New smartphone app can hear ear infections in children

Posted on July 17, 2019

The most common reason that parents take their children to a pediatrician is ear infections, according to the National Institutes of Health. Ear infections occur when fluid builds up in the middle ear behind the eardrum and is infected. This buildup is also common in another condition called otitis media with effusion. Any kind of fluid buildup can be painful and make it hard for children to hear. Both conditions are also hard to diagnose because they have vague symptoms….

Eight new members named to 2019-20 initiative executive council

Posted on July 9, 2019July 9, 2019

Seven new faculty and one undergraduate student have been named to the 30-member Population Health Initiative executive council by President Ana Mari Cauce. They are: Jared Baeten, professor of Global Health, Epidemiology, and Medicine, Schools of Medicine and Public Health Bianca Frogner, associate professor of Family Medicine, School of Medicine Heather Hill, associate professor, Evans School of Public Policy & Governance Selina Mohammed, professor and associate dean, School of Nursing & Health Studies, UW Bothell Holly Schindler, associate professor, College…

Awardees announced for 2018-19 undergraduate research travel funds

Posted on June 27, 2019September 4, 2025

The Population Health Initiative today announced six winners of the Undergraduate Research Travel Awards for the 2018-19 academic year. These awards were again granted through a partnership with the Office of Undergraduate Research as part of its annual conference travel award program. The award application process was open to undergraduate students on all three UW campuses who had a population health-related paper, poster or scholarly creative work accepted for presentation at a professional conference. The following table details the six…

Initiative and CoMotion co-fund grant to treat pediatric hydrocephalus

Posted on June 25, 2019June 25, 2019

The Population Health Initiative and CoMotion have announced the joint award of a Population Health Innovation Fund grant of $50,000 to Jason Hauptman, UW assistant professor of Neurological Surgery, and Pierre Mourad, UW professor of Neurological Surgery and UW Bothell professor of Engineering and Mathematics, for their project, “Non-invasive ultrasonic clearing of implanted catheters.” This award is intended to fund a research project that simultaneously supports the University of Washington’s vision for population health while also fulfilling the CoMotion Innovation…

New study maps where surplus fish could help meet nutrition needs in vulnerable communities

Posted on June 13, 2019June 14, 2019

A new University of Washington study funded by the Population Health Initiative has identified vulnerable communities on the West Coast where surplus fish could help meet nutritional needs. An interdisciplinary research team of students, faculty and staff from the College of the Environment and the School of Public Health first mapped nutritionally vulnerable populations along the West Coast. By overlaying fisheries data, they were then able to pinpoint hot spots where large amounts of uncaught or unused fish could potentially…

Initiative announces summer 2019 Applied Research Fellows

Posted on June 11, 2019September 20, 2019

The Population Health Initiative today announced the award of six Population Health Applied Research Fellowships to four graduate and two undergraduate students. In partnership with the University of Washington’s Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology, the Applied Research Fellowship program was launched this year to equip students with data analysis, critical thinking and team science skills that will enable them to effectively tackle complex population health challenges and become future leaders in the field The cohort of students selected…

Winning papers announced for 2019 Population Health Library Research Awards

Posted on June 4, 2019

The Population Health Initiative has awarded Population Health Recognition Awards to four students participating in the 2019 Library Research Award for Undergraduates. Award winners were chosen based on the quality of their writing, innovativeness of their research hypothesis and how well they connected their work to the theme of population health. This award was created in 2017 in partnership with the UW Libraries. It is open to undergraduate applicants from all three campuses. Submitted projects were completed for either UW…

New survey shows UW students face food and housing insecurity

Posted on May 30, 2019

Preliminary data from a recent survey of food and housing insecurity at the University of Washington’s three campuses shows that about one-quarter of students have worried recently about having enough to eat and an estimated 190 students may lack a stable place to live. Results of the online survey are still being finalized. However, an early look provides estimates of the numbers of students who could be considered homeless, who rely on food banks or skip meals, and for whom…

UW research measures air traffic pollution around Sea-Tac Airport

Posted on May 22, 2019

Research led by the University of Washington’s Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences is measuring air traffic pollution around Sea-Tac Airport to understand potential health effects on nearby communities. The research team is measuring the geographic reach of aircraft-related air pollution exposures, distinguishing ultrafine particle emissions from aircraft versus those from cars and trucks. Ultrafine particle exposure has been linked with adverse cardiovascular and respiratory health effects. The team is also studying ultrafine particle levels in areas with high…