Page 17 - CSTE_Annual-Report_2017-18

Created in 2003, the Applied Epidemiology Fellowship (AEF)
is designed for recent master’s or doctoral-level graduates in
epidemiology or a related field who are interested in public health
practice at the state or local level. The program provides rigorous AEF Class XIV graduates
training and mentorship for its participants while also being
flexible to meet the subject area interests of the fellow. Fellows develop a set of core skills through competency-based training.
Based on the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) program and using a mentorship model, the fellowship offers a unique opportunity for graduates to
develop epidemiologic skills with high quality, on-the-job training. Fellows work closely with highly trained and experienced epidemiologists at the state
and local level, as well as those working at the federal level with CDC. Overall, 88% of fellowship graduates worked in state, local, or federal public health
agencies for a least a year following the fellowship. Some highlights include:

Stephanie Johnson, MPH, a Class XV fellow at the Minnesota Department of Health, was
deployed to American Samoa in September 2017 to assist with a dengue outbreak that began
in November 2016. She worked to organize and maintain field materials, and managed the
interviewer and phlebotomist teams formed. Stephanie also assisted in a household cluster %
investigation to identify people with dengue virus infection. Her team’s work was published in 71
the November 2018 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) and highlighted in CSTE’s blog.

Kaitlyn Sykes, MPH, a Class XIV fellow at the Maricopa County Department of Public Health,
used CSTE’s Alcohol and Other Drugs Subcommittee recommended 18 indicators to quantify
indicators of mental health and substance use for the first time at that jurisdiction. She analyzed
the mental health and substance abuse indicators for 2010-2014, as well as created a five-year AEF Class XIV
report for all mental health and substance abuse indicators. graduates
remaining in state,
Kelly Walblay, MPH, a Class XV Infectious Disease fellow at the Illinois Department of Public local, and federal
Health, participated in the investigation and response efforts to identify coagulopathy cases
linked to synthetic cannabinoid use March-April 2018. She also worked with lab staff to collect epidemiology
long-acting anticoagulant panel testing results of each case. From her experience, she co- positions
authored a CDC MMWR published in May 2018.

A ccomplishmen t s 17