HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS EPIDEMIOLOGIST

University of Wisconsin

Madison, WI

ID: 7134991
Posted: March 20, 2023
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Job Description

JOB SUMMARY:
This position is located in the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Division of Public Health (DPH), Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health (BEOH), Hazard Assessment Section and is maintained through a contract and ongoing partnership with the UW School of Medicine and Public Health's Department of Population Health Sciences (PHS).

Under the direction of the Chief of the Hazard Assessment Section, the incumbent serves as an epidemiologist in the Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Surveillance Program, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the DHS Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC) Cooperative Agreement. This position provides epidemiologic leadership within the Program to coordinate and conduct statewide surveillance, investigation, and reporting of health hazards, human and animal illnesses, and outbreaks related to freshwater HABs.

This position will require some occasional travel (approximately once per month, in Wisconsin or out of state). The purpose of the travel is to conduct investigation work, outreach events, and attend in-state and out-of-state conferences. Travel will be mostly day trips or single overnights. Infrequent multi-day trips for out-of-state travel.

Responsibilities of this position include:

- Leading HAB-related illness surveillance and investigations of HAB occurrence and/or suspected HAB-related illness, coordinating with the State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH), the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Ensuring appropriate collection of data and documentation for reporting in State and Federal epidemiological surveillance systems.
- Developing and maintaining protocols for public health response to suspected HAB illnesses.
- Serving as the DHS liaison to local, state, and Federal agency partners on HAB-related issues, both on an individual basis and as part of advisory committees.
- Providing guidance and assistance to local public health agencies (LPHAs) and other state agencies responding to situations involving HAB occurrence or suspected HAB-related illness.
- Developing HAB-related fact sheets and other educational materials for the general public.
- Developing peer-reviewed manuscripts and presentations to the scientific community at professional conferences.
- Contributes to the development of Federal grants and cooperative agreements and assisting with reporting to CDC on performance measures and progress reports, under the guidance of the HAS Chief and the principal investigator of the ELC Cooperative agreement.

SMPH is committed to being a diverse, equitable, inclusive and anti-racist workplace and is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Applications from Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals, LGBTQ+ and non-binary identities, women, persons with disabilities, military service members and veterans are strongly encouraged.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Provides research expertise to fundamental and applied scientific research and solves problems in research development and applications to support the advancement of research.
40% Collects and analyzes increasingly complex research data, conducts experiments and interviews, and documents results according to established policies and procedures
15% Conducts literature reviews, prepares reports and materials, co-authors publications, and disseminates information to appropriate entities
10% Trains individuals and groups on equipment operations, research protocols, and techniques within a specialized laboratory or research area
10% Develops and implements increasingly complex research methodologies, procedures, and criteria
10% Reviews and edits protocols to ensure accuracy, thoroughness, and consistency
5% Assists in developing grant applications and proposals to secure research funding
10% Translates results from technical work into outreach and educational activities to improve general public and stakeholder awareness of HABs and associated human health risks.
INSTITUTIONAL STATEMENT ON DIVERSITY:
Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

EDUCATION:
Required
Master's Degree in public health, epidemiology, or relevant environmental sciences fields.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Required Qualification:
- At least two years of experience working in the field of public health, epidemiology, or environmental health.
- Experience using statistical software packages such as SAS or R to collect, manage, analyze and visualize data.
- Experience communicating technical information to diverse audiences, including those with limited technical knowledge.
- Experience building and maintaining effective collaborations.

Preferred Qualification:
- Training or experience in conducting epidemiological investigations or research studies.
- Experience providing consultation, education, or training on technical concepts in public health or related fields.
- Experience writing scientific articles or reports for publications, journals, white papers, presentations, public health assessments.

Skills & Abilities:
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability and willingness to travel occasionally (in Wisconsin or out of state).
- Ability to work effectively with community leaders, University faculty, physicians as well as diverse community partners and local and state public health professionals.