Ralph R. Frerichs

Last updated
Ralph R. Frerichs
Born (1942-10-03) October 3, 1942 (age 81)
Berlin, Germany
OccupationEpidemiologist
Nationality American
EducationDVM University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine
MPH & DrPH Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
SpouseRita Flynn

Ralph R. Frerichs is professor emeritus of epidemiology at UCLA where he was active as a full-time faculty member in the School of Public Health for 31 years and as the Epidemiology department chair for 13 years, before retiring in late 2008. [1] Both at UCLA and in international workshops he taught epidemiologic methods, the use of rapid community-based surveys, [2] [3] epidemiologic simulation models for focused research, and screening and surveillance methods for HIV/AIDS and other diseases. [4] [5]

In addition, he consulted on epidemiological and management-related issues with many international agencies including the Albert Schweitzer Foundation, Population Council, UN, WHO, USAID and CDC in 16 countries:Colombia, Bolivia, Honduras, Brazil, Kenya, Bangladesh, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Mongolia, Federated States of Micronesia and the country of Georgia.

Since retirement, he authored Deadly River: Cholera and Cover-up in Post-Earthquake Haiti (Cornell University Press, 2016), [6] is engaged in panoramic photography, [7] and continues to manage the popular John Snow website, [8] which he created to honor the historical father of epidemiology, known for his insightful research on cholera.

Life and career

Frerichs was born on October 3, 1942, in Berlin, Germany, the son of physicist Rudolf Frerichs known for development of the cadmium-sulfide photoconductive cell, [9] and artist and writer Gisela Frerichs. The family moved to the United States in 1947–48, where his father joined the faculty of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. [9] Frerichs obtained his DVM in 1967 from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine at Urbana-Champaign. Following two years in Birmingham, Alabama, as captain in the US Army Veterinary Corp, he obtained the MPH and DrPH (epidemiology) in 1970 and 1973, respectively from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans. While working on his doctoral dissertation (development of a computer simulation model for the control of urban rabies) [10] [11] he was both a research associate with the International Center for Medical Research and Training in Cali, Colombia and an instructor at Tulane University. [12] After graduation, Frerichs became assistant professor of preventive medicine at the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans, [13] and epidemiologist for the Bogalusa Heart Study, a longitudinal study of cardiovascular disease risk factors in children in the biracial community of Bogalusa, Louisiana. During his LSU years from 1973 to 1977, his publication topics included pediatric levels of blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, [14] lipoproteins, [15] blood pressure, [16] hemoglobin. [17] and obesity. [18]

In early 1978, Frerichs joined the epidemiology faculty at UCLA, rising through the ranks from assistant to full professor, while expanding his research interests both domestically and internationally. Nationally, he focused on airport noise and mortality, [19] mental depression, [20] spatial patterns of cardiovascular disease mortality, [21] and the health impact of recycled wastewater. [22] Globally, his research included health status measures and costs of care in Bolivia, [23] microcomputer applications in Bangladesh, [24] Burma [25] and elsewhere, [26] and pediatric health indicators in Burma. [27] While in Burma (later renamed Myanmar), he developed an approach for quickly conducting community-based surveys, [28] which soon became a component of international surveillance systems. Several years later he introduced a more advanced form of the rapid survey method for use in the United States. [29]

Becoming increasing involved with HIV/AIDS, he realized the need for a simple saliva test to assist screening and surveillance activities. [30] His 1994 call in The Lancet for personal HIV screening in developing countries invoked controversy during a time when detection was viewed as worse than the disease, [31] as did his Epidemiology commentary on HIV winners and losers, [32] and his AIDS article on the harm of not permitting personal HIV screening in developing countries. [33] Controversy continued in his retirement years, when he wrote of the United Nations involvement in the origin of the world's largest cholera epidemic in Haiti, [34] later expanded in his book Deadly River featuring French epidemiologist Renaud Piarroux. [35]

Honors included the Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society (1970); the American Epidemiological Society (1982, an honorary society of epidemiologists since 1927); [36] UC Berkeley's 1988 invitation as Ralph Sachs Visiting Scholar for his work in computer technology in developing countries; outstanding alumnus in 1992 of Tulane's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine; [37] and in 1997 the Prestigious Plaque for HIV/AIDS Education from Thailand's Ministry of Public Health and Bangkok's College of Public Health at Chulalongkorn University. [1]

Frerichs has two adult children, Peter [38] and Christine, [39] and is married to Rita Flynn, following the death of wife Marcy after 34 years of marriage. The couple resides in Southern California at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cholera</span> Bacterial infection of the small intestine

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea lasting a few days. Vomiting and muscle cramps may also occur. Diarrhea can be so severe that it leads within hours to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. This may result in sunken eyes, cold skin, decreased skin elasticity, and wrinkling of the hands and feet. Dehydration can cause the skin to turn bluish. Symptoms start two hours to five days after exposure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epidemic</span> Rapid spread of disease affecting a large number of people in a short time

