social
Dominique Heinke is an epidemiologist with a passion for advancing research on groups often considered too small to study. Her work frequently utilizes descriptive epidemiology grounded in modern causal inference theory to conduct clinical and policy-relevant research on rare and neglected outcomes, like stillbirth. She is currently a Senior Research Scientist at the University of Washington where her work focuses on substance use and HIV with a special interest in gender minority populations.twitter: @epi_d_nique blusky: @epidnique.bsky.social

WEBINAR

SER in Austin: Ongoing Efforts in Reproductive Health; LGBTQ+ Health; and Latino, Black, and Immigrant health

November 15, 2023
12:00PM (EST)

Four presenters who are based in Texas will present their work related to reproductive health, LGBTQ+ health, and Latino/Black/immigrant health. They will also discuss the challenges they face and the environment for this work in Texas. After the presentations, the panel will answer questions from attendees.

Recording Coming Soon!
Dr. Lauren Thaxton is a board-certified OB-GYN and assistant professor in the Department of Women’s Health at Dell Medical School. [wpex] She came to Dell Med from the University of New Mexico, where she completed both her residency and her fellowship in complex family planning. She received her medical degree from Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine and holds a master’s degree in biomedical sciences with a focus on clinical research and a Master of Business Administration with a focus on health organization management. Thaxton’s research is focused on patient-centered care in contraception, abortion and outpatient anesthesia. Her publications have been published in leading journals such as Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. She has been invited to present posters and abstracts pertaining to her work at the national and international level.
Email: lauren.thaxton@austin.utexas.edu
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Dr. Lauren D. Thaxton
University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School

Dr. Lauren Thaxton is a board-certified OB-GYN and assistant professor in the Department of Women’s Health at Dell Medical School. Read more
Dr. Anitra Beasley is an Associate Professor in the Baylor College of Medicine who specializes in general obstetrics and gynecology, family planning services, contraceptive counseling and complex contraceptive management for women with medical problems [wpex]  such as lupus, transplants, diabetes or other medical issues. She serves as the Assistant Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs, Ben Taub Hospital.
Dr. Beasley earned her medical degree and completed her residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Her advanced training includes a fellowship in family planning and a Master of Public Health, Epidemiology at Columbia University in New York.
Email: anitra.beasley@bcm.edu
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Dr. Anitra Beasley
Baylor College of Medicine

Dr. Anitra Beasley is an Associate Professor in the Baylor College of Medicine who specializes in general obstetrics and gynecology, family planning services, contraceptive counseling and complex contraceptive management for women with medical problems Read more
Stephen Russell (he/him) is Regents Professor in Child Development, and Amy Johnson McLaughlin Director of the School of Human Ecology at the University of Texas at Austin. [wpex] He is an expert in adolescent and young adult health, with a focus on sexual orientation and gender identity. He is on the Governing Council of the Society for Research in Child Development, the Board on Children, Youth and Families of the National Academies, and was President of the Society for Research on Adolescence (2012-2014).Email: stephen.russell@utexas.edu
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Dr. Stephen Russell
University of Texas

Stephen Russell (he/him) is Regents Professor in Child Development, and Amy Johnson McLaughlin Director of the School of Human Ecology at the University of Texas at Austin. Read more
Dr. Ethan Hunt is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at the UT Health Houston School of Public Health. [wpex] Dr. Hunt completed his Ph.D. in exercise science at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health in 2021 and was the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living 2021-2022 Post-Doctoral Fellow. Ethan’s research interests include childhood obesity prevention and health disparities. Dr. Hunt has also begun to examine the impacts of trauma, particularly Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how adversity impacts child health outcomes.
Email: Ethan.T.Hunt@uth.tmc.edu
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Dr. Ethan Hunt
UT Health Houston School of Public Health

Dr. Ethan Hunt is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at the UT Health Houston School of Public Health. Read more

SERdigital

Unlocking Insights through Real-World Data in Epidemiologic Research

November 8, 2023
12:00PM – 1:00PM (EST)

According to the U.S., Food and Drug Administration, Real-world evidence refers to the is the clinical evidence about the usage and potential benefits or risks of a medical products derived from analysis of real-world data, while real world data is data relating to patient health status and/or the delivery of health care routinely collected from a variety of sources such as electronic health records, medical claims data and data from product or disease registries. The use of real-world data is a growing area in epidemiologic research, providing an unprecedented opportunity to analyze health outcomes, disease patterns, and interventions based on real-life experiences. This session will provide a comprehensive understanding of how real-world data is collected, analyzed, and leveraged to derive valuable insights for improving population health.

