Graduate Summer Institute of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Another successful DC trip in the books!!

Annual DC trip!!

Moyses Szklo, director of the Epi Biostat Summer Institute and master of the photo booth.

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health faculty make the academic case for repealing Trump’s refugee and travel ban.

The Academic Case for Repealing Trump’s Refugee and Travel Ban

A woman's risk of dying of cervical cancer is higher than long believed, particularly among older and black women, new research led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests.

Anne Rositch, who teaches Global Cancer Epidemiology in the Epi Biostat Summer Institute,was the lead author of the study.

"In the new analysis, the mortality rate for black women was 10.1 per 100,000. For white women, it is 4.7 per 100,000.

Previous studies had put those figures at 5.7 and 3.2.

The new rates do not reflect a rise in the number of deaths, which recent estimates put at more than 4,000 a year in the United States. Instead, the figures come from a re-examination of existing numbers, in an adjusted context."

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/23/health/cervical-cancer-united-states-death-toll.html?_r=2

Wider Racial Gap Found in Cervical Cancer Deaths A new study, which excluded women with hysterectomies, showed the disparity in death rates between blacks and whites was significantly wider.

"The health of societies is the responsibility of political leaders as well as individuals."

An op-ed by Dean Michael Klag of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-public-health-truths-20170202-story.html

10 public health truths for Trump In this era of deep political divides and polarized opinions, we should let evidence — not politics — direct actions to benefit everyone in our country. With this in mind, I offer 10 public health truths for the new administration:

Faculty members from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health signed a letter to Donald Trump opposing the executive order by President Donald Trump which suspends issuing visas from some countries for 90 days and restricts refugees from Syria indefinitely.

From the letter:
We write as researchers and scientists, but we also share our deep concern that the proposed Executive Order ignores decades-long policy and law of the United States to provide a haven for
people suffering persecution on account of nationality, membership in social group, political opinion or religion. Instead, it prioritizes admission of refugees on the basis of religious-based persecution over the needs of people suffering from political oppression in the Middle East and throughout the world. Additionally, the proposed Executive Order limits admission on the basis of religious persecution only to individuals who belong to minority religions in their country. Such narrowing of the grounds for refugee admission is inconsistent with our values and traditions, and should not be implemented.

The full letter may be read here:
http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/center-for-refugee-and-disaster-response/News/Johns-Hopkins-faculty-urge-Trump-to-not-issue-Executive-Order-halting-refugee-admissions.pdf

www.jhsph.edu

All Epi 1 students will appreciate this haiku, which won second place in the Epimonitor's Haiku Contest for Epidemiologists. It was submitted by Sheila Weiss, a graduate of the Dept of Epidemiology, who taught Pharmacoepidemiology in the Epi/Biostat Summer Institute for many years.

Says Dr. Weiss, “My Haiku is inspired by Dr. Leon Gordis. He introduced thousands of public health professionals (myself included) to epidemiology while instilling a healthy fear of summer picnics and potlucks.”

http://www.epimonitor.net/Epi-Haiku-Contest-Winners.htm

Michael Bloomberg has announced he will be giving $300 million to Johns Hopkins. The gift will focus on five areas of public health—drug addiction, obesity, gun violence, adolescent health, and environmental threats.

""People are living longer lives than ever before in history, thanks in no small part to the pioneering public health work done at Johns Hopkins over the last century," Bloomberg said. "But we can and must do better, starting here in the U.S., where life expectancy is lagging behind much of the developed world. By spreading smart public health strategies that save lives and bringing people together to try new approaches, we can make the same strides in the 21st century against health threats like air pollution, gun violence, and obesity that we did in the 20th century against polio and other infectious diseases. There's no institution better equipped to lead the charge than Johns Hopkins, and it's an honor to be able to help launch the school's next 100 years with this gift."

The endowment will include $125 to fund faculty and their research in the five focus areas, $75 million for scholarships for JHSPH's new school-wide DrPH program, and $100 million to fund 50 public health fellows each year to receive their MPH degrees and agree to return to their communities to work in the practice of public health for at least one year.

http://hub.jhu.edu/2016/09/15/bloomberg-american-health-initiative-gift/

Michael Bloomberg gives $300M to Johns Hopkins for effort targeting major domestic public health issues Bloomberg American Health Initiative will focus on new approaches to drug addiction, obesity, gun violence, adolescent health, environmental threats

Dr. Szklo is the recipient of a 2016 Distinguished Alumnus Award from Johns Hopkins University. In this interview to mark the occasion he was asked to name his most important accomplishments. The list includes his students and the great pride he takes in having mentored so many students who subsequently had brilliant careers, his research, and being editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Epidemiology. And also:

"I am very proud to have been the director of the Summer Institute of Epidemiology and Biostatistics since 1983. I estimate that thousands of students from all over the world have attended the Institute."

When asked for advice to people who are considering a career in public health, he answered "A career in public health demands scientific rigor, evidence-based public health practice, interest in translation of research findings to public policy, and recognition that you won’t be rich."

http://www.jhsph.edu/alumni/alumni-profiles/2016-winners/moyses-szklo.html

Moyses Szklo Moyses Szklo has had an illustrious public health career spanning more than four decades. He joined the faculty of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 1975, quickly rising through the academic ranks and achieving professorship in 1980. Szklo began the Johns Hopkins Graduate Summer...

From air conditioners to window screens, from ci******es to leaded gas, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has compiled a list of 100 things that have shaped public health in the past 100 years.

"The goal of the list is not only to show how far we’ve come but to inspire people to think about where we’re going."

http://www.globalhealthnow.org/100-objects

100 Objects That Shaped Public Health | Global Health NOW From the Obscure to the Everyday, These Objects Tell the Story Public health impacts all of us, in every corner of the globe, every day of our lives — not only our health and safety, but also how we live, what we wear, what we eat, what happens to our environment and the stewardship of our planet. F...

"Public health has lost a hero and we have lost a great friend and colleague."

D.A. Henderson, who is best known for having led the successful WHO campaign to eradicate smallpox, passed away on Friday, August 19th.

Our students may remember Dr. Henderson who gave many lectures in the Epi Biostat Summer Institute over the years, and in 2014 taught Principles of Disease Eradication.

We feel privileged to have known him.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/obituaries/bs-md-ob-da-henderson-20160820-story.html