An epidemic is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of hosts in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infections, an attack rate in excess of 15 cases per 100,000 people for two consecutive weeks is considered an epidemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epidemiology</span> Study of health and disease within a population

Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution, patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Field epidemiology</span>

Field Epidemiology is the application of epidemiologic methods to unexpected health problems when a rapid on-site investigation is necessary for timely intervention. A more expansive definition is: The practice of Epidemiology in the field. Work is done in communities often as a public health service and as part of government or a closely allied institution. Field epidemiology is how epidemics and outbreaks are investigated, and is used to implement measures to protect and improve the health of the public. Field epidemiologists must deal with unexpected, sometimes urgent problems that demand immediate solution. Its methods are designed to answer specific epidemiologic questions in order to plan, implement, and/or evaluate public health interventions. These studies consider the needs of those who will use the results. The task of a field epidemiologist is not complete until the results of a study have been clearly communicated in a timely manner to those who need to know, and an intervention made to improve the health of the people.

Molecular epidemiology is a branch of epidemiology and medical science that focuses on the contribution of potential genetic and environmental risk factors, identified at the molecular level, to the etiology, distribution and prevention of disease within families and across populations. This field has emerged from the integration of molecular biology into traditional epidemiological research. Molecular epidemiology improves our understanding of the pathogenesis of disease by identifying specific pathways, molecules and genes that influence the risk of developing disease. More broadly, it seeks to establish understanding of how the interactions between genetic traits and environmental exposures result in disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1846–1860 cholera pandemic</span> The third major outbreak of cholera, 1846–1860 worldwide pandemic

The third cholera pandemic (1846–1860) was the third major outbreak of cholera originating in India in the 19th century that reached far beyond its borders, which researchers at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) believe may have started as early as 1837 and lasted until 1863. In the Russian Empire, more than one million people died of cholera. In 1853–1854, the epidemic in London claimed over 10,000 lives, and there were 23,000 deaths for all of Great Britain. This pandemic was considered to have the highest fatalities of the 19th-century epidemics.

In epidemiology, ecological studies are used to understand the relationship between outcome and exposure at a population level, where 'population' represents a group of individuals with a shared characteristic such as geography, ethnicity, socio-economic status of employment. What differentiates ecological studies from other studies is that the unit analysis being studied is the group, therefore inferences cannot be made about individual study participants. On the other hand, details of outcome and exposure can be generalized to the population being studied. Examples of such studies include investigating associations between units of grouped data, such as electoral wards, regions, or even whole countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Langmuir</span> American epidemiologist

Alexander Duncan Langmuir was an American epidemiologist. He is renowned for creating the Epidemic Intelligence Service.

The American Journal of Epidemiology (AJE) is a peer-reviewed journal for empirical research findings, opinion pieces, and methodological developments in the field of epidemiological research. The current editor-in-chief is Dr. Enrique Schisterman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epidemiology of cancer</span> The study of factors in cancer causes and treatments

The epidemiology of cancer is the study of the factors affecting cancer, as a way to infer possible trends and causes. The study of cancer epidemiology uses epidemiological methods to find the cause of cancer and to identify and develop improved treatments.

David A. Savitz is a professor of Community Health in the Epidemiology Section of the Program in Public Health, Vice President for Research, and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at The Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and Associate Director for Perinatal Research in The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Women & Infants Hospital, both in Providence, Rhode Island. Savitz is the author of Interpreting epidemiologic evidence: strategies for study design and analysis (ISBN 0-19-510840-X) and more than 275 peer-reviewed articles. He was elected to the Institute of Medicine in 2007.

Population impact measures (PIMs) are biostatistical measures of risk and benefit used in epidemiological and public health research. They are used to describe the impact of health risks and benefits in a population, to inform health policy.

Irva Hertz-Picciotto, is an environmental epidemiologist best known for her studies of autism. She is Professor and Chief, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, at the University of California, Davis (UC-Davis). In addition, she is on the Research Faculty of the MIND Institute at UC-Davis; is Deputy Director of the UC-Davis Center for Children's Environmental Health; and is on the faculty of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health of the Universities of California at Berkeley, Davis, and San Francisco. Hertz-Picciotto serves on the advisory board of the anti-toxic chemical NGO Healthy Child, Healthy World.

There are a number risk factors for tuberculosis infection; worldwide the most important of these is HIV. Co-infection with HIV is a particular problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, due to the high incidence of HIV in these countries. Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day increases the risk of TB by two to four times while silicosis increases the risk about 30 fold. Diabetes mellitus is also an important risk factor that is growing in importance in developing countries. Other disease states that increase the risk of developing tuberculosis are Hodgkin lymphoma, end-stage renal disease, chronic lung disease, malnutrition, and alcoholism. A person's genetics also play a role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Jenner Medal</span>

The Edward Jenner Medal is awarded occasionally by the Royal Society of Medicine to individuals who have undertaken distinguished work in epidemiological research.

