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Latest news and updates

Latest news and updates

Resmaa Menakem joins UW Community Circle to explain somatic approach to healing

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On May 3, 2022, the University of Washington Population Health Initiative, the School of Public Health, the Race & Equity Initiative and the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity hosted a virtual guided conversation with Resmaa Menakem (pictured), an educator of anti-racism whose multiple books and courses implement a somatic approach to healing racialized trauma. Over the past several months, a group of UW faculty and staff joined to create the UW Community Circle in which they read and discussed…

Initiative announces awardees of spring quarter 2022 Tier 3 pilot research grants

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The Population Health Initiative has announced the award of five Tier 3 pilot grants to close out its grant funding for the 2021-22 academic year. The total value of these five awards is approximately $1.19 million, which included roughly $900,000 in funding from the initiative plus additional matching funds from different schools, colleges, departments and external partners. The purpose of the Tier 3 pilot grant program is to support faculty and PI-eligible staff to create follow-on opportunities for impactful projects…

Winning papers announced for 2022 Population Health Library Research Awards

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Four students have received awards from the Population Health Initiative for the 2022 Library Research Award for Undergraduates. The quality of their writing, the innovativeness of their research hypothesis and how well they connected their work to the theme of population health were the factors considered in choosing award winners. This award was created in 2017 in partnership with the UW Libraries and is open to undergraduates from all three campuses. The projects submitted were completed for either UW course…

Counties relying on court fees for revenue see increase rates of incarceration for women

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Recent research from the University of Washington indicates a connection between counties in Washington state that bolster their revenues through court-imposed fines and the incarceration rates among women in those counties. The researchers found entire communities are being affected by the penalization of individuals through monetary sanctions such as traffic fines or court processing fees. With the knowledge that women’s incarceration rates are increasing while men’s are decreasing, the researchers analyzed the connection between defendants’ gender and monetary sanctions specifically…

Initiative announces summer 2022 cohort of Applied Research Fellows

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The Population Health Initiative announced the selection of four graduate students and one undergraduate student as the 2022 cohort of the Applied Research Fellowship program. Launched in 2019, the Applied Research Fellowship was created – and continues to be run – in partnership with the University of Washington’s Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology. The program’s goal is to offer students data analysis, critical thinking and team science skills that will help them solve complex population health challenges on…

Pilot project seeks to revamp methods of counting homeless populations in King County

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The current method of counting individuals experiencing homelessness centers on national “point in time” census-like counts conducted once a year, which are proven to miss many hidden individuals while being highly inefficient. Dr. Amy Hagopian, professor in the University of Washington School of Public Health, is leading an interdisciplinary team awarded a Tier 2 Population Health Initiative pilot grant titled, “Innovating Better Methods to Enumerate Individuals Experiencing Homelessness,” with the goal of reforming these inadequate systems of counting to reduce…

Increased economic support positively impacts maternal health

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A team of University of Washington researchers conducted a study determining the impact of Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) on alcohol misuse and symptoms of depression among women who had recently given birth. They found an inverse correlation between more generous EITC payments and the risks in question, highlighting the benefits of anti-poverty policies on health issues. Federal EITC subsidies are provided to low-income working families in the U.S., and supplemental EITC programs vary across states. The team analyzed these…

WATRIBAL supports food equity and access for tribal communities during COVID-19

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The Population Health Initiative hosted students and faculty on May 3, 2022 for a presentation of, “WATRIBAL Project: Assessing food security and traditional foods access in WA State tribal communities during the COVID-19 pandemic,” by Dr. Victoria Warren Mears, Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center Director, and Dr. Jennifer J. Otten, Associate Professor for the UW Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences & Food Systems Director. The presentation was part of the Let’s Talk Pop Health series, which is a series…

Initiative announces awardees of spring quarter 2022 Tier 1 pilot research grants

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The Population Health Initiative has announced the award of 11 Tier 1 pilot grants to teams representing researchers from seven different University of Washington schools and colleges, plus UW Tacoma and multiple community-based partners. The total value of these 11 awards is $358,706, which included $266,843 from the initiative plus additional school, college and departmental matching funds. “We continue to be impressed with the range of innovative, high-quality proposals we receive for this pilot grant program,” said Ali H. Mokdad,…

Honorees announced for 2022 undergraduate research recognition awards

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The Population Health Initiative has awarded Population Health Recognitions to 20 students – representing 16 different projects – participating in the Undergraduate Research Symposium for their innovative and well-presented research work. In partnership with the Undergraduate Research Program, this award was created as an opportunity for students across all three campuses presenting at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium on Friday, May 20, 2022 to be honored for their work. More than 70 applications were received for this award and reviewed…