2014 Award for Outstanding Student Abstract – International Society for Disease Surveillance

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The ‘Award for Outstanding Student Abstract’ opportunity has been developed and is being coordinated by the ISDS Research Committee. The purpose of the Award is to recognize the exemplary work being done by students in the field of biosurveillance.

The 2014 Awardees are:

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Joseph Klembczk, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine for the abstract ‘Google Flu Trends: Spatial correlation with influenza emergency department visits.’

Joseph Klembczyk studied engineering as an undergraduate at University of Virginia. He is currently an MD/MPH student at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and will graduate in May 2016. His current research involves surveillance and prediction of in

Abstract Summary: Google Flu Trends (GFT) is an internet search query-based application that has been proven to add value to influenza surveillance and forecasting tools. Previous validation studies have focused on national or regional predictions. While these results have been promising, GFT has yet to be extensively validated at the city level. The AHRQ has provided weekly data for influenza-related emergency room visits across 19 cities. Correlation coefficients with city-level GFT range from .67 to .93 with a median of .84. Characterizing the effectiveness of GFT at the local level is crucial to its integration into new surveillance and prediction tools. 

Felicia Trembath, Purdue University  for the abstract ‘An Analysis of the Challenges and Possible Solutions for Dog Bite Injury Surveillance.’

Felicia is currently a fellow with the Health Systems Integration Fellowship Program through CDC/CSTE and is a Ph.D. candidate in the Comparative Pathobiology Department at Purdue University. As a HSIP Fellow, Felicia is stationed in Maricopa County Arizona and is working on several projects focused on integrating health information across different health systems. At Purdue, Felicia worked with Dr. Alan Beck on the development of the public portal for the Human Animal Bond Research Institute and conducted research on the impact of guidelines issued by professional organizations on vaginal birth after a cesarean delivery. 

Abstract Summary:  The challenges facing surveillance for dog bite injuries include the lack of a standardized reporting form, consistent information being collected, and utilization of the information that is collected. Potential solutions include a standardized reporting form, greater emphasis on reporting, and a repository for information. These solutions can be accomplished in part by including dog bite injuries in current or developing disease surveillance systems. 

They will present their work at the 2014 ISDS Conference in December.

For more information about the award, please visit the Award webpage.