ICD-Pieces: Improving Care for CKD, Diabetes and Hypertension in Health Systems (Miguel A. Vazquez, MD; George (Holt) Oliver, MD, PhD)

This NIH Collaboratory Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds features:

Miguel A. Vazquez, MD
Professor of Medicine
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, TX
George (Holt) Oliver, MD, PhD
Vice President Clinical Informatics
Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation
Dallas, TX

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This three-day (4/4, 4/6, and 4/8) course will be offered via Zoom. Attendance is required as the course will not be recorded.

Course Summary:

This course introduces Structural equation modeling (SEM) with Stata software. This statistical method tests theoretically derived models with observed and unobserved variables. This methodology is different from other regression models in that this method does not assume that the variables have been measured without error. The relationship between theoretical constructs is tested using latent variables, which are variables with at least two observable measures that mathematically can represent unobserved abstract constructs. The relationship between variables is analyzed using direct, indirect, and total effects. In this manner, researchers can test mediation effects to identify underlying mechanisms that influence the relationship between a key independent variable and outcome. Moreover, this type of model allows researchers to test theoretical models that have more than one dependent variable. The class will focus on models for continuous variables and discuss options to analyze models with categorical variables.

The course will cover how to perform the following steps:

- Measure confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the validity of the construct
- Model identification
- Model fit
- Test hypotheses
- Model the missing data of continuous independent variables
- Interpret results

Requirements:

1) Students must know how to model and interpret correlations and ordinary least square (OLS) regressions.
2) Know how to use the basic Stata functions, i.e., enter and save data, create variables, use command window, and do file.
3) Knowledge of logistic regression models is not required but is helpful.

Instructor: Eugenia Conde

Dr. Conde is a Statistical Consultant at The H. W. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She provides consultations to students and faculty on research methods and statistics. Her Ph.D. is in sociology with a concentration in demography and medical sociology. In addition, she holds an MSPH in epidemiology. Before working at the Odum Institute, she worked at Rutgers University and at Duke University as a statistical consultant for graduate students and as a statistician for researchers from different disciplines, including political science, economics, psychology, sociology, and public health.

She is co-authoring a statistics book with Dr. Dudley L. Poston and Dr. Layton Field, Applied Regression Models in the Social Sciences (Forthcoming, Cambridge University Press). Her research interests include social inequalities, research methods, and statistics with a focus on missing data and methodologies to study people of color.

Registration Fees
- $0, with a $20 deposit to hold your spot (deposit is refundable upon your attendance for at least 66% of the course)

Additional Course Registration
- Registration will close at 12:01 am on 4/1/2022. Once registration closes, no late registrations will be accepted, no exceptions.
- Cancellation/ Refund Policy: A full refund will be given to those who cancel their registration no later than 10 days prior to the course. If you cancel within 10 days prior to the class, no refund will be given. Please allow 30 days to receive your refund.
- Zoom link for this course will be sent prior to the course. Registration must be made at least 3 days prior to the course date to receive the Zoom link.
- For questions regarding the status of this class, please contact Jill Stevens at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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This series is sponsored by the Dean’s Office, Inclusive Excellence and the Department of Epidemiology.

Speaker:
Gregorio Millett, MPH, vice president and director of public policy at amfAR

Using data from the scientific literature, this talk will explore similarities between the HIV and COVID-19 pandemics with respect to inequities by race and ethnicity. Millett will discuss lessons that were ignored from the HIV pandemic, such as the degree to which social determinants impact health; the role of multiple overlapping epidemics in amplifying inequities; stigmatization of at-risk communities and victim-blaming that run counter to the prevailing science; and possible solutions to prevent the next pandemic from disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations.

Questions? Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the Dean’s Office at 919- 966-3215

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This one-day course will be offered via Zoom. Attendance is required as the course will not be recorded.

Course Summary:
Sometimes you need to analyze data that is only available as a web page. This course will introduce you to extracting structured data from web pages, also known as “scraping” the pages. We will use the R programming language. The first portion of the course will introduce basic HTML, CSS selectors, Developer Tools in Google Chrome, and the R packages used for web scraping. The second portion will consist of a hands-on exercise scraping data from a real web page. After this course, you should be able to scrape data from most web pages you encounter in your research.

Instructor: Matthew Wigginton Bhagat-Conway
Matthew Wigginton Bhagat-Conway is an Assistant Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning and a consultant in the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science. His research interests are in travel behavior, urban transportation, and statistical methods for transportation data analysis. He is available to assist researchers with statistics and data analysis.

