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Building the Public Health
2. Advanced Molecular Detection Program Workforce: AMD Leading the
CDC has also led advanced molecular detection efforts Way
within the agency and continues to support state and AMD is driven by a modern public health
local health departments to adopt next generation workforce proficient in three unique
sequencing technologies. The agency’s commitment areas: laboratory science, epidemiology,
to improve the availability of AMD technologies and bioinformatics. Bioinformaticians
has revolutionized public health laboratory and are primarily data scientists trained
epidemiological science to address public health to analyze and interpret large data
threats, including (but not limited to) antibiotic sets as applicable to public health. It is
important to recognize the specialized
resistance, foodborne illnesses, health care skill set of bioinformaticians—one not
associated infections, vaccine preventable diseases, encompassed by traditional laboratory
and vector-borne disease. The AMD program’s or epidemiology training—which
successful outcomes include faster and more accurate includes in-depth computational and
tests to diagnose infections, improved vaccines, statistical analysis, the application of
identifying emerging pathogens, mapping disease bioinformatics to conduct research on
huge molecular data sets such as those
22
transmission sooner, and responding to outbreaks. generated by AMD technologies, and
CDC has also recognized the importance of investing the development of computer tools to
in the bioinformatics workforce to ensure that track patterns of outbreaks. Working
highly specialized genomic expertise exists in public together, public health laboratorians,
health departments. Through a partnership with the epidemiologists, and bioinformaticians
Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) can harness new technologies to
facilitate more, better, and faster public
and CSTE, CDC supports bioinformatics training health data.
programs for public health professionals. Through the
investments and efforts of the AMD program, CDC and Advancements in technology have
public health laboratories are now leading laboratory revolutionized public health laboratory
innovation to respond to public health threats. and epidemiological science by
generating a wealth of data on
3. APHL Informatics Messaging Services: A Public Health the genetic makeup of pathogens.
Traditionally, public health laboratorians
Information Exchange for Lab Data and epidemiologists have not been
trained in the field of bioinformatics.
Frustrated by the need for public health laboratories However, as these advanced laboratory
to develop and maintain multiple electronic data techniques become the norm, public
exchange connections for every public health partner health has a growing need for a highly
trained bioinformatics workforce
that required laboratory data, APHL developed the that can maximally leverage these
APHL Informatics Messaging Services (AIMS) platform technologies’ benefits. Currently, there
in 2007. This platform is a secure, interoperable, cloud- is a large bioinformatics workforce gap
based data hub that aids in the transport, validation, in public health that must be addressed.
translation, and routing of electronic laboratory data, Two programs—APHL and CDC’s
eliminating the need for multiple connections. Now, Bioinformatics Fellowship, which trains
and prepares bioinformaticians to apply
instead of sending disease and condition-specific data their expertise within public health, and
through multiple unique data systems, laboratories CDC, CSTE, and APHL’s AMD Academy,
can link their LIMS to the AIMS platform where their which trains epidemiologists and public
critical public health data is automatically routed health laboratorians in bioinformatics—
and made available to partners like CDC, hospitals, must be expanded and replicated.
Investments in fellowships, training
programs, job creation and professional
22 Advanced Molecular Detection. cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/amd/pdf/amd-at-a-glance-final-508.pdf. development must be prioritized for
public health to leverage and stay ahead
of advances in technology.
Progress Made, but Silos Remain 35
