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Higher concentrations of carbon dioxide may reduce protein and multiple key nutrients in rice

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New research shows for the first time that rice grown at the concentrations of atmospheric CO2 expected by the end of this century has lower levels of four key B vitamins. The research’s findings also support research from other studies showing that rice grown under higher CO2 concentrations has less protein, iron and zinc. Decreases in the nutritional content of rice could have a disproportionate impact on health outcomes in the poorest rice-dependent countries, according to the study team, which includes…

UW Grand Challenges Impact Lab successfully launches in India

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An interdisciplinary group of 17 University of Washington students spent Winter Quarter 2018 in India as part of a new study abroad program that empowered them to tackle grand challenges such as security, clean water and climate change. During the Grand Challenges Impact Lab program, students learned to become problem-solvers by practicing design thinking, an iterative process that entails listening to people articulate challenges, defining problems, proposing solutions, creating prototypes and testing designs. The students also took field trips to…

Investigating environmental impacts of producing different types of animal protein

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New research from the University of Washington College of the Environment offers what is likely the most comprehensive look at the environmental impacts of different types of animal protein production. The study assessed the environmental costs of producing livestock, farmed seafood and wild-caught fish. While not definitive, researchers found that, in general, industrial beef production and farmed catfish are the most taxing on the environment, while small, wild-caught fish and farmed mollusks like oysters, mussels and scallops have the lowest…

Information School students develop mobile-friendly web application for Airlift Northwest

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Four students from the University of Washington Information School have developed a mobile-friendly web application for Airlift Northwest that acts as a connective communication hub, allowing Airlift Northwest crews to instantly view critical data as it is entered and updated by emergency dispatchers. This level of connectedness is intended to address the challenges faced by dispatch and flight crews when attempting to exchange information in real, or near-real time. The application, which was the students’ 2018 iSchool Capstone project, will…

UW researchers develop a social robot to gauge teen stress

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A cross-campus, cross-disciplinary team of University of Washington faculty, undergraduates and graduate students are creating a social robot that will help schools better measure and understand stress levels of teenagers. The goal of their work is to design a robot that would live in a high school and collect data on students’ emotional well-being. School administrators and teachers could then use that data to determine ways to implement change and measure the effectiveness of such interventions. Teens will also develop…

InterACTION Labs awarded the “100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation” grant

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A “100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation” grant will fund InterACTION Labs: An Interdisciplinary Service Learning Exchange Program, which is a University of Washington and Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos project that will allow students and faculty to assess and address health disparities affecting the informal floating community of Claverito, Peru. This work builds on a previous population health pilot research grant awarded by the Population Health Initiative to InterACTION Labs, which focused on designing and implementing innovative interventions…

Ali Mokdad named UW Chief Strategy Officer for Population Health

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Headshot of Ali Mokdad

Ali Mokdad has been named the University of Washington’s chief strategy officer for Population Health, a role in which he will be responsible for collaboratively setting and executing the UW’s vision and strategy for the Population Health Initiative. Mokdad (pictured) will report directly to UW President Ana Mari Cauce and will work collaboratively with the provost and others at the UW to advance the UW’s excellence in the arena of population health. Mokdad also will lead efforts to identify, pursue…

UW researchers work to restore power in Puerto Rico

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Thousands of people living in rural Puerto Rico still lacked access to electricity months after Hurricane Maria struck the island. In an effort to aid the recovery, a team of University of Washington engineers and public health scientists haves made two separate visits to assess the long-term impact of Puerto Rico’s power loss on the health of rural residents. The team, which is led by Lilo Pozzo, associate professor of chemical engineering, has also worked to install solar/battery nanogrid systems,…

Awardees announced for 2017-18 undergraduate research travel funds

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The Population Health Initiative today announced six winners of the Undergraduate Research Travel Awards for the 2017-18 academic year. These awards were granted through a partnership with the Office of Undergraduate Research as part of its 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 six awardees, their majors and the conferences…

Winning papers announced for population health Library Research Awards

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The Population Health Initiative has awarded Population Health Recognition Awards to four students participating in the annual Library Research Award for Undergraduates. Award winners were chosen based on the quality of their writing and how well they connected their work to the theme of population health. This award was created in partnership with the UW Libraries and was open to students from all three campuses. Submitted projects were completed for either UW credit course or for the Undergraduate Research Program. The…