Dr. Bhagat-Conway has a PhD and MA in Geography from Arizona State University, and a BA in Geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to graduate school, he was a software developer and project manager for Conveyal, a public transport planning consulting firm, and a fellow in the Data Science for Social Good Fellowship at the University of Chicago.

Registration Fees
- UNC-CH Students: $0 with a $20 deposit to hold your spot (deposit is refundable upon your attendance for at least 66% of the course)
- UNC-CH Faculty/Staff/Postdoc: $40
- Non UNC-CH: $40

Additional Course Registration
- Registration will open 2/4/22 and close at 12:01am 4/2/2022. Once registration closes, no late registrations will be accepted.
- Cancellation/ Refund Policy: A full refund will be given to those who cancel their registration no later than 10 days prior to the course. If you cancel within 10 days prior to the class, no refund will be given. Please allow 30 days to receive your refund.
- Zoom link for this course will be sent prior to the course. Registration must be made at least 3 days prior to the course date to receive the Zoom link.
- For questions regarding the status of this class, please contact Jill Stevens at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Register

This three-day (4/4, 4/6, and 4/8) course will be offered via Zoom. Attendance is required as the course will not be recorded.

Course Summary:

This course introduces Structural equation modeling (SEM) with Stata software. This statistical method tests theoretically derived models with observed and unobserved variables. This methodology is different from other regression models in that this method does not assume that the variables have been measured without error. The relationship between theoretical constructs is tested using latent variables, which are variables with at least two observable measures that mathematically can represent unobserved abstract constructs. The relationship between variables is analyzed using direct, indirect, and total effects. In this manner, researchers can test mediation effects to identify underlying mechanisms that influence the relationship between a key independent variable and outcome. Moreover, this type of model allows researchers to test theoretical models that have more than one dependent variable. The class will focus on models for continuous variables and discuss options to analyze models with categorical variables.

The course will cover how to perform the following steps:

- Measure confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the validity of the construct
- Model identification
- Model fit
- Test hypotheses
- Model the missing data of continuous independent variables
- Interpret results

Requirements:

1) Students must know how to model and interpret correlations and ordinary least square (OLS) regressions.
2) Know how to use the basic Stata functions, i.e., enter and save data, create variables, use command window, and do file.
3) Knowledge of logistic regression models is not required but is helpful.

Instructor: Eugenia Conde

Dr. Conde is a Statistical Consultant at The H. W. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She provides consultations to students and faculty on research methods and statistics. Her Ph.D. is in sociology with a concentration in demography and medical sociology. In addition, she holds an MSPH in epidemiology. Before working at the Odum Institute, she worked at Rutgers University and at Duke University as a statistical consultant for graduate students and as a statistician for researchers from different disciplines, including political science, economics, psychology, sociology, and public health.

She is co-authoring a statistics book with Dr. Dudley L. Poston and Dr. Layton Field, Applied Regression Models in the Social Sciences (Forthcoming, Cambridge University Press). Her research interests include social inequalities, research methods, and statistics with a focus on missing data and methodologies to study people of color.

Registration Fees
- $0, with a $20 deposit to hold your spot (deposit is refundable upon your attendance for at least 66% of the course)

Additional Course Registration
- Registration will close at 12:01 am on 4/1/2022. Once registration closes, no late registrations will be accepted, no exceptions.
- Cancellation/ Refund Policy: A full refund will be given to those who cancel their registration no later than 10 days prior to the course. If you cancel within 10 days prior to the class, no refund will be given. Please allow 30 days to receive your refund.
- Zoom link for this course will be sent prior to the course. Registration must be made at least 3 days prior to the course date to receive the Zoom link.
- For questions regarding the status of this class, please contact Jill Stevens at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Register

The National Consortium for Data Science (NCDS) will host a panel discussion on How to be an Antiracist Researcher. The event will be held in partnership with the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) and the South Big Data Hub.

Antiracist researchers combat inequality and racism by conceptualizing, implementing, and disseminating research that dismantles racism, oppression, discrimination, and structural inequalities. This presentation offers participants an opportunity to learn how to engage in antiracist research by presenting a counter-narrative to the traditional conceptualization and implementation of research with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). During our time together, the panelists will:

Our panelists include:

Register

This three-day (4/4, 4/6, and 4/8) course will be offered via Zoom. Attendance is required as the course will not be recorded.

