&QJTPEFSPRING 2008

DEPARTMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGY • SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH • THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL Team Epi-Aid conducts pre-hurricane assessment in Carteret County, North Carolina

eam Epi-Aid (TEA) is a volun- teer student group at the UNC TSchool of Public Health that gives students the opportunity to gain applied public health experience. TEA provides needed surge capacity to North Carolina’s local and state health depart- ments by assisting with outbreak inves- tigations, community assessments, and other field epidemiology activities. Recently, Team Epi-Aid participat- ed in a unique community assessment in Carteret County. Since 1993, Carteret County has suffered 20 fatalities and more than $1.8 billion in property damage due to hurricanes and tropical storms. With its growing population and increasingly urbanized coastal setting, Carteret County is repeatedly at risk for (From left to right) Laura Gammons, Carteret County Health Department; Jen Horney, NC hurricane-related personal injury and Center for Public Health Preparedness and UNC Department of Epidemiology; and Steve property damage. The Carteret County Ramsey, Public Health Regional Surveillance Team 5, prepare handheld computers for survey (Continued on Page Twenty) data collection. Discovering the challenges of international field research uring summer 2007, doc- map drinking water sources and mos- Despite such well-intentioned prepa- toral student Brettania Lopes, quito breeding sites within the desig- rations, Brettania soon learned that in Dtraveled to the Ecuadorian nated research communities. these remote areas, progress in research Amazon to help launch a new research The research communities were is often impeded by unforeseen logisti- effort focusing on water quality and carefully selected in consultation with cal challenges. related infectious diseases. Research a local university and with special con- Mother Nature was the first culprit. activities included (1) conducting sur- sideration for factors known to facilitate Active volcanoes, heavy rains, land- veys of mosquito breeding grounds to successful research, such as health care slides, impassable mud roads, and road identify species and abundance; (2) infrastructure and community buy-in. (Continued on Page Twenty) sampling drinking water and testing for both pathogens and phosphate/nitrate INSIDE content; (3) conducting in-person inter- &QJTPEF
 views on water contamination percep- Page 2 • Message from the Chair Page 13 • Student News tions, cases of diarrheal illness, dengue Page 3 • Research News Page 19 • Staff News Page 4 • Alumni News Page 21 • Department Event and malaria, behavioral risk factors, and Page 9 • Faculty News Page 21 • Giving to Epi demographic data; and (4) using GIS to Message From The Chair t is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Department of Epidemiology Spring 2008 newsletter. This is the first department newsletter since 2004, and we have a Ilot of catching up to do. I now have been departmental chair for a little over a year, and although I have been a faculty member for 15 years, my new position has given me even greater appreciation for the department, past and present. The department is very healthy and is an internationally recognized leader in epidemiologic research and training, Andy Olshan, PhD all of which is a tribute to past chairs and our outstanding faculty, staff and students. This Department of Epidemiology newsletter captures the vibrancy of the department with highlights of student and faculty research and staff and alumni awards. As you can see, our department continues to excel and garner local and national recognition. As an update, we have also provided listings of the current faculty and new staff. This has been an exciting year. Carolina’s School of Public Health again is ranked the leading public school of public health by U.S. News & World Report. Our School tied with Harvard University for #2 in the overall rankings, following the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in the rankings released March 30, 2007. The last year brought unprecedented gifts to the School and University. Dr. Dennis Gillings and his wife, Joan Gillings, have committed $50 million to the School of Public Health. Dr. Gillings, chairman and chief executive officer of Quintiles Transnational Corp., is a former UNC biostatistics professor and a current member of the School’s Advisory Council. This is the largest single commitment the University has ever received. In recognition of the $50 million, the School of Public Health will be renamed the “UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health” in September 2008. The Gillings gift will benefit the School in many areas, including the establishment of Gillings Innovation Laboratories as a mechanism to support the development of high-impact innovative research conducted by the School’s faculty and students. In addition, Gillings Fellowships will allow scholars to visit the School and for UNC faculty to spend an extended period at other institutions. The School and University have also been the recipients of another extraordinary new resource. The North Carolina General Assembly created the state’s first University Cancer Research Fund (UCRF) with the passage of the new state budget in July. The fund, established to accelerate the battle against cancer at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine and its Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, will receive $25 million in 2007-2008 and $50 million per year beginning in 2009. A number of faculty at the UNC School of Public Health hold faculty appoint- ments at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the UNC School of Medicine.The Gillings and UCRF will be of tremendous benefit to our faculty and students for many years to come. This year has also been a period of self-review and evaluation. We have just completed our graduate program review, an every-decade evaluation of our department, especially the graduate training program. This has required much effort to gather, assemble and present (our report was 970 pages!) the many dimensions of our department. Thanks to our fac- ulty, students and alumni for responding to our requests for information. We were site-visited by a three-person team on November 1-2, 2007. I am pleased to report that the visit went very well, with recognition of the strengths of our depart- ment. As the site-visit team noted, we are “among the very best departments of epidemiology in the country.” We continue to look for opportunities to strengthen the department and have initiated new faculty recruitments in infectious disease epidemiology and pharmacoepidemiology, areas of great interest in the department and of global and domestic public health significance. The UCRF has also opened up the potential for new recruitments in cancer epidemi- ology. The new year should bring good news on the results of these searches. The past few years have also brought sadness to our department and the epidemiology community. Harry Guess and Al Tyroler both passed away. We have devoted sections of the newsletter to honor their lives and accomplishments. Both were tremendous scientists, mentors and role models; they are very much missed. We have devoted several sections to alumni news and updates. Thanks to all the alumni who have contributed to this effort. In her note, Anneclaire De Roos, president of the alumni association, provides information on how to help us stay updated. We hope you find this newsletter useful as a means to catch up on the past, current, and future plans of the department and its people. I wish to thank all who have helped with this effort, especially Tara Strigo, Richard Kwok, Anneclaire De Roos, Nancy Colvin and Tania Desrosiers. Please contact me ([email protected], 919-966-7424) with any sugges- tions for the newsletter or to discuss any topic of interest to the department.

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RESEARCH NEWS

am a genetic epidemiologist with ceptibility, how gene action is influenced a focus on cardiovascular disease by environmental factors, and how in- I(CVD) and CVD risk factors. teractions between genes and the envi- Genetic epidemiology is a fascinating ronment differ between populations. and fulfilling field that brings together Since joining the faculty at UNC, I scientists from diverse fields to study have held key roles in projects aiming how genetic and environmental fac- to detect, measure, and characterize ge- tors contribute to the pathogenesis and netic and environmental factors related the population burden of disease. The to variation in CVD risk factors. For sequencing of the human genome, the example, I am the principal investigator availability of less expensive molecular of the “Gene-by-smoking Interaction techniques, the design of powerful new and Risk of Atherosclerosis,” a popula- computational approaches, and a great- tion-based study evaluating gene-envi- er awareness of the interplay between ronment interaction in the etiology of genes and the environment now inform CVD. In addition I collaborate in sev- the study of disease and its distribu- eral projects using the Atherosclerosis tion in populations. Indeed, my studies Kari North, PhD, associate professor Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, a provide evidence for a strong genetic Department of Epidemiology well-characterized, bi-ethnic cohort of component of obesity, hyperlipidemia, lipidemia steadily increases, having al- 15,792 men and women under active hypertension, insulin resistance and type ready reached epidemic proportions in follow-up since 1987-89 (completeness 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Moreover, some populations. All of the conditions of follow-up 96%) and continue my in- my research has uncovered important listed above are clearly associated with volvement with the American Indian interactions among genes influencing significant morbidity, reduced quality of Strong Heart Family Study (SHFS). In these CVD traits and environmental life and longevity, and constitute a sub- addition, I am currently an investiga- factors such as smoking and sex (hor- stantial public health burden. Obesity, tor on an ancillary study to the NHLBI monal milieu of genetic effects). T2DM and dyslipidemia have strong Family Heart Study (FHS) entitled My research to date has largely fo- genetic determinants and substantial “Mapping Adiposity QTLs” and on the cused on the identification and ap- variation in disease prevalence is seen Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology plication of innovative methods and in different demographic and societal Network (HyperGEN) of the Family quantitative techniques in both popula- contexts. Nonetheless, variability within Blood Pressure Program project. Lastly, tion- and family-based studies, primar- mostly genetically homogenous popula- I am an investigator on two planning ily in the context of CVD risk factors tions suggests that environmental factors grants that will foster innovative multi- and precursors including lipoproteins, importantly influence susceptibility to disciplinary institutional research, a key insulin and glucose plasma concentra- these conditions as well. The detection to the future success of genetic epide- tions, obesity metrics, and measures of and mapping of genes that influence miology. In summary, my work over the cardiac and arterial structure and func- CVD risk and the larger task of identi- last five years has resulted in the devel- tion. The need for research into CVD fying relevant functional mutations is a opment of an exciting research program; risk factors is pressing, as the national crucial component in determining how I love my work, and I count myself lucky prevalence of obesity, T2DM and dys- genes exert their effects on disease sus- to be at UNC!

Did You Know?

In Fiscal Year 2006 the Department of Epidemiology was the 5th largest department (including Research Centers) at UNC-Chapel Hill for total sponsored research awards.

