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Awardees of 2020 pilot research grants report on project progress

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The Population Health Initiative awarded six pilot research grants in March 2020 to faculty-led teams from 10 different University of Washington schools and colleges. The initiative’s pilot research grant program seeks to spur new, interdisciplinary collaborations among investigators for projects addressing major population health challenges. At the half-way point, investigators are reporting significant progress in their work despite the disruptions posed by the pandemic. Work to date from the respective projects can be found in the following sections.

Improving smoke forecasts by flying through wildfire smoke plumes

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Recent years have seen hazy skies and hazardous air quality become regular features of the late summer weather on the West Coast. New research led by the University of Washington looks at the most detailed observations to date from the interiors of West Coast wildfire smoke plumes and showed that smoke forecasts may incorrectly predict the amount of particles in staler smoke. The new results could significantly change the estimate for particles in staler smoke, which could be the difference…

Winter 2021 undergraduate course highlights UW population health research

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This winter, the Population Health Initiative is again partnering with the University of Washington’s Undergraduate Research Program (URP) to offer a series of lectures that focus on the three pillars of population health: human health, environmental resilience and social and economic equity. The Research Exposed! (General Studies 391, SLN 15106) course will feature faculty from a number of disciplines discussing their population health-related research. Undergraduates may take this course for credit (i.e., one credit/quarter; three quarters max). The course will…

Discussing suicide prevention leads to safer weapons storage

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A new University of Washington study found that talking to people at gun shows about suicide prevention and the risks of unsecured firearms can lead to safe weapons storage. The research by UW’s Forefront Suicide Prevention program was based on visits to 18 gun shows and other community events around Washington state last year. The study found that engaging people in a community-based setting, in an empathetic conversation focused on safety, resulted in more people locking up their firearms. Learn…

New UW models show how COVID-19 can spread through a city

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A research team led by UC Irvine and the University of Washington has created a new model of coronavirus diffusion through a community. This approach factors in network exposure — whom one interacts with — and demographics to simulate at a more detailed level both where and how quickly the coronavirus could spread through Seattle and 18 other major cities. The result: Some neighborhoods peak sooner than others. And in every city, the virus sticks around far longer than some…

Initiative-supported project finds pandemic is worsening social isolation in older adults

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New research from the University of Washington found that older adults throughout Washington are increasingly isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are also challenged by the even greater reliance on technology and they often neglect chronic health conditions. While senior-services agencies are adapting and innovating to meet the needs of this population, researchers say a lack of consistent funding, coupled with the general uncertainty of the pandemic, could destabilize the care system for the state’s older adults. This qualitative study…

UW breaks ground on new health sciences education building

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The University of Washington has broken ground on a new Health Sciences Education Building where students will learn integrated patient care in an integrated training facility. The 100,000 square-foot, four-story, $100 million, fully modern facility received $70 million from the Washington state Legislature. The new building is designed around flexible spaces that allow for 21st-century teaching techniques, including high-tech learning facilities used for computer simulation, mock treatment labs and an ultra-modern Anatomy Lab Suite with virtual anatomy capabilities. The facility…

Initiative-supported project decontaminates N95 respirator masks using ultraviolet light

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A University of Washington-led team has developed a box that decontaminates N95 respirator masks using ultraviolet light. This box supports the reuse of masks for first responders, who need the masks to protect themselves from COVID-19 and are concerned about shortages. The research group is currently building and distributing boxes to first-responder stations across King County. The box uses UVC radiation, the highest energy of the three types of UV rays. The team’s box, which looks like a microwave and…

How can we recover from a health crisis during a climate crisis? Five UW experts weigh in

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Bicyclists on the Arboretum Trail

The COVID-19 pandemic, catastrophic on many levels, has starkly exposed the structural, social, economic and political factors that prevent equitable health outcomes for people around the world. While communities everywhere grapple with the devastating losses of life, livelihoods and connection, another catastrophe is well underway. Climate change continues to devastate the health and well-being of people all over the planet. To commemorate the opening of the UW’s new Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, we asked five of the University’s…