Course Summary:

This course introduces Structural equation modeling (SEM) with Stata software. This statistical method tests theoretically derived models with observed and unobserved variables. This methodology is different from other regression models in that this method does not assume that the variables have been measured without error. The relationship between theoretical constructs is tested using latent variables, which are variables with at least two observable measures that mathematically can represent unobserved abstract constructs. The relationship between variables is analyzed using direct, indirect, and total effects. In this manner, researchers can test mediation effects to identify underlying mechanisms that influence the relationship between a key independent variable and outcome. Moreover, this type of model allows researchers to test theoretical models that have more than one dependent variable. The class will focus on models for continuous variables and discuss options to analyze models with categorical variables.

The course will cover how to perform the following steps:

- Measure confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the validity of the construct
- Model identification
- Model fit
- Test hypotheses
- Model the missing data of continuous independent variables
- Interpret results

Requirements:

1) Students must know how to model and interpret correlations and ordinary least square (OLS) regressions.
2) Know how to use the basic Stata functions, i.e., enter and save data, create variables, use command window, and do file.
3) Knowledge of logistic regression models is not required but is helpful.

Instructor: Eugenia Conde

Dr. Conde is a Statistical Consultant at The H. W. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She provides consultations to students and faculty on research methods and statistics. Her Ph.D. is in sociology with a concentration in demography and medical sociology. In addition, she holds an MSPH in epidemiology. Before working at the Odum Institute, she worked at Rutgers University and at Duke University as a statistical consultant for graduate students and as a statistician for researchers from different disciplines, including political science, economics, psychology, sociology, and public health.

She is co-authoring a statistics book with Dr. Dudley L. Poston and Dr. Layton Field, Applied Regression Models in the Social Sciences (Forthcoming, Cambridge University Press). Her research interests include social inequalities, research methods, and statistics with a focus on missing data and methodologies to study people of color.

Registration Fees
- $0, with a $20 deposit to hold your spot (deposit is refundable upon your attendance for at least 66% of the course)

Additional Course Registration
- Registration will close at 12:01 am on 4/1/2022. Once registration closes, no late registrations will be accepted, no exceptions.
- Cancellation/ Refund Policy: A full refund will be given to those who cancel their registration no later than 10 days prior to the course. If you cancel within 10 days prior to the class, no refund will be given. Please allow 30 days to receive your refund.
- Zoom link for this course will be sent prior to the course. Registration must be made at least 3 days prior to the course date to receive the Zoom link.
- For questions regarding the status of this class, please contact Jill Stevens at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Register

COVID-19 Surveillance in PCORnet: Year 2 Update (Jason Block, MD, MPH; Thomas W. Carton, PhD, MS)

This NIH Collaboratory Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds features:

Jason Block, MD, MPH
Associate Professor
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute
Harvard Medical School

Thomas W. Carton, PhD, MS
Chief Data Officer
Louisiana Public Health Institute

Learn More

Implementation Science Speaker Series - Planning Implementation Strategies using Implementation Mapping

Implementation Mapping provides a systematic process for developing strategies to improve the adoption, implementation, and maintenance of evidence-based interventions in real-world settings. Implementation Mapping is based on Intervention Mapping (a six-step protocol that guides the design of multi-level health promotion interventions and implementation strategies) and draws from the field of implementation science.

This presentation will include an overview of the process of Implementation Mapping (IM) and how it can be used to plan implementation strategies. Fernandez will explain how IM can help incorporate the use of community and stakeholder engagement, implementation theory, and evidence during the implementation strategy planning process. She will describe the use of implementation mapping logic models to help articulate mechanisms of implementation strategies and how they may influence implementation and effectiveness outcomes.

The event is co-sponsored by NC TraCS D&I Methods Unit and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center's Cancer Outcomes Research Program.

For any questions regarding the event, please email Abigail Morrison at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Presenter:

Maria E. Fernandez, PhD,
Lorne Bain Distinguished Professor in Public Health and Medicine
Professor, Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences,
Director, Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research
Co-Director, UTHealth Institute for Implementation Science, School of Public Health,
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Fernandez has focused her research on chronic disease prevention and control among underserved populations. She has extensive expertise in health equity research, research translation and dissemination and implementation (D&I) science. She has been a member of the NIH D&I Research in Health Study Section, and served as faculty for the NCI-sponsored Training Institute for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health. As the Principal Investigator on multiple NIH, CDC, and State-funded D&I studies, she has developed tools and measures for implementation research and practice to improve health equity for vulnerable populations.

