News releases
October 13, 2011
Differences in jet lag severity could be rooted in how circadian clock sets itself
Researchers have found hints that differing molecular processes in one area of the brain might play a significant role in the differences of jet lag severity between long-distance west-to-east travel and east-to-west travel.
Improving the physics of grocery store display cases to save energy
Aeronautical engineers are devising ways to boost the efficiency of open-air refrigerated cases, which are increasingly common in supermarkets. Results could lower the energy use of existing cases by up to 15 percent — potentially saving $100 million in electricity costs each year.
October 12, 2011
College students limit technology use during crunch time
A new University of Washington study found college students – only weeks away from final exams and in the library – tend to pare use of electronics. Its their way to manage technology that permeates their lives.
October 11, 2011
Learning to not be afraid: UW psychologists treat PTSD with drug known to enhance learning
Lori Zoellner, director of UWs Center for Anxiety & Traumatic Stress, has a new study aimed to make PTSD treatment more efficient.
October 10, 2011
Chronic dialysis for kidney disease patients now initiated substantially earlier, UW-Group Health-led study finds
Researchers from Washington state and California found that over a ten-year period, from 1997 to 2007, patients are starting dialysis approximately five months earlier on average.
Research shows how life might have survived ‘snowball Earth
New research indicates that simple life in the form of photosynthetic algae could have survived a “snowball Earth” event, living in a narrow body of water with characteristics similar to todays Red Sea.
October 7, 2011
Babies show sense of fairness, altruism as early as 15 months
A new study by a UW psychologist presents the first evidence that a basic sense of fairness and altruism appears in infancy
October 6, 2011
Turning slash piles into soil benefit
Students of the University of Washington have teamed up on a startup that promises to turn slash piles of forest refuse into biochar, a commodity for sale to landscapers, farmers and gardeners.
October 5, 2011
UW is 25th best university in world in Times ranking
The University of Washington was ranked 25th best university in the world and the fifth-ranked American public university, according to The Times Higher Education Rankings
October 3, 2011
Community effort brings lasting drop in smoking, delinquency, drug use
Tenth graders in towns using Communities That Care, a prevent system developed by UW School of Social Work researchers, were less likely to have tried drinking or smoking and showed less delinquent behavior.
September 28, 2011
Making justice known: Voices from the Rwanda Tribunal
Seventeen years ago, an estimated 800,000 Rwandans, mostly members of the Tutsi tribe, were massacred in only 100 days. Now, as remaining court judgments are rendered, “Voices from the Rwanda Tribunal” presents a record of what has been done with an interactive website that brings together video interviews with judges, lawyers, interpreters, investigators and other personnel.
NW biofuels coming of age with $80 million in separate projects led by UW, WSU
The University of Washington and Washington State University are leads for two separate grants of $40 million each that will use Pacific Northwest woody biomass to expand whats been a Midwest-centric biofuels industry into Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana and northern California.
September 26, 2011
Returning genetic results to study participants will be addressed nationally
Holly Tabor, a UW and Seattle Children’s bioethics scholar, is among the experts in law, medicine and ethics to receive a NIH grant Sept. 26 to look at if, when and how the results of genome studies should be told to research participants.
Dieter Fox to co-lead new Intel Science and Technology Center
UW computer scientist Dieter Fox will co-lead an Intel Science and Technology Center that will focus on “pervasive” computing, which aims to incorporate computing and sensing into everyday devices and environments.
September 22, 2011
Model provides successful seasonal forecast for the fate of Arctic sea ice
Relatively accurate predictions for summer sea ice extent in the Arctic can be made the previous autumn, but forecasting more than five years into the future requires understanding of the impact of climate trends on the ice pack.
September 20, 2011
Visionary innovator wins MacArthur ‘genius’ award
Shwetak Patel, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering and electrical engineering who explores how people and computers interact, has been named one of this years MacArthur Fellows.
Proton-based transistor could let machines communicate with living things
Materials scientists at the University of Washington have built a novel transistor that uses protons, creating a key piece for devices that can communicate directly with living things.
September 19, 2011
Gamers succeed where scientists fail
The structure of a retrovirus enzyme had stumped scientists for more than a decade. With the game Foldit, players quickly made an accurate model of the enzyme. The model opens doors to AIDS drug design.
September 16, 2011
Design for living: ‘Making Healthy Places discusses benefits of blending civic planning with public health
A new book titled “Making Healthy Spaces: Designing and Building for Health, Well-being and Sustainability” suggests that viewing the built environment as a human habitat can promote health, sustainability and more equitable access for people of all abilities.
September 15, 2011
President Young announces new chief of staff, office reorganization
University of Washington President Michael K. Young announced today the appointment of Jack Johnson to a new chief of staff position in his office, effective Oct. 24.
