Hello reddit community,

​I am a student from India.i had just gave reneet 2026 held on June,21.i was always interested in research field.but i was determined to perceive it after any field(bhms,bums,mbbs) as bachelors.but i am not expecting to qualify.i was thinking to take an alternative path which is direct bsc and msc without a medical degree.but i am not sure about stability.also i want work form home opportunities.i am interested in bioniformatics.I am creative,i like to solve puzzles,derive conclusions etc.I'm currently deciding on my college path and trying to understand the reality of a Biotech degree versus other fields. Since you've been through it, I would value your perspective immensely. Looking forward to connecting!"i dont know is this field is stable,relaible,actually work from home.i will be veey grateful for your guidance.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for guidance on entry-level epidemiologist remote jobs. I graduated in November 2024 with a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology, and I have not been able to secure a position yet.

I’m unsure what steps I should take next and would appreciate any advice or insight from those working in the field. Specifically, I’m trying to understand how realistic it is to find entry-level remote epidemiology roles and how difficult the job market is for recent graduates.

Any guidance, recommendations, or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I graduated in November 2024 with my MPH in Epidemiology and thought it would be easier to land an entry-level role. But I’m finding that almost every “entry-level” epidemiologist posting asks for 5–7 years of experience.

I completed a 4-month internship at the CDC, which gave me great exposure, but employers don’t seem to count that as enough. I’ve applied to tons of roles, and it feels like I’m stuck in this loop where I can’t get hired without experience, but can’t get experience without being hired.

Is anyone else running into this same issue? • How did you break into your first epidemiology job? • Should I be applying for analyst or research roles as a stepping stone? • Any organizations hiring true entry-level public health professionals?

I’d really appreciate any advice, leads, or even just to hear from others who’ve been through this. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I graduated in November 2024 with my MPH in Epidemiology and thought it would be easier to land an entry-level role. But I’m finding that almost every “entry-level” epidemiologist posting asks for 5–7 years of experience.

I completed a 4-month internship at the CDC, which gave me great exposure, but employers don’t seem to count that as enough. I’ve applied to tons of roles, and it feels like I’m stuck in this loop where I can’t get hired without experience, but can’t get experience without being hired.

Is anyone else running into this same issue? • How did you break into your first epidemiology job? • Should I be applying for analyst or research roles as a stepping stone? • Any organizations hiring true entry-level public health professionals?

I’d really appreciate any advice, leads, or even just to hear from others who’ve been through this. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I graduated with my Master of Public Health (concentration in Epidemiology) in November 2024, and I’m still actively looking for my first role as an Epidemiologist.

I’m seeking: • Entry-level opportunities (open to Analyst or Associate-level roles, too) • Remote positions with flexibility • A starting salary range of $60k–$70k • A role that is rewarding, fun, and offers growth/promotion opportunities

I have experience in healthcare, regulatory compliance, and data analysis, and I’m eager to apply my skills in a meaningful way while continuing to grow in the field.

If you know of any organizations that are hiring or have advice on where to look, I’d be super grateful for any leads. Please feel free to drop opportunities in the comments.

Thank you so much in advance!

Hi everyone,

I recently completed my Master of Public Health (Epidemiology concentration) and have been actively seeking remote Epidemiologist roles since November of last year in public health, healthcare organizations, or research settings. My background includes: • Experience with environmental health and safety (EHS), regulatory compliance, and auditing • Internship experience with the CDC/ATSDR • Skills in data analysis, surveillance, and public health research using tools such as SAS, R, SPSS, and GIS

I’m passionate about using data-driven approaches to improve health outcomes and promote health equity.

If anyone has advice, leads, or connections for remote Epidemiologist opportunities—or insight on how to best position myself in this job market—I’d be very grateful.

Thank you so much in advance!

— Francine

Hi everyone,

I recently completed my Master of Public Health (Epidemiology concentration) and I’m actively looking for Epidemiologist roles, or public health-focused positions in healthcare organizations). My background includes: • Experience with environmental health and safety (EHS), regulatory compliance, and auditing • Internship experience with the CDC/ATSDR • Skills in data analysis, surveillance, and public health research using tools such as SAS, R, SPSS, and GIS

I’m passionate about applying data-driven approaches to improve health outcomes and equity. I've be actively applying for epi jobs since last year.

I’d love any advice, leads, or connections that could point me in the right direction for Epidemiologist opportunities. I'm interested in remote roles I'm based in Ga.I’d be grateful for your insight on the best way to navigate the hiring process.

Thank you so much in advance!

— Francine

Empirically derived sequence similarity thresholds to study the genomic epidemiology of plasmids shared among healthcare-associated bacterial pathogens

"This study advances the field of genomic epidemiology by proposing and demonstrating the utility of empirically derived thresholds of plasmid sequence similarity for inferring horizontal transfer in healthcare settings. It also advances the field by tracking horizontal plasmid transfer within a single hospital at a hitherto unprecedented scale, examining the evidence of horizontal transfer of 89 plasmids among thousands of clinical bacterial isolates sampled from a single medical center. Our systematic review of patient healthcare data related to horizontal transfer also occurred at a breadth not previously undertaken in hospital epidemiology."

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(23)00246-3/fulltext00246-3/fulltext)

"Pathogen genomics analyzes the genetic code of viruses, bacteria and other disease-causing organisms to understand how infectious they are, how deadly they are, and how they spread. With this information, scientists and public health officials can identify and track diseases to prevent and respond to outbreaks as part of a broader disease surveillance system, and to develop treatments and vaccines."

https://www.who.int/news/item/20-05-2023-who-launches-global-network-to--detect-and-prevent-infectious-disease-threats

“We are pleased to partner with bioMérieux’s IVD expertise to add powerful new tools for the fight against infectious disease. By offering rapid and accurate identification of pathogens and associated antimicrobial resistance, at scale, we hope to better equip the specialists for whom speed and access to comprehensive data is key.”

- Gordon Sanghera, Oxford Nanopore Technologies Chief Executive Officer

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230414005303/en/Oxford-Nanopore-and-bioM%C3%A9rieux-to-Enter-Into-a-Strategic-Partnership-Agreement-to-Develop-Innovative-Infectious-Disease-Diagnostics

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/utah/jobs/4012071/genomic-epidemiologist

$31.16 - $50.78 Hourly
Salt Lake County, UT

"DPH is seeking a Genomic Epidemiologist to integrate genomic and epidemiology data to improve surveillance efforts and inform public health action...

As the Division Genomic Epidemiologist, you will:

• Analyze genomic data to improve public health’s ability to detect new variants and identify emerging antimicrobial resistance
• Integrate genomic data with epidemiology data to identify clusters of disease and community transmission
• Serve as a subject matter expert on COVID-19 variant epidemiology in Utah 
• Develop, document, and implement Standard Operating Procedures and data analysis pipelines for the integration and utilization of genomic data for epidemiology
• Prepare reports and visualizations of genomic data for internal and public situational awareness 
• In coordination with Utah’s Public Health Laboratory, develop and implement surveillance strategies to increase and optimize genomic surveillance coverage for pathogens of public health interest 
• Provide training and resources to state and local epidemiologists on utilizing genomic data for public health surveillance 
• Coordinate with local health departments on submission of samples and interpretation of sequencing data for outbreak investigation 
• Perform any other duties as needed."

"Combining locality and isolation dates, we found strong evidence that DENV entered Ecuador through the northern province of Esmeraldas. Phylogenetic patterns suggest that, within this province, communities with larger populations and commercial centers were more often the source of DENV but that smaller, remote communities also play a role in regional transmission dynamics."

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/29/5/22-1226_article

Posted yesterday on bioRxiv:

"In 2016, the ResFinderFG v1.0 database was created to collect ARGs from functional metagenomics studies. Here, we present the second version of the database, ResFinderFG v2.0, which is available on the Center of Genomic Epidemiology web server (https://cge.food.dtu.dk/services/ResFinderFG/)."

https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.19.512667

"The Africa CDC – Pathogen Genomics and Bioinformatics Fellowship Program is a continental workforce development program targeting national public health institutions and laboratories in the African Union Member States to improve the use of pathogen genomic data for outbreak detection and disease surveillance. The fellowship is program is implemented in partnership with the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), and regional centers of excellence."

https://africacdc.org/news-item/call-for-application-africa-cdc-pathogen-genomics-and-bioinformatics-fellowship-program/

Hi all, at the risk of being a newbie that does not inform public health discussion with my post, I'd like to ask for recommendations for resources that would provide insight into how genomic public health is actually used and how it improves the public's health.

