December 22, 2016
Air pollution accelerates plaque build-up in arteries to heart
Researchers have long understood that lengthy exposure to air pollution is directly linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Thanks to the result of a 10-year study led by professor Joel Kaufman, we now have not only a greater understanding of the biological responses to pollution that lead to heart disease, but we also…
December 20, 2016
Effects of shoreline armoring on the ecosystem
The seawalls and bulkheads around the Salish Sea protect the land from erosion and landslides. However, the unintended consequences from this armoring include smaller beaches and reduced habitats for spawning fish and invertebrates, which then indirectly impacts larger species such as orca whales. A recent University of Washington study analyzed 65 pairs of sites broadly…
December 15, 2016
UW Livable City Year program seeking municipal partners
The University of Washington’s Livable City Year initiative is now accepting proposals from cities, counties, special districts and regional partnerships to be partners during the 2017-2018 academic year. UW Livable City Year (UW LCY) connects university faculty and students with a municipal partner for a full academic year to work on projects fostering livability. The…
December 13, 2016
IHME study finds large increases in U.S. deaths related to substance abuse and mental disorders
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington released a new study today that found substantial geographic differences in mortality in more than 3,100 U.S. counties. The study, which was published in JAMA, found that more than 2,000 counties had increases of 200 percent or more in deaths related to…
December 6, 2016
Creating devices that reanimate paralyzed limbs
Researchers at the UW’s Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering are developing groundbreaking new medical devices intended to help restore function and mobility in individuals stricken by spinal cord injury or stroke. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, these researchers have developed implantable devices that can detect brain signals and transmit that information to other parts of the body’s…
November 30, 2016
Community engagement leads to new vision screening law
The routine distance-vision eye test has long been a staple of public school education in the State of Washington. Near-vision problems have not traditionally received the same scrutiny, which will soon change thanks to a new law signed by Governor Jay Inslee earlier this year. The law grew out of a vision and learning symposium…
November 23, 2016
Inspiring underrepresented high school students to become next generation of nurses
Less than 20 percent of the U.S. nursing workforce are from low income or underrepresented backgrounds, yet the patients those future nurses will serve are increasingly likely to be minorities. The UW School of Nursing is widening the pathway to nursing for minority students through the UW Nurse Camp. Each summer, high school students get…
November 17, 2016
School of Public Health undergraduate major receives top ranking
The University of Washington School of Public Health’s undergraduate major was just ranked the best public health degree for 2016 – 2017 by College Choice. Of note was the School of Public Health’s approach to curriculum, which is intended to reach communities locally and globally so students have many opportunities to find a field that…
November 15, 2016
Clean, efficient cookstove focuses on reducing pollution illness, and early death
Smoke from polluting open indoor cooking fires and cookstoves in developing countries are believed to cause millions of illnesses and premature deaths each year. Gathering fuel for these fires and cookstoves can also expose adults and children to further dangers. To overcome these challenges, researchers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering have partnered with the…
November 8, 2016
Reconnecting veterans to life through farming
Christopher Brown, a three-time Marine combat veteran and master of social work graduate, created a sustainable local farming organization for veterans in the name of holistic mental health. Growing Veterans, a thriving nonprofit, seeks to transform the lives of veterans through satisfying work and an opportunity to reconnect with one another and their communities to…