CDC Enteric Diseases Laboratory Internship
*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis. This posting will remain open to fill opportunities as they become available.
CDC Office and Location: A research opportunity is available with the PulseNet Outbreak Detection and Surveillance Unit (PODSU), in the Enteric Diseases Laboratory Branch (EDLB) in the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases in the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) located in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the major operation components of the Department of Health and Human Services. CDC works to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same.
Research Project: PulseNet, the National Molecular Subtyping Network for Foodborne Disease Surveillance, facilitates investigations of foodborne disease outbreaks and early identification of foodborne disease clusters. Participating PulseNet laboratories sequence foodborne pathogens (Salmonella, Escherichia, Campylobacter, Listeria, and Vibrio) and share the sequence data electronically with CDC. Sequence data is used for national cluster detection, outbreak investigations, identification of the source of outbreaks, and characterization (species identification, serotyping, virulence determination, and resistance profiling) of foodborne pathogens. Please refer to www.cdc.gov/pulsenet for more information.
Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will gain experience in:
- Curating and managing data in the PulseNet national databases
- Performing routine analysis of sequence data from PulseNet Participants, using customized software (BioNumerics)
- Actively participating in the detection and management of foodborne disease clusters
- Collaborating with epidemiologists in the investigation and control of foodborne outbreaks
- Participating in the presentation of PulseNet information to a variety of audiences
- Learning about other skills which include but are not limited to: verbal and written communications with clients, production of marketing materials, QA/QC, data summary reports, etc.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Kelly Hise (kpb6@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: Winter 2021/2022. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of CDC and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.
ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and CDC. Participants do not become employees of CDC, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE.CDC.NCEZID@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.