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Untangling abortion misinformation and its impacts on healthcare providers

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On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion with the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. With federal protections gone, states became free to determine whether to restrict or protect abortion access, which has led to a number of new laws and regulations. At the same time, misinformation surrounding abortion care began to flourish and has influenced the way that healthcare providers, abortion advocates and abortion-seeking patients perceived this highly stigmatized…

UW researchers create biodegradable plastics from cyanobacteria

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A team of researchers at the University of Washington has developed new bioplastics made exclusively out of powdered spirulina, a blue-green cyanobacteria. Unlike the majority of current bio-based plastics, which only decompose in commercial composting facilities, the spirulina-based material breaks down easily and can be composted in backyard bins. The new bioplastics share the same mechanical properties as single-use, petroleum-based plastics and are recyclable. However, the material remains brittle and sensitive to water. While these spirulina bioplastics mark a success…

Powering electric vehicles while finding a win-win scenario for all

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A team of students in the Master of Science in Business Analytics Program at the University of Washington Foster School of Business recently partnered with General Motors to conduct research surrounding energy demands and electric vehicles (EVs). Their project used telemetry data from California to determine EV charging patterns. This data was then used to forecast the total amount of energy that could be sent back to homes, buildings and/or the power grid through the monetization of EV battery power….

Spring 2023 Tier 1 pilot awardees report project progress on funded projects

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The University of Washington Population Health Initiative awarded nine Tier 1 pilot grants in spring 2023 to interdisciplinary teams completing exploratory research in areas ranging from disaster planning to mental health to workforce development. These teams represented 10 of the UW’s schools and colleges. Each project has now reached its respective midpoint and are reporting progress in the following areas:

Buerk Center, Initiative co-host third annual Sacia Digital Health Innovation Workshop

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The University of Washington Foster School of Business’ Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship partnered with the Population Health Initiative to offer students an immersive and hands-on opportunity to workshop new solutions in the growing and dynamic field of digital health. Twenty-six undergraduate, graduate and PhD students from a variety of disciplines and programs came together on Saturday, November 18, 2023 at the UW’s Hans Rosling Center for Population Health to make the third annual Sacia Digital Health Innovation Workshop an exciting…

Faculty panel offers interdisciplinary perspectives on global careers in health

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The Population Health Initiative, School of Public Health, and Department of Global Health hosted a panel of faculty members on November 2, 2023 who discussed their unique paths to a global career in health. Throughout the event, panel members Sarah Iribarren, Ferdinand Mukumbang, Sarah Masyuko and Coco Alarcon shared their career journey and offered advice to students, in particular the importance of following one’s intuition and the value of mentors. Many of the panelists did not expect to go into…

A collaborative approach to assessing extreme heat health risks in youth BIPOC communities

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Washington State is experiencing an increasing number of extreme heat events due to climate change. The 2021 Pacific Northwest “heat dome,” for example, resulted in 441 deaths and became the deadliest weather-related disaster in Washington’s history. Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities are at an increased risk for extreme heat exposure due to underlying health inequities and historical marginalization, which necessitates a centering of their voices in preparing for future extreme heat events. In spring 2022, a team…

University of Washington plays a key role in our clean energy future

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The University of Washington is well-situated to be a leader in clean energy solutions and technology, with many of Washington state’s advancements in clean energy can be attributed to the forefront research and development accomplished at the UW. One of the pioneering research institutions is the UW’s Clean Energy Institute (CEI). Established in 2013, CEI is a collaborative and integrative academic center with the mission of developing climate technology innovations and bringing them to the marketplace. CEI was expanded with…

Initiative co-hosts entrepreneurial women in population health panel discussion

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The Population Health Initiative and Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship’s Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership program (WE Lead) partnered on October 11, 2023 to host a panel of innovative women working in population health. Each of the women had a unique industry background that intersects with population health. Despite their different professional focuses, the panel shared a drive for improving health outcomes and digested many commonalities in their experiences during the event. Panel Members: Mariza Hardin Co-Founder and COO, Zócalo Health Sravanthi Parasa,…

Transforming a smartphone into an accurate, fever-detecting thermometer

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A team of researchers from the University of Washington has created an app, FeverPhone, that transforms smartphones into thermometers. FeverPhone functions without the addition of new hardware, utilizing the touchscreen and existing battery temperature sensors to gather data. This information is then run through a machine-learning model to estimate an individual’s core body temperature. When tested on patients in an emergency department, the temperatures gathered from FeverPhone had a comparable accuracy to some consumer thermometers. While more training data is…