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ALUMNI NEWS

Message from your Alumni Association President Dear Fellow Alumni/ae, In order to continue to keep you informed, we ask that Greetings from your Alumni Association! As a graduate you do two things: of the department, you are automatically enrolled into the • If you haven’t already, visit www.alumni.unc.edu and Association. As your Association representatives, we serve click on Online Services to sign up for a free e-mail for- as liaisons between you and the School of Public Health warding service. This service will give you an e-mail and Department of Epidemiology. address that ends with “@alumni.unc.edu” that you can Some of our more visible activities keep forever. This e-mail address will automatically include hosting various social func- forward to whatever e-mail account you designate, so tions for both alumni (such as the that you can keep this no matter if you change internet social at the annual SER meeting) service providers or e-mail addresses. It’s a convenient and students (remember the ba- tool to keep in touch with those you care about. gel breakfasts during exam time?); • Please update your contact information at the same and sponsoring the H.A. Tyroler Web site. We look forward to hearing news from you Distinguished Alumni Award, the and continuing to serve your interests. EPID Career Day, the biannual alumni lecture, and the Kaplan Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to an- Anneclaire De Roos, PhD Student Publication Award. We nounce that Ed Wagner, MD, MPH, has been selected as Alumni President also work closely with the depart- recipient of the H.A. Tyroler Distinguished Alumni Award ment chair, the dean, and other department alumni groups for 2007. Dr. Wagner is a senior investigator in the Center for to represent your interests to the school and the University Health Studies of the Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, at large. We are proud to have supported the nominations Wash., as well as director of The W.A. MacColl Institute for of two of the school’s Harriet Hylton Barr Distinguished Healthcare Innovation. His contributions to public health Alumni Award winners – Drs. Allen Wilcox and Aaron are far-reaching in the arenas of redesigning health care Blair. practice, health services research and health systems change. We have been working hard behind the scenes this past You can read further in this newsletter about the scope of Dr. year to lay the groundwork for a successful future. As you Wagner’s career. can see here, one of the fruits of our labor is to try to keep Sincerely, you better informed about the department, activities of the Anneclaire De Roos, president (PhD, 2000) Alumni Association, and also announcements and tidbits Richard Kwok, past president (MSPH, 1999; PhD, 2003) from your fellow alumni. Please take a look, and let us know Penny Padgett, president-elect (MPH, 1999) what you think! 2007 Harriet Hylton Barr Distinguished Alumni Award

ongratulations to Dr. Aaron E. Blair, such as agricultural workers. Blair has worked the 2007 recipient of the Harriet with collaborators to design a series of agricul- CHylton Barr Distinguished Alumni tural studies from initial hypothesis-generating Award! studies using death certificates, to population- Dr. Blair has served as chief of the based case-control studies of selected cancer in Occupational and Environmental Branch at agricultural areas, to prospective studies such as the National Cancer Institute for more than the Agricultural Health Study of farmers and 25 years. Under his leadership, the branch ex- their spouses in Iowa and North Carolina. The panded from four investigators to more than results of these studies have had lasting implica- thirty. Additionally, he was one of the first in tions for researchers worldwide. his field to incorporate quantitative exposure Dr. Blair earned a BA from Kansas Wesleyan assessments and molecular epidemiology com- University, an MS (in botany) and PhD (in ge- Dr. Aaron E. Blair, recipient ponents to studies. Much of his work has been netics) from North Carolina State University, 2007 Harriet Hylton Barr with underserved populations, particularly and an MPH (in epidemiology) from the UNC Distinguished Alumni Award those vulnerable to environmental pollutants, (Continued on Page Eight)

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ALUMNI NEWS 2007 H. A. Tyroler Distinguished Alumni Award

he H. A. Tyroler Distinguished Alumni Award, spon- advisory committees, includ- sored by The University of North Carolina at Chapel ing the National Academy THill epidemiology chapter of the Alumni Association, of Sciences, Institute of recognizes the contributions and accomplishments of gradu- Medicine, Pew Charitable ates of the UNC Department of Epidemiology. Past recipients Trusts and United Kingdom include Drs. Debbie Winn (2005), Harvey Checkoway (2004), National Health Service. Hal Morgenstern (2003), Hermann Brenner (2002), Allen Dr. Wagner’s nominators Wilcox (2000), Joan Cornoni-Huntley (1999), Dan Blazer included former students (1998), Aaron Blair (1997) and Lester Lee (1996). and colleagues. Dr. Michele We are happy to announce that the recipient of the 2007 Forman (MSPH, 1974; PhD, H.A. Tyroler Distinguished Alumni Award is Dr. Edward H. 1977) submitted a nomination Wagner. Dr. Wagner received his MPH in epidemiology from letter on behalf of herself and the UNC School of Public Health in 1972 and is currently other colleagues, noting how the director of The W.A. MacColl Institute for Healthcare Dr. Wagner “has had a lasting Dr. Edward H. Wagner, recipient Innovation in Seattle, Wash. While at UNC, Dr. Wagner influence on us.” The letter 2007 H.A. Tyroler founded the clinical epidemiology course at the UNC School highlighted that Dr. Wagner Distinguished Alumni Award of Medicine in partnership with Dr. Robert Fletcher, and the has “impressed the clinical and chronic disease epidemiology course is still a major component of the curriculum. With world with outstanding contributions in his development of Drs. Robert and Suzanne Fletcher, Dr. Wagner co-authored the Cancer Research Network, the Chronic Care Model, and Clinical Epidemiology, now in its fourth edition and translated his role in developing the HMO Research Network as well as in several languages. Dr. Wagner lists over 200 peer-reviewed Group Health’s Center for Health Studies”, and has “mentored publications, 16 editorials, and 20 books and book chapters. (Continued on Page Eight) He has consulted for and provided professional service to ma- jor institutions such as the Office of Science Policy, Office of EPI Alumna the Director, NIH and has served as a member of numerous Heather Munroe-Blum Named 2008 School of Public Health

2007 H.A. Tyroler Distinguished Commencement Speaker Alumni Award e are pleased to announce that Dr. Heather Munroe-Blum, principal and vice chancellor of Dr. Edward H. Wagner WMcGill University in Montreal, Canada, and a Carolina School of Public Health alumna (PhD, 1983), will give the commencement address for the School’s graduation Ed Wagner will receive his award and will ceremony on Saturday, May 10, at 5 pm. in Memorial Hall. present at a departmental seminar this fall. Munroe-Blum is recognized for her leadership and com- mitment to advancing McGill’s international standing in re- search, graduate education, service and student experience. The Please join us on establishment of her Principal’s Task Force on Student Life Wednesday, October 1, 2008 and Learning received high praise for enhancing university life 3:30 pm for many of McGill’s 33,000 students. “I am thrilled that Dr. Munroe-Blum has accepted our in- Tate-Turner-Kuralt Building vitation to be the 2008 commencement speaker,” said Dean Room 136 Barbara K. Rimer. “As a highly accomplished alumna of the School of Public Health, she has shown the true value of a Reception immediately following Carolina education. Her creative, rigorous and groundbreaking research, her leadership of a great university and her articulation of leadership are among the reasons we are so looking forward to hearing Dr. Munroe-Blum’s message at commencement.”