For example, she was the PI on an NCI-funded R01 that developed and evaluated an online tool to facilitate adoption, adaptation, and implementation of evidence-based cancer prevention programs. She leads a study to develop and validate a measure of organizational readiness for implementation, and a study to increase uptake and use of effective cancer screening interventions in community health centers serving low income and minority patients. Fernandez is an expert on Intervention Mapping (IM), a systematic process for planning multilevel interventions, and has pioneered the use IM in implementation science.

Join a live training session for the N3C Data Enclave. Users of all types can learn how to navigate the N3C, utilize the Enclave and resources it provides, and learn how to better achieve their analytical goals. This orientation is split into 2 sessions – Session A and Session B. These orientations are offered on a monthly basis. Session A is recommended before attending Session B.

Session A is for those who want to learn about N3C, as well as how to engage with project teams and access the data.

Topics include:

• Provide a general overview of N3C, including goals, organization, and community resources such as Domain Teams and Data Liaisons.
• Introduces the 3 data tiers available and important considerations for research driven by the data harmonization process.
• Discusses resources for training and help, as well as the Data Use Request (DUR) process required for researcher access.

Register

SODIUM-HF: Should Our Patients Consume Less Dietary Sodium? (Justin A. Ezekowitz, MBBCh, MSc)

This NIH Collaboratory Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds features:

Justin A. Ezekowitz, MBBCh, MSc
Professor of Medicine and Alberta Health Services Chair in Cardiac Sciences
Director, Cardiovascular Research
Co-Director, Canadian VIGOUR Centre
University of Alberta

Learn More

The 2022 Translational Medicine Symposium is co-sponsored by the Program in Translational Medicine and the Cancer Cell Biology Training Program.

The symposium will feature two keynote addresses, talks by trainees in both programs, and a career panel of program alumni.

Symposium Agenda

9:00-10:00 a.m. | Opening Keynote Address
10:15-11:45 a.m. | Student presentations in 4 concurrent rooms
12:00-1:00 p.m. | Lunch with keynote speakers
1:15-2:00 p.m. | Alumni career panel
2:15-3:45 p.m. | Student presentations in 4 concurrent rooms
4:00-5:00 p.m. | Closing Keynote Address and awards

About the Keynote Speakers:

Navdeep Chadel, PhD
Navdeep S. Chandel, PhD is the David W. Cugell, MD, Professor of Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Chandel’s work has demonstrated that mitochondrial metabolism is a potential target for cancer therapy.

Karen Corbin, PhD, RD
Corbin is a Faculty Investigator at the Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes. Her program of research focuses on nutrition, enterohepatic metabolism and the mechanisms that drive individual susceptibility to metabolic diseases. Corbin is also CEO of the science communication company Geeks that Speak. After 20 years of traversing the worlds of healthcare and science, she realized that a fundamental barrier exists for translating ideas into solutions. Geeks that Speak exists to inspire and empower scientists to become impactful storytellers.

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This is a joint event between NCPMI Higher Education Community of Practice (HECoP), and Duke Project Management Community of Practice. The event is free and open to anyone interested in project management. Please join the session shortly before 12:00 pm.

Health data science relies on many traditional project management methods but also has additional complexities of technological complexity, cutting-edge methods, and a rapidly-evolving landscape. In this informal panel discussion, you’ll hear from several senior staff members of AI Health about their experiences in project management and program management, and their perspectives on challenges, best practices, and lessons learned. Duke AI Health (https://aihealth.duke.edu/) connects, strengthens, amplifies, and grows multiple streams of theoretical and applied research on artificial intelligence and machine learning in order to answer the most urgent and difficult challenges in medicine and population health. This discussion will be especially relevant to anyone who manages technical projects or is considering the landscape of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Speakers:

Shelley Rusincovitch, MMCi; Associate Director of Informatics
Rusincovitch is an informaticist and technical leader who specializes in healthcare data for secondary research and data science experiential learning, with a focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning. She is currently serving as the Interim Managing Director for Duke AI Health, a group focused on advancing ethical and equitable data science at Duke and beyond.

Nicoleta Economou-Zavlanos, PhD; Program Director, Algorithm-Based Clinical Decision Support (ABCDS) Oversight
Economou leads the operations and framework design effort for the governance, evaluation, and monitoring of ABCDS software at Duke; this ABCDS Oversight is a Duke Health synergistic effort between the SOM and the Duke University Health System.

