Posted on by rollinsambassadors

Working at the CDC

Elle Chumlongluk, MPH 2024

Working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an ORISE fellow within Health Communications at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) Health Communication Science Office (HSCO) has been immensely rewarding and has been an honor to work with such amazing experts in the field of public health. Within my role as an ORISE Fellow, I have had the privilege to engage in research about health
communications relating to vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases.

My primary responsibility is to work on a team to evaluate communication activities and develop science-based communication strategies. One of the most enlightening aspects of my role is conducting qualitative research through multiple focus groups. This research allows us to assess vaccine knowledge and attitudes, which, in turn, informs the development of campaign materials for print and digital media. Furthermore, I have also conducted research and presentations utilizing quantitative and survey data from diverse databases relating to vaccine and vaccine – preventable diseases to inform our health communications work. In addition, another essential part of my role is serving as a liaison between the Office of Communication’s Inaccurate Information Mitigation Team and HSCO. Within this position, I am looking at ways we can enhance relations and facilitate more efficient communication between our offices.

Before starting my ORISE Fellowship, I had worked at the CDC previously in multiple
capacities. From January to May 2023, I worked on the polio emergency response in the
Division of Viral Diseases (DVD). In this role, I worked on a team that collaborated with local
and state health departments to combat a polio outbreak in New York. This included conducting a community assessment and presenting our findings to prioritize efforts. I also worked as an Internal Communication Assistant in the Division of Viral Diseases (DVD) from November 2022 to May 2023. I managed internal communication by creating weekly updates and enhancing collaboration among DVD staff members. I also served as a Student Intern at the Miami Quarantine Station from August 2021 to November 2022 where I worked on reports relating to COVID-19 activity during the height of the COVID -19 pandemic and other response related projects.