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ALUMNI NEWS

Her daughter, 9, is starting Gad Rennert (PhD, 1988) of Preventive Oncology, and ‘70s her third consecutive role in is chair of the Department director, Cancer Prevention Aaron E. Blair (MPH, a community theater produc- of Community Medicine Fellowship Program. At The 1976) retired after 30 years tion (Little Timoune in Rosa and Epidemiology at the Weinberg Group, his con- as an epidemiologist at the Guy’s “Once on This Island”, B. Rappaport School of sulting practice focuses on National Cancer Institute which plays havoc with Dr. Medicine of the Israel general causation, with ap- (NCI). Dr. Blair served as the Barnes-Josiah’s sanity but is Institute of Technology and plication to litigation, risk as- Chief of the Occupational wonderful anyway.) She also Carmel Medical Center sessment, pharmacovigilance and Environmental has an 11-year old son. She (Technion). The Department and strategic policy analysis. Epidemiology Branch of keeps running into UNC also serves as the National the NCI until 2004. He has friends in unlikely places - Epidemiology Department been appointed a National such fun! of the largest not-for-profit ‘90s HMO-type provider re- Institutes of Health Scientist Christine M. Branche Daniel J. Caplan (PhD, sponsible for about 60% of Emeritus and will continue (MSPH, 1985; PhD, 1995) has become pro- the population. Under this research on the role of oc- 1988) was director of the fessor and chair of the mandate, the Department cupational and environmen- Division of Unintentional Department of Preventive runs the national chronic tal factors in the etiology of Injury Prevention of the and Community Dentistry disease register with more cancer. National Center for Injury at the University of Iowa than 5 million diagnoses reg- Prevention and Control, College of Dentistry. Michele R. Forman (MSPH, istered and has access to the Centers for Disease Control 1974; PhD, 1977) is a pro- full medication use file, lab Peter Lercher (MPH, and Prevention, for 19 years. fessor in the Department results file, hospitalization 1990) has been an associ- She became principal associ- of Epidemiology at the file and medical records of ate professor, since 1999, ate director of the National University of Texas M.D. the 4 million people covered in the Department of Institute for Occupational Anderson Cancer Center by this HMO. Dr. Rennert Hygiene, Microbiology Safety and Health (NIOSH), (Houston), and an ad- also serves as director of & Social Medicine in the also a part of the CDC, in junct senior investigator in the National Israeli Cancer Division of Social Medicine July 2007. Before coming the Laboratory of Human Control Center of CHS – at the Medical University to the CDC, Dr. Branche’s Carcinogenesis, National the largest health provider in of Innsbruck (MUI). Dr. principal work was in occu- Cancer Institute. Her re- Israel. The Center is respon- Lercher conducts integrated pational epidemiology, and search focuses on early life sible for National Cancer studies into the effects of her initial approach to injury exposures and risk of chronic Control Programs on behalf transportation noise (road prevention was through oc- disease in diverse ethnic of the Israeli Ministry of and rail) and air pollution cupational injuries. She and groups within the U.S. and Health and the Israel Cancer on quality of life and health her husband moved to the internationally. Association. The research in communities in alpine Washington, D.C. metro- arm of the Center is respon- areas. He has worked in politan area where NIOSH sible for running large co- EU projects such as COST is based. ‘80s hort and case control studies, (air pollution), PAN - EEC Hillary Klonoff-Cohen mostly of gene-environment (Concerted Action on Debora Barnes-Josiah (PhD, 1987) is a professor in interactions in the etiology Protection Against Noise, (MSPH, 1985; PhD, 1989) the Department of Family & of cancers in Israel (breast, 1998-2000) and NOPHER works in Lifespan Health Preventive Medicine at the colorectal, gynecological, (Noise Pollution Health Services of the Nebraska University of California-San lung, lymphomas). Effects Reduction, 2000- Department of Health and 2003). Dr. Lercher served as Diego. She has a daughter Douglas L. Weed (MPH, Human Services. She has chair (1993-1998) and co- Auroraleigh, aged 10, who 1980; PhD, 1982) is vice practiced MCH epidemiol- chair (1998-2003) of Team wants to be a vet and is the president for epidemiol- ogy for the Nebraska DHHS 3 (non-auditory physi- youngest violinist in the San ogy and biostatistics at for eight years now. One of ological effects induced by Diego Youth Symphony. The Weinberg Group in her tasks is coordinating the noise) in the International The family also has a 1.5- Washington, D.C. For 25 state’s Child Death Review Commission on the pound Maltese puppy named years, Dr. Weed was at the Team, which “can be heart- Biological Effects of Noise Bouffie Petite Nuages (“fluffy National Cancer Institute, breaking but is rewarding.” (ICBEN). In July 2003, he white cloud”). where he was chief, Office

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ALUMNI NEWS was appointed co-chair of the Robert William Prasaad Gregory Strayhorn (MPH, in the Division of Cancer International Commission Steiner (MPH, 1988; PhD, 1978; PhD, 1987), and Epidemiology and Genetics on the Biological Effects of 1998) married Tibetan Verna Welch, have made at the National Cancer Noise (ICBEN). Dr. Lercher refugee Cheme Yudon, the Morehouse School of Institute. In January 2008, also serves on the editorial youngest daughter of the Medicine their academic she started at Memorial board of the journal, Noise & late Pemakod Jedung Tulku home and are collaborating Sloan-Kettering Cancer Health. Rimpoche, in November on exciting projects dealing Center (New York City) 2005. They currently live with cardiovascular diseases, as an assistant attending Penelope (Penny) J. Padgett in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. metabolic syndrome and epidemiologist. (MPH, 1999) received her Steiner recently transferred health literacy. MPH in Infectious Disease Sarah Knowles (PhD, his primary appointment as Epidemiology in December 2005) is the research and professor of the Department 1998. She initially returned publications coordinator in of Family and Geriatric to her faculty position in ‘00s the Department of Health Medicine at University of the biology department at Leslie Elliott (PhD, 2004) Services Research at the Palo Louisville, where he served Shippensburg University, currently works as the senior Alto Medical Foundation as a clinical teaching scientist but the family decided to epidemiologist of chronic Research Institute in Palo and community health advo- make N.C. their permanent diseases at the Washoe Alto, Calif. She married fel- cate for more than 30 years, home in August 1999. Since County District Health low Tarheel, Jason Merker, to the new University of returning to her home state, Department in Reno, Nev. in March 2007, in Big Sur, Louisville School of Public she has worked in a variety Dr. Elliott also holds a po- Calif., and they are currently Health and Information of public health areas in- sition with the University, living in Palo Alto while he Sciences as professor of cluding diabetes education which involves conducting completes his medical train- the Department of Health and public health prepared- research and working with ing at Stanford. Management and Systems ness. In August 2004, she ac- graduate students. She was Sciences. Kristen Kucera (MSPH, cepted a position as project recently awarded a two-year 2002; PhD, 2006) is an as- coordinator for the Medical Verna (Lamar) Welch grant to study predictors of sistant professor in the Monitoring Project, a CDC- (PhD, 1998) is direc- compliance with the Nevada Division of Occupational and funded, enhanced HIV sur- tor of the Cardiovascular Clean Indoor Air Act. Environmental Medicine at veillance program housed in Health Research Program Martha Felini (PhD, Duke University Medical the HIV/STD Prevention at the Morehouse School 2006) recently received the Center, where she con- and Care Branch of the N.C. of Medicine. Dr. Welch was Outstanding Public Health ducts research on work- Division of Public Health. recently awarded a Robert Advisor Award from the and sports-related injuries. She and husband Bobby Wood Johnson Foundation Public Health Student Current funded projects Silvers are beginning to en- grant that will allow re- Association of the University include validation of the joy a new phase of their lives, searchers to evaluate a pro- of North Texas, School of National Collegiate Athletic that of empty nesters, as their gram designed to adjust Public Health, where she Association’s injury surveil- older daughter, Margaret, clinical encounters based is assistant professor of lance system and ergonomic is preparing for graduate on patients’ health literacy. epidemiology. interventions for N.C. crab- school and their younger Specifically, the protocol is pot fishermen. daughter, Amanda, began her to discover whether clinical Maria Gallo (PhD, 2005) senior year at Mary Baldwin screening for health literacy currently telecommutes from Neely Kaydos-Daniels College. improves quality of care and Durham to the Division of (MSPH, 1999; PhD, 2002) reduces disparities in hyper- Reproductive Health at the completed her Epidemic Lisa Pastore (MSPH, 1993; tension management. Dr. CDC, but plans to move Intelligence Service train- PhD, 1997) is on the faculty Welch says, “Morehouse to Atlanta soon, along with ing with CDC in 2004, and of the OB/GYN department School of Medicine feels a lot husband Matthew and two since then has been a re- at the University of Virginia. like home, but more are wel- (adorable!) boys, Malachi search epidemiologist at RTI She currently has two grants come!” Four UNC trained (3.5 years) and Max (8 International in Research funded by NIH to study epidemiologists, Aurelian months). Triangle Park, N.C. Dr. complementary-alternative Bidulescu (PhD, 2006), Kaydos-Daniels currently medicine for OB/GYN pa- Mia Gaudet (MSPH, 2002; Rebecca Din-Dzietham studies food safety, prepared- tients and infertility topics. PhD, 2005) recently com- (MPH, 1992; PhD, 2000), ness and disease surveillance, pleted a research fellowship