Steven Coughlin is an American epidemiologist and author who received international attention for his Congressional testimony in support of U.S. veterans. At the time of this entry, he is a tenured Professor of Epidemiology at Augusta University in Augusta, GA. Coughlin has published over 366 scientific articles and was the lead author of the first and second editions of Case Studies in Public Health Ethics, and lead editor of the first, second, and third editions of Ethics and Epidemiology. In addition, Coughlin was the author of The Principle of Equal Abundance, The Nature of Principles, and the first and second editions of Ethics in Epidemiology and Public Health Practice: Collected Works. Most recently, Coughlin was co-editor of Handbook of Community-based Participatory Research and Black Health in the South.

Renaud Piarroux is a French pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases and tropical medicine. From 2008 to 2017, he has been a full professor of parasitology and mycology at the University of Aix-Marseille in Marseille, France, and head of parasitology and mycology at Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille. Since 2017, he has been a full professor of parasitology and mycology at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, and Head of Parasitology and Mycology at Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris. Over the years, Piarroux has taken part in several missions and research projects in Africa, including the study of the dynamics of cholera epidemics in Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea, prevention and management of parasitic diseases in Morocco, and a program to fight against waterborne diseases in Ivory Coast.

Walter Werner Holland was an epidemiologist and public health physician.

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Acoustic epidemiology refers to the study of the determinants and distribution of disease. It also refers to the analysis of sounds produced by the body through a single tool or a combination of diagnostic tools.