Andrew Olson, MPP; Associate Director, Policy Strategy and Solutions for Health Data Science
Andrew Olson, MPP, is a health policy specialist and experienced project leader. In his role with AI Health, he helps develop demonstration projects and other initiatives that address or inform critical health policy issues, and facilitates the translation of health data science discoveries to a policy audience.

Ursula Rogers; Senior Informaticist
Rogers is Senior Informaticist for AI Health, where she brings 25 years of experience in data management and software development. Her role at Duke AI Health brings expertise in understanding, extracting, and curating data from the EHR and other clinical data sources for the purposes of Clinical Research, QI, and Operations

Register

NCPMI member attendees will be uploaded for PDU credit after the end of the session. Please allow up to 2 weeks for recording. In support of improving patient care, the Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education and Professional Development is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), to provide continuing education for the health care team. Duke University Health System Clinical Education and Professional Development are authorized to offer 0.1 CEUs for this program.

Category 1: Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education and Professional Development designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The Race, Racism, and Racial Equity (R3) Symposium, hosted by the University Office for Diversity and Inclusion, Jordan Institute for Families, and Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the UNC School of Social Work, is a series of virtual events that bring together scholars and researchers from across campus to share their work with Carolina and the broader community.

As we close out the second year of the global COVID-19 pandemic, our sixth R3 symposium event will focus on Scholarship Addressing the Dual Pandemic of Racism and COVID-19.

The United States has been in a crisis – a pandemic caused by racism – since our very beginnings. COVID-19 has highlighted these racial inequities. While the pandemic is an international experience that touches everyone, the impact of COVID-19—physically, emotionally, and economically—is not equal. Scholars from UNC’s Schools of Education, Public Health, and Social Work will present research on the coping strategies of Black women essential workers and their experiences with racism during the COVID-19 pandemic, advancing equity through public health critical race practice, and Black parent perspectives of school experiences during COVID.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the racial and ethnic inequities that have long existed in the United States. Scholars across UNC's campus have produced important scholarship addressing this topic, including actions we might take to end these disparities," said R3 co-convener, Allison De Marco, Equity, Lead, Jordan Institute for Families, School of Social Work and Advanced Research Scientist, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. "I'm thrilled that we will be able to feature both graduate students and faculty scholars from the Schools of Education, Public Health, and Social Work whose research will provide greater insight into these disparities."

Leah Cox, Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, added, “COVID-19 has impacted us all in a variety of ways – financially, emotionally, in terms of our health and wellness, and our social lives. But the effect on Black women has been especially profound. We look forward to this meaningful discourse at this sole R3 session of the Spring 2022 semester.”

Register

This course is being offered in collaboration between the Odum Institute and the Center for Urban & Regional Studies.

Location: Davis Library Room 219

This one-day in-person short course, led by the Carolina Drone Lab, will cover drone data collection, planning, and analysis. Small unoccupied aircraft systems (sUAS or drones) are a common mapping and 3D-modeling tool in many organizations. To fully leverage the technology and its benefits, there needs to be a foundation in understanding how to collect quality images and process those images into usable information. The course introduces the workflow from mission planning to creating maps to importing those maps into a GIS environment. Attendees will be introduced to: mission planning, to include safety and FAA compliance; creating automated flights for data capture; spending time working with software to process and analyze images collected from drones; and creating maps. Commonly used tools and resources will be shared!

Students will plan and execute a simulation drone mission with deliberate, analytical approach to flight safety and awareness. Students will learn the technical capabilities and limitations of the drones available for use, and why selection of the right drone and sensor combination is important to obtaining the right data for a project. This course offers participants the chance to learn about a broad spectrum of techniques to take the next steps on their own.

Course sections:

1. Mission planning with enhanced safety
   - learn how to plan a mission safely and in compliance with FAA rules and regulations
   - this is not a comprehensive review of all FAA rules, but regulations will be included in mission planning
   
2. Mission planning software overview
   - become familiar with different planning software for both multicopter and fixed wing drones
   
3. Data processing from upload of images to creation of an orthomosaic
   - review outputs of digital surface models, 2D and 3D orthomosaics, and other potential products
   
4. Ingesting data into GIS platforms for display, further analysis, and map making

The course is designed for anyone with moderate computer skills and an interest in taking their drone skills beyond video and still images. The principles and techniques are not overly complicated, simply new to most people. All disciplines would benefit from this course and there are lessons for a variety of fields including engineering, geography, agriculture, planning, and natural resource management. Small unoccupied aircraft systems (sUAS) have many uses, anyone interested in learning to collect images and process data is encouraged to attend.