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ALUMNI NEWS and HIV. She and husband Movement, represented in project management and UNC Department of Richard live in Raleigh with the U.S. by the Coalition business development. She Epidemiology. While at their two daughters. Baby for the Improvement of returned with her family to GSK, she has done research Lucy was born in September Maternity Services (CIMS). N.C. in 2005, and they now on gastrointestinal diseases, 2007 to the delight of her par- In 2005, she published a live in her hometown of menopausal symptoms, and ents and big sister Sylvie (age book, Humanizadno nasci- Greensboro. Sara and hus- conditions associated with 2). Dr. Kaydos-Daniels would mentos e partos (Humanizing band Taylor have two sons, decreasing testosterone. She love to hear from fellow Childbirth). aged 4 and 1. They are being served as president of the alumni and can be reached at raised as loyal Tarheel fans, UNC Alumni Association Leah B. Sansbury (MSPH, [email protected]. of course! Epidemiology Division, from 2002; PhD, 2004) recently 2004 to 2005. Dr. Williams Trang Nguyen (PhD, completed her fellowship Rachel Williams (PhD, remains involved in the 2005) completed her CDC in the Cancer Prevention 2003) is manager in the EPID department by advis- Epidemic Intelligence Fellowship Program at the Worldwide Epidemiology ing one of the current PhD Service fellowship at the NCI in Bethesda, Md. She is Department at GlaxoSmith- students. She has two boys, New York City Department now program director for the Kline and an adjunct as- Ben (5 years) and Henry of Health and Mental Epidemiology and Genetics sistant professor in the (2 years). Hygiene in June 2007. She Research Program in the will continue to serve there as Division of Cancer Control Harriet Hylton Barr director for data analysis and and Population Sciences at syndromic surveillance in the the NCI. Leah and William Distinguished Alumni Award Bureau of Communicable “Trip” Boyer were mar- (Continued from Page Four) Disease. ried in September 2006 in Washington, D.C., where School of Public Health. Christy (Peterson) they currently reside with Established in 1975, the Barr Award recognizes the achieve- Porucznik (MSPH, 2000; their three dogs. ments of alumni and their contributions to public health. For PhD, 2003) has been ap- many years, the award has carried the name of its 1980 recipient pointed as assistant profes- Sumitra Shantakumar — Harriet Hylton Barr — to honor her contributions to the sor (tenure-track) in the (PhD, 2006) is an epidemi- field. Barr, who earned her MPH from UNC in 1948, is a clin- Department of Family and ologist in the Worldwide ical associate professor emeritus in the Department of Health Preventive Medicine at the Epidemiology Department Behavior and Health Education. She was the School’s first di- University of Utah in Salt at GlaxoSmithKline, based rector of alumni affairs, a position she held for 25 years. She was Lake City, Utah. She and in Research Triangle Park, responsible for getting alumni more involved with the School husband Jeff celebrated their N.C. She is responsible and thus keeping the School in closer touch with public health daughter Zoey’s first birth- for conducting epidemio- practitioners. The Barr Award recognizes leadership, experi- day this past June. logic studies in support of mentation, collaboration and innovation within the profession; early and late drug develop- Daphne Rattner (PhD, impact within the practice arena; and outstanding service be- ment programs in oncology. 2001) lives and works in yond the requirements of the recipient’s employment. Sumitra lives in Chapel Hill Brasilia, the Federal District Join us in congratulating Dr. Blair! with her husband, Alex. of Brazil, for the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Dr. Sara Moore Stroud 2007 H. A. Tyroler Rattner is the substitute co- (MSPH, 2000) moved to Distinguished Alumni Award ordinator for the country’s Chicago after complet- Women’s Health Program. ing her master’s degree, (Continued from Page Five) She uses her knowledge where she worked for the countless students and faculty across the U.S. and international of epidemiology to trans- University of Chicago over- settings.” Dr. Forman also noted that her letter summarized form public policies and has seeing a toxoplasmosis study. letters and other communications received from colleagues helped to build the National The following year, she en- and current associates, and stated she was “the village scribe for Public Healthcare System, tered the pharmaceutical many who cannot think of anyone else who is more deserving. which offers access and qual- services industry and worked Just as Al Tyroler had a vision for cardiovascular epidemiology, ity health care to everybody. for a leading technology Ed Wagner is a prime mover in redesigning health care prac- Dr. Rattner is also an activ- company ClinPhone, Inc., tice, health services research and health systems change.” ist of the Natural Childbirth where she held positions in Join us in congratulating Dr. Wagner!

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FACULTY NEWS March of Dimes honors Siega-Riz for work in maternal-fetal nutrition nna Maria Siega-Riz, PhD, RD, as- The meeting was held Nov. 3-7, 2007 in sociate professor in the Departments Washington, D.C. Dr. Siega-Riz presented a A of Epidemiology and Nutrition at lecture on, “Maternal Obesity: The Number The University of North Carolina at Chapel One Problem Facing Prenatal Care Providers Hill’s School of Public Health, has received in the New Millennium,” on Nov. 5. the March of Dimes Agnes Higgins Award. Dr. Siega-Riz’s research interests include The annual award recognizes distin- maternal nutritional status and its relation- guished achievement in research, education ship to birth outcomes, gestational weight or clinical services in the field of maternal-fe- gain and obesity development, and reproduc- tal nutrition. Awardees receive a $3,000 prize tive epidemiology. She is co-investigator on and the invitation to present a lecture at the an epidemiological study examining the role American Public Health Association’s annual of infection, stress, physical activity and nutri- meeting. tion on preterm births. Anna Maria Siega-Riz, PhD, RD Al Tyroler (1924 – 2007) erman Alfred (Al) Tyroler, Occupational Health Studies Group. MD, Alumni Distinguished He directed the Cardiovascular Training HProfessor of epidemiology Grant for more than 20 years with co-di- passed away on February 18, 2007 at the rectors Drs. Gerardo Heiss and Wayne age of 82. Rosamond. He taught cardiovascular Born in Brooklyn, New York, in disease epidemiology and co-taught 1924, Dr. Tyroler graduated Phi Beta a course with Dr. Ed Davis in clinical Kappa from Ohio University in 1943, epidemiology. received his medical degree from New Dr. Tyroler’s distinguished career at York University College of Medicine in UNC spanned more than 40 years and 1947, and completed additional medical established his reputation as an innova- training at Cornell University, New York tive scientist, a leader in public health, Medical College and the Metropolitan and a dedicated educator and mentor to Hospital in New York City. numerous students and colleagues. He He joined the faculty of our achieved national prominence and wide Department of Epidemiology in 1960, recognition for his scientific work in the holding a full professorship from 1967- United States and for extensive collabo- 1979, after which he was named Alumni rations with academic and governmental Distinguished Professor. Dr. H.A. Tyroler institutions abroad. Our Department of Dr. Tyroler was a world-renowned Epidemiology grants its highest alumni cardiovascular disease epidemiologist and a close colleague honor in his name to graduates recognized for their scholar- and mentor to many at the UNC Collaborative Studies ship and outstanding contributions to public health. Coordinating Center. As the primary epidemiologist for the Dr. Tyroler will be remembered with affection and grati- Lipid Research Clinics Program, he helped design and con- tude as a lifelong learner and a brilliant teacher who shaped the duct all four studies done in the 1970s and 1980s. He was one lives of those with whom he worked. There are few people any- of the primary scientists involved in developing collaborations where who have achieved the kind of impact that Dr. Tyroler between the U.S. and the Soviet Union on cardiovascular dis- did. We are proud that he was a faculty member at the School ease studies and worked on manuscripts in this area until his and mourn his loss. retirement in the 1990s. He also was involved in the original Memorial gifts may be made to UNC-Chapel Hill School proposal to conduct the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities of Public Health Foundation, Inc., H.A. Tyroler Scholarship (ARIC) study. Fund, CB #7407, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7407. He worked with the Evans County Heart Study and the

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FACULTY NEWS Harry Guess (1940 – 2006) arry A. Guess, MD, ogy and public health, and he PhD, professor of strove to address practical is- Hepidemiology and sues facing the industry and biostatistics, passed away on clinicians with an academic January 1, 2006 at the age of and innovative approach to 65. complex problems. He made Born in New York City in notable contributions to re- 1940, he attended Georgia search on vaccines, the natural Tech on a Navy ROTC schol- history of complex disease, arship and graduated in 1964 development and validation with both a BS and a MS. He of clinical trial end points and served in the United States Navy patient-reported outcomes, for five-and-a-half years on and pharmacoepidemiology, in Admiral Rickover’s staff at the many cases setting the indus- Atomic Energy Commission, try standard. He was a Fellow Division of Naval Reactors. of the American Academy After completing his military of Pediatrics, the American service, Dr. Guess attended College of Preventive Stanford University, where he Medicine, and the American received a PhD in mathematics College of Epidemiology. and MS in operational research He co-authored more than in 1972. After a year of teach- 150 research articles and ing, he spent two years at Bell served on the editorial boards Laboratories developing statis- of Epidemiology, Journal of tical models of communication Clinical Epidemiology, and networks and went to NIH to Journal of Epidemiology and work on mathematical popula- Biostatistics. He was named to tion genetics and biostatistics. Dr. Harry A. Guess Who’s Who in Medicine and There he and others developed Health in 2003. He gave invit- what has become a widely used method for calculating the sta- ed congressional testimony on medical data privacy in 1998. Dr. tistical uncertainty in cancer risk estimates based on animal data. Guess received the Award for Sustained Scientific Excellence This work kindled an interest in taking a more biological ap- from the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology in proach to understanding human health risks. Dr. Guess enrolled August 2005. Over the years, he was a mentor to numerous in medical school at the University of Miami (MD 1979) with junior and senior scientists at Merck, UNC, and other institu- epidemiologic research as his career goal. His residency training tions, guiding their development and improving their under- in pediatrics was at UNC-Chapel Hill. He later added board standing of epidemiological concepts. His success in academia certification in preventive medicine and public health. and research was remarkable, yet his research endeavors were In 1985, Dr. Guess established the epidemiology depart- always accomplished while pursuing one of his passions: teach- ment at Merck Research Laboratories and retired as vice ing and advising graduate students. At UNC and elsewhere, he president from Merck in 2003, to become the first director of was known as the consummate teacher and sought-after ad- the University of North Carolina-GlaxoSmithKline Center viser for graduate students and colleagues. of Excellence in Pharmacoepidemiology and Public Health Memorial gifts may be made to UNC-Chapel Hill School at UNC, and professor of epidemiology, biostatistics and pe- of Public Health Foundation, Inc., Harry A. Guess Scholarship diatrics. Dr. Guess led the UNC Centers for Education and Fund, CB #7407, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7407. Research on Therapeutics (CERTS), which focused on the An additional scholarship has been presented by Merck optimal use of drugs, medical devices and biological products Research Laboratories. Contributions may be made to UNC- in pediatrics. He also obtained NIH funding to lead UNC as Chapel Hill School of Public Health Foundation, Inc., The part of a large NIH roadmap initiative to study the dynam- Harry A. Guess-Merck Scholarship in Pharmacoepidemiology, ic assessment of patient-reported chronic disease outcomes CB #7407, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7407. (PROMIS). Dr. Guess’ career straddled pharmacoepidemiol-

