Job Duties Custom List 19-1041.00 — Epidemiologists
- Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
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- Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results.
- Provide scientific direction for project teams regarding the evaluation or handling of devices, drugs, or cells for in vitro and in vivo disease models.
- Direct, coordinate, organize, or prioritize biological laboratory activities.
- Develop assays that monitor cell characteristics.
- Coordinate molecular or cellular research activities with scientists specializing in other fields.
- Verify all financial, physical, and human resources assigned to research or development projects are used as planned.
- Maintain accurate laboratory records and data.
- Write grant applications to obtain funding.
- Perform laboratory procedures following protocols including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing, cloning and extraction, ribonucleic acid (RNA) purification, or gel electrophoresis.
- Conduct research on cell organization and function, including mechanisms of gene expression, cellular bioinformatics, cell signaling, or cell differentiation.
- Prepare or review reports, manuscripts, or meeting presentations.
- Instruct undergraduate and graduate students within the areas of cellular or molecular biology.
- Compile and analyze molecular or cellular experimental data and adjust experimental designs as necessary.
- Evaluate new technologies to enhance or complement current research.
- Supervise technical personnel and postdoctoral research fellows.
- Monitor or operate specialized equipment, such as gas chromatographs and high pressure liquid chromatographs, electrophoresis units, thermocyclers, fluorescence activated cell sorters, and phosphorimagers.
- Conduct applied research aimed at improvements in areas such as disease testing, crop quality, pharmaceuticals, and the harnessing of microbes to recycle waste.
- Develop guidelines for procedures such as the management of viruses.
- Evaluate new supplies and equipment to ensure operability in specific laboratory settings.
- Participate in all levels of bioproduct development, including proposing new products, performing market analyses, designing and performing experiments, and collaborating with operations and quality control teams during product launches.
- Design databases, such as mutagenesis libraries.
- Confer with vendors to evaluate new equipment or reagents or to discuss the customization of product lines to meet user requirements.
- Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results.
- Provide scientific direction for project teams regarding the evaluation or handling of devices, drugs, or cells for in vitro and in vivo disease models.
- Direct, coordinate, organize, or prioritize biological laboratory activities.
- Develop assays that monitor cell characteristics.
- Coordinate molecular or cellular research activities with scientists specializing in other fields.
- Verify all financial, physical, and human resources assigned to research or development projects are used as planned.
- Develop and implement individual treatment plans, specifying type, frequency, intensity, and duration of therapy.
- Plan, supervise, and conduct psychological research and write papers describing research results.
- Interact with clients to assist them in gaining insight, defining goals, and planning action to achieve effective personal, social, educational, or vocational development and adjustment.
- Conduct assessments of patients' risk for harm to self or others.
- Counsel individuals, groups, or families to help them understand problems, deal with crisis situations, define goals, and develop realistic action plans.
- Write reports on clients and maintain required paperwork.
- Collect information about individuals or clients, using interviews, case histories, observational techniques, and other assessment methods.
- Document patient information including session notes, progress notes, recommendations, and treatment plans.
- Use a variety of treatment methods, such as psychotherapy, hypnosis, behavior modification, stress reduction therapy, psychodrama, or play therapy.
- Develop therapeutic and treatment plans based on clients' interests, abilities, or needs.
- Identify psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues and diagnose disorders, using information obtained from interviews, tests, records, or reference materials.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling or treatments and the accuracy and completeness of diagnoses, modifying plans or diagnoses as necessary.
- Consult with or provide consultation to other doctors, therapists, or clinicians regarding patient care.
- Obtain and study medical, psychological, social, and family histories by interviewing individuals, couples, or families and by reviewing records.
- Direct, coordinate, and evaluate activities of staff and interns engaged in patient assessment and treatment.
- Advise clients on how they could be helped by counseling.
- Maintain current knowledge of relevant research.
- Consult reference material, such as textbooks, manuals, or journals, to identify symptoms, make diagnoses, or develop approaches to treatment.
- Refer clients to other specialists, institutions, or support services as necessary.
- Supervise and train interns, clinicians in training, and other counselors.
- Develop, direct, and participate in training programs for staff and students.
- Provide consulting services, including educational programs, outreach programs, or prevention talks to schools, social service agencies, businesses, or the general public.
- Consult with other professionals, agencies, or universities to discuss therapies, treatments, counseling resources or techniques, and to share occupational information.
- Select, administer, score, and interpret psychological tests to obtain information on individuals' intelligence, achievements, interests, or personalities.
- Provide occupational, educational, or other information to individuals so that they can make educational or vocational plans.
- Prepare written evaluations of individuals' psychological competence for court hearings.
- Observe individuals at play, in group interactions, or in other contexts to detect indications of mental deficiency, abnormal behavior, or maladjustment.
