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

Posted on May 24, 2022

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

Posted on May 19, 2022

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

Posted on May 17, 2022

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

Posted on May 16, 2022May 12, 2026

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

Posted on May 11, 2022May 12, 2026

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…

Initiative releases 2020-22 Report to the Community

Posted on May 9, 2022

The Population Health Initiative was launched six years ago by the University of Washington with the goal of bringing our university together with our partners in a more interdisciplinary and collaborative way to help create a world where all people can live healthier and more fulfilling lives. While the initiative was not launched with a global pandemic in mind, the robust ecosystem the initiative has built has supported the university in responding to multiple facets of COVID-19. The 2020-22 Population…

Spotlight: Holly Schindler strives to support equity in early childhood policies and practices

Posted on May 3, 2022

Dr. Holly Schindler strives for equitable programs and systems of education for children and families in all areas of her career. Her passion for early childhood emerged early on and led to her sustained focus on early childhood policies and practices through community-based research. Schindler is both the chair and an associate professor of learning sciences & human development in the University of Washington College of Education. In this role, she teaches numerous courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels….

New research finds crowdfunding for medical bills is inequitable, not much of a safety net

Posted on April 28, 2022

A recent study conducted by Nora Kenwothy, an associate professor of nursing and health studies at University of Washington Bothell, and a team of UW researchers determined that despite popular belief, people in states with higher medical debt and lower insurance coverage rates are less likely to be successful through methods of medical crowdfunding. The team assessed more than 437,000 GoFundMe campaigns, specific to medical issues, over a five-year period, analyzing the number of campaigns started and amount of money…

Planting trees in pastureland increases climate resilience for communities in the tropics

Posted on April 26, 2022

Researchers from the University of Washington collaborated with The Nature Conservancy and universities across the country on a study that discovered the benefits of adding trees to pastureland to create natural cooling effects that help combat rising temperatures in tropical regions. As these regions struggle to adapt to climate effects of rising temperatures, this cooling practice, known as silvopasture, was found to benefit the people and wildlife of these regions by helping increase their resilience to climate change. Using satellite…