February 1, 2017
JikoPower generator converts heat energy into electricity to charge phones
University of Washington mechanical engineering students have developed a generator that converts heat energy from fires into electricity to charge phones. Though the device seems ideal for campers who might appreciate the convenience of charging their phone batteries on camping trips, the team is more concerned with having their generator reach communities where it can…
January 25, 2017
Historic investment in IHME to improve population health
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in UW Medicine will expand its work over the next decade thanks to a $279 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. IHME provides independent health evidence to policymakers, practitioners and communities in order to find solutions to population health challenges. Learn More >
January 23, 2017
Revolutionizing kidney dialysis with the wearable kidney
While clinical studies indicate that more frequent kidney dialysis improves patient health, the approach most patients currently take is to visit dialysis centers several times a week, with each visit taking several hours. Enter the wearable artificial kidney, a 10-pound, battery-powered device worn on a belt that provides around-the-clock, continuous dialysis. UW Medicine researchers and…
January 17, 2017
Hedwig Lee elected to board of IAPHS
Dr. Hedwig (Hedy) Lee, a member of the Population Health Initiative’s executive council and associate professor of sociology, has been elected as a board member for the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science (IAPHS). Dr. Lee will serve a three-year term beginning February 1, 2017. IAPHS fosters scientific innovation and discovery to improve the health…
January 11, 2017
Initiative funds studio grant to explore global health partnerships
The Population Health Initiative, in partnership with the UW’s Simpson Center for the Humanities, has awarded a Collaboration Studio Grant to a research team examining how global health partnerships have been developed, enacted and changed over time. The project, “The Past, Present, and Future of U.S. Global Health Partnerships in Africa,” will draw from the…
January 9, 2017
Decoding dyslexia with non-invasive brain imaging
The brain has evolved over thousands of years to allow humans to communicate through language. Reading is a relatively new skill for the brain, however, which leads assistant professor Jason Yeatman to wonder if dyslexia is a byproduct of visual systems being wired slightly differently in some humans. With the aid of non-invasive brain imaging…
January 3, 2017
Initiative awards pilot funds for AR/VR-based rehabilitation therapy
The Population Health Initiative, in partnership with the UW’s Office of Global Affairs, has awarded a $15,000 Global Innovation Fund pilot to a team attempting to deploy augmented reality/virtual reality-based rehabilitation therapy via cell phones. The project, which is led by Dr. Pierre D. Mourad of UW Bothell, seeks to find ways to “gamify” home-based…
December 22, 2016
Air pollution accelerates plaque build-up in arteries to heart
Researchers have long understood that lengthy exposure to air pollution is directly linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Thanks to the result of a 10-year study led by professor Joel Kaufman, we now have not only a greater understanding of the biological responses to pollution that lead to heart disease, but we also…
December 20, 2016
Effects of shoreline armoring on the ecosystem
The seawalls and bulkheads around the Salish Sea protect the land from erosion and landslides. However, the unintended consequences from this armoring include smaller beaches and reduced habitats for spawning fish and invertebrates, which then indirectly impacts larger species such as orca whales. A recent University of Washington study analyzed 65 pairs of sites broadly…
December 15, 2016
UW Livable City Year program seeking municipal partners
The University of Washington’s Livable City Year initiative is now accepting proposals from cities, counties, special districts and regional partnerships to be partners during the 2017-2018 academic year. UW Livable City Year (UW LCY) connects university faculty and students with a municipal partner for a full academic year to work on projects fostering livability. The…