Required:
- No previous drone experience required, although basic flying experience and knowledge of regulations is helpful. - Bring your own laptop! Prior to class, students will receive instructions to download software. - Limited capacity allowed for class. Register early!

Registration Fees:

- UNC-CH Students: $0, with a $35 deposit to hold your spot (deposit is refundable upon your attendance for at least 66% of the course)
- UNC-CH Faculty/Staff/Postdoc: $95 - Non UNC-CH: $145

Additional Course Information:

- Registration will close at 12:01am 4/17/2022. No late registrations will be accepted.
- Cancellation/ Refund Policy: A full refund will be given to those who cancel their registration no later than 10 days prior to the course. If you cancel within 10 days prior to the class, no refund will be given. Please allow 30 days to receive your refund.
- For questions regarding the status of this class, please contact Jill Stevens at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Register

Instructors: Susan Cohen and Troy Walton

Susan Cohen is the Associate Director of the UNC Institute for the Environment (IE) and the Director of the Carolina Drone Lab. Her current efforts use interdisciplinary teams to focus on ecosystem resilience and applied research for management across habitat types. Susan’s work frequently uses data collected with unoccupied aerial systems (UAS; drones and sensors) and that work includes mapping ecosystems for characterization and management, tracking change over time on the landscape, and imaging prescribed fires, as well as teaching and training. She enjoys engaging with drone enthusiasts for all kinds of uses!

Prior to coming to IE, Susan worked for the Department of Defense (DoD). She ran the Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program conducted at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC, focusing on the function and sustainability of coastal systems in the context of the military mission and climate change. Before joining DoD, Susan worked at the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station in RTP, NC studying processes in fire adapted forest ecosystems and plant communities. Susan earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and holds both master’s and doctoral degrees in Forestry from North Carolina State University. She also served in the U.S. Peace Corps as a forestry extension volunteer in the Dominican Republic.

Troy Walton is a remote sensing and unoccupied aerial systems (UAS; drones and sensors) specialist at Attollo, LLC and, in partnership with the UNC Institute for the Environment, is the Manager of the Carolina Drone Lab. Prior to joining Attollo, he flew drones for an agriculture inspection firm conducting crop health analysis through remote sensing. Troy served in the United States Marine Corps for 8 years as both an artillery Officer and as a UAS Mission Commander. He brings his mastery of flying in complex airspace to all of his drone missions.

Since leaving the military, Troy has been focusing on utilizing UAS for environmental monitoring and tracking the effects of climate change. Specializing in advanced UAS operations, he trains remote pilots on flight operations, mission planning, data processing, and the fundamentals of standing up new drone programs within organizations. Troy earned a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Management from Eastern Kentucky University and a GIS post-baccalaureate certificate from Pennsylvania State University in Geographic Information Systems. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree for Geographic Information Science at Unity College.

The TraCS Research Recruitment & Retention Program offers Drop-in Office Hours every third Wednesday. Get quick answers for your recruitment questions via Zoom. Our recruitment specialists can help answer brief questions, review documents, or provide resources. 

Whether you need recruitment troubleshooting, have questions about MyChart, or help designing a flyer, drop-in and we can help get things started!

Zoom

Successful participant accrual and retention are critical to the success of any research study or clinical trial. Join the NC TraCS Research Recruitment and Retention Program for a refresher on best practices and novel perspectives for maximizing efforts to meet enrollment goals in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Objectives:
- Describe best practices and regulations related to the recruitment of human subjects into research
- Identify considerations for appropriate strategy selection
- Understand how to create effective materials/messaging
- Learn how to talk about your recruitment plan with your sponsor and IRB
- Explain how the study team can monitor recruitment to inform ongoing efforts

Register

Managing a State Response to a Global Pandemic: A conversation between Drs. Mandy Cohen and John Wiesman

Mandy Cohen was secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services during the coronavirus pandemic. John Wiesman was secretary of the Washington State Department of Health, which handled the first known case of COVID-19 in the United States. In this conversation, they will discuss the experience of managing a state’s response to COVID-19. What was it like, what did they learn and how can we apply those lessons to future pandemics?

