UW News

News releases


January 3, 2025

The carbon in our bodies probably left the galaxy and came back on cosmic ‘conveyer belt’

University of Washington scientists recently discovered that the giant ‘conveyer belt’ currents that push star-forged material out of our galaxy and pull it back in can also transport carbon atoms. That means that a good deal of the carbon here on Earth, including the carbon in our bodies, likely left the galaxy at some point!


December 19, 2024

By looking at individual atoms in tooth enamel, UW and PNNL researchers are learning what happens to our teeth as we age

A person stands behind a white machine

A research team at UW and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory examined the atomic composition of enamel samples from two human teeth.


December 18, 2024

Q&A: New AI training method lets systems better adjust to users’ values

University of Washington researchers created a method for training AI systems — both for large language models like ChatGPT and for robots — that can better reflect users’ diverse values. It predicts users’ preferences as they interact with it, then tailors its outputs accordingly.


December 16, 2024

Ahmad Ezzeddine named UW Vice Provost for Global Affairs

profile shot of man

Ezzeddine comes from Wayne State University in Detroit, his alma mater, where he is the senior vice provost for partnerships, workforce and international initiatives. He fills the position vacated when Jeffrey Riedinger retired and became professor emeritus at the UW School of Law.


December 12, 2024

Surveys show full scale of massive die-off of common murres following the ‘warm blob’ in the Pacific Ocean

black and white birds on a rock

Colony surveys of common murres, an Alaskan seabird, show the full effects of the 2014-16 marine heat wave known as “the blob.” Analysis of 13 colonies surveyed between 2008 and 2022 finds that colony size in the Gulf of Alaska dropped by half after the marine heat wave. In colonies along the eastern Bering Sea, west of the peninsula, the decline was even steeper, at 75% loss. No recovery has yet been seen.


December 6, 2024

More than 10,000 supernovae counted in stellar census

Since 2018 the Zwicky Transient Facility, an international astronomical collaboration based at the Palomar Observatory in California, has scanned the entire sky every two to three nights. As part of this mission, the ZTF’s Bright Transient Survey has been counting and cataloguing supernovae — flashes of light in the sky that are the telltale signs of stars dying in spectacular explosions. On Dec. 4, ZTF researchers — including astronomers at the University of Washington — announced that that they have identified more than 10,000 of these stellar events, the largest number ever identified by an astronomical survey.


Record-low Antarctic sea ice can be explained and forecast months out by patterns in winds

bow of ship with ice floes in background

University of Washington researchers show that the all-time record low in winter sea ice extent in 2023 can be explained by warm Southern Ocean conditions and patterns in the winds that circled Antarctica months earlier, allowing forecasts for sea ice coverage around the South Pole to be generated six or more months in advance. This could support regional and global weather and climate models.


December 5, 2024

That’s no straw: Hummingbirds evolved surprisingly flexible bills to help them drink nectar

Hummingbird bills — their long, thin beaks — look a little like drinking straws. But new research shows just how little water, or nectar, that comparison holds. University of Washington scientists have discovered that the hummingbird bill is surprisingly flexible. While drinking, a hummingbird rapidly opens and shuts different parts of its bill simultaneously, engaging in an intricate and highly coordinated dance with its tongue to draw up nectar at lightning speeds.


November 25, 2024

Video: UW-led research links wildfire smoke exposure with increased dementia risk

Photo of a neighborhood street with a couple cars driving on it. The air is orange and hazy.

An analysis of the health care records of 1.2 million Southern California residents found that higher long-term smoke exposure was associated with a significant increase in the odds that a person would be diagnosed with dementia. Exposure to non-wildfire PM2.5 also increased a person’s risk of dementia, but to a much lesser degree.  


November 21, 2024

Fewer than 7% of global hotspots for whale-ship collisions have protection measures in place

A new study led by the University of Washington has for the first time quantified the risk for whale-ship collisions worldwide for four geographically widespread ocean giants that are threatened by shipping: blue, fin, humpback and sperm whales. In a paper published online Nov. 21 in Science, researchers report that global shipping traffic overlaps with about 92% of these whale species’ ranges. Only about 7% of areas at highest risk for whale-ship collisions have any measures in place to protect whales from this threat. These measures include speed reductions, both mandatory and voluntary, for ships crossing waters that overlap with whale migration or feeding areas.


November 20, 2024

UW addresses USDA inspection report findings at WaNPRC

A routine inspection of the University of Washington’s animal care and use program conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on Oct. 8 identified issues that the UW had self-reported and corrected before the inspection took place.


In the ‘Wild West’ of AI chatbots, subtle biases related to race and caste often go unchecked

University of Washington researchers developed a system for detecting subtle biases in AI models. They found seven of the eight popular AI models they tested in conversations around race and caste generated significant amounts of biased text in interactions — particularly when discussing caste. Open-source models fared far worse than two proprietary ChatGPT models.


November 18, 2024

Q&A: A new medical AI model can help spot systemic disease by looking at a range of image types

UW assistant professor Sheng Wang discusses BiomedParse, an AI medical image analysis model that works across nine types of medical images to better predict systemic diseases. Medical professionals can load images into the system and ask the AI tool questions about them in plain English.


November 14, 2024

Deborah H. Fuller tapped to lead WaNPRC

researcher headshot

The University of Washington named Deborah H. Fuller, a professor of Microbiology at the UW School of Medicine, the next director of the Washington National Primate Research Center. Fuller started in the new role on Nov. 1, said Vice Provost of Research Mari Ostendorf.


AI headphones create a ‘sound bubble,’ quieting all sounds more than a few feet away

A man wears Sony headphones with wires and a chip visible on the outside.

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has created a headphone prototype that allows listeners to hear people speaking within a bubble with a programmable radius of 3 to 6 feet. Voices and sounds outside the bubble are quieted an average of 49 decibels, even if they’re louder than those in the bubble.


November 11, 2024

UW recognizes Veterans Day with ceremonies and events

The University of Washington’s annual Veterans Day ceremony, held on Monday at the Medal of Honor Memorial near Parrington Hall, honored those who have served and featured music by the Husky Marching Band. The Monday ceremony kicked off a number of events during Veteran Appreciation Week at UW. UW alum Dr. Dana Covey, ’84, U.S….


November 8, 2024

Miniature backpack-like tags offer insight into the movement of hummingbirds

A team led by scientists at the University of Washington and the University of Aberdeen attached tiny “backpack” trackers to hummingbirds in the Colombian Andes to learn more about their movements. As they report in a paper published Oct. 10 in the journal Ecology and Evolution, the tracking system will aid conservation efforts in this region by revealing the previously hidden movements of hummingbirds and other small animals.


November 5, 2024

Reconstructing ancient Andean climate provides clues to climate change

As Earth faces unprecedented climate change, a look into the planet’s deep past may provide vital insights into what may lie ahead. But knowledge of the natural world millions of years ago is fragmented. A 15-year study of a site in Bolivia by a joint U.S.-Bolivia team has provided a comprehensive view of an ancient ecosystem when Earth was much warmer than it is today, and changed how we look at the Andes.


October 31, 2024

AI tools show biases in ranking job applicants’ names according to perceived race and gender

A laptop with blank screen sits on a table.

University of Washington researchers found significant racial, gender and intersectional bias in how three state-of-the-art large language models ranked resumes. The models favored white-associated names 85% of the time, female-associated names only 11% of the time, and never favored Black male-associated names over white male-associated names.


October 30, 2024

Report: UW drives nearly $21 billion, 112,000 jobs to help support Washington’s economy

graphic showing statistic

Across its three campuses, the University of Washington generated a total impact on the state’s economy of $20.9 billion in fiscal year 2023, according to an economic contribution analysis released today. The study further concludes that the economic activity of the UW system supported or sustained 111,951 jobs statewide. 


October 29, 2024

Estate of Stan and Alta Barer makes transformational gift to UW School of Law to support global sustainable development program

Couple posing for photo

The University of Washington on Tuesday announced a transformational gift from the estate of Stan and Alta Barer to the School of Law, expanding the couple’s namesake institute: The Barer Institute for Leadership in Law & Global Development. The gift will support the recruitment of additional international fellows, increase scholarships, endow faculty positions and create more global impact.


October 23, 2024

From accessibility upgrades to a custom cat-food bowl, this mobile 3D printer can autonomously add features to a room

University of Washington researchers created MobiPrint, a mobile 3D printer that can automatically measure a room and print objects onto the floor. The team’s graphic interface lets users design objects in a space that the robot has mapped out. The prototype, which the team built on a modified consumer vacuum robot, can add a range of objects to rooms.


October 17, 2024

Life could exist on Mars in shallow meltwater pools below icy surface, study suggests

white-edged mounds on dark background

Researchers think meltwater beneath Martian ice could host microbial life. New results show that dusty ice could allow deeper layers to melt, while allowing enough sunlight through to support photosynthesis.


October 15, 2024

Antisemitism and Islamophobia task forces issue final reports, findings and recommendations to UW leadership

campus shot

Final reports from the University of Washington’s task forces on antisemitism and Islamophobia were released Tuesday. The task forces were established by UW President Ana Mari Cauce on March 7, 2024, with the goal of assessing “how students, faculty and staff are experiencing discrimination or harassment because they are Jewish and/or Palestinian, Middle Eastern or Muslim on our campus, and to what degree they feel the climate is supportive and welcoming.”


October 14, 2024

UW’s 2024 entering class is most diverse

fall sunset on campus

The University of Washington’s newest freshman class is the most diverse in the school’s 164-year history, and the incoming class at UW Bothell is the largest since the school first welcomed students in 1990, while UW Tacoma’s enrollment increased 4% over last year.


September 25, 2024

To make fluid flow in one direction down a pipe, it helps to be a shark

Researchers from the University of Washington have discovered a new way to help liquid flow in only one direction, but without using the flaps that engines and our circulatory system rely upon to prevent fluid backup. The team built a flexible pipe with an interior helical structure inspired by the anatomy of shark intestines — creating a prototype inspired by biology but with applications in engineering and medicine.


September 23, 2024

UW introduces ‘Five for Flourishing,’ an innovative suite of academic interventions to help students thrive

student in classroom

Every year, undergraduates at the University of Washington start their college experience, often in cavernous classrooms, learning alongside dozens, if not hundreds, of their peers. Research shows that taking these courses — some prerequisites and other classes on popular topics — can make students feel isolated, scared and not up to the task.


September 21, 2024

Remembering former Washington governor, senator, public servant and UW alumnus, Daniel J. Evans

Daniel J. Evans

Daniel Jackson Evans, a man whose impact on the state of Washington and the University of Washington spans decades and is memorialized in his namesake, the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, died Sept. 20, 2024. He was 98.


September 20, 2024

UW’s incoming class welcomed at New Student Convocation

The University of Washington will welcome its incoming classes and their families on Sunday, Sept. 22 at the University’s annual New Student Convocation, which will be held in Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.


September 19, 2024

Over 8 years, UW Population Health Initiative has turned ideas into impact

In a time-lapse image, a bus passes in front of a large building with a reflective glass exterior.

In just eight years, the UW Population Health Initiative has funded 227 innovative, interdisciplinary projects. With the Initiative now a third of the way into its 25-year vision, UW News checked in with three projects that recently received funding to scale their efforts. 


