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Initiative awards four pilot grants for climate change-focused projects

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The Population Health Initiative announced the award of four, $50,000 climate change-focused pilot grants to support interdisciplinary teams of University of Washington researchers to develop preliminary data or proof-of-concept needed to pursue follow-on funding to scale their respective efforts. “We are pleased to support these four teams in generating new discoveries in areas ranging from sustainable materials to aiding cities to achieve net-zero emissions,” said Ali H. Mokdad, the UW’s chief strategy officer for population health and professor of health…

New research studies how AI can support people in being more empathetic about mental health

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Lack of access is one of the main reasons people do not seek professional mental health care. That is where TalkLife, the biggest peer support platform globally, steps in to allow users to offer each other mental health support. Empathy is essential to these conversations about mental health, yet it can be challenging to know the right words to say. To improve this process, Tim Althoff, a University of Washington assistant professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer…

Initiative, EarthLab event builds cross-disciplinary climate change connections

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The Population Health Initiative and EarthLab hosted approximately 45 University of Washington faculty, staff and graduate students in an Open Space-style event in the UW wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House on October 23, 2023, to help facilitate the development of new interdisciplinary collaborations to take on pressing climate-related challenges. This was the second Fostering Climate Change Connections event, following the inaugural offering that took place on April 11, 2023. The attendees at the October 23 event set the agenda, offering to…

Pilot project uses drone technology to monitor harmful algal blooms in freshwater lakes

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The effects of climate change are leading to an explosive surge in harmful algal blooms, jeopardizing drinking water supplies and threatening human health. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur when algae grow exponentially, potentially producing toxins that can poison fish, mammals and birds — as well as cause human illness or even death in extreme incidents. Thus, investigation is required to better mitigate their harmful effects. In spring 2023, an interdisciplinary team of University of Washington researchers were awarded a Tier…

Initiative, Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship offer fall 2023 Digital Health Innovation events

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The University of Washington Population Health Initiative and the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship have partnered to offer a series of interactive opportunities during autumn quarter 2023 for students interested in learning more about the rapidly growing field of digital health. Whether you are just starting your digital health journey, or already have a solid foundation, we would love for you to join the conversation. All events are open to both undergraduate and graduate students from any major or discipline. Digital…

Applied Research Fellowship project explores King County housing migration trends

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The 2023 University of Washington Population Health Initiative Applied Research Fellowship program recently concluded their research assessing migration and displacement trends in King County through the use of novel data sources. Their findings offer useful insights for King County policymakers regarding future resource allocations. This year’s five student fellows were a mix of graduate and undergraduate students: Tiffany Childs, Public Health – Global Health major Lily Bates, Public Health – Global Health major Pamela Lim, Master of Urban Planning and…

Summer 2023 Social Entrepreneurship Fellows complete projects, share findings

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The Population Health Initiative’s summer 2023 Social Entrepreneurship Fellows Program concluded in August with the fellows presenting their findings to students, faculty and staff from schools and colleges across campus. The fellows spent 10 weeks working on population health innovations developed by University of Washington researchers to determine how these innovations could be financially sustainable while also having a substantial societal impact. The Social Entrepreneurship Fellows Program was developed by the Population Health Initiative – in partnership with the Buerk…

Entrepreneurial Women in Population Health event taking place on Wednesday, October 11

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Join the University of Washington Population Health Initiative and the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11 for the panel event, “Entrepreneurial Women in Population Health.” The panel will be held in Room 101 of the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health. The lunch, panel event and Q&A features entrepreneurial women whose work is helping to make our communities healthier. Guests come from various industry backgrounds, but each of their work touches on…

Climate change is leading to increases in human-wildlife conflicts

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A warming planet is increasing the number of human-wildlife conflicts occurring across the globe, according to scientists at the University of Washington’s Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, which recently published research showing just how intertwined humans are with wildlife. The research team referred to incidents of human-wildlife conflicts and identified cases that were linked specifically to the effects of climate change. These cases were identified as both short-term climate events like droughts as well as long-term climate events such as warming…

Measuring the psychological impact of administrative burdens on transgender people

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More than 99 million individuals participated in federally funded social safety net services in 2019, a total that represents 30 percent of the United States population. These social programs offer various types of assistance and are crucial in supporting vulnerable communities, such as transgender people, during times of hardship. Despite their importance, extensive barriers continue to block access to these necessary services. To better understand how these barriers are hindrances to the long-term well-being of transgender people, Isaac Sederbaum, a…