An Epidemiologist is a professional who investigates patterns, causes, and effects of diseases and other health-related issues within populations. They play a critical role in identifying and controlling the spread of diseases, as well as informing public health policies and interventions. In this blog post, we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Epidemiologists.

Get market insights and compare skills for other jobs here.

Main Responsibilities of an Epidemiologist

The following list describes the typical responsibilities of an Epidemiologist:

Advocate

Advocate for evidence-based public health policies.

Analyze

• Analyze and resolve problems and demonstrate expert subject matter knowledge.

• Analyze data from an epidemiologic investigation or study.

• Analyze demographic data to understand health disparities.

• Analyze healthcare utilization patterns.

• Analyze study or project implementation procedures for improvement.

• Analyze TB / HIV / STD Surveillance and Program data to process data requests.

Answer

Answer to the supplemental questions will be used to identify eligible candidates for this position.

Apply

• Apply appropriate advanced statistical and / or analytical procedures.

• Apply ethical principles in research and data collection.

Assess

Assess the effectiveness of disease prevention and control measures.

Assist in

• Assist in managing the day-to-day operations of different epidemiologic studies.

• Assist them in areas where knowledge of epidemiology is relevant.

• Assist with completing data requests as needed.

• Assist with data entry into NBS for regional and local public health agencies as needed.

Attach

Attach multiple documents / files in the resume attachment section.

Collaborate with

• Collaborate with community organizations to address health concerns.

• Collaborate with cross-functional groups during data quality and product development initiatives.

• Collaborate with external partners to determine MDRO training needs.

• Collaborate with healthcare professionals and researchers.

Collect

Collect and analyze health data from various sources.

Communicate

• Communicate findings to public health agencies and policymakers.

• Communicate study findings to relevant internal and external audiences effectively.

• Communicate with vendors regarding individual electronic health records systems.

Complete

• Complete the online application.

• Complete the online application, verify the required documentation.

Conduct

• Conduct and supervise analyses, evaluation and reporting of studies.

• Conduct epidemiological literature review and / or analysis for signal evaluation and interpretation.

• Conduct epidemiological studies to analyze disease patterns.

• Conduct field investigations to gather epidemiological evidence.

• Conduct literature reviews to stay abreast of current research.

• Conduct risk assessments for environmental health hazards.

• Conduct scientific studies required to identify and isolate various diseases.

Contribute to

• Contribute to company's prestige by maintaining recognition as an expert in his / her field.

• Contribute to our company's prestige by maintaining recognition as an expert in his / her field.

• Contribute to special projects related to COVID-19 as identified by the Science Branch Director.

• Contribute to writing grants with a view to attracting research funding from competitive sources.

Control

Control and Monitor of Data Knowledge Quality.

Coordinate

• Coordinate and facilitate teleconferences and meetings, as required.

• Coordinate with international health organizations on global health issues.

Copy

Copy and paste one or more documents into the text resume section of the application.

Design

• Design and develop data collection tool and methodology.

• Design methodologically sound studies to meet project objectives and regulatory requirements.

• Design research methodologies for population-based studies.

• Design surveys and questionnaires for data collection.

Develop

• Develop and implement surveillance systems for monitoring diseases.

• Develop documentation and training materials for data request and collection tools.

• Develop protocols for research studies and investigations.

Enter

Enter and correct data as needed in NBS.

Evaluate

• Evaluate and analyze data using accepted statistical and biostatistical techniques.

• Evaluate the impact of public health interventions.

Explore

Explore and assesses external collaboration opportunities in various data sources.

Help

Help produce innovative data visualization dashboards using R Shiny or similar open-source software.

Identify

• Identify, analyze, and report public health issues and problems.

• Identify and resolve duplicate records and investigations in NBS.

• Identify appropriate data sources and monitors epidemiologic trends and reports in a timely manner.

• Identify disease data, reporting, and training issues.

• Identify external collaborators for meaningful externally sponsored collaborative (ESC) studies.

• Identify innovative, timely and cost effective methods to conduct epidemiologic studies.

• Identify risk factors associated with diseases and health conditions.

Implement

Implement data quality assurance measures.

Initiate

Initiate and manage external collaborations globally.

Interact with

Interact with clients as warranted, with senior staff involvement as needed.

Interpret

Interpret statistical data to draw conclusions about health trends.

Investigate

• Investigate acute and chronic conditions or other adverse outcomes in the population.

• Investigate outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Lead

• Lead collation and interpretation of relevant epidemiological data.

• Lead program reviews, evaluations, surveys, and the development of performance indicators.

Liaise with

Liaise with external pharmacoepidemiology experts as needed.

Maintain

• Maintain and distribute epidemiology forecasts for key markets of interest.

• Maintain current knowledge of new developments, trends and research in public health surveillance.