References

  1. 1 2 "Ralph R. Frerichs | Department of Epidemiology". Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  2. ↑ Frerichs, RR (1988). "Rapid microcomputer surveys". J. Trop. Pediatr. 34 (4): 147–9. doi:10.1093/tropej/34.4.147. PMID   3172323.
  3. ↑ "Rapid Survey Course".
  4. ↑ Frerichs, Ralph R; Ungchusak, Kumnuan; Htoon, Myo T; Detels, Roger (2016). "HIV Sentinel Surveillance in Thailand -- An Example for Developing Countries". Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health. 8: 20–26. doi:10.1177/101053959500800105. S2CID   72699858.
  5. ↑ Frerichs, RR (1991). "Epidemiologic surveillance in developing countries". Annu Rev Public Health. 12: 257–80. doi: 10.1146/annurev.pu.12.050191.001353 . PMID   2049138.
  6. ↑ "Home". deadlyriver.com.
  7. ↑ "Home". ralphfrerichs.com.
  8. ↑ "John Snow - a historical giant in epidemiology".
  9. 1 2 "Collection: Rudolf Frerichs (1901-1982) Papers | Archival and Manuscript Collections".
  10. ↑ "Development of a computer simulation model for the control of urban rabies | Tulane University Digital Library".
  11. ↑ Frerichs, Ralph R; Prawda, Juan (1975). "A Computer Simulation Model for the Control of Rabies in an Urban Area of Colombia". Management Science. 22 (4): 411–421. doi:10.1287/mnsc.22.4.411.
  12. ↑ "Back Matter". Management Science. 22 (4): 505–507. 1975. doi: 10.1287/mnsc.22.4.505 . JSTOR   2630116.
  13. ↑ "Frerichs Description".
  14. ↑ Frerichs, R. R.; Srinivasan, S. R.; Webber, L. S.; Berenson, G. R. (August 1976). "Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in 3,446 children from a biracial community: the Bogalusa Heart Study". Circulation. 54 (2): 302–309. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.54.2.302 . ISSN   0009-7322. PMID   939028.
  15. ↑ Srinivasan, S. R.; Frerichs, R. R.; Webber, L. S.; Berenson, G. S. (August 1976). "Serum lipoprotein profile in children from a biracial community: the Bogalusa Heart Study". Circulation. 54 (2): 309–318. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.54.2.309 . ISSN   0009-7322. PMID   181171.
  16. ↑ Voors, AW; Foster, TA; Frerichs, RR; Webber, LS; Berenson, GS (1976). "Studies of blood pressures in children, ages 5-14 years, in a total biracial community: the Bogalusa Heart Study". Circulation. 54 (2): 319–27. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.54.2.319 . PMID   939029.
  17. ↑ Frerichs, RR; Webber, LS; Srinivasan, SR; Berenson, GS (1977). "Hemoglobin levels in children from a biracial southern community". Am J Public Health. 67 (9): 841–5. doi:10.2105/ajph.67.9.841. PMC   1653704 . PMID   900323.
  18. ↑ Frerichs, RR; Webber, LS; Srinivasan, SR; Berenson, GS (1978). "Relation of serum lipids and lipoproteins to obesity and sexual maturity in white and black children". Am. J. Epidemiol. 108 (6): 486–96. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112647. PMID   216263.
  19. ↑ Frerichs, RR; Beeman, BL; Coulson, AH (1980). "Los Angeles airport noise and mortality--faulty analysis and public policy". Am J Public Health. 70 (4): 357–62. doi:10.2105/ajph.70.4.357. PMC   1619404 . PMID   7361953.
  20. ↑ Frerichs, RR; Aneshensel, CS; Clark, VA (1981). "Prevalence of depression in Los Angeles County". Am. J. Epidemiol. 113 (6): 691–9. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113149. PMID   7234858.
  21. ↑ Frerichs, RR; Chapman, JM; Maes, EF (1984). "Mortality due to all causes and to cardiovascular diseases among seven race-ethnic populations in Los Angeles County, 1980". Int J Epidemiol. 13 (3): 291–8. doi:10.1093/ije/13.3.291. PMID   6490299.
  22. ↑ Frerichs, Ralph R; Sloss, Elizabeth M; Satin, Kenneth P (1982). "Epidemiologic impact of water reuse in Los Angeles County". Environmental Research. 29 (1): 109–122. Bibcode:1982ER.....29..109F. doi:10.1016/0013-9351(82)90012-3. PMID   7140702.
  23. ↑ Frerichs, RR; Becht, JN; Foxman, B (1980). "Prevalence and cost of illness episodes in rural Bolivia". Int J Epidemiol. 9 (3): 233–8. doi: 10.1093/ije/9.3.233 . PMID   6777313.
  24. ↑ Frerichs, RR; Miller, RA (1985). "Introduction of a microcomputer for health research in a developing country--the Bangladesh experience". Public Health Rep. 100 (6): 638–47. PMC   1425319 . PMID   3934700.
  25. ↑ Frerichs, R. R.; Tar, K. T. (1988-06-01). "Use of Rapid Survey Methodology to Determine Immunization Coverage in Rural Burma". Journal of Tropical Pediatrics. 34 (3): 125–130. doi:10.1093/tropej/34.3.125. ISSN   0142-6338. PMID   2969981.
  26. ↑ http://202.114.108.237/Download/0f0fc576-1c93-4353-ba50-138fb64acc4c.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  27. ↑ Frerichs, RR; Tar, KT (1988). "Breast-feeding, dietary intake and weight-for-age of children in rural Burma". Asia-Pac J Public Health. 2 (1): 16–21. PMID   2968087.
  28. ↑ Frerichs, RR; Tar, KT (1989). "Computer-assisted rapid surveys in developing countries". Public Health Rep. 104 (1): 14–23. PMC   1580285 . PMID   2522230.
  29. ↑ Frerichs, RR; Shaheen, MA (2001). "Small-community-based surveys". Annu Rev Public Health. 22: 231–47. doi: 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.22.1.231 . PMID   11274520.
  30. ↑ Frerichs, RR; Htoon, MT; Eskes, N; Lwin, S (1992). "Comparison of saliva and serum for HIV surveillance in developing countries". Lancet. 340 (8834–8835): 1496–9. doi:10.1016/0140-6736(92)92755-5. PMID   1361596. S2CID   43211596.
  31. ↑ Frerichs, RR (1994). "Personal screening for HIV in developing countries". Lancet. 343 (8911): 1506. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(94)92617-4. PMID   7911208. S2CID   10715335.
  32. ↑ Frerichs, RR (1995). "HIV winners and losers". Epidemiology. 6 (3): 329–31. doi: 10.1097/00001648-199505000-00025 . PMID   7619946.
  33. ↑ Frerichs, RR (1997). "Harm of not permitting personal HIV screening in developing countries". AIDS. 11 (7): 936–7. PMID   9189225.
  34. ↑ Frerichs, RR; Keim, PS; Barrais, R; Piarroux, R (2012). "Nepalese origin of cholera epidemic in Haiti". Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 18 (6): E158–63. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2012.03841.x . PMID   22510219.
  35. ↑ Frerichs, Ralph R. (2016-05-01). Deadly River: Cholera and Cover-Up in Post-Earthquake Haiti. The Culture and Politics of Health Care Work. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN   9781501713583.
  36. ↑ Paul, O. (1998-07-01). "The Last Twenty-Five Years of the American Epidemiological Society: 1972-1996". American Journal of Epidemiology. 148 (1): 104–130. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009550. ISSN   0002-9262. PMID   9663413.
  37. ↑ "Tulane University" (PDF).
  38. ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterfrerichs [ self-published source ]
  39. ↑ "Home". christinefrerichs.com.
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