Think of it as a really, really, really good calculator. — When I worked on my doctoral degree, I had to learn biostatistics at a higher level than what I had learned for my master of public health (MPH) degree. This included learning ways to do mathematics that were new to me. …

You might not get the perfect interview, but at least you won’t bomb it. — I remember my first job interview for a public health job. It was 2007, and I had just finished my master of public health (MPH) degree in epidemiology and biostatistics. My capstone project was about doing influenza surveillance in a rural setting, where the data could be more local and…

No tengo la obligación moral de defender lo que escribo, especialmente cuando no lo escribí para ofender. — Como adulto bilingüe, he emprendido un viaje notable de autoexpresión y creatividad en inglés, mi segundo idioma. Mi lengua materna, el español, fluye por mis venas, pero mi pasión por escribir, mi profesión, y mi ubicación geográfica me llevaron a adoptar el idioma inglés para la mayoría de lo que…

Too many questions! — It’s the age-old question of laboratory tests and analyses, “How accurate is this?” The answer to this question is always, “It depends…” Some lengthy explanation follows this answer of what is best for the person being tested. When it comes to individual medical decisions, these discussions are best when had…

As usual, the answer is in the proper analysis of data. — A Fraud and Its Victims In 1998, a team of researchers in Great Britain published a study examining the relationship between the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine and autism. Or, as the study paper put it, “We identified associated gastrointestinal disease and developmental regression in a group of previously normal children, which was generally associated…

The data will not analyze itself. — Suppose you’re an epidemiologist at a local health department in a resort town. The town council just had a person give testimony that ice cream leads to drowning, and they have the data to prove it. They pulled 700 random records from the local ice cream shop over the last…

…But we need ground rules. — A group of entertainers and anti-vaccine activists recently tried to harass a well-known vaccine researcher into a “debate” on vaccination. Thankfully, the researcher refused to engage. So, true to form, the entertainers and anti-vaccine activists claimed victory. This is an old tactic by science deniers and others. They challenge you…

Just because it’s published, that doesn’t mean it’s valid. — If you only have a minute… This blog post provides tips for reading pandemic research papers. It suggests familiarizing yourself with the technical language of epidemiological research, understanding basic biostatistics, and knowing the hierarchy of evidence. It also warns against pre-prints and reminds readers that individual experiences may differ from group findings. …

Maybe it will be influenza. Maybe tuberculosis. Maybe an old pathogenic foe. Or maybe a deliberate act from a bad actor. Whatever the scenario is, we’re not ready. — If you only have a minute, here’s the TL;DR version… I discuss the possibility of future pandemics and suggest that influenza and drug-resistant tuberculosis are among the most likely candidates for pathogens that cause a pandemic. I also discuss the potential for intentional release of smallpox and the need for pandemic preparedness. …