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Latest news and updates

Latest news and updates

Interdisciplinary approach to mitigating human health impacts of prescribed forest fires

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The health impacts of smoke from forest fires are rising with the recent increase in fires due to climate change. Managing forest health through smaller prescribed fires is necessary to mitigating the intensity of wildfires, but the smoke from these fires simultaneously creates negative human health effects. To address this issue, a team of experts led by the University of Washington and The Nature Conservancy assembled an interdisciplinary team of experts to strike a balance between protecting human health and…

Global Perspectives: Women in Leadership in Public Health panel on Nov. 2

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Gender gaps within public health organizations are persistent and have been exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic, systematically preventing individuals who identify as women from advancing to positions of power and influence and impacting health system delivery to women and society overall. Please plan to join us online or in person at 8 a.m. Pacific on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, for a conversation on the imperative of women in leadership in public health. Hear perspectives from four panelists working around the…

Applied Research Fellowship project assesses King County housing need and supply trends

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The 2022 University of Washington Population Health Initiative (PHI) Applied Research Fellowship program (ARFP) recently concluded their research on trends in housing need and supply in King County to better understand how needs are changing and may change in the future. They also provided stakeholders with an updated interactive data tool, developed by past PHI ARFP teams, which describes geographic and temporal changes in household stock and availability of land for residential development. The PHI ARFP team (pictured, during final…

Spotlight: Ali Ahmed seeks to reduce barriers to care through a career in health policy

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When Ali Ahmed moved from Florida to Seattle in 2018, he never could have imagined the accomplishments and experiences he would experience. It was not just the culture and food that had Ahmed excited but also the professional and educational opportunities that come with living in a city as large as Seattle. In fact, the summer before his freshman year saw Ahmed immersed in a research opportunity at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. That experience – and being able to…

Social Entrepreneurship Fellows develop strategic roadmaps for emerging innovations

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The Population Health Initiative’s summer 2022 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…

Making the switch to e-cigarettes leads to holistic health benefits for adult smokers

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A new study from the University of Washington sought to determine whether adult smokers might experience multiple health and well-being benefits by switching to e-cigarettes. Their results showed an overall positive effect on the health of smokers after making this switch in their adult life. The researchers drew from the Seattle Social Development Project, which was a larger longitudinal study that began in 1985. They surveyed 156 of the participants from that project who reported smoking at age 30 and…

Spotlight: Kristina Adams Waldorf uses social media to combat vaccine hesitancy in pregnancy

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As a professor and researcher in the University of Washington Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dr. Kristina Adams Waldorf’s career has centered on studying infectious diseases in pregnant people for more than 20 years. Her extensive research is conducted through the Adams Waldorf Laboratory, which is part of the Center for Reproductive Sciences and the Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease at UW. The research in her lab is focused on studying how infections can target placentas to reach…

Pilot project promotes environmental justice through protection of urban green spaces

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The restoration and protection of urban green spaces can mitigate the harmful effects of climate change on human health. Kristin Hayman, first year graduate student at the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, and her team are awardees of a Population Health Initiative Tier 1 Pilot Grant that seeks to identify communities across the Puget Sound that would realize the greatest health benefits from green spaces in their communities. “This project sits at the intersection of human…

Decreasing the stigma of mental health through a peer educator approach

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The pressing mental health crisis the world faces and major gaps in the mental healthcare system led Dr. Jody Early, professor at the University of Washington Bothell’s School of Nursing & Health Studies, to partner with Sandra Huber from the Verdant Health Commission to create Mental Health Matters (MHM). This program supports community-centered health education and promotion by connecting residents in Snohomish County, WA with resources and peer educators to contribute to their overall health and well-being. MHM is committed…

Meta-analysis shows self-injury and thoughts of suicide reduce stress levels for young adults

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Suicide is a leading cause of death among young people, and the role of self-harm and suicidal thoughts are known risk factors for suicide. A group of researchers from the University of Washington recently conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of the mental impacts and reasons behind teens and young adults engaging in self-harm and/or considering attempting suicide. The results show that the consequence of engaging in self-harm or thinking about a suicidal attempt is perceived feelings of stress alleviation. Researchers around…