Robert Bednarczyk
Assoc Professor
Assistant Professor
Faculty, Global Health
Jointly Appointed, Epidemiology
Robert Bednarczyk's primary appointment is in the Hubert Department of Global Health, with a joint appointment in the Department of Epidemiology. His work on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has led to his faculty affiliations with both the Emory Vaccine Center and the Cancer Prevention and Control Program of the Winship Cancer Institute. Originally trained as a biochemist, he worked as a chemist and a laboratory systems validation specialist for seven years before going to graduate school to study epidemiology. His research focus is on disease prevention through vaccination, with an emphasis on thematic areas of vaccine uptake, vaccine hesitance, and novel outreach to improve vaccine confidence and uptake. While working primarily in the areas of adolescent and adult vaccination, particularly around HPV vaccination, he does study vaccines across the lifespan. Methodologically, Dr. Bednarczyk works in a wide variety of areas, including extensive experience working with large databases (e.g. managed care organization data; National Immunization Survey data; immunization registry data); designing, implementing, and analyzing clinical trial data; and primary data collection for exploratory and explanatory purposes through both quantitative surveys and qualitiative research methods.
Areas of Interest
- Adolescent Health/Child Health
- Cancer Prevention
- Global Health
- Infectious Disease
- Public Health Practice
- Sexual Health/Behavior
- Vaccines
Education
- PhD 2010, University at Albany, SUNY
- MS 2006, University at Albany, SUNY
- BS 1997, Lebanon Valley College
Courses Taught
- GH 542: Evidence-Based Strategic Plan
- GH 544: Field Trials&Intervention Stud
- GH 584: Evidence-Based Decision Making
- GH 571: Vaccines&VACC-Preventable Dis.
- GH 564: Intl Infectious Diseases
- GH 598: Capstone Seminar
Publications
- Sakas Z, Rodriguez K, Hester KA, Darwar R, Dounebaine B, Ellis AS, Rosenblum S, Isett KR, Orenstein W, Freeman MC, Kilembe W, Bednarczyk RA, 2024, The role of Zambia’s expansive Inter-agency Coordinating Committee (ICC) in supporting evidence-based vaccine and health sector programming, PLoS Global Public Health, ,
- Bednarczyk RA, Brewer NT, Gilkey MB, Zorn S, Perkins RB, Oliver K, Saslow D, 2023, Human papillomavirus vaccination at the first opportunity: an overview, Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, ,
- Ward EM, Flowers CR, Gansler T, Omer SB, Bednarczyk RA, 2017, The importance of immunization in cancer prevention, treatment and survivorship, CA Cancer J Clin , ,
- Phadke VK, Bednarczyk RA, Salmon DA, Omer SB, 2016, Association between vaccine refusal and vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States: A review of measles and pertussis, JAMA , ,
- Bednarczyk RA, Orenstein WA, Omer SB, 2016, Estimating the number of measles-susceptible children and adolescents in the United States using the National Immunization Survey-Teen (NIS-Teen), American Journal of Epidemiology, ,
- Bednarczyk RA, Curran EA, Orenstein WA, Omer SB, 2014, Health disparities in human papillomavirus vaccine coverage: Trends analysis from NIS-Teen, 2008-2011, Clinical Infectious Diseases, 58, 238-41
- Bednarczyk RA, Butsashvili M, Kamkamidze G, Kajaia M, McNutt LA, 2013, Attitudes and knowledge of Georgian physicians regarding cervical cancer prevention, 2010, International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 121, 224-8
- Bednarczyk RA, Davis RL, Ault K, Orenstein WA, Omer SB, 2012, Sexual activity-related outcomes following human papillomavirus vaccination of 11- to 12-year-olds, Pediatrics, 130, 798-805
- Omer SB, Richards JL, Ward M, Bednarczyk RA, 2012, Vaccination policies and rates of exemption from immunization, 2005-2011, New England Journal of Medicine, 367, 1170-1