American College of Epidemiology
2010 Annual Meeting
Roundtables

September 13, 2010

Grand Hyatt Hotel, San Francisco, CA

Luncheon Roundtables

1. Identifying Core Competencies in Doctoral-Level and Master-Level Epidemiological Training
   Kristopher Fennie
   
   

   In recent years, there has been interest in developing competencies for a range of fields, including public health.  Prior efforts by the American College of Epidemiology (ACE), the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) have identified various domains and competencies important to epidemiological training.  Although there have been considerable efforts in identifying these domains and competencies, there is still work to be done.  In Spring 2009, a sample of ACE members were invited to respond to on-line surveys regarding competencies (one for “established” epidemiologists and one for recent graduates of epidemiology programs).  These surveys have provided considerable insight into what competencies are important for individuals receiving graduate training in epidemiology.  However, several questions have also emerged.  The purpose of this roundtable is to gather additional information on the following questions:  1.) What are the similarities and differences among MS, MSPH, and MPH degrees in epidemiology and are there different expectations for individuals receiving these degrees? and 2.)  Do competencies differ by job setting (i.e. academic, hospital, government, and private research/industry settings)?  Furthermore, we seek to obtain contact information for individuals we may approach later in the year to take part in a Delphi process in order to gather expert opinions and synthesize these opinions to reach consensus on the core competencies important to graduate-level training in epidemiology.
   
   

2. Publication Flux: Academic careers in the digital age
   Allen Wilcox, Richard Rothenberg, Melissa Adams
   
   

   Despite obvious changes in the scientific publishing industry, certain aspects of academic life seem impervious.   Investigators’ reputations are still built on the studies they do, the articles they publish, and the perceived value of the journals in which those articles appear.  Tenure is still based in large part on grant-getting, bibliography, their interaction (grants*articles), the perception of peers, and journal rank (which, despite the reasoned arguments of many, remains a function of Impact Factor).  Meanwhile, back at the journal, changes are proceeding apace.  Led by several of the large, very high impact journals, more and more material is being put on line, and less and less in the actual manuscript.  From a totally different direction, many are questioning the gate-keeping character of journals (or rather, their editors), and seek a more egalitarian format for sharing scientific information and ideas.  These two forces—the merging of print and e-print; and dissatisfaction with traditional peer scrutiny—are likely to have an important impact on careers and scientific interchanges.  This roundtable invites participants to a discussion of these issues.
   
   

3. Getting the Most out of Practicum Experiences: Mentoring and Being Mentored in Practice Settings to Maximize Benefits
   Robert McKeown
   
   Students in graduate epidemiology programs are often placed in practice settings rather than research projects for graduate assistantships or as part of degree requirements.  Typical practice setting include public health agencies, health care institutions, NGOs, public agencies and private sector companies.  Some degree programs, such as the MPH, require student to have a practice experience.   Recently, the Council on Education in Public Health, the accrediting agency for public health degree programs and schools of public health has placed more emphasis on differentiating the DrPH degree from the PhD degree, requiring, among other things, that DrPH degree candidates should have advanced practicum experience.  Typically, the student works with an advisor or mentor in both the academic home and practice setting, requiring both to adapt emphases, experience, knowledge, and skills to the student and the setting to provide effective guidance.  The focus of this roundtable will be on what’s worked and what hasn’t for students and their mentors. This roundtable forum will present perspectives from a student and experienced mentors from academic and practice settings and allow for dialogue among participants who need to prepare for practical experiences as part of their degree requirements or will mentor students in those settings
   
   
4. Ethical and Scientific Aspects of Small Epidemiologic Risks
   ACE Ethics Committee
   This Roundtable will focus on the interaction of epidemiologic research and regulatory policy. There are several recent examples where relative risks on the order of 1.2 have been used to establish “causal” relationships and to implement regulations designed to reduce the environmental exposures involved in these relationships. However, there is substantial controversy regarding these relationships and the use of them for regulatory purposes. The above concerns will be applied to the epidemiologic relationship between fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) and mortality, which the California Air Resources Board (CARB) estimates is responsible for 18,000 premature California deaths per year. This relationship has been used by CARB to justify expensive diesel vehicle regulations designed to reduce PM2.5 levels in California. Important ethical and scientific issues will be discussed by speakers with divergent opinions on this controversial relationship in order to fairly examine this example of the interaction between epidemiology and public policy. The goal of the roundtable will be to produce recommendations regarding the ethical conduct of research involving small epidemiologic risks
   
   
   
5. Luncheon for Chairs of Epidemiology Departments

Breakfast Roundtables

1. Biomarkers in Epidemiologic Research
   Jennifer Zipprich
   
   

   Biological markers are increasingly used in epidemiologic research to make inferences about individuals’ environmental exposures or susceptibility to disease, among others. Topics discussed will include types of biomarkers (exposure, susceptibility, effect), issues related to using biomarkers from easily accessible compartments (blood, urine, saliva) as surrogates for other tissues, and temporal associations between biomarkers and disease.
   
   

2. Epidemiology’s Failure to Consider Disabilities
   Melissa Adams and Lorann Stallones
   
   Up to 20% of the U.S. adult population has one or more disabilities.  The presence and type of disability influence health status and risk for adverse health outcomes.  Yet the possible confounding or modifying effect of the presence of a disability rarely is considered in epidemiologic analyses. Furthermore, epidemiologic societies neither actively recruit nor routinely accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities.  This roundtable discusses ways to address these short‑comings
   
   
3. Vibrio Vulnificus and Oysters: Pearls and Perils
   Nicholas A. Daniels
   
   Vibrio vulnificus is a naturally occurring bacterium, which is ubiquitous in coastal waters, and is the leading cause of seafood-related deaths in the United States.  Of all the foodborne diseases, infection with Vibrio vulnificus is one of the most severe infections. This round table will review the current epidemiology on this foodborne pathogen and, more importantly, discuss measures to prevent Vibrio vulnificus infections.
   
   
4. Meet the Editors
   Allen Wilcox and Richard Rothenberg
   
   

   Participants will discuss issues related to effective submission of articles for publication, current editorial policy, and the comparative interests of the available epidemiologic journals, since a spate of new online journals has given authors more options.

5. Presenting Data Effectively
   Education, Publication, and Mentoring Committee

   Objectives include describing appropriate ways to display different types of public health data and describing the format of an effective oral scientific abstract and presentation.
   
   
6. Catch Me If You Can
   Kim Page 
   
   Roundtable discussion on the challenges, rejoinders and rewards of reaching, enrolling and following vulnerable populations and 'hard-to-reach" groups, including but not limited to homeless, legally vulnerable groups (immigrants, sex workers, paroled, etc), youth (especially emancipated youth), street-based groups, etc. in epidemiological research. Participants will discuss a variety of problems and solutions in conducting research with these target populations, share experience and ideas on the repertoires used and not-used, for example, sampling methods, community engagement, mobile devices, etc.