Dr. Gianfrancesco currently serves as Director, Epidemiologist Scientist at Pfizer, Inc. within the Global Medical Epidemiology group. [wpex] Her work focuses on inflammatory and immune-related diseases.  She earned her PhD in Epidemiology from UC Berkeley, as well as an MPH in Chronic Disease Epidemiology from Yale University. Her interests lie at the intersection of epidemiology, machine learning, and causal inference research, specifically as these fields relate to data utilizing electronic health records and other large observational datasets. She also serves as Assistant Adjunct Professor in the Division of Rheumatology at the University of California, San Francisco.
Twitter: MilenaGianfran
Email: milenagianfrancesco@gmail.com
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Milena Gianfrancesco, PhD, MPH
Director, Global Medical Epidemiology, Pfizer, Inc. & Assistant Adjunct Professor, University of California, San Francisco

Dr. Gianfrancesco currently serves as Director, Epidemiologist Scientist at Pfizer, Inc. within the Global Medical Epidemiology group. Read more
Alex Breskin (he/him) is an epidemiologist and biostatistician at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals specializing in the design, implementation, and analysis of observational studies. [wpex] Methodologically, his work has focused on developing methods for producing robust, policy-relevant evidence using one or more data sources and for characterizing, assessing, and minimizing the conditions needed for internal and external validity. Substantively, he has worked in a wide range of disease and therapeutic areas, with a particular focus on pharmacoepidemiology. [wpex] He is also interested in the implementation of complex study designs using large, administrative "big data" sources, with an eye towards efficiency and reproducibility, as well as presenting and communicating modern epidemiologic methods and concepts to lay audiences. In addition to his role at Regeneron, Alex is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to his career in epidemiology, he spent 5 years working in the quantitative finance industry.
Twitter: @BreskinEpi
Email: abreskin@live.unc.edu
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Alexander Breskin, Associate Director of Pharmacoepidemiology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

Alex Breskin (he/him) is an epidemiologist and biostatistician at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals specializing in the design, implementation, and analysis of observational studies. Read more

Will that paper write itself? Nope, it won’t. Getting your writing done in a distracting world.

October 25th, 2023
12:00PM – 1:00PM (EST)

Have you ever struggled to get that paper written? Do you procrastinate when you’re supposed to be writing? If writing is (sometimes) difficult for you, please join the SER Mentoring Committee as we host a webinar by Bill Miller, President of SER, where he will provide tips and strategies about what you can do to improve your writing productivity. The event will include a presentation followed by a Q&A period.

 

William (Bill) Miller, MD, PhD, MPH is Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. [wpex] Bill is an infectious diseases epidemiologist and was also trained as an infectious diseases physician. His own research has focused on HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and substance use. He is the editor-in-chief for the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases and associate editor for Epidemiology. He is the president of the Society for Epidemiologic Research. Bill has been teaching scientific writing for over 20 years, including global writing workshops in Germany, Malawi, China, and Vietnam. [/wpex]

William Miller, PHD, MPH
Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

William (Bill) Miller, MD, PhD, MPH is Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Read more
Britton Trabert (she/her), PhD, MS, MSPH is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology with an adjunct appointment in Population Health Sciences at the University of Utah. [wpex] She is a full member of Cancer Control and Populations Sciences at Huntsman Cancer Institute, where her research program addresses critical questions related to the prevention of gynecologic cancers and integrates pharmacoepidemiology, reproductive epidemiology, and molecular epidemiology to understand cancer risk, etiologic heterogeneity, and progression. Britton is co-chair of the SER Mentoring Committee. [/wpex]

Britton Trabert, PHD, MS, MSPH
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah

Britton Trabert (she/her), PhD, MS, MSPH is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology with an adjunct appointment in Population Health Sciences at the University of Utah. Read more

