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Latest news and updates

Latest news and updates

A groundbreaking concept for a fusion reactor could reduce our carbon footprint and change the energy game

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The cost of producing fusion power has traditionally not penciled out in comparison to current energy sources, thereby placing this zero-emission power source out of reach for wide-scale development. UW researchers believe they have now designed a concept for fusion power built on existing technology that will render that traditional cost structure obsolete. With a successful prototype in hand, they are now turning to further development and expansion of the device to create the needed power output to be a…

Citizen-science research looks at wood smoke pollution

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The fine particle pollution generated by wood smoke can have a number of negative effects on human health. Within Pierce County, Washington, a number of efforts are underway to reduce wood smoke pollution in areas that have been designate as a smoke reduction zone. Dr. Robin Evans-Agnew, assistant professor of Nursing & Healthcare Leadership at University of Washington Tacoma, engaged a group of 10 middle and high school students from the area to track both indoor and outdoor air pollution…

Caring for the entire planet

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The latest issue of UW Medicine magazine ran an in-depth article exploring the big picture behind the Population Health Initiative. The article illustrates the breadth and reach of the initiative, drawing perspectives from medicine, social work, built environments, the environment, and more, each of which plays an important role in helping everyone, everywhere, to lead a healthy life. Learn More >

JikoPower generator converts heat energy into electricity to charge phones

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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 help make a real difference in people’s lives—places affected by disasters and low-resource communities across the globe. Learn More >

Historic investment in IHME to improve population health

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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 >

Revolutionizing kidney dialysis with the wearable kidney

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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 their collaborators are among the first in the nation to test this device, and the initial results have shown promise. Learn More >

Hedwig Lee elected to board of IAPHS

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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 of populations and reduce health disparities by connecting population health scientists across disciplines and sectors, advancing the development of population health science, and promoting its…

Initiative funds studio grant to explore global health partnerships

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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 fields of medical anthropology, African studies, and public health to track partnerships from the late colonial period to present to explore ongoing complexities. Through this…

Decoding dyslexia with non-invasive brain imaging

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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 technology, Yeatman and his team are studying developing brains to identify the changes that occur as reading skills are required. Through this research, they hope…

Initiative awards pilot funds for AR/VR-based rehabilitation therapy

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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 physical therapy to increase patient compliance with therapy regimens, thereby improving patient outcomes. The project team’s focus will be development of an effective, low cost…