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Instagram use supports healthy eating

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A recent University of Washington research study conducted in-depth interviews with 16 people who consistently record and share what they eat on Instagram about the benefits and challenges of using the social media platform to achieve their eating and fitness goals. The interviewees shared that support from other Instagram users helped them adhere to their own tracking and healthy eating goals. In addition, feeling accountable to other Instagram users and followers caused people to be more honest in some cases…

HIV prevention and care with limited resources

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Dr. Elizabeth Bukusi, a UW Research Professor in the UW Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and in Global Health, recently presented, “Turning the tap off: HIV prevention and care – with limited resources – what works,” at a Department of Medicine Grand Rounds. In this presentation, Dr. Bukusi illustrates how she and her colleagues in Africa and from UCSF, with support from UW, have implemented a population health program to control HIV/AIDS in Western Kenya. Her presentation illustrate what population…

Initiative announces undergraduate Population Health Recognition Awards

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The Population Health Initiative has awarded Population Health Recognition Awards to 16 students participating in the Undergraduate Research Symposium for their innovative and well-presented population health research work. This award was created in partnership with the Undergraduate Research Program and was open to students from all three campuses who are presenting at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium on Friday, May 19. More than 100 applications were received for this award, which were reviewed by a panel of faculty judges from the Population Health Initiative’s…

UW Regents approve central campus site for population health building

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The University of Washington Board of Regents approved the location for construction of the new building that will support innovation in population health across disciplines. The roughly 300,000-square-foot building will be located along the east side of 15th Ave. N.E., just south of the intersection with N.E. 40th St. The location is firmly grounded in the heart of the campus while providing a gateway to future development of the west campus and the Innovation District. The majority of the funding…

Initiative announces Graduate Student Conference Travel Awards

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The Population Health Initiative has awarded 13 Graduate Student Conference Travel Awards, which are intended to further the academic, research, or professional goals of graduate students as they strive to become the next generation of leaders in population health. These awards were open to graduate students on all three UW campuses who were currently enrolled in a graduate degree program and had been accepted to present a population health-related paper, poster, or exhibit, or to serve as an invited speaker,…

Collaboration with Seattle VA expands health technologies

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For more than 15 years, the University of Washington’s Department of Mechanical Engineering has partnered with the Puget Sound VA’s Center for Limb Loss Prevention & Prosthetic Engineering. This collaboration has resulted in hands-on research opportunities for more than 50 engineering students and has helped expand UW biomechanics research in new directions. Learn More >

Treating mental health with mobile apps

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Smartphones and tablets are often used to look up symptoms, but could this technology also be used for treatment? Dr. Pat Areán, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, believes so, and is currently researching the use of mobile apps to improve mood, cognition and social functioning for individuals with attention deficit disorder. The apps, which closely resemble video games, helps individuals to better ignore distracting information. By strengthening this ability, the brain is hopefully able to…

Disparities in low birth weights in Washington state

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Certain groups of immigrants tend to be healthier than people born in the U.S., with some of that health advantage potentially carrying over to the infants of foreign-born women. A study from the UW School of Public Health found that within certain racial and ethnic groups in Washington state, women born outside the U.S. had a lower risk of having a low birth weight baby than their native-born counterparts, even after controlling for common pregnancy complications. “These disparities seem to…

Redesigning family engagement in education

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The Family Leadership Design Collaborative believes that good school attendance is everyone’s business. The Collaborative, which is housed in the UW’s College of Education, brings researchers, educators, families and communities together to develop better ways for various stakeholders to interact with one another and make decisions about their children’s education. Through this work, the Collaborative seeks to redesign family engagement in education to advance educational justice and community wellness. Learn More >

Developing instrument-free diagnostic device to detect HIV infection and drug resistance

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University of Washington Bioengineering graduate student Nuttada Panpradist is developing an instrument-free diagnostic device to detect HIV infection and drug resistance. Her device will allow blood samples to be tested onsite, instead of being sent to a lab for processing, which has big implications for global health. Learn More >