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Disparities in air pollution exposure could be eliminated with a community-based approach

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Significant improvements in air quality in the United States have been realized in recent years, partly due to the Clean Air Act, yet people of color still face higher than normal rates of air pollution. A project led by University of Washington researchers compared three approaches to tackling air pollution, two of which mirrored the Clean Air Act and the third a community-based approach that is not commonly used. For each strategy, the researchers analyzed national emissions data and then…

Improving accessibility of newborn screening with low-cost earbuds

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Screening newborns for hearing loss is a vital step in assessing their health. Despite the importance of this test, it is often not available to children in low-income countries due to its high cost. To address this accessibility issue, University of Washington researchers have created a new hearing screening system that instead uses a smartphone and low-cost earbuds. They tested this device on 114 patients, including babies, as well as on pediatric patients with known hearing loss. The results of…

Initiative, EarthLab event fosters climate change connections across UW disciplines

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The Population Health Initiative and EarthLab co-hosted an Open Space-style event in the University of Washington wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House on April 11, 2023, to help facilitate the development of new interdisciplinary collaborations that will take on pressing climate-related challenges. The event, which drew 35 UW faculty, staff and students, was intended as a follow-on opportunity for UW researchers who participated in the December 2022 Sparking Climate Connections Lightning Talks hosted by the EarthLab Advisory Board of Deans. Attendees at…

Hans Rosling Center for Population Health achieves LEED Platinum status

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The University of Washington’s Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, home to the Population Health Initiative, has achieved LEED Platinum Certification. LEED Platinum is the highest possible rating from the U.S. Green Building Council and reflects the UW’s commitment to sustainable building practices. Under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, the Hans Rosling Center is the first building in Washington State to achieve LEED platinum using the most current criteria. Sustainable features of the Hans Rosling…

UW Bothell students help fight real world inequities through digital skills

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An increase in illegal evictions in the Snohomish County, WA led two UW Bothell students to partner with Snohomish County Legal Services, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing legal services to underrepresented communities, to offer support. The students, Drake Monfregola and Jordy Solorio Valdovinos, were part of the UW Bothell Digital Scholars Program, which helps students develop skills in digital marketing data analytics, social media and data visualization. With these skills, Monfregola and Valdovinos developed an electronic flier to help…

Pilot project seeks to destigmatize HIV, mental health in China through a mHealth intervention

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Death caused by HIV/AIDS has increased in China since 1990, with more than one million new infections occurring in 2020. People newly diagnosed with HIV often face mental health challenges such as depression, suicidal ideation and anxiety. Yet, because of discriminatory laws and attitudes towards the LGBTQIA+ community in China, newly diagnosed HIV-positive Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) are especially vulnerable to mental health complications. As a result, the state of their mental health can inhibit engagement with…

Initiative announces award of four winter quarter 2023 Tier 2 pilot research grants

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Four Tier 2 pilot grants were awarded today by the University of Washington Population Health Initiative to teams representing researchers from four different UW schools and colleges and multiple community-based partners. The total dollar value of these awards was approximately $295,000, which included $234,000 in funding from the initiative plus additional matching funds from different schools, colleges, departments and the Office of Global Affairs. “We continue to receive range of innovative, interdisciplinary project ideas to address pressing population health challenges…

Artificial intelligence can detect signs of mental illness via text message

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A recent study published in the journal of Psychiatric Services by UW Medicine researchers found that algorithms can detect red-flag language in text messages from people with serious mental illnesses as well as trained human evaluators. The team leveraged natural language processing to identify text messages with “cognitive distortions” that might otherwise slip past or go unnoticed by an overworked or undertrained clinician. These findings may lead to additional tools for clinicians and expanded avenues by which patients will be…

First-year students assess the population health of Seattle neighborhoods

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The Communities & Research project (CoRe) is an opportunity for incoming first-year students at the University of Washington to examine population health on a personal level. In interdisciplinary and collaborative groups, students analyze various factors impacting population health in different Seattle neighborhoods, all through the lens of their expertise, discipline and experience. For the second year in a row, UW First Year Programs and the Population Health Initiative have partnered to recognize the CoRe projects that go above and beyond…

UW experts establishing a “nurse navigation” position to help kids in criminal legal system

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A team of University of Washington experts and advisors are co-leading a science implementation project to help manage the healthcare of youth who are in juvenile detention. The project focus is a nurse navigation concept that incorporates conversations with community members on how to make health care more accessible for youth and their families. Researchers are interested in the progress of juvenile during their time while incarceration and also during their transition to the real world to help ensure those…