Newswise — RTI International's Dr. Christine Layton is a public health expert who specializes in influenza (annual and pandemic), pandemic influenza preparations, vaccines and immunization infrastructure.

She has more than 15 years of professional experience. She is especially interested in the evaluation and implementation of public health programs at the community level. Most recently, Dr. Layton's work has focused on issues related to immunization and vaccine policy.

Scott F. Wetterhall, MD, MPH, is senior program director of Health Security and Systems Research. His research interests include public health surveillance, bioterrorism and emergency preparedness, and program evaluation. Dr. Wetterhall is a recognized national expert in public health surveillance and bioterrorism preparedness at the federal, state, and local level.

Prior to joining RTI in October, 2004, he spent more than 20 years as a medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), working a variety of program and policy positions. From 1995 to 1997, he served as the director of CDC's Division of Public Health Surveillance and Informatics. During the 1996 Summer Olympics, he organized and operated the surveillance system used to provide public health and law enforcement agencies with daily information to monitor the health and safety of athletes, staff, and spectators. While representing CDC on the federal Interagency Work Group that drafted HIPAA regulations, he was responsible for ensuring that public health agencies could continue to use personally identifiable information for public health surveillance. He has consulted with several Fortune 500 companies regarding the application of public health surveillance to improving product warranty processes.

About RTI International:RTI International is one of the world's leading research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. Our staff of more than 2,800 provides research and technical expertise to governments and businesses in more than 40 countries in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, advanced technology, international development, economic and social policy, energy and the environment, and laboratory and chemistry services. For more information, visit www.rti.org.

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