Autumn 2024 pilot awardees are reporting progress in their projects

Posted on July 9, 2025July 9, 2025

The Population Health Initiative awarded 14 $25,000 Tier 1 pilot grants in autumn quarter 2024 to interdisciplinary University of Washington research teams to investigate pressing population health challenges. The purpose of Tier 1 pilot grants is to support researchers in laying an interdisciplinary foundation for a future project to generate proof-of-concept. Each of the 14 teams has realized progress in their respective projects, with the tabs below detailing research activities completed to date.

New UW research links early-life ozone exposure to asthma

Posted on June 26, 2025

New UW research has revealed a concerning association between early-life ozone exposure and childhood asthma. The study, led by Logan Dearborn, a doctoral student in the University of Washington’s Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, found that children exposed to higher ozone levels in their first two years of life were at a 31% higher risk of developing asthma by ages 4-6. This research underscores a potential regulatory gap, since current environmental standards do not consider long-term ozone exposure….

Initiative jointly funds two spring 2025 Innovation Gap Fund projects with CoMotion

Posted on June 23, 2025

The Population Health Initiative announced with CoMotion the joint funding of two Innovation Gap Funds of $75,000 each to teams of University of Washington researchers. This $150,000 in collective funding will support projects that simultaneously support the UW’s vision for improving population health while also fulfilling the CoMotion Innovation Fund’s goal of enabling research that will achieve sustainable commercial or social impact. The first funded project is Immunoassay at Home (IA@Home). Chronic inflammation is a silent, early driver of major…

Initiative-supported research reveals link between tenant legal representation and health

Posted on June 12, 2025June 12, 2025

New research conducted by Will von Geldern, a Ph.D. candidate in the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, that was recently published in Social Science & Medicine found an interesting link between Right to Counsel (RTC) programs and population health. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, von Geldern analyzed interviews with 45 tenants who received legal assistance through Washington’s statewide RTC program. He also analyzed data from the 970 eviction cases filed in January of 2024 in…

Winning papers announced for 2025 Population Health Library Research Awards

Posted on June 4, 2025

The Population Health Initiative announced today that four University of Washington undergraduate students have been honored with 2025 Population Health Library Research Awards for outstanding scholarship. The Population Health Library Research Award program was created in 2017 in partnership with the University of Washington Libraries and is open to undergraduates from all three UW campuses. The projects submitted were completed for either UW course credit or for the Undergraduate Research Program. The key factors for choosing awardees included the innovativeness…

DecarbCityTwin: A platform for urban decarbonization

Posted on May 27, 2025

A project between the University of Washington, Southern Illinois University and the City of Seattle is developing a groundbreaking platform to improve urban decarbonization efforts. DecarbCityTwin merges advanced technologies to help cities implement effective carbon reduction measures while simultaneously addressing ever-important equity concerns. “DecarbCityTwin is a pilot platform developed as a proof-of-concept to support building decarbonization efforts while addressing critical health, energy and equity challenges, especially in marginalized communities,” explains Dr. Narjes Abbasabadi, an assistant professor at the University of…

Initiative-led research highlights disparities in childhood vaccinations

Posted on May 21, 2025

A new study conducted by the University of Washington’s Population Health Initiative has revealed the persistent racial disparities in childhood vaccination programs in Canada and the United States, stressing the need for comprehensive policy interventions addressing immunization barriers. Published in the journal Vaccine, the research compared both countries’ immunization programs over the past decade. The UW research team discovered that despite both countries’ efforts to reduce the out-of-pocket costs of vaccination for families, significant racial disparities remain. Canada reported lower…

UW student is building an autonomous robotic assistant to support with surgeries

Posted on May 13, 2025

Niveditha Kalavokonda (pictured), a University of Washington Electrical & Computer Engineering Doctoral student, is developing an autonomous robotic assistant for surgical suction. While robots are currently utilized in surgical settings, and praised for their minimal invasion, reduced risk of infection, faster recovery time and lessened scarring, they are currently only an extension of physicians’ hands. Nivii’s work aims to create an independent robot that can perform assistive tasks alongside surgeons. Currently, she and her team are aiming to apply this…

Honorees announced for 2025 undergraduate research recognition awards

Posted on May 6, 2025

The Population Health Initiative announced today the 21 University of Washington students who received Population Health Recognition Awards as part of their participation in the 2025 Undergraduate Research Symposium. These awards, representing 18 separate projects, recognize each of the students for their innovative and well-presented research projects. This award, which was created in partnership with the Office of Undergraduate Research in 2017, is an opportunity for students across all three campuses who are presenting at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium…