CDC WONDER Masterclass
Turn millions of U.S. death records into your next publication.
Learn to extract national mortality data, analyze trends with Joinpoint, and write it up as a research manuscript, on a real project with expert mentors.
* p < 0.05 · sample data for illustration
From raw data to a manuscript
Every skill you need to run a population-level mortality study on your own.
Access & extract
Navigate CDC WONDER and pull the exact mortality data your question needs.
Analyze trends
Model temporal trends in Joinpoint and interpret APC and AAPC.
Compare groups
Contrast patterns by age, sex, race/ethnicity, region and more.
Write it up
Turn rates and trends into a coherent, publishable manuscript.
See what small studies can't
A U.S.-based, population-level database covering millions of recorded deaths.
Track burden over time
Show how the mortality burden of a disease rises or falls across decades.
Reveal disparities
Find gaps between populations that smaller clinical datasets can miss.
National scale
Answer questions at the level of the whole U.S. population.
“This type of research is particularly useful for understanding how mortality burden changes over time.”
Your study, step by step
The same workflow used in published population-level mortality research.
Access CDC WONDER
Frame a research question and find the right dataset.
Extract the data
Query and export mortality records with the right filters.
Calculate rates
Compute and interpret population-based rates.
Run Joinpoint
Identify where trends change and how fast.
Compare populations
Break results down across key groups.
Write the manuscript
Translate your findings into a coherent research paper.
Present at conferences
Present your findings at prestigious international conferences.
Learn from leading experts
Researchers and clinicians based in Dallas, TX, with hundreds of publications between them.
400+ publicationsDr. Shahzeb Khan
Asst. Prof. of Cardiology
Dallas, TX
170+ publicationsDr. Kaneez Fatima
Research Fellow
Dallas, TX
130+ publicationsDr. Shariq Usman
Cardiology Fellow
Dallas, TX
130+ publicationsDr. Tariq Siddiqui
Internal Medicine Resident
Dallas, TX
Every student works on a project under the mentorship of our faculty, with guided, hands-on training throughout.
Be first in line
Dates for the next CDC WONDER Masterclass will be announced soon. Join the waitlist and we'll email you the moment registration opens.
Good questions
What is CDC WONDER?
A free, public online database from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It holds population-level data, including mortality records for deaths across the United States.
What is Joinpoint?
Free trend-analysis software from the U.S. National Cancer Institute. It finds the points where a trend changes direction and measures how fast rates rise or fall in each period.
Do I need prior research experience?
No coding is needed. A basic understanding of research helps, and if you're completely new, our Level 1 workshop is a good place to start.
Will I work on a real project?
Yes. Every student works on a project under the mentorship of our faculty.
How is it delivered?
Live on Zoom, with guided, hands-on training and Q&A throughout.
How much does it cost, and when is it?
The workshop fee is $99. Dates for the next cohort will be announced soon, so join the waitlist to hear first.