February 3, 2026
Applications for 2026 summer applied research fellowships due on March 20
The Population Health Initiative is partnering with the University of Washington’s Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology (CSDE) for the eighth consecutive summer to offer the Population Health Applied Research Fellowship program. Applications for this summer’s cohort will be accepted until 12 p.m. on March 20, 2026, from undergraduate and graduate students across all…
January 28, 2026
Summer 2026 Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship applications due April 3
The University of Washington Population Health Initiative is again partnering with the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship and CoMotion in summer 2026 for the Social Entrepreneurship Fellows Program. Applications are due at 12 p.m. (Pacific) on Friday, April 3, 2026. The program offers each graduate or professional student $10,000 over the course of 10 weeks to…
January 21, 2026
Wildfire smoke linked to higher risk of preterm birth, UW study finds
About 1 in 10 babies in the United States are born prematurely, which poses serious health risks, making prevention critical for public health. A new University of Washington study, analyzing more than 20,000 births, found that exposure to wildfire smoke during pregnancy increases the likelihood of preterm birth, especially during the second trimester when placental…
January 14, 2026
Winter 2025 pilot awardees report mid-project progress in their research
The University of Washington Population Health Initiative awarded six Tier 2 pilot grants to interdisciplinary research teams in March 2025. The Tier 2 pilot grant program is intended to support UW researchers in developing preliminary data or the proof-of-concept needed to pursue follow-on funding to scale one’s efforts. These projects include researchers from seven different…
January 6, 2026
Students harness AI to shape the future of digital health
New tools are accelerating innovation, and students are rising to meet the moment. On November 15, 2025, 30 undergraduate and graduate students from diverse disciplines gathered at the University of Washington’s Hans Rosling Center for Population Health for the 2025 Sacia Digital Health Innovation Workshop, a dynamic day of ideation in the fast-growing field of…
December 16, 2025
UW-led research finds virtual care surges during 2025 Los Angeles wildfires
In January 2025, wildfires spread from the foothills into urban Los Angeles, causing evacuations and severe air pollution. New research from the University of Washington and Kaiser Permanente Southern California, published in JAMA Health Forum, analyzed health records of 3.7 million members to assess health impacts and care patterns. The study found significant increases in…
December 10, 2025
New research from the UW shows drug effects in the brain
A collaboration between researchers from the University of Washington and Northwestern University has developed a novel device to deliver drugs to specific regions of the brain, while simultaneously monitoring neural activity. This device, weighing roughly the same as a paperclip, has provided many insights into how drugs affect brain function and behavior. Led by UW…
December 2, 2025
New funding boosts the UW’s environmental monitoring and AI research
The University of Washington’s College of the Environment has received a $10 million grant from the Fund for Science and Technology, part of the Paul G. Allen philanthropic network, to advance its climate solutions research. The funding will support efforts in climate prediction, environmental monitoring and the use of AI and data modeling to better…
November 20, 2025
Developing a robot-assisted ultrasound system to improve delivery of CPR
Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death globally, with fewer than 10% of out-of-hospital cases in the U.S. resulting in survival, largely due to delays in administering CPR. Dr. Jong Yoon of the University of Washington Bothell is developing a collaborative robot-assisted ultrasound system to help emergency responders assess blood flow and improve CPR…
November 12, 2025
Awardees of 2023 Tier 3 pilot grants share their final project outcomes
The Population Health Initiative awarded four Tier 3 pilot grants in spring 2023 to interdisciplinary teams of University of Washington researchers who were working at creating follow-on opportunities for impactful projects that had realized proof-of-concept. These projects featured researchers from five different UW schools and colleges, as well as several community-based partners. The topics addressed…