10 • SPRING 2008 • DEPARTMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGY &QJ
FACULTY NEWS Welcome New Faculty Members (2005-2007) 2005

David Margolis, MD Philip Setel, MA, PhD Amy Sims, PhD Professor (primary, Medicine) Research Associate Professor Research Assistant Professor

Carri Casteel, MPH, PhD 2006 Research Assistant Professor

Ka He, MPH, ScD, MD Jessie Satia, PhD Anna Maria Siega-Riz, Andres Villaveces, MPH, Assistant Professor Assistant Professor PhD, RD PhD, MD (primary, Nutrition) (primary, Nutrition) Associate Professor Research Assistant Professor

2007 Sonia Napravnik, MSPH, PhD Nora Franceschini, MPH, MD Abigail Norris Turner, Research Assistant Professor Research Assistant Professor MSPH, PhD Research Instructor

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FACULTY NEWS Department of Epidemiology Faculty (by program areas) Cancer Nora Franceschini Charlie Poole Robert Millikan Ka He David Richardson Sonia Napravnik Andrew Olshan Sara Huston Jane Schroeder Abigail Norris Turner Program Leader Jay Kaufman David Weber Audrey Pettifor Jeannette Bensen Carol Murphy Eric Whitsel Victor Schoenbach Kathleen Dorsey Kari North Steve Wing Philip Setel Marilie Gammon Wayne Rosamond Karin Yeatts Amy Sims Robert Millikan Kathryn Rose Jennifer Smith Charlie Poole Philip Setel Health Care Lola Stamm Robert Sandler Eric Whitsel James Thomas William Miller Jessie Satia Annelies Van Rie Program Leader Jane Schroeder Environmental David Weber Jennifer Smith Occupational Frieda Behets Sharon Weir Jeannette Bensen Marilie Gammon Cardiovascular Jiu Chiuan Chen Injury Program Leader Sara Huston Disease Steve Marshall Carri Casteel Debra Irwin Gerardo Heiss Program Leader Jiu Chiuan Chen Michele Jönsson-Funk Program Leader Julie Daniels David Margolis Carri Casteel Jiu Chiuan Chen Steve Marshall Steve Meshnick Jiu Chiuan Chen Kelly Evenson Andrew Olshan Sonia Napravnik Robert Millikan Wayne Rosamond David Richardson Kathryn Rose Andres Villaveces Jane Schroeder Jennifer Smith Reproductive Anna Maria Siega-Riz Infectious Disease Program Leader Steve Meshnick Frieda Behets Program Leader Julie Daniels Lorraine Alexander Kelly Evenson Ralph Baric Debra Irwin Frieda Behets Michele Jönsson-Funk Myron Cohen Jay Kaufman J. Ed Hall Steve Meshnick Michele Jönsson-Funk Andrew Olshan Pia MacDonald Audrey Pettifor David Margolis Jennifer Smith

Did You Know? Total sponsored research awards by the Department of Epidemiology faculty PI’s for Fiscal Year 2006 totaled $25,927,596.

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STUDENT NEWS

The 2007 Project Ghana mission team gathers outside a clinic in the Nima township in Accra, Ghana. M. Ahinee Amamoo is fourth from the right on the front row, and Dr. Keisha Gibson is second from the right on the front row. Investigating Kidney and Cardiovascular Disease in Ghana hronic kidney disease (CKD) is responsible for 1.4 During summer 2007, the two fellows traveled to Accra, percent of deaths worldwide and is an important Ghana, to assess the feasibility of their project in terms of re- Ccontributor to the growing burden of cardiovascular sources, local participation, and potential language barriers. disease, the leading cause of mortality worldwide. There is an During this initial visit, they also worked with missionaries extreme paucity of data revealing the impact of CKD in un- from Project Ghana, a collaboration of U.S. volunteer health derdeveloped West African countries, including Ghana, where care specialists who provide free onsite medical, dental, and kidney replacement modalities such as dialysis and transplant vision screening and care to underserved and impoverished are scarce. Early diagnosis and management of kidney disease communities. They participated in the medical mission at a to prevent or delay the development of end-stage kidney dis- Project Ghana clinic in Nima, one of the poorest townships ease and avert the cardiovascular problems associated with in Greater Accra. The experience was enlightening and over- CKD is paramount in these countries. whelming. Within three days, more than 600 people received The burden of these related diseases and the complication medical services. Unfortunately, hundreds more were turned of limited access to healthcare in Ghana became apparent for away due to limited resources and time. two UNC students when each experienced unexpected deaths Gibson and Amamoo plan to return to Nima with Project of family members over the past year—one from kidney failure, Ghana in June 2008 to implement the CKD project and ex- and the other from complications of hypertension. Motivated pand the project into a collaborative effort between the UNC by the personal impact of these deaths that highlighted a much Kidney Center, Korle Bu teaching hospital in Accra and the larger issue in Ghana, UNC Kidney Center fellows Dr. Keisha Noguchi Clinical Research Institute. Gibson and Ms. M. Ahinee Amamoo, in conjunction with Dr. Susan L. Hogan (PhD, 2001) of the UNC Kidney Center, pur- M. Ahinee Amamoo is currently working toward a PhD in epidemi- sued a grant from the University Research Council to evaluate ology, and Keisha Gibson is completing her postdoctoral studies while the prevalence of early CKD and its risk factors, such as hyper- working toward an MPH in epidemiology. For more information tension and diabetes, in Ghana. about the CDK project, contact [email protected].

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STUDENT NEWS “Back to School” in Jo’berg

hen I started looking for international collabora- for a suitable location that I was introduced to researchers at tors for my dissertation research, the challenge the Harriet Shezi Children’s Clinic, Chris Hani Baragwanath W was to find a clinic in sub-Saharan Africa where Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. enough HIV-infected children were on antiretroviral thera- Despite the fact that South Africa’s health care infrastruc- pies (ART) and where basic infrastructures were in place to ture is far better compared to the rest of the countries in Sub- support quality research. It was during this challenging search Saharan Africa, the need for skilled and trained public health personnel in the country is as acute as everywhere else on the continent. So in exchange for their collaboration on my dis- sertation research, I was asked to go to Johannesburg and teach an 11-week introductory course in epidemiology. Although I have served several times as a teaching assistant in various epi- demiology classes at UNC, the challenge of designing a class and teaching it independently in a non-academic setting was both appealing and unnerving. In a teaching environment like UNC, with an official registrar, Blackboard and other adminis- trative and educational resources, the main difficulty one might expect as an instructor is creating the syllabus and developing lectures. With the help of faculty at UNC, the syllabus and lectures were quickly assembled and approved. The unexpected difficulties that remained to be faced were all logistical. The first logistical difficulty was how to finance my three- month stay, since my hosts had no money to fund the class. Thanks to the UNC Center for Global Initiatives Pre- Dissertation Travel Award and supplemental funding from UNC Fogarty, a huge portion of my budget needs were met, and I made my travel arrangements. When I arrived in Johannesburg in May 2007, I was expecting to hold my first class two days later. But it was two weeks later that I received a list of enrolled students, a tentative schedule and an assigned location to hold class. In addition, the price of the textbook recommended for the class was double its U.S. price and subse- quently, the book had to be ordered from the United Kingdom. During the eight weeks of class, we met at three different lo- cations, and none of the students were able to get the text- book. Despite these difficulties, the enthusiasm for the class remained very high. Only four of 18 participants dropped out, and attendance remained relatively high, given the instability of the schedule and location. The class atmosphere was great; students asked good questions, which were usually related to ongoing research projects in which one or more student par- ticipants were involved. For me, the experience was equally re- warding. I provided full consultation for one of my students’ ongoing projects. And I learned invaluable practical lessons about teaching epidemiology in a context with many fewer re- sources than we are blessed to have at UNC.

Marcel Yotebieng is a physician from Cameroon and a PhD Marcel Yotebieng, MPH, MHCH, MD student in the Department of Epidemiology. He can be contacted at Doctoral student, Department of Epidemiology [email protected].

