Key points
EIS officers are passionate about public health and making a difference. A key element of their training is learning and practicing way to communicate about their work. EIS officers get training the science behind giving effective scientific presentations and other ways of communicating including storytelling. This page includes examples of EIS officers and alumni giving TED-style talks at EIS conference, candid social media interviews, news features, podcasts, and CDC features.
Videos
Tropical Tees, Musibis, and Making a Team: Successful Collaboration in American Samoa by Hans Desale, PhD, MPHTM LLS 2023
Class of 2023 LLS fellow Hans Desale details a unique collaboration between Puerto Rican and American Samoan epidemiology and laboratory teams as they worked to conduct a dengue serosurvey of school children in American Samoa as part of a pre-vaccination campaign in the Pacific Islands.
Struggles and Triumphs of Women in Coal Mining by Noemi Hall, PhD EIS 2016
EIS 2016 alumna Noemi Hall explores the dynamic and challenging world of women in coal mining, a sector traditionally dominated by men. Using powerful images and firsthand accounts, Hall brings to life the experiences of these women, highlighting how they moved mountains ― both literally and metaphorically.
Trials and Tribulations: The Journey to a Maternal Group B Streptococcus Vaccine by Rebecca Kahn, PhD, MS EIS 2022
Class of 2022 EIS officer Rebecca Kahn shares her experience working to develop and apply a new method to detect Group B Streptococcus antibodies in blood samples to expedite the development of a maternal Group B Streptococcus vaccine.
Living in the Response—A Decade of Life and Work in the Appalachian Coal Fields by Scott Laney, PhD, MPH EIS 2006
EIS 2006 alumnus Scott Laney delves into the harrowing reality of Black Lung disease in Central Appalachia, focusing on the poignant stories of two men whose lives have been overshadowed by this devastating condition.
Unlearning How to Lead—EVALI in the Salt Lake Valley by Nathaniel Lewis, PhD EIS 2019
EIS 2019 alumnus Nathaniel Lewis shares the journey that led him to EIS and describes his experience investigating a vaping-related outbreak. Lewis imparts wisdom to incoming officers and EIS conference attendees about what it means to be a disease detective leading an outbreak investigation.
A Story Data Can’t Tell: The Impact of Violence in Black Communities by Keisha Lindsay Nurse, PhD, MA EIS 2022
Class of 2022 EIS officer Keisha Lindsay Nurse delivers a moving deep dive into the profound impact of homicide within Black communities, illustrating the personal and community-wide repercussions of such violence and underscoring the importance of storytelling in informing both research and public health action.
People, Prevention, Porta-potties: Understanding Access to Restrooms, Hygiene Resources, and Shelter amid an Increase in Hepatitis A Virus in San Diego by Cassandra Schember, PhD, MPH EIS 2022
Class of 2022 EIS officer Cassandra Schember delivers a chilling account of her work coordinating hepatitis A vaccine efforts in encampments and shelters, and the crucial insights she gleaned from engaging directly with people experiencing homelessness.
Data Equity = Health Equity by Sarah Wondmeneh, MD, MPH, Katie Labgold, PhD, MPH, Jessica Penney, MD, MS, MPHTM (All EIS 2022)
Three Class of 2022 EIS officers provided an entertaining look into what it means to “own” data, exploring the far-reaching effect of data inequity, and highlighting data equity in public health as vital to controlling outbreaks and achieving health equity.
New Learnings from an Old Disease, Mpox and Health Disparities in the U.S. by Jemma Alarcόn, MD, MPH
Class of 2022 EIS officer Jemma Alarcόn , MD, MPH, discusses her on-the-ground experience at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health during the high-profile monkeypox (mpox) response. She recounts how racism and health inequality contributed to mpox deaths.
Perfumes, Pet Racoons, and Mississippi Melioidosis by Julia Petras, MSPH, BSN
Class of 2021 EIS officer Julia Petras, MSPH, BSN, takes the audience behind the scenes of two domestic melioidosis outbreak investigations– one involving 4 patients, 1 racoon, and an aromatherapy spray, and the other involving the gulf coast of Mississippi. Petras describes the lengths to which she and other investigators went to collect product and environmental samples, how they followed the instincts of two affected patients, and the importance of fostering trust and close collaboration to ensure successful outcomes.
