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Latest news and updates

Latest news and updates

Social Entrepreneurship Fellows develop strategic roadmaps for UW innovations

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The Population Health Initiative’s summer 2021 Social Entrepreneurship Fellows Program concluded in August with the fellows presenting their findings to students, faculty and staff from schools and colleges across campus. The fellows spent 10 weeks working on population health innovations developed by University of Washington researchers to determine how these innovations could be financially sustainable while also having a substantial societal impact. The Social Entrepreneurship Fellows Program was developed by the Population Health Initiative – in partnership with the Buerk…

Spotlight: Nidhi Agrawal’s consumer psychology expertise helps improve population health

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Nidhi Agrawal, the Michael G. Foster Endowed Professor of Marketing and International Business at the UW Foster School of Business, works actively to foster collaborations within her field of business and marketing to address critical population health-related issues. Her passion for marketing began as an undergraduate student at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad, India, where she developed an interest in how advertising influences lifestyles and perceptions. “A friend of mine was very interested in advertising and was reading a book by…

New research finds air pollution hits people of color the hardest

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A national research effort on air pollution reveals that people of color are disproportionately and systemically exposed to air pollution in the United States. Researchers from the University of Washington contributed to this study, creating an air quality model to analyze peoples’ exposure to air pollution based on race/ethnicity and income levels, utilizing data from the Environmental Protection Agency. Their findings reveal that racial-ethnic minorities are disproportionately exposed to high levels of fine particulate air pollution compared to white people….

Researchers work to understand and mitigate post-wildfire landslide hazards

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The 2020 California wildfires that rampaged through seven million acres of West Coast land have left behind perishable data that researchers are now utilizing to better understand and reduce post-wildfire landslide hazards. The Natural Hazards Reconnaissance Facility (RAPID), directed by University of Washington civil and environmental engineering professor Joe Wartman, is conducting a natural hazards reconnaissance mission on the issue of post-fire landslides. Post-fire landslides result from the chemical changes soil undergoes following exposure to extreme burning. The soil may…

Six new members named to Population Health Initiative executive council

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Six new faculty members have been named to the 30-member Population Health Initiative executive council by President Ana Mari Cauce. They are: Sharon Laing, assistant professor of Nursing & Healthcare Leadership, UW Tacoma Clarita Lefthand-Begay, assistant professor, Information School Magaly Ramirez, assistant professor of Health Systems and Population Health, School of Public Health Judd Walson, professor of Global Health, Medicine, and Pediatrics, Schools of Medicine and Public Health Mayumi Willgerodt, associate professor of Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing, School…

Impact of COVID-19 on domestic violence survivors’ ability to get help

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The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped many industries, including the legal landscape. Some of these changes have proved beneficial, notably for survivors of domestic violence who may now file protection orders online rather than in-person. This finding is especially relevant considering the reported rise in domestic violence during lockdowns. New research from the University of Washington reveals that online access to legal services reduces barriers associated with in-person proceedings for domestic violence survivors. Significant barriers have included taking time off work…

Initiative-funded COVID-19 economic recovery grantees report final results

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The University of Washington Population Health Initiative awarded 18 COVID-19 economic recovery research grants to teams of UW faculty researchers in June 2020. These grants were intended to support UW researchers in quickly responding to the vast array of economic-related challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funded project teams were composed of individuals representing 13 different schools and colleges at the UW. The $333,000 in initiative funding was partially matched by additional school, college and departmental funds, bringing the…

New UW collaboratory to support equitable and just climate action

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An interdisciplinary group of University of Washington researchers has teamed with Front and Centered to create an innovative Collaboratory to promote just and equitable climate action. The Collaboratory aims to respond to climate change impacts with attention to equitable mitigation and adaptation solutions. It will feature three linked platforms to achieve this goal through a community-informed and multidisciplinary approach. Leading this effort is Jeremy J. Hess, professor of Emergency Medicine, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, and Global Health at the…

Aspects of built environments do not play expected role in weight gain

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According to a University of Washington-led study on obesity, certain features of the built environment, such as proximity to fast food restaurants and supermarkets, do not impact weight. The study is part of a 12-year collaboration between the UW and Kaiser Permanente Washington for the research project, Moving to Health. After examining more than 100,000 Kaiser Permanente Washington patients’ anonymized data, researchers were able to refute previously held beliefs that built environment amenities contribute to weight changes. The study found…

PestiSeguro™ paves the way for improving the health and safety of agricultural workers

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According to data from the Pesticide Illness Surveillance Program from the Washington State Department of Health, of the 630 cases of pesticide-related illness reported in 2010-2017, 90% of cases involved farmworkers whose preferred language was Spanish. Although most agricultural workers in Washington State are Spanish speakers, required pesticide safety information is primarily available in English. This language barrier poses a potential health and safety risk for workers. Recognizing the severity of this issue, Kit Galvin, University of Washington research scientist,…