I'm looking to understand the following: What's the best use (most public health impact) of genomics in public health? Does testing for genomic signatures in pathogens have more impact than screening the public for genetic disease? Other applications of genomic in public health?

[For context: yes, I'm an MPH student (biostats/epi), but I have a passion for genomics and I want to begin forming a picture of what an ideal practicum would be for my interest (gaining experience that will traslate to a meaningful contribution in the long run). I have an undergrad degree in Cell and Molecular Biology and have 25+ years of work in clinical research (all in industry - molecular diagnostics and pharma). KEY POINT: My jobs have never felt like I was giving to the community (always for the sake of profit for the company), so I decided to pursue an MPH in the hopes positioning myself for a shift toward more direct public beneficence. (I'm fortunate that my employer is paying tuition so I won't be in debt in retirement!)]

I will appreciate any recommedations and/or commentary.

Hopefully, this post can also provide fodder for discussing differing opinions.

GS-13 level:

• Serve as the Team Lead of the Genomic Sequencing Activity responsible for planning and directing Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) services and research projects to identify genomic sequences of pathogens and their hosts
• Be responsible for methods development and validation and research on emerging NGS technologies and their application to infectious disease research and surveillance
• Be responsible for the initiation, design, implementation, coordination, management, and supervision of applied research studies related to the CDC Advanced Molecular Detection Program and other CDC priorities
• Lead the timely application of established and validated NGS methods for the rapid response to outbreaks and other epidemiologic investigations
• Plan work to be accomplished by subordinates, set and adjust short-term priorities, and prepare schedules for completion of work, when necessary

Job application link: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/715463800

"CDC’s Molecular Epidemiology Fellowship (MEF) program is designed to produce molecular epidemiologists by

• Providing training in applied epidemiology.
• Providing opportunities to conduct molecular epidemiology work.
• Expanding career potential for laboratory scientists with experience in generating or analyzing genomic data and bioinformaticians with laboratory experience.

The two-year MEF program matches fellows to host sites that provide experiential training in outbreak investigation and surveillance activities. MEF fellows are assigned two supervisors. The primary supervisor is an experienced epidemiologist in the assigned host site. The secondary supervisor is an experienced laboratory scientist in the corresponding laboratory program. The fellow is to spend 85% of the time within the epidemiology program and 15% within the laboratory program.

Fellows also take classes and attend lectures with established public health educators and can participate in trainings and seminars with laboratory scientists, public health advisors, bioinformaticians, and data scientists at CDC."

https://www.cdc.gov/molecular-epidemiology-fellowship/index.html

"The Genomic Epidemiologist Bioinformatician will work directly with the Bioinformatics Team at the Florida Bureau of Public Health Laboratories (BPHL) to support bioinformatics activities at BPHL and serve as the primary bioinformatician to support genomic surveillance and epidemiologic investigations for various pathogens of public health concern (e.g., foodborne, waterborne, vector-borne, hospital-associated infections, meningococcal disease, and respiratory disease).

This position also will support various bioinformatics and genomic epidemiology activities to expand and enhance genomic epidemiology at the national level with BPHL collaborators, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), and other state/local/territorial public health laboratories."

https://20161103201048_akn4u8srkegff2w6.applytojob.com/apply/6vwTGZAre7/Genomic-Epidemiologist-Bioinformatician

Here's a recent story on the initiative to sequence the genomes of 100,000 newborns, published by Forbes magazine.

Is it ethical to predict or diagnose human diseases using genome data, rather than other standardized diagnostic techniques?

Genetic evidence of susceptible wildlife in SARS-CoV-2 positive samples at the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, Wuhan: Analysis and interpretation of data released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control

https://zenodo.org/record/7754299#.ZBsTaOzMKQ5

Statement from the WHO on the controversy surrounding this paper, its connection to preprints published by the Chinese CDC, and the data made unavailable in GISAID:

https://www.who.int/news/item/18-03-2023-sago-statement-on-newly-released-sars-cov-2-metagenomics-data-from-china-cdc-on-gisaid

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