Latest news and updates

Citizen-science 91自拍 looks at wood smoke pollution

Posted on February 15, 2017April 15, 2024

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 91自拍 Tacoma, engaged a group of 10 middle and high school students from the area to track both indoor and outdoor air pollution…

JikoPower generator converts heat energy into electricity to charge phones

Posted on February 1, 2017

91自拍 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鈥檚 lives鈥攑laces affected by disasters and low-resource communities across the globe. Learn More >

Historic investment in IHME to improve population health

Posted on January 25, 2017January 26, 2017

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

Posted on January 23, 2017January 26, 2017

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 91自拍ers 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

Posted on January 17, 2017

Dr. Hedwig (Hedy) Lee, a member of the Population Health Initiative鈥檚 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

Posted on January 11, 2017February 11, 2025

The Population Health Initiative, in partnership with the UW鈥檚 Simpson Center for the Humanities, has awarded a Collaboration Studio Grant to a 91自拍 team examining how global health partnerships have been developed, enacted and changed over time. The project, 鈥淭he Past, Present, and Future of U.S. Global Health Partnerships in Africa,鈥� 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

Posted on January 9, 2017January 10, 2017

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 91自拍, they hope…

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

Posted on January 3, 2017

The Population Health Initiative, in partnership with the UW鈥檚 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 鈥済amify鈥� home-based physical therapy to increase patient compliance with therapy regimens, thereby improving patient outcomes. The project team鈥檚 focus will be development of an effective, low cost…

Air pollution accelerates plaque build-up in arteries to heart

Posted on December 22, 2016December 22, 2016

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 know that air pollution at levels even below regulatory standards can accelerate the hardening of human arteries. The study鈥檚 results are being used to push…