Breakfast fish, Boat Rides, and Bibis: Behind the Scenes of the Polio Response in Tanzania by Molly Layde, MPH, BSN
Class of 2021 EIS officer Molly Layde shares her experience training nurses and clinical officers from the remote island of Pemba on acute flaccid paralysis surveillance and reporting while deployed to the polio response in Tanzania. Valleau shares how cultural competence and personal connections can help drive successful outcomes in the most remote parts of the world.
Three Islands, One Health – Capacity Building in the United States Virgin Islands by Springer Browne, MVB, MPH, PhD, DACVPM
Class of 2018 EIS officer Springer Browne discusses his EIS assignment in the U.S. Virgin Islands following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. He speaks about the impact of lost critical infrastructure, activities and opportunities to build one health surveillance projects, the power of collaboration, and "working with what you have" to drive success despite limited resources.
Putting Baby Booties on the Ground: Protecting the Most Vulnerable by Wanda Barfield, MD, MPH, FAAP
Class of 2000 EIS officer Wanda Barfield describes her unique trajectory as a neonatologist who applied her skills outside the hospital setting, including as an Army troop medical director in the Sinai desert, an EIS disease detective, and the Director for the Division of Reproductive Health at CDC. She shares her passion for emergency preparedness and response for pregnant people and how she grew to develop a population perspective on emergency mass critical care.
From Intuition to Action: How Gut-Feelings Can Drive Public Health Solutions by Yoon- Sung Nam, PhD, MPH
In this TED-style Talk, class of 2022 EIS officer Yoon- Sung Nam chronicles his experience using gut feelings to inform timely health-based decisions when facing uncertainties and to prevent adverse health outcomes for an entire population. His charismatic talk reveales the behind-the-scenes process of investigating lead-containing products and how gut feelings are built upon ongoing field experience.
Behind the Scenes of an Investigation with EIS Officer Sarah Luna
Learn about the compelling investigative work and personal experiences of an EIS officer in this TED-style Talk, an engaging new presentation format offered for the first time during the 2018 67th Annual Epidemic Intelligence Service Conference. In this video, Class of 2016 EIS officer Sarah Luna, PhD, addresses Food Behind Bars: When Food Safety Isn't Enough.
Podcasts
The Human Experience Behind the Legendary Work of Disease Detectives
CDC worked with the CDC Foundation and StoryCorps to capture public health history through the lens of distinguished CDC disease detectives.. These stories reflect a myriad of behind-the-scene stories, experiences and issues from the 1950s to present day. These EIS alumni were—and some still are—dedicated public health servants who made countless personal sacrifices for the greater good of public health. While they are known in the public health arena for their scientific integrity, advancements, and other public health accomplishments, today you get to hear them speak candidly about their motivation for joining EIS, why they remained in public health, and how their views and life were shaped by their EIS experience.
These unscripted interviews were recorded with audio only as open conversations between EIS legends and current EIS officers, EIS alumni, or someone with a personal connection. StoryCorps is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve and share humanity's stories to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world. Full length audio recordings will be preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to share wisdom and leave a legacy for future generations to come.
Hear from a few EIS legends in the following 3-minute audio recordings.
Dr. William "Bill" Foege, EIS class of 1962, is a physician and epidemiologist well known for his global health contributions that led to the eradication of smallpox in the late 1970s. Dr. Foege was appointed as CDC Director by President Jimmy Carter and served in this role from 1977 to 1983. In 1984, Dr. Foege co-founded the Task Force for Child Survival and Development, now the Task Force for Global Health. He later joined The Carter Center as its first executive director and fellow for health policy. Dr. Foege has also served as a Presidential Distinguished Professor of International Health at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, and as a senior medical advisor for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2012, President Barack Obama awarded Dr. Foege the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. Dr. Foege's lifelong dedication to promoting global public health continues to inspire future generations of public health leaders. He is interviewed by his grandson, Max Morell-Foege.
Listen to interview [MP3 – 6 MB] | Transcript [96 KB, 1 Page]
Dr. Richard "Rich" Besser, EIS class of 1991, is the President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Before joining the Foundation, he served eight years as chief health and medical editor for ABC News. He served as acting director of CDC during the initial response to the H1N1 influenza pandemic. Dr. Besser received the Surgeon General's Medallion for his leadership during the H1N1 response, and in 2011, the Dean's Medal for his contributions to public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Besser is a leading voice on the importance of healthy and equitable community conditions, the need for economic inclusion for the wellbeing of families, accountable public health and healthcare systems, and advocating for racial justice. He is interviewed by fellow EIS alum Ian Pray (2019 class).
