Supported by and in collaboration with the Harvard Cyprus Endowment Fund on Environmental and Public Health, the Cyprus Internship Program is an opportunity for first year HSPH Environmental Health Master of Science students to gain experience at the forefront of Public Health challenges from across the Globe. Participating students analyze data sets from Cyprus and other European countries and publish the results in leading, international, peer-reviewed journals.
Project Description
Project Framework
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- All students are given a specific topic and are matched with a Harvard advisor and a Cyprus advisor
- Projects will run during Summer and Fall
- The amount of work for the Summer is 35 hours per week and for the Fall is 20 hours per week.
- Students can use the work towards Independent study or paid working hours during Fall
- During winter session students will have the opportunity to participate in a travel course to Cyprus to take part in additional research and present their studies.
- Students may use the project for their Master’s Thesis
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In all projects, the students will play substantial role in
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- Writing the study protocol
- Data management/manipulation
- Data analysis
- Write up of the final manuscript to be submitted in a peer reviewed journal
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Past Projects
| Project Title | Short Description |
| Association of desert dust storm exposures during the three trimesters of pregnancy with perinatal outcomes in Cyprus
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The study will examine the cumulative effect of exposure to desert dust storms during pregnancy on perinatal outcomes (birth weight, prematurity) for the population of Cyprus. The analysis will be conducted using logistic regression for categorical outcomes and linear regression for continuous outcome, using STATA statistical software. |
| Association between particles beta radiation and mortality in Cyprus
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The study will examine the acute effects of exposure to particles (TSP) beta radioactivity and mortality, using daily data from Limassol, Cyprus from 2008 to 2019. The analysis will be conducted using a quasi-Poisson GAM regression model adjusting for short- and long-term trends, weather, day of week, and ambient PM10 levels. R statistical software will be used for this analysis. |
| Association between particles beta radiation and hospital admissions in Cyprus | The study will examine the acute effects of exposure to particles (TSP) beta radioactivity and mortality, using daily data from Limassol, Cyprus from 2008 to 2019. The analysis will be conducted using a quasi-Poisson GAM regression model adjusting for short- and long-term trends, weather, day of week, and ambient PM10 levels. R statistical software will be used for this analysis. |
| Acute effects of PM constituents on hospital admissions in Cyprus.
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The study will examine the acute effects of PM10 constituents on hospital admission using daily data from 2009 to 2019 in Cyprus. The analysis will explore whether the dust and non-dust PM10 constituents have a different effect on hospital admissions. The analysis will be conducted using a regression analysis adjusting for short- and long-term trends, weather, day of week, and total mass concentration. STATA statistical software will be used for this analysis. |
| Exploring potential drivers of COVID-19 mortality using a rich dataset of potential pandemic drivers and mortality data from 20+ countries | The study will examine several factors that might have played a role in the spread and health impacts of COVID-19. For this analysis, all-cause weekly mortality between 2015-2021, available for 20+ countries and collaborators of CMOR project will be used (https://www.unic.ac.cy/coronavirus/mortality/ ). The factors that will be examined include, but are not limited to: population, population age distribution, healthcare expenditure, hospital bed density, social development index, death rate from specific cause 2019, behavioral health risk factors prevalence (smoking, obesity), GDP, environmental factors (e.g., temperature, air pollution) etc. Absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression as a variable selection mechanism will be used. Statistical software: STATA, R |
| Relationships between indoor and outdoor PM measurements in Nicosia Cyprus
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The study will utilize Alphasense indoor PM recordings from houses in Nicosia, and examine the correlation with gravimetric measures from indoor Harvard impactors. The analysis will also incorporate ambient measurements from central locations in Nicosia, Cyprus. |
| Ambient particle radioactivity during desert dust events in Cyprus (EXPOSURE)
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This study will assess the levels of Total Suspended Particles alpha- and beta-radioactivity, and radionuclides (Cs-134, Cs-137, K-40, Ru-106) in Cyprus. The analysis will explore whether TSP radioactivity is different during desert dust events. Preferred statistical software: STATA |
| Indoor and outdoor sources of PM2.5 and PM10 in Nicosia, Cyprus
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This analysis will utilize the data collected from LIFE-MEDEA intervention study. Specifically, the data includes PM2.5 and PM10 mass, black carbon, brown carbon, and elements collected from participants homes and schools. EPA PMF program will be used for the source apportionment analysis to identify and quantify the sources. |
How to Apply
This program is open to first year students that are enrolled in the Environmental Health Master of Science program. Students are encouraged to submit an application in the Spring Semester. More details to follow.
Contacts
| Petros Koutrakis
Professor of Environmental Science |
| Stefania Papatheodorou Lecturer in Epidemiology Program Co-Director Email:spapathe@hsph.harvard.edu |
| Francine Laden
Professor of Environmental Epidemiology |
| Rose West Academic Coordinator EER Visa Processing, Compensation and Finance Email: rwest@hsph.harvard.edu |
| Kaitlin Breen Administrative Assistant, EER Travel and Accommodation Email:kmbreen@hsph.harvard.edu |
| Barbara Zuckerman Director of Faculty and Academic Affairs Program Administration Email: bzuckerm@hsph.harvard.edu |
| Shaun Heller Faculty and Academic Affairs Coordinator Program Administration Email: shaunheller@hsph.harvard.edu |
