Stay Groovy, Epi Students! | |
The Department of Epidemiology welcomed our new and returning students to our annual fall social. METRO, TEPHI, local student organizations, and The Cupboard joined us in giving out free swag, shirts, and snacks throughout the event. We started the new school semester off right with temporary tattoos and encouraged our new students to "Stay Groovy." You can see the photos from our social on our Flickr channel. | |
EPIDEMIOLOGY FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS | |
Avian Flu Found in Wastewater
of Ten Texas Cities
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Avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, which spread to cattle and infected 14 people this year, was detected using virome sequencing in the wastewater of 10 Texas cities by researchers at UTHealth Houston and Baylor College of Medicine. The virome is the collection of viruses in a sample, in this case, a wastewater sample.
UTHealth Houston and Baylor established the wastewater testing program as part of the Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute (TEPHI). The sequencing protocol used by the team can detect genetic changes that might indicate an adaptation of the virus to mammals, perhaps even humans. The lack of clinical burden in humans and genomic information suggested that the source of the virus load found in wastewater during that time span came from animal origins. But continued surveillance is critical for monitoring any evolutionary adaptations that would indicate the potential for it to jump to humans, the researchers concluded.
Lead authors of the journal letter were Michael J. Tisza, PhD, assistant professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor; Blake Hanson, PhD, assistant professor in the Center for Infectious Diseases at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health; Eric Boerwinkle, PhD, director of TEPHI and the dean of the School of Public Health; and Anthony W. Maresso, PhD, the Joseph L. Melnick Chair of Virology at Baylor.
The information was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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New Grant Awarded for Multi-Dimensional Surveillance System for Congenital Heart Defects | |
Associate Professor A.J. Agopian, PhD and Assistant Professor Jenil Patel, MBBS, MPH, PhD, in partnership with local partners, have been awarded a new grant to create a multi-dimensional surveillance system for congenital heart defects (CHD) in Texas.
Led by UTHealth Houston, Baylor College of Medicine, in partnership with the Center for Health Care Data and other partners, the Texas HEart Malformation surveillancE System (THEMES) database will use data from the Texas Birth Defects Registry and Texas All Payor Claims Database to analyze CHD trends.
This project will focus on key outcomes like age-specific mortality and will investigate the impact of healthcare disparities and respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. The diverse population of Texas will help ensure a comprehensive understanding of CHD care, with findings shared to improve CHD management statewide.
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New Grant Aims to Advance AI in Reducing Health Disparities
The IC² Institute and Dell Medical School announced funding for four research projects that promise significant advancements in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities.
One of the projects, "Enhancing Pediatric Health Equity Using Machine Learning," led by Assistant Professor Augusto Cesar Ferreira De Moraes, PhD, aims to evaluate how social determinants of health influence machine learning-generated risk scores for pediatric cardiovascular and brain health and to develop strategies to reduce health disparities in at-risk adolescents.
Read more in the press release here.
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EPIDEMIOLOGY STUDENT NEWS | |
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The School of Public Health Career Services presents Career Week from October 7 to 11. Join us for events covering how to update your resume, practicum 101 and contracts, and new fellowship information sessions.
Monday, October 7
Tuesday, October 8
Wednesday, October 9
Thursday, October 10
Friday, October 11
Many sessions are available in person and virtually. Please check the SPH events calendar for more information.
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Practicum Prep: Setting Up for Success | |
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Practicum 101
Wednesday, October 2
Noon - 1:00 PM
Virtual Link
Meet the Office of Public Health Practice & Engagement’s Practicum Services Team and learn about
your program's practicum,
requirements, available
resources, and more!
More Information &
Registration Link
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Practicum
Learning Contracts
Wednesday, October 16
Noon - 1:00 PM
Virtual Link
Meet the Office of Public Health Practice & Engagement’s Practicum Services Team and learn about the practicum learning contract, requirements, processes, timelines,
and more!
More Information &
Registration Link
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Opioid Overdose
Response Training
Thursday, October 3
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
In-Person and Virtual
All UTHealth Houston students, faculty, and staff are invited to the Opioid Overdose Response Training event offered by the Houston Emergency Engagement System (HEROES) in partnership with the Student Epidemic Intelligence Society (SEIS), The training class will be in person and a virtual option available. Please register for room details and a virtual link.
For More Information &
Registration: Link
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Center for Infectious Diseases
Fall Lecture
September 5, 2024
Noon - 1:00 PM
In-Person & Virtual Option
Join us for the Center for Infectious Diseases fall lecture featuring Megan Duffey, MD, who will discuss neglected tropical diseases in the population of Mexican-Americans in Starr County, Texas.
For More Information &
Registration: Link
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32nd James H. Steele, DVM Fall Lecture
with Maryn McKenna
Friday, November 1
Noon - 1:00 PM
In-person and Virtual Option
The Center for Infectious Diseases invites you to save the date for the 32nd James H. Steele DVM Fall Lecture featuring Maryn McKenna on Friday, November 1.
McKenna is a journalist, author, and contributing editor to Scientific American and will present her lecture titled, "Too much and not enough: the challenge of science communication after COVID."
For registration for in-person
and virtual options: Link
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Health Equity Collective
Quarterly Meeting
Thursday, October 3
8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
TMC Innovation, Suite X
The Center for Health Equity is hosting the Health Equity Collective (HEC) systems coalition in-person quarterly meeting at the TMC Innovation, Suite X. The event is free and open to the public and is a great opportunity to network with other healthcare and community organizations and hear about the work of the HEC.
For registration & Information: Link
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TEPHI Infection Prevention & Control Seminar: Module 209
Tuesday, October 3
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Virtual
Join our free Infection Prevention & Control training on Thursday, October 3, hosted by Kayla Ruch, PhD, Infection Prevention Practioner. In this module, learn about collaborative IPC processes in healthcare settings. Register now:
Virtual Registration Link
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The Cupboard
Student Food Bank
Every Wednesday and
Thursday
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
The Cupboard is a no-cost food resource
for students and staff who may
need assistance.
Location: SPH Building, B-04
Email: TheCupboard@uth.tmc.edu
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Associate Professor Kim Waller, PhD, a perinatal epidemiologist, was cited in an article in Newsday on the increase in babies born in August and September in the United States. She pointed out that a publication led by Dr. Dejian Lie and Dr. Waller found that a very large decrease in births in the US occurs on weekends and holidays when scheduled c-sections and induction of labor are not usually performed. | |
Calling all Epidemiology alums! Epi in the News would like to include alum updates and news to feature in our monthly spotlight! Please email Jana Satterwhite, Communications Specialist, to be considered for our upcoming newsletters. | Reminder: For more information on how to handle media requests, see the UTHealth Houston HOOP policy here. If you are contacted by the media, please call the UTHealth Houston Media Relations team on the hotline, 713-500-3030 - someone is available 24/7. Deb Lake is the designated School of Public Health contact. Always choose to call the hotline for immediate assistance. | |
SUBMISSIONS AND NEWSLETTER DEADLINE | |
All campuses are encouraged to submit items for consideration for the monthly Epi newsletter. Please feel free to submit your items to sphehges@uth.tmc.edu. | | | | |
