In order to meet the public health challenges of the future, CDC needs scientists and health professionals to staff new or expanding program areas: breast and cervical cancer prevention, immunization, environmental concerns, injury prevention, occupational safety and health, infant health, preventive medicine, lead poisoning prevention, health statistics, and others. The greatest number of opportunities are for the following:
Behavioral Scientists with expertise in sociology, demography, psychology, and anthropology, conduct research on the transmission, treatment, and prevention of disease. They develop, implement, and evaluate programs, and consult with public health officials in the United States and abroad. Program areas that need behavioral scientists include HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, chronic diseases, and intentional injuries, such as homicide, suicide, and family violence.
Biologists perform research or other professional and scientific work or subordinate technical work in any of the fields of science concerned with living organisms, their distribution, characteristics, life processes, and adaptations and relations to the environment. Biologists at CDC are primarily concerned with infectious diseases and environmental activities.
Computer Specialists are involved in systems design and analysis, programming, application development, and network support throughout CDC. The management of information is central to the agency's mission. Computers are fully integrated into all areas of the agency - scientific research, program operations, graphics/desktop publishing, and administration. CDC has state-of-the-art computer facilities, including stand-alone personal computers, local area networks, and mainframes.
Epidemiologists develop research protocols and design and conduct studies in the United States and abroad. Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers with expertise in medicine, epidemiology, statistics, behavioral science, veterinary medicine, nursing and other fields are employed in CDC's 2-year program of training and service in applied epidemiology. Increasingly, epidemiologists focus on the social, as well as the medical, aspects of disease and on behavioral risk assessment. Epidemiologists are also examining the disproportionate rates of disease and disability among minorities. Program areas that need epidemiologists include HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, occupational safety and health, chronic diseases, environmental health and injury control, and maternal and child health.
General Health Scientists perform research or other professional and scientific work which is specifically health-oriented. The work requires a background of knowledge, skills and techniques gained from professional training in a health science or allied scientific field. Such work may cut across and require understanding of scientific methods and techniques common to several recognized professional fields in the health, medical or allied sciences (e.g., work in the field of health research administration requiring knowledge of research methodology common to a number of different scientific fields); and/or the work may represent a new, emerging or miscellaneous professional occupational area of health science.
Health Education Specialists consult with state and local health officials on chronic disease prevention and health promotion. They are involved in strategic planning, program implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. They work with ethnically and racially diverse groups, e.g., American Indian, Caribbean, African American, and Hispanic populations, which requires an understanding of and ability to communicate effectively with these groups. Major program areas include smoking and health, breast and cervical cancer prevention, diabetes disability prevention, HIV/AIDS prevention, and school health education.
Mathematical Statisticians and Statisticians are involved in applied and theoretical research through CDC. They develop surveillance systems and innovative analytic methodologies to conduct epidemiologic, laboratory, and behavioral research, to assess interventions, and to monitor the nation's health status and health care system. They design questionnaires and survey samples, conduct health studies and analyze results, using new technologies in computer mapping and statistical software to present analytic findings.
Medical Officers provide advice and administer, supervise, or perform professional and scientific work in one or more medical fields, such as preventive medicine, occupational health, and maternal and child health. They conduct research on health problems, physical limitations, and injuries, including causes and methods or prevention and control. Medical officers conduct national and international programs for scientific investigations and provide specialized services to health departments and other health agencies for the control of infectious and certain other disease conditions. They collaborate with the Department of State, the World Health Organization and other agencies to carry out disease control programs in foreign countries.
Microbiologists with expertise in bacteriology, virology, immunology, molecular biology, and biochemistry conduct research on infectious diseases. They also work on interdisciplinary teams to research infectious diseases in child-care settings, foodborne and waterborne diseases, opportunistic infections in HIV-infected patients, and chronic infectious diseases. Microbiologists are involved in training and technical support to the nation's clinical laboratories.