Listen to interview [MP3 – 8 MB] | Transcript [96 KB, 1 Page]
Access the full 45-minute recording.
Dr. James "Jim" Curran, EIS class of 2004, is Dean Emeritus and Professor of Epidemiology and Global Health at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health. In 1981, Dr. Curran was tapped to lead a CDC task force charged with determining what was behind the first cases of what we now know as AIDS. A pioneer in HIV/AIDS prevention, Dr. Curran led the nation's efforts in the battle against HIV/AIDS for 15 years, earning the rank of the assistant surgeon general. Dr. Curran was awarded the Surgeon General's Medal of Excellence in 1996 and received the John Snow Award from the American Public Health Association in 2003. For his Disease Detective-like work and leadership, he was awarded an honorary member of the EIS class of 2004. He has served as co-director of the Emory Center for AIDS Research and holds faculty appointments in the Emory School of Medicine and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. In 2009, the Rollins School of Public Health Dean's position was named the James W. Curran Dean of Public Health in his honor. He is interviewed by his daughter and fellow EIS alum, Katie Curran (2013 class).
Listen to interview [MP3 – 8 MB] | Transcript [74 KB, 2 Pages]
Dr. Barbara "Barb" Marston, EIS class of 1990, retired from CDC in 2022 as the Deputy Director for Science and Program in the Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria at CDC. During her CDC career, Dr. Marston has worked on a wide range of domestic and international public health programs, including CDC's Ebola response, the Division of Global Health Protection's Health Recovery Branch, and CDC's response efforts in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. Dr. Marston has also worked as a medical epidemiologist in the Care and Treatment Branch of the Global AIDS Program, serving as CDC's core team representative for Tanzania and Kenya. Dr. Marston has received several awards for outstanding public health service including the Global AIDS Program Humanitarian Award and the Center for Global Health Director's Medal of Excellence in Global Health, an award that commends her contributions to public health in Haiti. She is interviewed by fellow EIS alum Anna Chard (2019 class).
Listen to interview [MP3 – 7 MB] | Transcript [74 KB, 2 Pages]
Interview with former CDC Principal Deputy Director: Once a Disease Detective, Always a Disease Detective
Learn how CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers—known as disease detectives—responded during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 in this NPR podcast interview with former CDC Principal Deputy Director, Anne Schuchat, MD. Beginning with her time as an EIS officer in the class of 1988, she has played key roles in CDC emergency responses including the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza response, the 2003 SARS outbreak, the 2001 bioterrorist anthrax response, and others. Schuchat served as CDC's principal deputy director from September 2015 until her retirement in 2021 and served as acting CDC director in 2017 and 2018.
Interview with the chief of CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service
Learn about CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), including the open application period and selection process, through the American Public Health Association's (APHA) Epidemiology Section podcast interview with Eric Pevzner, Chief of the EIS program. Hear about the impact of the service provided by these disease detectives during their 2-year experiential fellowship, and find out about other fellowship and internship opportunities at CDC.
Feature Stories
Alexander Wu, EIS '18: Featured in Harvard Gazette for COVID-19 contributions
Alexander Wu, ScD, MPH, EIS Class of 2018, is featured in the May 2020 Harvard University Gazette collection of stories from alumni who are engaged in the COVID-19 response. Wu worked with a Native American community in the Pacific Northwest, where he trained contact tracers, advised community leaders and the executive director of the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, and answered questions about COVID-19 on weekly video conference calls with over 200 tribal clinicians nationwide. Learn more about Wu's work in the Harvard Gazette feature, A COVID-19 battle with many fronts.
The Crucial Role of CDC's Disease Detectives: Frontline Defense Against COVID-19 and other Outbreaks
EIS alum Seema Yasmin (2011 class) draws on her perspective as a former CDC disease detective to address the COVID-19 response and the crucial role of EIS officers in this Rolling Stone Magazine article. February 29, 2020
Chasing Outbreaks: Movie Screens, Meningitis Surveillance, and Meaningful Service
Olivia McGovern, PhD, EIS Class of 2018, shares her public health inspiration and journey in this University of Michigan spotlight article.
UNTHSC Grad chosen for CDC's 'top gun' disease detective service
Amy Board, DrPH, MSW, MPH, EIS Class of 2019, shares the excitement about her acceptance into EIS and an assignment aligning with her interests in this University of North Texas spotlight article.