Speakers:

Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH
Executive Vice President and CEO of Aledade Care Solutions

John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH
Professor of Practice in Health Policy and Management, Director of Executive Doctoral Program in Health Leadership at the Gillings School

Moderator:

Jason deBruyn
Health Reporter at WUNC

Register

Development of a Novel Research Collaboration with the Retail Industry (Dylan L. Steen, MD, MS)

This NIH Collaboratory Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds features:

Dylan L Steen, MD, MS
Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine
Director, Clinical Trials and Population Health Research, UC Heart, Lung, and Vascular Institute
CEO, High Enroll LLC (research participant recruitment company)

Learn More

The 23rd Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research will be held on Monday, April 25, 2022, from 2-5 p.m. in the Blue Zone of Kenan Stadium.

The Office for Undergraduate Research is pleased to return to an in-person Celebration of Undergraduate Research for 2022. This event will be open to the public, and all members of the Carolina community are encouraged to attend any or all of the poster sessions starting at 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. Nearly 400 students will present more than 250 posters of their undergraduate research. A full list of presenters, co-presenters, poster titles, and session times can be found here. All posters and research abstracts will also be available online via Symposium from April 25 to May 9, 2022.

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Clinical Protocol Development Series

The goal of this two-day series is to provide researchers with knowledge, tools, and resources to aid in the development of a scientific protocol for a clinical research study. Both sessions will begin at 9:00 AM and a question-and-answer session will follow each presentation.

The first day of the series will provide an introduction and focus on the following key points:
- Who needs a clinical protocol and why it is important
- Types of clinical protocols, and content expectations for sections of the protocol
- Introduction to clincaltrials.gov registration
- UNC Scientific Review processes
- Protocol problems spots and ways to improve protocols
- Resources and tools available at UNC to support clinical protocol development

Audience: academic researchers, scientists, study coordinators, and students engaged in clinical research and/or clinical trials.

ACRP Contact Hours: 4.0 Contact Hours of clinical research education on the application for maintenance of ACRP's ccrc®, ccra® or cpi®, certification designations will be available for attendees

If you have any other questions, please email Marie Rape at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Join a live training session for the N3C Data Enclave. Users of all types can learn how to navigate the N3C, utilize the Enclave and resources it provides, and learn how to better achieve their analytical goals. This orientation is split into 2 sessions – Session A and Session B. These orientations are offered on a monthly basis. Session A is recommended before attending Session B.

Session B is for analysts, statisticians, data scientists, or anyone who wants to gain a broader understanding of the tools needed to work with the data.

Topics include:

• Focus on technical aspects of working with data in the secure N3C Enclave, including use of OMOP concept sets and N3C-specific tooling, such as the Concept Set Browser.
• Introduce commonly used analysis tools, such as Contour and Code Workbooks and corresponding workflows for simple analyses.
• Introduce the Enclave Knowledge Store, a mechanism for sharing and using community-developed code and data across projects.

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What is the value of the p-value? A panel discussion on the controversy and proper use of the p-value in health research

The debate over the value and interpretation of p-value has endured since the time of its inception nearly 100 years ago. The use and interpretation of p-values vary by a host of factors, especially by discipline. These differences have proven to be a barrier when developing and implementing boundary crossing clinical and translational science. The purpose of this panel discussion is to discuss misconceptions, debates, and alternatives to the p-value.

This event is co-sponsored by UNC TraCS, Duke University and Wake Forest University CTSA Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design (BERD) Cores.

Presenters:
Charles Poole, ScD (Associate Professor of Epidemiology, UNC)
Lucy D'Agostino, PhD (Assistant Professor of Statistics, Wake Forest University)
Charles Scales, MD, MSHS (Associate Professor of Surgery, Duke University)

Facilitator:
Marcella Boynton, PhD (Assistant Professor, General Internal Medicine, UNC/NC TraCS)

For any questions regarding this event, please contact Krista Lloyd at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Clinical Protocol Development Series

The goal of this two-day series is to provide researchers with knowledge, tools, and resources to aid in the development of a scientific protocol for a clinical research study. Both sessions will begin at 9:00 AM and a question-and-answer session will follow each presentation.

On the second day of the series we will take a "deeper dive" into clinical study design, statistics, and their impact on clinicaltrials.gov reporting:
- Clinical Protocol Study Design - aims, objectives, endpoints, and outcomes
- Statistical Analysis, sample size considerations, data management
- Clinicaltrials.gov - outcome measure reporting

Audience: academic researchers, scientists, study coordinators, and students engaged in clinical research and/or clinical trials.

ACRP Contact Hours: 4.0 Contact Hours of clinical research education on the application for maintenance of ACRP's ccrc®, ccra® or cpi®, certification designations will be available for attendees

If you have any other questions, please email Marie Rape at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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This webinar is sponsored by Future Leaders in Precision Public Health and the CDC Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health.

