Summer Research Opportunity at the Minnesota Department of Health

Summer Research Opportunity at the Minnesota Department of Health

Injury and Violence Prevention Unit: Epidemiology

The mission of the Injury and Violence Prevention Unit (IVPU) is to strengthen Minnesota's communities in injury and violence prevention. The Unit:

·  Collects and interprets data on injury and violence

·  Develops and evaluates prevention programs and policies, and

·  Provides tools, technical assistance, and information to others

The undergraduate student will learn about methods of public health surveillance and epidemiologic investigations and studies, and how principles of computation and data management operate in a public health setting. The student will participate in public health surveillance and studies, performing statistical analysis using quantitative research software and health-related data such as suicide and self-directed violence, opioids/drug overdose, alcohol-related disease and injury, motor vehicle traffic injury, shaken baby/abusive head trauma, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, sudden unexplained infant death, sudden death in the young, elder abuse, and violent deaths. There may be opportunities for interaction with key stakeholders, including policy makers, along with networking opportunities.

Requirements

·  Demonstrated interest in epidemiology, statistics, and public health

·  Completed a course in introductory statistics (e.g., Math155)

·  Some experience with a statistical software package (e.g., SAS, SPSS, R, STATA, etc.) and have a basic understanding of research methods

Preferred

·  Experience/coursework in quantitative research methods

·  Medical geography/GIS

·  Junior or senior standing

Dates: Mid-May to early-August (prefer start in April or May (5-10 hours/week), for orientation, then 10 weeks of full time work)

Location: Golden Rule Building, 85 East 7th Place in downtown St Paul

To Apply:Send i) cover letter addressed to Professor Jansen describing your interests, relevant experience and coursework, ii) your transcript (unofficial is fine if formatted legibly), and iii) your resume or CV including contact information for three references (at least two should be Macalester faculty). Include your last name in each document’s name (e.g., JansenResume) and save as a PDF. Contact Professor Liz Jansen if you have questions; do not IVPU directly. Send application materials by 5PM, February 19, 2018, to .