- Plan and develop accredited psychological service programs in psychiatric centers or hospitals, in collaboration with psychiatrists and other professional staff.
- Provide psychological or administrative services and advice to private firms or community agencies regarding mental health programs or individual cases.
- Conduct research to develop or improve diagnostic or therapeutic counseling techniques.
- Develop and implement individual treatment plans, specifying type, frequency, intensity, and duration of therapy.
- Plan, supervise, and conduct psychological research and write papers describing research results.
- Plan and administer biological research programs for government, research firms, medical industries, or manufacturing firms.
- Develop methods and apparatus for securing representative plant, animal, aquatic, or soil samples.
- Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.
- Develop and maintain liaisons and effective working relations with groups and individuals, agencies, and the public to encourage cooperative management strategies or to develop information and interpret findings.
- Collect and analyze biological data about relationships among and between organisms and their environment.
- Supervise biological technicians and technologists and other scientists.
- Identify, classify, and study structure, behavior, ecology, physiology, nutrition, culture, and distribution of plant and animal species.
- Communicate test results to state and federal representatives and general public.
- Prepare requests for proposals or statements of work.
- Represent employer in a technical capacity at conferences.
- Review reports and proposals, such as those relating to land use classifications and recreational development, for accuracy, adequacy, or adherence to policies, regulations, or scientific standards.
- Write grant proposals to obtain funding for biological research.
- Research environmental effects of present and potential uses of land and water areas, determining methods of improving environmental conditions or such outputs as crop yields.
- Study and manage wild animal populations.
- Measure salinity, acidity, light, oxygen content, and other physical conditions of water to determine their relationship to aquatic life.
- Prepare plans for management of renewable resources.
- Teach or supervise students and perform research at universities and colleges.
- Study reactions of plants, animals, and marine species to parasites.
- Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data.
- Study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and function.
- Study aquatic plants and animals and environmental conditions affecting them, such as radioactivity or pollution.
- Develop pest management and control measures, and conduct risk assessments related to pest exclusion, using scientific methods.
- Plan and administer biological research programs for government, research firms, medical industries, or manufacturing firms.
- Develop methods and apparatus for securing representative plant, animal, aquatic, or soil samples.
- Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.
- Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels.
- Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure.
- Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
- Write and publish articles in scientific journals.
- Write applications for research grants.
- Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.
- Investigate cause, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission of diseases or parasites.
- Use equipment such as atomic absorption spectrometers, electron microscopes, flow cytometers, or chromatography systems.
- Confer with health departments, industry personnel, physicians, and others to develop health safety standards and public health improvement programs.
- Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, and others regarding medical applications of physics, biology, and chemistry.
- Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.
- Study animal and human health and physiological processes.
- Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- Design or implement rehabilitation plans for patients with cognitive dysfunction.
- Conduct neuropsychological evaluations such as assessments of intelligence, academic ability, attention, concentration, sensorimotor function, language, learning, and memory.
- Conduct research on neuropsychological disorders.
- Consult with other professionals about patients' neurological conditions.
- Diagnose and treat conditions involving injury to the central nervous system, such as cerebrovascular accidents, neoplasms, infectious or inflammatory diseases, degenerative diseases, head traumas, demyelinating diseases, and various forms of dementing illnesses.
- Diagnose and treat conditions such as chemical dependency, alcohol dependency, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) dementia, and environmental toxin exposure.
- Diagnose and treat pediatric populations for conditions such as learning disabilities with developmental or organic bases.
- Educate and supervise practicum students, psychology interns, or hospital staff.
- Establish neurobehavioral baseline measures for monitoring progressive cerebral disease or recovery.
- Interview patients to obtain comprehensive medical histories.
- Participate in educational programs, in-service training, or workshops to remain current in methods and techniques.
- Provide education or counseling to individuals and families.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in neuropsychology.
- Write or prepare detailed clinical neuropsychological reports, using data from psychological or neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct observations, or interviews.
- Design or implement rehabilitation plans for patients with cognitive dysfunction.
- Organize and conduct experimental studies with live animals in controlled or natural surroundings.
- Develop, or make recommendations on, management systems and plans for wildlife populations and habitat, consulting with stakeholders and the public at large to explore options.
- Inventory or estimate plant and wildlife populations.
- Inform and respond to public regarding wildlife and conservation issues, such as plant identification, hunting ordinances, and nuisance wildlife.
- Study animals in their natural habitats, assessing effects of environment and industry on animals, interpreting findings and recommending alternative operating conditions for industry.
- Disseminate information by writing reports and scientific papers or journal articles, and by making presentations and giving talks for schools, clubs, interest groups and park interpretive programs.