What’s for dinner? Scientists unearth key clues to cuisine of resident killer whales

Scientists have discovered the cuisine preferences of two resident killer whale populations, also known as orcas: the Alaska residents and the southern residents, which reside primarily in the Salish Sea and off the coast of Washington, British Columbia, Oregon and northern California. The two populations show broad preference for salmon, particularly Chinook, chum and coho. But they differ in when they switch to hunting and eating different salmon species, as well as the other fish species they pursue to supplement their diets. This information could aid conservation efforts for southern resident killer whales, which remain critically endangered due to pollution, loss of salmon habitat and other human-caused factors that disrupt their hunting and reproductive capabilities.


September 18, 2024

Video: UW welcomes incoming fall students to on-campus housing

Mild fall temperatures this week helped welcome the first group of students who moved into University of Washington residence halls and apartments. More than 10,000 students are expected to live in UW housing this year, including more than 77.5% of the freshman class. This year’s incoming class is expected to be around 7,150, according to preliminary information.


September 10, 2024

UW researchers develop a stretchable, wearable device that lights up an LED using only the warmth of your skin

A person in an office with a black sleeve on their arm. On the sleeve is a gray device and an LED, which is glowing red

UW researchers have developed a flexible, durable electronic prototype that can harvest energy from body heat and turn it into electricity that can be used to power small electronics, such as batteries, sensors or LEDs. This device is also resilient — it still functions even after being pierced several times and then stretched 2,000 times.


Thanks to humans, Salish Sea waters are too noisy for resident orcas to hunt successfully

New research led by the University of Washington and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has revealed how underwater noise produced by humans may help explain why southern resident orca populations have not recovered from historic lows. In a paper published Sept. 10 in Global Change Biology, the team reports that underwater noise pollution — from both large and small vessels — forces northern and southern resident orcas to expend more time and energy hunting for fish. The din also lowers the overall success of their hunting efforts. Noise from ships likely has an outsized impact on southern resident orca pods, which spend more time in parts of the Salish Sea with high ship traffic.


September 9, 2024

COVID-19 lockdowns prematurely aged teenage brains, UW study shows

Young girl doing schoolwork on a laptop while sitting at a table

New research from the University of Washington found lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unusually accelerated brain maturation in adolescents. This maturation was more pronounced in girls. When measured in terms of the number of years of accelerated brain development, the mean acceleration was 4.2 years in females and 1.4 years in males.


August 30, 2024

New discoveries about how mosquitoes mate may help the fight against malaria

An international team led by researchers at the University of Washington has uncovered surprising details about mosquito mating, which could lead to improved malaria control techniques and even help develop precision drone flight. In a paper published Aug. 30 in the journal Current Biology, the team revealed that when a male Anopheles coluzzii mosquito hears the sound of female-specific wingbeats, his eyes “activate” and he visually scans the immediate vicinity for a potential mate.


August 29, 2024

Scientists will study nearby galaxies to uncover galactic formation history and dark matter

NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will look for “fossils” of galaxy formation by conducting high-resolution imaging studies. Through a grant from NASA, astronomers are designing a set of possible observations called RINGS — the Roman Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey — that would collect these images, and the team is producing publicly available tools that the astronomy community can use once Roman launches and starts collecting data.


August 28, 2024

Large language models can help detect social media bots — but can also make the problem worse

A drawing of a robot with an empty speech bubble.

A team led by University of Washington researchers found that large language models, such as ChatGPT, can make social media bots more sophisticated at evading detection. But these models can also improve systems that detect bots.


August 21, 2024

Human-wildlife overlap expected to increase across more than half of Earth’s land by 2070

The overlap between humans and animals will increase substantially across much of the planet in less than 50 years due to human population growth and climate change, according to a collaborative study by scientists at the University of Michigan, the University of Washington and University College London. By 2070, the overlap between humans and more than 22,000 vertebrate species will rise across nearly 57% of Earth’s land, according to the team.


August 20, 2024

New independent venture capital fund accelerates and enhances innovation ecosystem at the UW

entrance to building

Pack Ventures, a new venture capital fund that is collaborating with the University of Washington, aims to help entrepreneurs launch new innovations and grow startups that emerge across the UW, while also giving Husky alumni access to investment opportunities.



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