Join the Precision Public Health (PPH) Network for a free virtual lecture with David A. Chambers, DPhil. The rapid development of advances in biomedical research creates levers to improve precision health and health care. However, without complementary attention to a robust agenda on implementation science, we risk replicating the “bench” to “bookshelf” pathway for scientific discoveries. This talk will discuss challenges and opportunities, assumptions, and ongoing activities toward advancing implementation science in the context of dynamic systems, an evolving evidence base, and a desire to sustain effective health interventions over time.

The goal of the PPH Network is to connect future public health clinicians, researchers, and policymakers exploring precision approaches to improving population health. The PPH Network connects aspiring precision public health leaders through sponsoring working groups for research collaboration, hosting lectures with experts in the field, and organizing the Transdisciplinary Conference for Future Leaders in Precision Public Health.

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Join NC TraCS and the SOM CRSO for a presentation for current and future Principal Investigators on best practices for preparing for and participating in audits. The Office of Clinical Trials Clinical Trial Quality Assurance program will present various elements of audits, including triggers for audits, the conduct of audits, and practical approaches for ensuring compliance prior to audits. Zoom information will be provided after registration is completed.

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Lessons learned and unlearned in ZOE 2.0: a multi-ethnic community-based genetic epidemiologic study of early childhood oral health in North Carolina

This event is part of the NC TraCS ISP Seminar series.

The talk will revolve around the development of an NIH-funded community-based pediatric oral health research program in North Carolina. Between 2016-2019, the ZOE 2.0 investigators enrolled over 8,000 preschool-age children in genetic epidemiologic studies of childhood oral health/disease. Questionnaires, clinical, and biological data were collected during a 30-month period from participants attending 260 public preschool centers in 84 NC counties.

The rich resulting information from this multiethnic cohort of 3-5-year-old children has been used to answer epidemiologic, behavioral, and biological research questions. It has also stimulated new research including qualitative studies and developed program planning. A major component of this endeavor has been intentional and lasting community-engaged work with participants and stakeholders that augmented the research team's cultural literacy and understanding of local needs.

Presenter:

Kimon Divaris, PhD, DDS is an Adams Distinguished Professor in the Division of Pediatric and Public Health at the UNC Adams School of Dentistry. A board-certified pediatric dentist, he is actively involved in teaching at all levels, clinical practice, and research. He is an oral and genetic epidemiologist, and his NIH-funded research program lies in the intersection of clinical, biological, and public health research in pediatric oral health. He is the recipient of several major awards and has had substantial scholarly and editorial activity.

If you have any questions regarding this event, please contact Laura Villa-Torres at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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CTSA Grand Rounds: Haiyan He, PhD - A novel nascent protein-degradation-based mechanism for fast homeostatic plasticity

Please join us to hear about the research of Haiyan He, PhD, a K scholar from Georgetown University. Dr. He will present evidence for a new mechanism of activity-dependent proteostasis regulation employed by the vertebrate brain that is mediated by a newly-discovered neuronal membrane-associated proteasome (NMP).

For any questions regarding the event, please email Susan Pusek at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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BP Track: National Surveillance for Blood Pressure Control and Related Process Metrics Using PCORnet (Mark J. Pletcher, MD, MPH; Rhonda Cooper-DeHoff, PharmD, MS; Alanna M. Chamberlain, PhD, MPH)

This NIH Collaboratory Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds features:

Mark J. Pletcher, MD, MPH
Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Medicine
University of California, San Francisco

Rhonda Cooper-DeHoff, PharmD, MS, FAHA, FACC, FCCP
Associate Professor and Research Foundation Professor
University of Florida College of Pharmacy

Alanna M. Chamberlain, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor of Epidemiology
Mayo Clinic

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BP Track: National Surveillance for Blood Pressure Control and Related Process Metrics Using PCORnet (Mark J. Pletcher, MD, MPH; Rhonda Cooper-DeHoff, PharmD, MS; Alanna M. Chamberlain, PhD, MPH)

This NIH Collaboratory Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds features:

Mark J. Pletcher, MD, MPH
Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Medicine
University of California, San Francisco

Rhonda Cooper-DeHoff, PharmD, MS, FAHA, FACC, FCCP
Associate Professor and Research Foundation Professor
University of Florida College of Pharmacy

Alanna M. Chamberlain, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor of Epidemiology
Mayo Clinic

Learn More