- Check for, and ensure compliance with, environmental laws, and notify law enforcement when violations are identified.
- Analyze characteristics of animals to identify and classify them.
- Conduct literature reviews.
- Prepare collections of preserved specimens or microscopic slides for species identification and study of development or disease.
- Collect and dissect animal specimens and examine specimens under microscope.
- Raise specimens for study and observation or for use in experiments.
- Study characteristics of animals, such as origin, interrelationships, classification, life histories, diseases, development, genetics, and distribution.
- Perform administrative duties, such as fundraising, public relations, budgeting, and supervision of zoo staff.
- Coordinate preventive programs to control the outbreak of wildlife diseases.
- Organize and conduct experimental studies with live animals in controlled or natural surroundings.
- Design or implement rehabilitation plans for patients with cognitive dysfunction.
- Compare patients' progress before and after pharmacologic, surgical, or behavioral interventions.
- Conduct neuropsychological evaluations such as assessments of intelligence, academic ability, attention, concentration, sensorimotor function, language, learning, and memory.
- Consult with other professionals about patients' neurological conditions.
- Diagnose and treat conditions involving injury to the central nervous system, such as cerebrovascular accidents, neoplasms, infectious or inflammatory diseases, degenerative diseases, head traumas, demyelinating diseases, and various forms of dementing illnesses.
- Diagnose and treat neural and psychological conditions in medical and surgical populations, such as patients with early dementing illness or chronic pain with a neurological basis.
- Diagnose and treat pediatric populations for conditions such as learning disabilities with developmental or organic bases.
- Diagnose and treat psychiatric populations for conditions such as somatoform disorder, dementias, and psychoses.
- Distinguish between psychogenic and neurogenic syndromes, two or more suspected etiologies of cerebral dysfunction, or between disorders involving complex seizures.
- Educate and supervise practicum students, psychology interns, or hospital staff.
- Establish neurobehavioral baseline measures for monitoring progressive cerebral disease or recovery.
- Identify and communicate risks associated with specific neurological surgical procedures, such as epilepsy surgery.
- Interview patients to obtain comprehensive medical histories.
- Participate in educational programs, in-service training, or workshops to remain current in methods and techniques.
- Provide education or counseling to individuals and families.
- Provide psychotherapy, behavior therapy, or other counseling interventions to patients with neurological disorders.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in neuropsychology.
- Write or prepare detailed clinical neuropsychological reports, using data from psychological or neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct observations, or interviews.
- Design or implement rehabilitation plans for patients with cognitive dysfunction.
- Plan or conduct basic genomic and biological research related to areas such as regulation of gene expression, protein interactions, metabolic networks, and nucleic acid or protein complexes.
- Supervise or direct the work of other geneticists, biologists, technicians, or biometricians working on genetics research projects.
- Prepare results of experimental findings for presentation at professional conferences or in scientific journals.
- Maintain laboratory notebooks that record research methods, procedures, and results.
- Write grants and papers or attend fundraising events to seek research funds.
- Search scientific literature to select and modify methods and procedures most appropriate for genetic research goals.
- Review, approve, or interpret genetic laboratory results.
- Attend clinical and research conferences and read scientific literature to keep abreast of technological advances and current genetic research findings.
- Evaluate genetic data by performing appropriate mathematical or statistical calculations and analyses.
- Analyze determinants responsible for specific inherited traits, and devise methods for altering traits or producing new traits.
- Extract deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or perform diagnostic tests involving processes such as gel electrophoresis, Southern blot analysis, and polymerase chain reaction analysis.
- Collaborate with biologists and other professionals to conduct appropriate genetic and biochemical analyses.
- Instruct medical students, graduate students, or others in methods or procedures for diagnosis and management of genetic disorders.
- Create or use statistical models for the analysis of genetic data.
- Maintain laboratory safety programs and train personnel in laboratory safety techniques.
- Verify that cytogenetic, molecular genetic, and related equipment and instrumentation is maintained in working condition to ensure accuracy and quality of experimental results.
- Develop protocols to improve existing genetic techniques or to incorporate new diagnostic procedures.
- Confer with information technology specialists to develop computer applications for genetic data analysis.
- Design sampling plans or coordinate the field collection of samples such as tissue specimens.
- Evaluate, diagnose, or treat genetic diseases.
- Conduct family medical studies to evaluate the genetic basis for traits or diseases.
- Design and maintain genetics computer databases.
- Participate in the development of endangered species breeding programs or species survival plans.
- Plan curatorial programs for species collections that include acquisition, distribution, maintenance, or regeneration.
- Plan or conduct basic genomic and biological research related to areas such as regulation of gene expression, protein interactions, metabolic networks, and nucleic acid or protein complexes.
