Ever hear of a memory café? It’s an informal community meetup for people who have dementia and whose cognitive struggles might tilt them toward withdrawing socially. The semi-organized café gatherings offer sanctuary from judgment and raised eyebrows, and provide group interactions that can engage attendees and bring joy to their lives. “A memory café setting is intended to be a safe, inclusive space in the here and now. Usually, people with dementia leave feeling more connected or feeling like they…
Tag: health care
A Seat at the Table with Gregg Gonsalves
On the evening of Wednesday, April 1, 2026, Gregg Gonsalves — global health activist, epidemiologist, ACT UP veteran, and professor at the Yale School of Public Health and Yale Law School — sat down with Students of Color for Public Health, along with CAB members from the Seattle Vaccine Trials Unit, and UW Positive Research for a small dinner and a very open conversation about research, activism, and the future of public health. For many in the room, this was not…
Mentorship in medicine
Meet Dr. Estell Williams, ’13, an emergency surgeon, community builder, dedicated mentor and the UW’s 2026 honoree for Black History Month. From the first grade, Dr. Estell Williams knew she wanted to be a doctor. The self-described science nerd isn’t quite sure where that came from, but she’s got a few guesses. Maybe it’s the fact that she had a Black pediatrician growing up, one whose office walls were plastered with photos of Black patients and their families, making it…