March 29, 2022
Spotlight: Michelle Montgomery works to redefine what justice demands
What does justice demand? This question is at the center of Dr. Michelle Montgomery’s professional, educational and personal journeys, as she seeks to decolonize the narrative around climate justice and uplift marginalized voices while fostering grace and humility in her work and conversations. Montgomery is an associate professor and chair of the Division of Social…
March 21, 2022
Initiative announces new partnership, launch of a chronic disease pilot grant program
The Population Health Initiative, in partnership with Novo Nordisk and the University of Washington’s Engineering Innovation in Health program, is launching a new pilot grant program intended to catalyze innovative projects seeking to prevent, mitigate or reverse the impact of chronic disease on domestic and international populations. Three awards across two areas of focus are…
March 16, 2022
Pollution disparities persist for communities of color across the United States
Despite the overall decline in air pollutant concentrations across the United States over the past 30 years, a team of researchers led by University of Washington professor Julian Marshall recently conducted a study that found communities of color are continually disproportionately affected by the negative effects of air pollution, such as heart disease, cancer and…
March 9, 2022
Improving physical health through changes in oral health behaviors
Approximately 50 University of Washington students, staff and faculty gathered in the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health on March 7, 2022 for Rashmi Rao’s presentation, “Health Continuum Gap: Impacting Health Outcomes Through Behavioral Change.” The seminar was part of the UW Engineering Innovation in Health program’s Leaders in Health Innovation Speaker Series, which is…
March 8, 2022
Application period open for 2022 summer applied research fellowships
The Population Health Initiative is partnering with the University of Washington’s Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology for the fourth consecutive summer to offer the Population Health Applied Research Fellowship program. Applications for this summer’s cohort will be accepted until April 8, 2022 from undergraduate and graduate students across all UW schools and colleges…
February 25, 2022
Initiative announces awardees of winter quarter 2022 Tier 1 pilot research grants
The University of Washington Population Health Initiative announced the award of 11 Tier 1 pilot grants to teams representing researchers from nine different UW schools and colleges as well as UW Tacoma and numerous community-based partners. The collective value of these 11 awards was nearly $480,000, which included approximately $270,000 in funding from the initiative…
February 23, 2022
Researchers develop chatbot that asks emergency room visitors about social needs
Doctors across the United States have identified the need to access data on the social background of incoming emergency room patients in order to ensure more specialized care for patients. This prompted a research team led by the University of Washington to innovate a solution by developing a chatbot named HarborBot, which they presented at…
February 17, 2022
New UW Bothell program seeks to bolster behavioral and mental health workforce
The University of Washington Bothell’s School of Nursing & Health Studies (NHS) developed a behavioral and mental health proficiency program last year with the goal of addressing the knowledge gap in mental and behavioral health issues among entry level healthcare employees. The program seeks to democratize behavioral health knowledge by appealing to healthcare workers across…
February 15, 2022
Population Health Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship applications due April 1
The University of Washington Population Health Initiative is partnering for another year with the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, CoMotion and the Evans School for the summer 2022 Social Entrepreneurship Fellows Program. Applications will be accepted now through Friday, April 1, 2022. The program offers $10,000 each to a multidisciplinary group of graduate or professional students…
February 9, 2022
Spotlight: Jennifer Atkinson supports the processing of anxiety from climate change
Channeling environmental anxiety into action to address pressing climate and environmental crises influences Dr. Jennifer Atkinson’s numerous pursuits and achievements. Her career centers on the intersections between mental health and climate science, as she seeks to help others process their anxiety surrounding the constantly evolving environmental crisis the world faces. Atkinson is an associate teaching…