September 14, 2011
Salmon and other fish predators rely on ‘no guts, no glory survival tactic
The phrase “no guts, no glory” doesnt just apply to athletes who are striving to excel. Salmon and other fish predators take the adage literally.
Katze lab signs contract with Revalesio to study novel approaches to viral diseases
Revalesio, a pioneering biotechnology company based in Tacoma, recently signed an 18-month contract with the Katze lab at the University of Washington to bring hope to sufferers of influenza, HIV and hepatitis C.
September 13, 2011
Census estimates show increase in U.S. poverty but not in Washington state
Preliminary data released by the U.S. Census Bureau today show that the poverty rate for the U.S. increased from 14.3 percent to 15.1 percent from 2009 to 2010. However, the rate in Washington State remained essentially unchanged at 11.5 percent, or 774,000 residents.
UW is top-ten public, US News says
The UW was tied for 10th among public universities in the latest US News and World Report ranking of undergraduate programs.
September 12, 2011
New study quantifies use of social media in Arab Spring
After analyzing more than 3 million tweets, gigabytes of YouTube content and thousands of blog posts, a new study finds that social media played a central role in shaping political debates in the Arab Spring.
Findings on blood pressure and heart disease genetic risk include UW research contributions
An international consortium has identified 28 blood-pressure influencing regions on the human genome. UW scientists played key roles in analyzing the massive amounts of data collected for the study.
September 6, 2011
Gene defect that predisposes people to leukemia discovered
Those at risk of acute myeloid leukemia because of family history may soon obtain tests to detect the genetic error before symptoms emerge. Clinical trials are under way to learn the best way to monitor and treat people with the GATA2 mutation.
August 31, 2011
UW anthropologist explores Seattles Dumpster diving community – with video
A UW anthropology graduate student is studying the economics of food production, food waste and how social networks of Dumpster divers can help provide food for those in need.
August 29, 2011
Bilingual babies vocabulary linked to early brain differentiation
Researchers at UWs Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences are investigating the brain mechanisms that contribute to infants prowess at learning languages, with the hope that the findings could boost bilingualism in adults, too.
August 25, 2011
Ocean acidification science, societal needs meld in new training program
Students already knowledgeable about the science behind ocean acidification and warming will learn more about the challenges those ocean changes pose for tribes, shellfish growers and other sectors of society – as well as helping seek solutions ¬– under a just-announced National Science Foundation grant of $3 million.
August 24, 2011
Scented laundry products emit hazardous chemicals through dryer vents
The researcher who used chemical sleuthing to uncover whats in scented products now has turned her attention to the air wafting from household laundry vents. Air from laundry machines using the top-selling scented liquid detergent and dryer sheet contains hazardous chemicals, including two that are classified as carcinogens.
August 22, 2011
UW joins national push to sequence human genome on the cheap
UW is one of eight institutions funded August 22 by the National Human Genome Research to revolutionize DNA sequencing. Jay Shendure, whose lab is noted for several breakthroughs in genomic technology, will head the UW project.
UW ranked 16th in world in recent study
A major international study recently ranked the University of Washington as the 16th best university in the world.
Less depression for working moms who expect that they ‘cant do it all
A UW sociologist reports less depression symptoms among working moms who expect that they will have to forego some aspects of their career or parenting to achieve a work-life balance.
August 17, 2011
Model shows polar ice caps can recover from warmer climate-induced melting
New UW research indicates that even if Earth warmed enough to melt all polar sea ice, the ice could recover if the planet cooled again.
August 16, 2011
UW researchers to host landmark hepatitis C conference in Seattle Sept. 8-12
Seattle, one of the world leaders in hepatitis C research and treatment, will be hosting a landmark conference on hepatitis C Sept. 8-12 involving 800 people, including the discoverer of the virus affecting more people than HIV.
Poverty rates the same as in mid-1960s, but far more kids are poor
Fewer seniors but more children are poor since the War on Poverty began more than 40 years ago. Also, despite persistent efforts in both the public and private sectors, poverty rates in the U.S. have remained stubbornly the same since the mid-1960s.
August 15, 2011
UW Medicine study finds caffeine guards against certain ultraviolet-induced skin cancers at molecular level
Caffeine guards against certain skin cancers at the molecular level, according to a study appearing online August 15, 2011, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Younger siblings of children with autism have one in five chance of autism diagnosis
Parents of a child with an autism spectrum disorder face a 19 percent chance of having additional children diagnosed with the disorder, according to a new study co-authored by the UW Autism Center.
August 9, 2011
Study of abalone spawning could have implications for human reproduction
A UW biologist is among scientists who for the first time have been able to study interactions between individual sperm and eggs of red abalone in conditions similar to its ocean surroundings, work that could have implications for improving fertilization in humans.
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