14 • SPRING 2008 • DEPARTMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGY &QJ
STUDENT NEWS Student Grants and Awards (2005-2007)

GRANTS Epidemiology Student Prize (August 2005-May 2006) High School Athletes” (2005) (2006) Christy Avery Cheryl R. Stein Sarah H. Landis American Heart Association Ruchika Goel American College of UNC Graduate School Predoctoral Fellowship, AIIMSONIANS OF Epidemiology Student Prize Dissertation Completion “Tobacco exposure, DNA AMERICA (2007) Award (2006-2007) Annual Govind Verma repair genes, and atherosclero- UNC Graduate School Off- Memorial Research sis: the Atherosclerosis Risk in UNC CAMPUS-WIDE Campus Dissertation Award Fellowship (2007) Communities (ARIC) study” COMPETITIVE (Fall 2005) ( July 2006-June 2008) Rotary International World AWARDS Eric Lofgren Level Ambassadorial Sandra Deming Lauren Abbate UNC Graduate Merit Scholarship (2006-2007) U.S. Department of UNC-Chapel Hill Assistantship (2007-2008) Defense, Anjum Hajat Graduate School’s Graduate Maria Mirabelli “A Population-Based National Science Foundation Education Advancement UNC-Chapel Hill Investigation of the Role of East Asia and Pacific Board’s Recognition Graduate School’s Graduate Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) Summer Institute (2007) Award, “Is Obesity a and E-cadherin Expression Factor in Developing Knee Education Advancement in Breast Cancer Promotion, Christopher Heaney Osteoarthritis?” (2006) Board’s Impact Award, Progression and Therapeutic Environmental Leadership “Exposure to Airborne Response” Program Fellow, Southeast Kim Angelon Emissions from Industrial Region Fellowship Network U.S. Department of Hog Operations as a Trigger Brian Fink leadership training for Education, Foreign of Childhood Respiratory Lance Armstrong emerging professionals in Language and Area Symptoms” (2005) Foundation, the environmental field Studies (FLAS) Fellowship Rachel Palmieri “Flavonoid intake and breast (2007-2008) (2007-2008) cancer risk and survival using UNC-Chapel Hill Long Island Breast Cancer Sarah Landis Semra Aytur Graduate School’s Graduate Study data” (2005-2006) PEO Scholar Award, UNC-Chapel Hill Education Advancement Pre-doctoral Fellowship Graduate School’s Graduate Board’s Recognition Award, Kelly Quinn (2005-2006) Education Advancement “North Carolina Women’s Center for the Study of Board’s Impact Award, Health Report Card” (2006) the American South 2006 NEWAID Foundation “Relationships of Land Use Summer Research Grant, Pre-doctoral Fellowship and Transportation Policies to I-Jen Pan “Black-White Mortality (2005-2006) Physical Activity and Obesity” UNC Graduate School, Dissertation Completion Disparities in the Post-1960s Sandi McCoy (2005) Award (2007-2008) U.S. South: Influences of CDC National Center Urbanization over Time” Ruchika Goel for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, UNC Graduate Merit Brian W. Pence STDs and TB Prevention Assistantship (2006-2007) UNC-Chapel Hill AWARDS EXTERNAL Dissertation Award, Graduate School’s Graduate TO UNC “Understanding the Care- Elizabeth F. Jackson Education Advancement UNC Graduate School Off- Suzanne Gilboa Seeking Behavior of HIV- Board’s Recognition Campus Dissertation Award Abraham Lilienfeld Student Positive Persons in North Award, “An Approach to (Spring 2007) Prize Winner, SER, Carolina” ( 2007) More Effectively Treat HIV Patients who Suffer from “Relationship between Abigail Norris Turner Sarah B. Knowles Substance Abuse and Mental Ambient Air Quality and PEO Scholar Award, UNC-Chapel Hill Illness” (2006) Selected Birth Defects, Seven- selected following national Graduate School’s Graduate County Study, Texas, 1997- competition with students Education Advancement Lynette Phillips 2000” (2005) from all academic disci- Board’s Impact Award, UNC-Chapel Hill “Incidence and Severity of American College of plines, recognizing academic Graduate School’s Graduate excellence and achievement Injury among North Carolina Education Advancement

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STUDENT NEWS

Board’s Impact Award, (2006-2008) Jeannette Stingone Distinguished Teaching “Hormonal and Reproductive UNC Graduate School, Assistant (2007) David L. Rosen Risk Factors and Breast Joseph E. Pogue Fellowship UNC-Chapel Hill Adam Goode Cancer” (2007) (2007-2012) Graduate School’s Graduate Cornoni-Huntley E. Danielle Rentz Education Advancement Daniel Taber Scholarship (2007) UNC-Chapel Hill Board’s Impact Award, UNC Graduate School, Maria R. Khan Graduate School’s Graduate “Mortality Among North Caroline H. and Thomas Sidney Kark Award for Education Advancement Carolinians with a History of S. Royster Jr., Fellowship Distinguished Teaching Board’s Recognition Award, Incarceration” (2007) (2005-2010) Assistant (2005) “Physical and Sexual Violence Sumitra Shantakumar Kristen Tillerson in the Lives of North Carolina Abigail Norris Turner UNC Graduate School, UNC Graduate Merit Women: Prevalence and Sidney Kark Award for Dissertation Completion Assistantship (2007-2008) Associations with Negative Distinguished Teaching Award (2005-2006) Mental Health” (2006) Daniel Westreich Assistant (2005) Genee Smith UNC Graduate School Whitney Robinson Jennifer M. Norton UNC Graduate School, Transportation Grant Latane Family Fellowship Barbara Sorenson Hulka Minority Presence recipient (2006) in Human Science, Center Dissertation Award (2007) Fellowship for Doctoral for Human Science UNC Center for Women’s Study (2006-2007) The Thomas Wong and Health Research Award for Susanne Moulton Endowed Excellence (2006) Scholarship (2006) Sirin Yaemsiri Kimberly A. Porter UNC Graduate Merit Sidney Kark Award for Assistantship (2007-2008) Distinguished Teaching Assistant (2007) SCHOOL OF Sudha Raman PUBLIC HEALTH Cornoni-Huntley COMPETITIVE Scholarship (2006) AWARDS Ruchika Goel Cheryl R. Stein UNC School of Public Berton H. Kaplan Student Health, Miriam Cole Publication Award, in Scholarship (2006) recognition of best student paper accepted for publica- Heather Keenan tion in the calendar year Greenberg Dissertation 2005 (2006) Award (2005) Myduc Ta Sirin Yaemsiri Rebecca James Baker Ibrahim Fellowship (2007) Memorial Scholarship (2007) DEPARTMENT OF Emily Vavalle EPIDEMIOLOGY Cornoni-Huntley COMPETITIVE Scholarship (2005) AWARDS Daniel Westreich Christy L. Avery Berton H. Kaplan Student Rebecca James Baker Publication Award, in Memorial Scholarship recognition of best student (2006) paper accepted for publica- Tania A. Desrosiers tion in the calendar year Sidney Kark Award for 2006 (2007)

16 • SPRING 2008 • DEPARTMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGY &QJ
STUDENT NEWS

Jennifer Norton Wins 2007 Barbara Sorenson Hulka Dissertation Award ongratulations to Jennifer M. Norton (PhD, 2006), recipient of the first annual Barbara Sorenson Hulka Dissertation Award! The award recognizes excellence in doctoral research and honors Dr. Hulka, former chair of the epidemiol- Cogy department (1983-1993). Jennifer’s research explored the connections between environmental injustice, the built environment and public health. We are proud to reprint Jennifer’s dissertation abstract here:

Environmental injustice, public health and solid waste facilities in North Carolina

Community groups in North Carolina are concerned that solid waste facili- ties may be disproportionately located in non-white and low-wealth communi- ties, that this represents an environmental injustice, and that solid waste facilities negatively impact the health of host communities. However, the relationship between environmental injustice and health has not been fully evaluated. A con- ceptual model was developed as a basis for exploring the relationships between environmental injustice, solid waste, and health. While this model includes health impacts associated with direct exposures to toxicants, the emphasis is on the indirect effects of solid waste facilities on health through their impacts on the built environment. This model was used to inform analyses that evaluated the prevalence and occurrence of solid waste facilities in non-white communi- ties compared to white communities and low-wealth communities compared to high-wealth communities in North Carolina. Communities were defined as census block groups in order to obtain information on racial and economic characteristics. Information on solid waste facilities was obtained through a re- view of solid waste facility records maintained by the North Carolina Division of Waste Management. The results of these analyses suggest that on average in North Carolina, the prevalence of solid waste facilities in 2003 was greater in non-white communities (50% to 100% non-white) compared to white com- munities (<10% non-white) (adjusted prevalence odds ratio [adjPOR]: 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.9, 4.1); and low-wealth communities (median house values <$60,000) compared to high-wealth communities (median house values ≥$100,000) (adjPOR: 1.5; 95% CI: 0.9, 2.5). Among block groups that did not contain a previously permitted solid waste facility, the occurrence of solid waste facilities permitted between 1990-2003 was greater in non-white communities compared to white communities (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.3, 5.7). Solid waste facilities present numerous public health concerns including poten- tial for water contamination, traffic safety, malodors, and impacts on health pro- moting resources. As proposals to site additional solid waste facilities in North Carolina are discussed, these results should be considered to minimize the dis- proportionate impacts on non-white and low-wealth communities. Dr. Norton expresses gratitude to her dissertation committee: Steve Wing (chair) (PhD, 1983), Jay Kaufman, Steve Marshall (PhD, 1998), Hester Lipscomb (Duke University) (PhD, 1995), and Altha Cravey (UNC Dept. of Geography). She can be contacted at [email protected].

