Dr. Rimoin has extensive experience in disease surveillance and field epidemiology in international settings. Upon graduating from Middlebury College in 1992, Dr. Rimoin spent two years in the Peace Corps as a coordinator for the guinea worm eradication program in Benin, West Africa. After completing her MPH at UCLA, Dr. Rimoin worked for the World Health Organization in India and Nepal, the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Ethiopia and Eritrea implementing disease surveillance and supervising cold chain for the Expanded Program for Immunization (EPI) and the Polio Eradication Program. She initiated a collaborative relationship between the US Peace Corps and the World Health Organization where Peace Corps Volunteers supported the National Immunization Days for polio and assist in disease surveillance for EPI and the National Polio Eradication Program. Dr. Rimoin was subsequently hired as a consultant by WHO and the Peace Corps to design a program and training materials for health-oriented Peace Corps volunteers in Africa and Nepal to carry out disease surveillance activities including disease reporting, case investigation, and case verification. Dr. Rimoin has since consulted for various NGOs to design a similar program and training materials for Peace Corps volunteers and non-governmental organizations to use in rural and urban settings in sub-Saharan Africa.
After completing her Ph.D. at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Division of Disease Prevention and Control, Department of International Health, Dr. Rimoin worked as a program scientist for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in the Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research on studies related to maternal and child health in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Currently, Dr. Rimoin directs an epidemiologic study of human monkeypox in the DRC. She has established a research site in central DRC which now serves as the headquarters for a variety of studies of cross species transmission of disease. Dr. Rimoin collaborates closely with the DRC Ministry of Health and has offices in Kinshasa at the National Laboratory and in central Congo in Lodja, the administrative capital of the Sankuru District in the Kasai Oriental. She is fluent in French and conversant in Lingala, the lingua franca of the DRC.
Dr. Rimoin's major research interest is in the epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), especially those of animal origin. The majority of EIDs have animal origins, including: HIV-1, SARS, Ebola, West Nile, and Marburg. The entry of novel animal diseases into human populations can have a devastating impact on global health, economy, and security, as demonstrated by the HIV pandemic.
Dr. Rimoin's research is focused on establishing sentinel disease surveillance systems in remote rural areas to detect novel viruses of animal origin that are crossing species into human populations in central Africa and to understand the epidemiology and ecological factors that influence transmission and spread of these diseases.
Dr. Rimoin's ongoing work aims to elucidate the epidemiology of monkeypox and viral hemorrhagic fevers through active disease surveillance in remote regions of central Africa with subsistence hunters and other individuals at who live and work at the human-animal interface and are at high risk for cross species disease transmission. These individuals represent an important sentinel population for monitoring viral disease emergence in a region from which numerous EIDs, including ebola, monkeypox, and marburg have been know to recur.
Journal Articles:
Steinhoff MC, Fischer CL, Rimoin AW, Hamza H. A clinical decision rule for management of streptococcal pharyngitis in low-resource settings. Acta Paediatrica. 2005;94(8):1038-42.
Rimoin AW, da Cunha AL, Hamza HS, Kumar R, Vince A, Qazi S, Steinhoff MC. Evaluation of the WHO clinical prediction rule for diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis in children in four countries. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 2005;90(10):1066-70.
Nalca A, Rimoin AW, Bavari S, Whitehouse CA. Reemergence of monkeypox: prevalence, diagnostics, and countermeasures. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2005;41(12):1765-1771.
Walker CF, Rimoin AW, Hamza HS, Steinhoff MC. Comparison of clinical prediction rules for management of pharyngitis in settings with limited resources. Journal of Pediatrics. 2006;149(1):64-71.
Rimoin AW, Kisalu N, Kebela-Ilunga B, Mukaba T, Wright LL, Formenty P, Wolfe ND, Shongo RL, Tshioko F, Okitolonda E, Muyembe JJ, Ryder RW, Meyer H. Endemic human monkeypox, Democratic Republic of Congo, 2001-2004. Emerging Infectious Disease. 2007;13(6):934-937.
LeBreton M, Yang O, Tamoufe U, Mpoudi-Ngole E, Torimiro JN, Djoko CF, Carr JK, Prosser AT, Rimoin AW, Birx DL, Burke DS AND Wolfe ND. Exposure to wild primates among HIV-infected persons. Emerg Infect Dis 2007 Oct 13(10): 1579-81.
Kinoshita-Moleka R, Smith JS, Atibu J, Tshefu A, Hemingway-Foday J, Hobbs M, Bartz J, Koch MA, Rimoin AW, Ryder RW. Low prevalence of HIV and other selected sexually transmitted infections in 2004 in pregnant women from Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Epidemiol Infect. 2007 Nov 21:1-7.
Rimoin AW, Walker CF, Chitale RC, da Cunha AL, Hamza HS, Kumar R, Vince A, Qazi S, Steinhoff MC. Variation in Clinical Presentation of Childhood Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis in Four Countries. Trop Peds, J Trop Pediatr. 2008 Mar 29.
Doctoral Dissertation:
Rimoin AW. (2003). “Diagnosis and Treatment of Group A Beta Hemolytic Streptococcal Pharyngitis in Children in Low and Middle Income Countries”. Doctoral dissertation, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2003.
Book Chapters:
Steinhoff MC, Rimoin AW. Epidemiology, clinical presentation, and diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis in developing countries of the world. In Kaplan EL, Pechere JC. Streptococcal Pharyngitis. Issues in Infectious Disease. Basel, Karger. 2004. vol 3. pp 49 – 65.
Published Reports:
Gerber R., Rimoin AW. The Health of the Peace Corps Volunteer: 1998 - 1999. Peace Corps Medical Office. Peace Corps Press. 1999.