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Developing and Sustaining Your Research and Professional Agenda

October 11th
12:00PM – 1:00PM (EST)

Epidemiologists are well-trained in the knowledge and skills of the profession yet have few formal opportunities to learn the strategic planning and time management skills that will most influence their career advancement. Identifying professional goals at all stages of your career and developing concrete plans on how to achieve them can be daunting.Dr. Lauren McCullough will provide us with an abbreviated version of the session of the same name she and Dr. Holly Harris led at the 2023 SER Conference. Those who were fortunate enough to attend the conference session will surely benefit from a second listening. Dr. McCullough will provide tools to develop a personal strategy for successfully navigating scientific, professional, and personal goals.

Dr. Lauren E. McCullough is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health and Visiting Scientific Director at the American Cancer Society. Her overarching research interests are in cancer epidemiology, specifically the role of social and structural determinates of health to the breast tumor microenvironment, as well as disparities in cancer outcomes. [wpex]Her research program integrates molecular epidemiology, epigenetics, and other biomarkers for disease risk and progression; environmental and social epidemiology; health services research; and causal inference methods. The goals of her research program, BRIDGE, is to improve cancer outcomes in underserved populations by bridging clinical and population research, molecular and social epidemiology, and scientist with the communities they serve. In doing so, she hopes to identify culturally relevant and sustainable targets for pharmacologic, behavioral, and policy intervention. @Dr_LEMcCullough [/wpex]

Lauren E McCullough, PhD, MSPH (she/her)
Associate Professor Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University Visiting Scientific Director, Population Science, American Cancer Society

Dr. Lauren E. McCullough is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health and Visiting Scientific Director at the American Cancer Society. Her overarching research interests are in cancer epidemiology, specifically the role of social and structural determinates of health to the breast tumor microenvironment, as well as disparities in cancer outcomes. Read more

JOURNAL CLUB

“An integrative framework and recommendations for the study of DNA methylation in the context of race and ethnicity”

September 13th
12:00PM – 1:00PM (EST)

Join us in the Discussion of An integrative framework and recommendations for the study of DNA methylation in the context of race and ethnicity” with Dr. Meingold Chan.

 

Dr. Meingold Chan received her undergraduate degree in Social Sciences, majoring in Psychology and Counselling, from the University of Hong Kong. She completed her Master of Philosophy in Social and Developmental Psychology from the University of Cambridge, working with Prof. Claire Hughes. She graduated with PhD in Human Development and Family Science at The Ohio State University, working with Dr. Xin Feng. Her doctoral work focused on cultural differences in emotion socialization and preschoolers’ socioemotional development across China (Beijing and Hong Kong) and the United States. [wpex] As a postdoctoral fellow in the Kobor lab, she is expanding her research to understand the biological embedding of social environment through the changes in DNA methylation with a specific focus on family and race, ethnicity, and culture.  @ChanMeingold [/wpex]

Meingold Chan, Dr. (she/her)
University of British Columbia & British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute (Kobor Lab)

Dr. Meingold Chan received her undergraduate degree in Social Sciences, majoring in Psychology and Counselling, from the University of Hong Kong. She completed her Master of Philosophy in Social and Developmental Psychology from the University of Cambridge, working with Prof. Claire Hughes. She graduated with PhD in Human Development and Family Science at The Ohio State University, working with Dr. Xin Feng. Her doctoral work focused on cultural differences in emotion socialization and preschoolers’ socioemotional development across China (Beijing and Hong Kong) and the United States. Read more

Why SERpresents?

In 2013, SER rolled out branding of several initiatives within SER in anticipation of their 50th anniversary. SERcollaborations, SERdigital, SERexperts, SERplaylists, SERjournal Club, SERnews, and SERtalks were formed. These programs generated a wide variety of content and increased opportunities to be engaged in Society events throughout the year. In 2023, the program SERpresents was rolled out which brings together many of these programs. The same variety of content and opportunities are provided through SERpresents, but come together for a convenient display of all the content being offered at SER throughout the year. Recordings from all programming under the previous structure to the new SERpresents structure, will remain in the SERlibrary. To view archived pages of SERcollaborations, SERdigital, SERexperts, SERjournal Club, and SERtalks, click on their embedded link.