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STUDENT NEWS

Sirin Yaemsiri, first year MSPH/PhD student (Ibrahim Fellowship) Tania A. Desrosiers, PhD student and Kimberly A. Porter, MSPH, PhD student (Sidney Kark Award for Distinguished Teaching Assistant) Dr. Adam Goode, first year PhD student (Cornoni-Huntley Scholarship) Student Awards 2007

Daniel J. Westreich, PhD student (Berton H. Kaplan Student Publication Award) Westreich’s article, “Survival in women exposed to single-dose nevirapine for prevention of mother-to- child transmission of HIV: a stochastic model,” published in Journal of Infectious Diseases [ J Infect Dis. 2007 Mar 15;195(6):837-46. Epub 2007 Feb 7]. Frieda Myduc Ta, PhD student Behets, Annelies Van Rie, Joe Eron (Medicine), and (Rebecca James Baker Scholarship; Dr. Jeffrey Baker, donor) Charlie Van der Horst (Medicine) were co-authors

18 • SPRING 2008 • DEPARTMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGY &QJ
STAFF NEWS

Staff Awards News from Joyce Allen 2005-2007 Student Services Manager (1976-1995) 2005 Spencer Gee (Staff Excellence Award) Kimberly Ludwig, Lesa McPherson (Star Heel Award) 2006 Lesa McPherson (Staff Excellence Award) Nancy Colvin, Chandra Caldwell (Star Heel Award) 2007 Phyllis Johnson (Staff Excellence Award) Chandra Caldwell, Nancy Colvin, Spencer Gee, Tom Goodwin (Star Heel Award) Dedicated Epi Staff Support Department The Department of Epidemiology is grateful for the long-term dedication of the following staff members, all of whom have at ometimes it comes over me that it’s actually least 10 years of state service: been quite a while since I retired from the de- Janice Britso Steve Hutton Victor Rhodes Spartment. Some of you will remember me; for Nancy Colvin Phyllis Johnson Joanna Smith the rest of you, I’m the former Nancy Colvin. I was Carolyn Cooke Gail King Jessica Tse there from 1976-1995, so I’ve had the great good luck to know a lot of amazing people as they came through Thomas Goodwin Lisa Lindesmith Sue Wolf the program and to see a lot of big-time history get Eileen Gregory Lesa McPherson Joy Wood made in the department. And there are live memo- Dick Howard Linda Morris Carmen Woody ries: the PhD defense featuring a Geiger counter that Terry Hudgins Virginia Reid Boyd Yount went berserk from the cinderblock walls in what was David Hunt (retired 1/1/08) then our Rosenau conference room. And the meeting when Al Tyroler brought the news that red wine was a health food. And the department picnic in the early Welcome New days of cholesterol research when the salad was a dish of shredded cabbage…period. Staff Members I went on from that day in 1995 to expand my (2005-2007) teaching—currently I’m doing a number of non-credit Chyrise Bradley, project coordinator writing classes, both at the Arts Center in Carrboro Robert Brown, social/clinical research assistant and in the continuing studies division of—well—that Brenda Clark, office assistant other university just up 15-501. I also coordinate a cou- Heather Davis, project coordinator ple of writers’ groups, and of course continue to write Sally Duffy, accounting technician myself, with varying results. I also manage to get my- Sandra Duvall, project coordinator self way overcommitted in other activities around and Mike Garrison, accounting technician about. But I still feel connected with EPID, and the Robert Goetze, applications technician memories are fine ones. Even the cabbage. And I still Matthew Herr, social/clinical research assistant have dreams—senior versions of those dreams where Elizabeth Kroll, social/clinical research assistant you forgot to study for the test—in which an EPID Lisa Parrott, social/clinical research assistant student asks me about some aspect of the program, Isabelle Roger, research associate and I find I’ve no idea any more what the answer is. Teresa Swezey, research associate Gail VanMatre, research associate

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH • SPRING 2008 • 19 Team Epi-Aid conducts pre-hurricane assessment in Carteret County, North Carolina

(Continued from Page One) Health Department and its partners, including Team Epi- Aid, conducted a pre-hurricane assessment of 251 residents on April 12-14, 2007. The purpose of the assessment was to determine the level of hurricane preparedness among area residents overall and in different flood zones. Sophisticated sampling and implementation methods were applied. Census blocks were stratified into four cat- egories by flood zone, or annual likelihood of flooding, using maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Within each stratum, census blocks were selected Christine Leistner (Ohio University) and Christa Tomc (Notre by probability proportionate to size. Seven interview loca- Dame University), two members of an 18-person research team, tions were randomly selected in each census block using check containers for mosquito breeding in a community near Tena, ArcGIS software. Interview teams were routed to the ran- Ecuadorian Amazon, during a research trip sponsored by the domly selected interview locations using handheld comput- Tropical Disease Institute of Ohio University in July 2007. ers with GPS. Questionnaires developed by the Carteret County Health Department were implemented onsite and Discovering the challenges of data were collected with the handheld computers. A total of 251 interviews were completed in 36 census blocks. international field research While 82 percent of those surveyed indicated that they were primarily responsible for their own food, water, and (Continued from Page One) shelter for the three days following hurricane landfall, only construction affected scheduled travel plans and made visits to 43 percent had a disaster supply kit. Fifty-one percent in- certain communities impossible. Communication proved to be dicated that they had an evacuation plan for their house- an issue as well. Though the research team included multiple hold; of those with an evacuation plan, more than 85 percent fluent Spanish speakers, the language Quechua was more com- with pets included them in their plans. Households with monly used in some areas, leading to difficulties in the research- an evacuation plan were 68 percent more likely to have a ers’ and participants’ ability to understand each other. Further, supply kit. Eleven percent of survey respondents indicated a obtaining unbiased responses from participants about perceived special need or health condition that would require special water quality was inadvertently compromised by community assistance during an evacuation. Only three individuals sur- leaders whose introduction of the research team to residents was veyed had registered for the county’s evacuation assistance usually followed by a lecture about the severity of water con- program, two of whom lived alone. tamination and mosquito-borne illness in the community. The results of the pre-hurricane assessment indicate Cultural nuances also played a role. The research team learned some clear areas for strategic intervention by the local health that Sundays were widely considered “drinking” days, and were department and emergency management officials, such as therefore not suitable days to conduct in-home interviews. They increasing the proportion of residents with a disaster supply also learned that it was not considered appropriate for one re- kit. For some residents, cost may be a barrier to obtaining search team member to conduct an interview inside a home while or creating a kit. Plans to build a disaster supply kit over a other team members wandered unsupervised on the participant’s period of weeks, such as those suggested by the American property in search of mosquito or water source samples. Red Cross, and partnerships with local merchants to offer “Due to my participation in this research, I became more aware disaster supply kit supplies at reduced prices, could increase of the obstacles involved in starting up a new international field the number of residents with kits. research project,” says Brettania. The research team will return to Ecuador next summer and plans to improve the research design Written by Meredith Anderson, research associate based on lessons learned this past summer. They hope to present epidemiologist at the North Carolina Center for Public results from their first round of data collection at a conference Health Preparedness, and Jen Horney, assistant this fall. director of the North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness and PhD student in epidemiology. For more Brettania Lopes is currently pursing a PhD in epidemiology. She can information about TEA, contact [email protected]. be reached at [email protected].

20 • SPRING 2008 • DEPARTMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGY &QJ
DEPARTMENT Giving to EVENT &QJ Every gift to the Department of Epidemiology and the School of Public Health makes a world of Scenes difference. As one of the top de- partments of epidemiology, we are from the conducting cutting-edge research that will improve and save the Department Winter lives of millions of people around Music Festival the world. Your support also helps us to educate the future leaders February 2007 of public health. At a time when state and federal sources of funding are diminishing and financial aid funds are more difficult to come by, private support from alumni and friends – like you – is critical as we strive to be the leading department of epidemiology in the nation. Your tax-deductible gift can – • Provide financial aid and scholarships, and attract the most promising epidemiolo- gy graduate students – these are the future leaders in pub- lic health • Help retain top-tier faculty and recruit international epi- demiology scholars and dis- tinguished researchers • Support cutting-edge pro- grams and first-class teach- ing and research • Give students funds for travel and field placements • Provide support and un- restricted resources for the department’s areas of great- est need To request information about how to include the Department of Epidemiology in your will, to dis- cuss naming an EPI laboratory, or to establish a student scholarship, please contact Stephen Couch at [email protected] or 919- 966-0219. Your continued finan- cial support is greatly appreciated.

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH • SPRING 2008 • 21 Giving to &QJ Gifts to the Department (July 1, 2004 – December 31, 2007)