• Maintain documentation on data and methods.

Manage

• Manage and supervise the Antimicrobial Resistance Public Health Investigator.

• Manage data from surveillance, investigations, or other sources.

• Manage statewide surveillance for COVID-19 and similar infectious diseases.

Monitor

Monitor trends in infectious and chronic diseases.

Negotiate

Negotiate internal funding of projects.

Participate in

• Participate in Advisory Committee preparations.

• Participate in emergency response efforts during disease outbreaks.

• Participate in internal or external working groups requiring pharmacoepidemiology expertise.

Perform

Perform statistical analysis (i.e., descriptive, predictive, regression modeling).

Plan

Plan, coordinate, complete and oversee project-specific teams and responsibilities within PHO.

Prepare

Prepare reports and presentations for scientific conferences.

Present

• Present epidemiologic research plans or results to internal review and governance committees.

• Present findings to technical and lay audiences.

Provide

• Provide consultation on syntax requirements.

• Provide education and training on surveillance data collection and disease reporting.

• Provide epidemiological analysis or interpretation of data.

• Provide expertise in epidemiology to interdisciplinary teams.

• Provide expert-level subject-matter expertise and resource support to PHO colleagues.

• Provide guidance, mentorship and coaching to epidemiologists.

• Provide monitoring of disease and syndromic surveillance data.

• Provide support to Regional Epidemiologists as needed.

• Provide technical supervision of assigned staff involved in data analysis and reporting.

• Provide technical supervision of assigned staff involved in data collection and data management.

• Provide training and education on MDRO organisms.

• Provide training and mentorship to junior staff and students.

• Provide vocabulary and messaging standards consultation.

Reach

• Reach a local consensus among cross-functional teams in China to move forward with the proposal.

• Reach consensus on the final plan across stakeholders on objectives and timelines.

Recommend

Recommend evidence-based interventions and control measures in response to epidemiologic findings.

Record

Record of high-quality, peer-reviewed epidemiology and / or outcomes research publications.

Report

Report to the Regional Director, Public Health Surveillance.

Respond to

Respond to inquiries from the media and the public.

Suggest

Suggest use of proxy data sources when country-specific sources are not available.

Supervise

Supervise and mentor analysts and / or students, on a project by project basis.

Support

• Support and be accountable to advise scientifically on Real World Evidence strategies.

• Support Clinical Operations and Data Management in query management.

Train

Train the next generation of researchers.

Translate

Translate the results of the research through publications and technology transfer.

Utilize

Utilize geographic information systems (GIS) for spatial analysis.

Work

• Work on higher profile outbreak investigations as needed.

• Work well under pressure and with tight deadlines.

Write

• Write and co-author manuscripts for peer-reviewed publications.

• Write new programs or make modifications to existing ones.

Most In-demand Hard Skills

The following list describes the most required technical skills of an Epidemiologist:

1. Proficiency in statistical analysis software (e.g., R, SAS, STATA).

2. Knowledge of epidemiological study designs (e.g., cohort, case-control).

3. Familiarity with database management systems (e.g., SQL, Access).

4. Expertise in data visualization techniques.

5. Understanding of biostatistics principles.

6. Competence in epidemiological modeling.

7. Ability to conduct systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

8. Experience with geographic information systems (GIS) software.

9. Knowledge of advanced statistical methods (e.g., survival analysis).

10. Understanding of molecular epidemiology techniques.

11. Proficiency in coding and programming languages (e.g., Python, MATLAB).

12. Familiarity with clinical trial methodologies.

13. Skill in interpreting epidemiological studies.

14. Experience with healthcare data sources (e.g., electronic health records).

15. Ability to apply epidemiological principles to public health practice.

16. Knowledge of infectious disease epidemiology.

17. Competence in outbreak investigation techniques.

18. Understanding of health informatics principles.

19. Proficiency in data management and analysis.

20. Ability to communicate complex epidemiological concepts effectively.

Most In-demand Soft Skills

The following list describes the most required soft skills of an Epidemiologist:

1. Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

2. Effective communication skills for disseminating research findings.

3. Attention to detail in data collection and analysis.

4. Collaboration and teamwork in interdisciplinary settings.

5. Adaptability to changing research priorities and methodologies.

6. Time management skills to meet project deadlines.

7. Critical thinking in evaluating scientific literature.

8. Ethical decision-making in research and data management.

9. Empathy and cultural competence in working with diverse populations.

10. Resilience and persistence in the face of challenges.

Conclusion

Mastering the role of an Epidemiologist demands a blend of technical expertise, analytical prowess, and interpersonal skills. By understanding the core responsibilities and honing essential skills, Epidemiologists contribute significantly to advancing public health and improving outcomes for populations worldwide.