At a glance
CDC's State Chronic Disease Epidemiologists help state public health agencies strengthen and advance their chronic disease epidemiology programs through data collection, mentoring, and partnerships.

Steps we take
CDC invests in states to build chronic disease epidemiology capacity by assigning them a CDC chronic disease epidemiologist to assist in the following areas:1
Epidemiology and Data Collection
- Provide epidemiological assistance to the state public health agency, local public health agencies, and partners.
- Consult with chronic disease program managers about using data to target prevention efforts and develop strategies for strengthening those efforts.
- Enhance data collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination.2
- Develop and implement chronic disease surveillance and evaluation plans.
- Contribute to the development of chronic disease and related state plans.
- Provide technical assistance in writing chronic disease-related grant applications, cooperative agreements, and requests for proposals.
- Make presentations at national and local conferences.
- Publish state reports and articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Mentoring
- Mentor, develop resources for, and conduct trainings for state and local chronic disease program staff to strengthen capacity and enhance data usage.
- Serve as a mentor for student interns, fellows, and preventive medicine residents.
Partnerships
- Ensure collaboration across chronic disease programs.
- Build partnerships with other agencies and stakeholders across multiple sectors to increase data sharing and usage.
- Participate in Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists subcommittees.
- Calanan RM, Sandoval-Rosario M, Price JD, Samanic CM, Lu H, Barbour KE. Achieving excellence in the practice of chronic disease epidemiology. Prev Chronic Dis. 2018;15:E146. doi:10.5888/pcd15.180526
- Duffy RE, Siegel, PZ. Increasing chronic disease epidemiology capacity without increasing workforce: a success story in Ohio. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2009;15(2):123-6. doi:10.1097/01.PHH.0000346009.51651.c5