Rimoin AW, Gerber R. The Mental Health of the Peace Corps Volunteer. Peace Corps Medical Office. Peace Corps Press. 1999.
Abstracts:
Steinhoff MC, Rimoin AW, da Cunha AL, Kumar R, Suresh S, Chitale R, Qazi S. "Comparison of patients and clinical presentation of streptococcal pharyngitis in Brazil and India". INCLEN Annual Meeting, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, 2002.
Steinhoff MC, Rimoin AW, da Cunha AL, Kumar R, Suresh S, Chitale R, Qazi S. "Variability in classification of clinical signs of pharyngitis: The Grasp Pilot Study". INCLEN Annual Meeting, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, 2002.
Rimoin AW, Cummings DA, Burke DS, Steinhoff MC. “Innate Variation in Biological Susceptibility to Inhalational Anthrax”. International Conference for Emerging Infectious Diseases. Atlanta, GA, USA, March 2002.
Rimoin AW, da Cunha AL, Kumar R, Steinhoff MC. “Variation in Clinical Presentation of Pharyngitis Syndrome & Streptococcal Pharyngitis. A Multinational Study.” Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting. Baltimore, MD, May 2002.
Rimoin AW, Cummings DA, Burke DS, Steinhoff MC. “Innate Variation in Biological Susceptibility to Inhalational Anthrax”. International Conference for Emerging Infectious Diseases. Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, Baltimore, MD, May 2002.
Rimoin AW, Hamza HS, Vince A, Qazi S, Steinhoff MC. “Development of a Clinical Prediction Rule for Diagnosis of Streptococcal Pharyngitis in Children in Two Countries”. Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, Seattle, WA, May 2003.
Rimoin AW, da Cunha AL, Hamza HS, Kumar R, Vince A, Qazi S, Steinhoff MC. 𠇎valuation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Clinical Prediction Rule for Diagnosis of Streptococcal Pharyngitis in Children in Four Countries.” (Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) Meeting, San Diego, CA, October 2003)
Rimoin AW, da Cunha AL, Hamza HS, Kumar R, Vince A, Qazi S, Steinhoff MC. “Variation in Clinical Presentation of Pharyngitis Syndrome and Streptococcal Pharyngitis in Four Countries” (IDSA Meeting, San Diego, CA, October 2003)
Rimoin AW, Hamza HS, Vince A, Qazi S, Steinhoff MC. “Variation in Adherence to an Oral Treatment Regimen for Streptococcal Pharyngitis in Children in Two Countries.” (Pediatric Infectious Disease Society Meeting, Rancho Bernardo, CA, October 2003)
Rimoin AW, Hamza HS, Vince A, da Cunha AL, Qazi S, Steinhoff MC. Development of a Clinical Prediction Rule for Streptococcal Pharyngitis in Children on 3 Continents. (Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, San Francisco, CA, May 2004)
Rimoin AW, Hamza HS, Vince A, Qazi S, Steinhoff MC. Evaluation of a Rapid Test for Streptococcal Pharyngitis in Children in 3 Countries. (Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, San Francisco, CA, May 2004)
Rimoin AW, Hamza HS, Vince A, Qazi S, Steinhoff MC. Variation in Compliance With an Oral Treatment Regimen for Streptococcal Pharyngitis in Children in 2 Countries. (Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, San Francisco, CA, May 2004)
Rimoin AW, Mukaba T, Kisalu N, Bray M, Muyembe JJ, Okitolonda EW, Ryder RW. “Continued Occurrence of Human Monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of Congo.” (International Union for Microbial Societies, San Francisco, CA, July 2005).
Rimoin AW, Wolfe ND, Mukaba T, Kisalu N, Muyembe JJ, Okitolonda EW, Ryder RW. “Establishing Active Disease Surveillance for Human Monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of Congo.” (National Academies Keck Futures Initiative Meeting, Irvine, CA, November 2005).
Invited Lectures:
“Establishing Active Disease Surveillance for Human Monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of Congo” Fifth Annual Orthopoxvirus Research Group Meeting. Bethesda, MD. April 2005.
“Human Monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of Congo”. Guest Lecturer. Grand Rounds, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), December 2004.
“The Epidemiology of Meningococcal Meningitis”. Guest Lecturer. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Infectious Disease Epidemiology. Guest Lecturer. June 2003. May 2004.
“Disease Surveillance and Eradication Programs in Africa”. Guest Lecturer. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Summer Institute in Tropical Medicine. August 2002.
“Meningococcal Meningitis in the African Meningitis Belt”. Guest Lecturer. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Summer Institute in Tropical Medicine. August 2001, 2002, 2003.
“Conducting Clinical Trials in Developing Countries”. Invited Speaker. Research In Progress Seminar. Center for Clinical Trials, Department of Epidemiology. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. October 2001.
“The Treatment of Pharyngitis Study (TOPS): A multi-center randomized clinical trial of intramuscular vs. oral antibiotics for the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis in children in low and middle income countries.” Invited Speaker. Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases Seminar, The Pasteur Institute, Paris, France. March 2002.
“Diagnosis and Treatment of Group A Beta Hemolytic Streptococcal Pharyngitis in Children in Low and Middle Income Countries”. Seminar, George Washington University, School of Public Health. Washington D.C., September 2002.
“Innate Variation in Biological Susceptibility to Inhalational Anthrax”. Late breaking Platform Presentation. International Conference for Emerging Infectious Diseases. Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, Baltimore, MD, May 2002.
“Development of a Clinical Prediction Rule for Diagnosis of Streptococcal Pharyngitis in Children in Two Countries”. Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, Seattle, WA, May 2003.
“Evaluation of the World Health Organization Clinical Prediction Rule for Group A Beta Hemolytic Streptococcal Pharyngitis.” World Health Organization Management of ARI Meeting, Geneva, Switzerland, October 2003.
