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Latest news and updates

Latest news and updates

Initiative supports launch of new UW Center for Disaster Resilient Communities

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The new University of Washington Center for Disaster Resilient Communities (CDRC) launched today with the goal of uniting the university’s extensive expertise in disaster research to inform and strengthen how communities prepare for and respond to disasters. The Center seeks to engage the more than 100 UW faculty, including disaster researchers, engineers, data and environmental scientists, and experts in public health, medicine, nursing and public policy and planning. The CDRC, which will be incubated by, and administratively housed in, the…

Summer study abroad program explored social entrepreneurship, population health in India

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Eight University of Washington undergraduate students representing several different schools and colleges recently returned from a three-week study abroad program, “Social Entrepreneurship and Population Health in India.” New in 2023, this partnership between the Population Health Initiative, the School of Public Health and the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance offered students the opportunity to explore how social innovation and social entrepreneurship can positively impact society by addressing key social issues. This course was established with the intention of…

Initiative co-hosting Fostering Climate Change Connections event on October 23

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The Population Health Initiative and EarthLab will again co-host an Open Space-style event in the University of Washington wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House on Monday, October 23, 2023, to help facilitate the development of new interdisciplinary collaborations between UW researchers to take on pressing climate-related challenges. This is the second Fostering Climate Change Connections event, following the inaugural offering that occurred in April 2023. Faculty members, staff and graduate students who attend the event will set the agenda for discussion, offering…

Awardees of 2021 pilot research grants report final project outcomes

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In March 2021, the Population Health Initiative awarded eight pilot research grants to faculty-led teams representing seven different University of Washington schools and colleges as well as external partners. These pilot research grants are intended to spur new, interdisciplinary collaborations among investigators for projects addressing major population health challenges. Each team has now completed their respective project and offered reports on the results of their work as well as future plans.

Thirteen new members named to Population Health Initiative executive council

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University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce has named 13 new representatives to the 30-member Population Health Initiative executive council. These individuals, who will begin their terms in autumn quarter 2023, are: Tricia Serio, provost and executive vice president José Alaniz, professor of Slavic Languages & Literature, College of Arts & Sciences John Fortney, professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine Ivy Lin, acting assistant professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry Peggy Odegard, professor of…

New York Climate Exchange features the UW as a core partner

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The University of Washington is one of the core partners involved in the launch of the New York Climate Exchange, a new center located on Governors Island that will develop and deploy dynamic solutions to the global climate crisis. The Climate Exchange is headed by Stony Brook University and consists of numerous core partners, including the University of Washington, other academic institutions, community leaders and businesses. The UW is the only core partner on the West Coast of the United…

Understanding the impact of long COVID on Latino communities

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The University of Washington’s Latino Center for Health has launched a study to understand the extent and impact of long COVID on Washington’s Latino communities. According to the World Health Organization, long COVID is the continuation of symptoms that began within three months of a case of infection and have persisted for at least two months with no other explanation. Since the start of the pandemic, Latino communities in Washington state have had higher rates of COVID infection than the…

Project identifies thousands of racially discriminatory housing covenants

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The University of Washington’s Racial Restrictive Covenants Project, led by James Gregory, a professor of history, an uncovered more than 40,000 property deeds in Western Washington containing racially discriminatory language. A team of UW students and nearly 800 volunteers identified these deeds through are investigation of racial covenants in King, Pierce, Snohomish, Whatcom and Thurston counties via research, data management and community outreach. The Washington state legislature authorized and funded this project in 2021 to find and map neighborhoods where…

Improving adherence to pediatric clinical care guidelines in Kenya

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Deaths of children under five years of age in Kenya have been steadily decreasing since 1990. However, nearly 65,000 children are still dying each year from causes such as diarrhea, HIV/AIDS, pneumonia and malnutrition. While standard medical guidelines exist for clinical care for each of these conditions, adherence to those guidelines remains inconsistent in Kenya. A team of researchers from the University of Washington and Kenya Medical Research Institute are currently testing new approaches to increase the use of pediatric…

UW Bothell lecturer on journey to support ALS patients through game technology

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ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, with those diagnosed eventually losing the ability to speak and move. Augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and video games may offer benefits, which is a research direction one University of Washington Bothell faculty member is pursuing. Dr. Wanda Gregory, a lecturer at UW Bothell’s School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, teaches courses in game and interactive media design as well…