The Department of Epidemiology wishes to express gratitude to the individuals and corporations whose donations provide the much-needed funds to support graduate education. We are thankful for your continued support. Individuals Bonnie Lou Cates William C. Gerth Debra Eileen Irwin David Alcorta Julie McClure Chandler Barry Gertz Robbin F. Itzler Lorraine Kathleen Alexander Cindy Ma Chang Daniel Gewirth George Lee Jackson Norma J. Allred Shine Chang Kerry Gibson Christopher James Alice Sue Ammerman Luenda Esther Charles Yoram Sami Gilboa Jonathan V. James Jean Arduino Anne H. Cheung Alicia Wilson Gilsenan Mary Ellen James Todd E. Arnold Nancy E. Clapp-Channing Cynthia Johnson Girman Nathaniel H. James H. Michael Arrighi Dennis Alfred Clements III Jerome Edward Goodman Esther Maria John John Patterson Arrowood Jr. Becki Cleveland Bryan Gordon Mark Stevenson Johnson Ronald Earl Aubert Bobbie L. Coleman David Jeremy Gordon Phyllis H. Johnson Mark Bach Nancy Lee Colvin Keith M. Gottesdiener William Johnson Donna Day Baird John R. Cook John D. Grabenstein Thomas V. Jones Jeffrey Propes Baker Ralph R. Cook Jorge G. Guerra Michele Laura Jönsson-Funk Ana Baptista Suzanne F. Cook Swati Gupta Joanne Marie Jordan Carolyn Groce Barbe Glinda Sue Cooper Rebecca A. Hajjar Todd Allen Jusko Eugenia Moraes Bastos Douglas A. Coveney Susan Audrey Hall Diane Teresa Kaczor Peggy A. Baucom Donna Lynne Cragle Joseph Thomas Hanlon Betsy Togut Kagey Susan D. Baughn Dana Bonas Davis Mildred Ritchy Harker Norma Fox Kanarek Erin Marie Bell Robert Edward Day Katherine Eubanks Berton Harris Kaplan Paul R. Beninger David Carl Deubner Hartmann Ellen Brauer Kaplan Brent Berwin James M. Devitt Carl G. Hayes Karen M. Kaplan Cai Bing Evelina DiFranco Neil Marc Haymes Jeannie Karl Nancy Bishop Phyllis Crowell Dixon Jo Eaddy Heiss Jay Kaufman Aaron Earl Blair Nancy Dole Gerardo Heiss Martha Ann Keels David Blois Kara Dolinski Marcia Winn Herbert Julian Eugene Keil Timothy Bolger Louise Doll Irva Hertz-Picciotto Ulrich Keil Edward Boltz Marilyn B. Donis Teresa M. Hesley Sarah Kennett Susan Boyle Leslie F. Donnelly Joseph F. Heyse Walter Kennett William Boyle Carl A. Dowds Anne Rolland Hickey Thomas Charles Keyserling Robert Lee Brawley Nancy Ann Dreyer Lawrence Hirsch Peter Kim Daniel Bree Susanne E. Eddowes Amy C. Hobeika Gail L. King Mitchell Mark Breit Laurie D. Elam-Evans H. Donald Hochstein Valerie Jean King Katherine Mary Brett Sara Anne Ephross Carol Rowland Hogue David Kirsch Georgina Briscoe Harold Erickson Richard H. Holmes Mark Kirsch Kimberly Brodovicz Virgilio Escutia Jr. Cherry K. Houck Hillary Sandra Steve Browning Donna Evanko Penelope Page Howards Klonoff-Cohen Charles Ross Buck Sherry Leigh Farr Cathrine Hoyo Sarah Brandon Knowles Philip Burstein Linda M. Feather G. David Hubacher III Carolyn Johnson Koch Mariana Byrd Paul Jay Feldblum John Hug Gary Grove Koch Tara A. Byrne Edward Allen Fisher Barbara S. Hulka Matthew Allen Koch Gary B. Calandra Aaron Thomas Fleischauer Charles Glenn Humble Helen Rosalie Kohler Blanche Capel Michele Robin Forman George T. Hung Linda Kornberg Daniel Jonathan Caplan Lisa Fredman Vernon Brock Hunt Robin Krauze Martha L. Carlson David Steven Freedman Joan Cornoni Huntley Stephen Bennett James J. Carrigan Shirley A. Fry R.G. Hutchinson Kritchevsky Craig Carson Karen L. Gansky Dora Il’yasova Lewis H. Kuller Mara M. Casar Stuart Gansky Laura Ingram Richard King-Fai Kwok Diane Joanne Catellier Carol Zimmerman Garrison Bruce Inverso John Henderson Lacey

22 • SPRING 2008 • DEPARTMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGY Aaron Maxim John Law Andrew F. Olshan Christine M. Seabrook Jessica Toohey Dionne Gesink Law Nick Olson Matthew E. Seabrook Mariam B. Totonchy John E. Leitmeyer Marie Sylvia O’Neill Robert G. Sharrar Marilyn Tseng Debra E. Lembeck Leonard Oppenheimer Carol S. Shaw Sarah Louise Turner Madeleine Honig Lenski T. Michael O’Shea Jr. James A.W. Shaw Louise Twiselton Rachael Lerner Nancy Dasher Oswald Ruth Ann Shults Edwin van Wijngaarden Rongling Li Daniel Overfield Ilene C. Siegler Ramon Velez Duanping Liao Penelope Jeanne Padgett Robert E. Silverman Laura K. Vessey Susan Lieff Rachel Theresa Palmieri Robert S. Silvers II Kathleen Villanueva Haifan Lin Edward A. Pascarella Sandra L. Simpson Frank Vinicor Christopher Lines Doyle Pass Eve E. Slater Andrew Charles Voetsch Hester Johnstone Lipscomb Piku Patnaik Fraser B. Smith Karen Pilliod Voetsch Everett Eugene Logue II Tara Jane Patton Wiever Marlene Smurzynski Kelly Volk Katherine Magnuson Jay D. Pearson Tom Smurzynski Lary Wadkins Kathryn Marley Magruder Jessie Valentine Pergrin Nancy Lynn Sonnenfeld Timothy Shea Wadkins Allen Mangel Jennifer Pue Pickett Kevin P. Speer Emmanuel Benjamin Walter Mary Louise Markert Elnora Piscopo Lola V. Stamm James Wassenberg John Matese Frank Piscopo Paul Edward Stang Doug Watson Deirdre Mattiske Mary Lou Poe Gregg Martin Stave Sharon Jean Wayne Jeffrey Paget Mazza Robert Poore Cheryl Randy Stein Beth D. Weatherley Margaret Ellen Floyd John Port Robert William Prasaad Ganesa Rebecca Wegienka McCann E. Charlton Prather Steiner Martha Weistein Alecia F. McClure Derek Publicover Mark Stiver Vita R. Weinstein Charles K. McCotter Jr. Rose M. Quinto Elizabeth Stoner David West Thomas James McIntosh M. K. Reedy Walter Straus Suzanne Lanzolla West Doreen B. McKee Dennis Albert Revicki Gregory Strayhorn Elizabeth Anne Whelan Ann Marie McNeill Victor Gregg Rhodes Jr. David Stanton Strogatz Alice Dickey White Anne Ruth Meibohm Doris Emma Roberts Jane Stanfield Stutts Karl Daniel Whitney Shelia Menahem Malcolm Clive Roberts Jeannie Tam Mary Katherine Williams Yehuda Menahem Susan Sinclair Roberts Laura Tatum Rachel Elizabeth Williams Pauline Mendola Barrett Kelley Robinson Steven Michael Teutsch Deborah Marie Winn James Arthur Merchant William Robinson Rosalind Patricia Thomas Robert Witherspoon Charlotte B. Merritt Audrey Smith Rogers Shirley Jean Thompson Adrianne Wong Alvin Michaels Kathryn Marie Rose Ruth S. Timmermann Thomas K. Wong Cheryl Lynne Miller Sandra P. Rose Robert W. Tipping Chansuda Wongsrichanalai Eric Anthony Miller Daniel M. Rosenberg Margaret A. Titus Juan Yang William Clarence Miller Susan Martin Rynard Patricia Toledo Bonnie Cravets Yankaskas Charles Louis Milone Patricia D. Saddier James R. Yankaskas Patricia Gripka Moorman Kathy A. Salzano Victoria Stover Mordecai Lynne Arlene Sampson Corporations/Foundations/Organizations Hal Morgenstern Leah Beth Sansbury American College of Furniture Fair Ilene Moss Nancy Santanello Epidemiology GlaxoSmithKline Susanne Glen Moulton Sara Moir Sarasua Amgen Inc - HQ GlaxoSmithKline Sally Beth Thomas Martha Key Saunders Anonymous - Philadelphia Mountcastle Susan Mertz Saviteer Bergen County United Way GlaxoSmithKline - RTP Dawn F. Moyer David A. Savitz Berger & Montague Immtech International Inc Kenneth A. Mundt Lucy Paustenbaugh Savitz Brabham Oil Co. Inc. Merck & Company - HQ Anita Fulchiero Nackel James Simpson Schenck IV Brick Gentry Bowers Monash University Jeanenne Little Nelson John T. Schiffman Swartz Stolze Levis National Collegiate Athletic Beth Newman Patricia Gail Schnitzer Duke University Medical Assoc. Angela Ngai Marion Eldredge Center Schwab Fund for Charitable Alan S. Nies Schoenbach Duke University Giving Maria L. Niswonger Victor Julian Schoenbach Procurement Services The Shuping Advantage Kristine D. Novak Stanley Schor Eastover Pediatrics Triangle Community Nelson Nutt Emily Bartlett Schroeder Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Foundation James A. O’Brien Mark Richard Schulz First Presbyterian Church Tyler’s Restaurant & Tomoo Ohashi Judith Schwartz Frederick P. and Sandra P. Taproom Daniel A. Okun Anisa Scott Rose Foundation

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH • SPRING 2008 • 23 &QJTPEF welcomes your comments and suggestions. Please direct For Additional Information: them to: Please visit our website at www.sph.unc.edu/epid. Chandra Caldwell Department of Epidemiology You may also contact: UNC School of Public Health Nancy Colvin 2101 McGavran-Greenberg Hall Assistant to the Chair for Graduate Studies CB# 7435 E-mail: [email protected] Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7435 Phone: (919) 966-7459 [email protected] Carmen Woody Editorial contributions by: Student Services Manager Nancy Colvin E-mail: [email protected] Anneclaire De Roos Phone: (919) 966-7458 Tania Desrosiers Fax: (919) 966-4914 Richard Kwok If you need to update your information, please do so at Andy Olshan http://alumni.unc.edu, or contact Nancy Colvin. Tara Smith Strigo

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24 • SPRING 2008 • DEPARTMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGY