UW Department of Epidemiology

A new study from Epi PhD student Kieran Blaikie explores how mental distress has evolved over time. Findings show a significant rise in frequent mental distress (FMD) and widening health inequities. Read the full study here: https://buff.ly/4gfeMhO

Snakebite envenoming is a major global health issue, especially in rural areas. Check out this Q&A with Epi MPH Claire Rater, a Fulbright scholar in Colombia, studying local health system responses!

Q&A with Fulbright Scholar and Epi MPH Claire Rater Claire Rater holds Master’s degrees in Epidemiology and Social Work and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship for the 2024-2025 term. Her research is on rural health management of snakebite envenoming...

Infectious Diseases Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology annual meeting recognized UW Epi students last August! Collrane Frivold (current PhD student) received an honorable mention for best poster, Rebecca Howett (MS graduate 2024) received the Early stage investigator award, and Sandra Mcateer (MPH graduate 2024) presented!

Assistant Epi Professor Arjee Restar's team is quoted in thisnews study that shows there's a strong association between a state's policies and laws around the rights of transgender people and the mental health of transgender residents

State Laws Strongly Affect Mental Health of Trans People, Study Finds THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2024 (HeathDay News) -- There's a strong association between a state's policies and laws around the rights of transgender people and the ment

New research found toxic metals, like lead, in many different brands of tampons. How did this happen? Adjunct Epi Professor Catherine Karr is quoted here:

Toxic Metals in Tampons? What new research shows

TOMORROW MORNING: Come support Ramya Kumar who will be defending her dissertation, "Kusalidwa (Stigma) and Psychosocial Barriers to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Among Women Engaging in S*x Work in Lusaka, Zambia." Good luck tomorrow, Ramya! Event details: https://buff.ly/4bWbMDA

Huge congratulations to Epi faculty, Wendy Barrington and Ali Rowhani-Rahbar! Their innovative research and commitment to community health have earned them well-deserved recognition by the Washington State Academy of Sciences.

Three UW SPH faculty elected to Washington State Academy of Sciences Three professors from the UW School of Public Health were honored for their scientific and technical achievement.

MONDAY: Kate Lacey will be presenting on "Patient- and health system-level impacts of home-based HPV screening for cervical cancer." Best of luck, Kate! Event details: https://buff.ly/3WnSX6s

Don't miss Lauren Violette's defense: "Exposing the gaps: HIV prevention perspectives, use, and preferences among priority populations in Seattle, Washington." Come show your support Monday, August 5, and congratulations, Lauren! Event details: https://buff.ly/3Yjzneb

TOMORROW: Join us for Monica Zigman Suchsland's dissertation defense. Monica will be presenting on evaluation of risk factors for sport related concussion and recovery from concussion. Good luck, Monica! Event details: https://buff.ly/4bVne2b

Come support Claire Leiser's dissertation defense tomorrow at noon: "Cardiovascular Effects of Air Pollution: Understanding Biological Risk, Progression of Heart Failure, and Exposure Measurement Error." Good luck Claire! Event details: https://buff.ly/4fhyid2

Come show your support Monday afternoon for Xin Niu who will be presenting on "Measurement of Antiretrovirals in Blood, Urine, and Oral Fluids for Oral Preexposure Prophylaxis Adherence Monitoring." Best of luck, Xin! Event details: https://buff.ly/3LyX2Qn

Monday, July 29, Gadah Gadi will be defending her dissertation: "The relationship between Child Maltreatment, Religiosity, and Adult-onset Anxiety and Depressive Disporders among Participants in the Saudi National Mental Health Survey (SNMHS)." Come out to show your support to Gadah! Event details: https://buff.ly/3LVQwn3

Join us for Addie Palayew's dissertation defense this Friday, "Evaluation of the Potential Impact of Expanding Regulated Opioid Access in Seattle, Washington." Good luck, [Addie! event details: https://buff.ly/4eQYyL7

This Wednesday, Emily Begnel will be presenting on "Morbidity, mortality, gut virome ecology, of Kenyan children exposed to versus not exposed to maternal HIV." Come out to support, Emily! We wish her the best of luck! event details: https://buff.ly/3zKqno4

UW Epi doctoral candidate Julia Schleimer co-authored a Seattle Times op-ed about the need for a holistic approach at domestic violence intervention. "We found that all programs strive to prevent violence but, because they are working against deeply rooted systems that can’t turn on a dime, violence prevention is a longer-term goal that will take years to see."

Violence intervention programs need time to demonstrate impact | Op-Ed Instead of concentrating on lessening violence as the final destination of these programs, we learned the value of examining smaller successes along the way.

UW Epidemiology, in partnership with , , and , has been awarded a grant from the National Cancer Institute to research HPV self-sampling strategies in low-resource settings. The six-year STEP-2 Trial aims to improve cervical cancer screening for marginalized and underinsured populations.

Increasing Access to Cervical Cancer Screening in Low-Resource Healthcare Settings Each year in the United States, there are 14,000 cervical cancer cases and over 4,000 deaths due to human papilloma virus (HPV). In May 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the...

A major outbreak of a new strain of bird flu has killed millions of wild birds and infected poultry, dairy cattle, domestic cats and a small number of humans. UW experts explain how bird flu evolves and what it could mean for humans.

Q&A: How the H5N1 bird flu outbreak could become humanity’s problem A major outbreak of a new strain of bird flu — formally named Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 — has killed millions of wild birds and infected poultry, dairy cattle, domestic cats and a small...

As part of National Gun Violence Awareness Month in June, UW Epidemiology professor Ali Rowhani-Rahbar answers pressing questions about gun violence, red flag laws, and the latest research on preventing injury and death.

Q&A with Ali Rowhani-Rahbar: How extreme risk protection orders are an important tool in preventing firearm injury and death in the U.S. | UW School of Public Health National Gun Violence Awareness Month in June is an opportunity to understand tools for preventing firearm death.

Operational research in Mpulungu not only improved local tuberculosis care but also informed national strategies. An article by recent PhD graduate Ramya Kumar, shows how a local and multidisciplinary approach can have a big impact on public health. “As an epidemiologist, I was able to get trainees to appreciate data-driven decision making,” Kumar says. “But the application of operational research principles allowed us to use data to come up with locally relevant evidence.” Read more:

How Operational Research Improved Tuberculosis Care in Zambia Local improvements in TB care impacted policy and research nationwide

Curious about a graduate degree in Epidemiology? invites you to attend an info session this summer to discover what makes our program unique, get detailed information on how to apply, and more. Register here:

Admissions We're thrilled that you're interested in learning about the Department of Epidemiology's academic programs offered at the University of Washington School of Public Health. UW Epi provides foundational...

On the topic of building trust between science partners and marginalized groups, Associate Professor Wendy Barrington says "You also need love, grace, patience and flexibility. It’s not if a conflict will happen, it’s when it will happen. Conflict is a necessary part of living, especially when you’re addressing equity and racism in terms of pushing against the status quo. This work is not safe. It takes vulnerability and courage." Barrington is also the director of the Center for Anti-Racism and Community Health, within the UW School of Public Health. Read more:

How do you build partnerships for health equity? Health equity experts from Fred Hutch and beyond shared practical tips for creating lasting partnerships between community members and the scientists striving to improve their health at the annual Pathways to Equity Symposium, held June 6.

alum, Biraj Karmacharya has dedicated his career to transforming health systems in Nepal and beyond. Karmacharya has spearheaded several initiatives, including expanding hospital programs to rural areas, creating Nepal’s first doctoral programs in public health, and conducting research to inform health policy. Karmacharya’s efforts have earned him the 2024 Alumni of Impact Award from the UW School of Public Health.

“I am grateful, proud and feel fortunate to have had this education at the UW,” he said. “The rigor and the breadth of education in the School of Public Health has dramatically shaped the way I view things, how I learn and teach.” Read more:

Biraj Karmacharya builds ecosystems for public health | UW School of Public Health A public health leader in Nepal, Biraj Karmacharya was selected as the 2024 School of Public Health Alumni of Impact Awardee.

Epi PhD student Miriam G. Flores Moreno received an award from the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies for her work in exploring the working conditions and health disparities faced by farmworkers. Congrats Miriam! Read more:

Announcing 2024-2025 Graduate Labor Research Grant Recipients | Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies Each year, the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies awards thousands of dollars in research funding to University of Washington graduate students and faculty. Since 1992, the Center has awarded over one hundred grants, producing dozens of reports, books, articles, and more. We are pleased to annou...

New study in Jama Network Open shows 50% rise in out-of-state patients seeking abortions in Washington since the 2022 Dobbs decision. Lead author and student Taylor Riley emphasizes the health and economic implications of delayed care.

Washington has become ‘safe haven for people seeking abortions,’ study finds A new study has found that since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, Washington has seen a 50% increase in out-of-state patients seeking abortions.

Don't miss another tomorrow afternoon! Kaitlin Zinsli will be presenting "Emerging Patterns of Substance Use and Buprenorphine Nonadherence." Congratulations, Kiatlin! Event details: https://buff.ly/4awoAj8

Tomorrow morning Mimi Ton will be presenting her "Cancer detection to treatment: Health disparities and factors that contribute to them." Best of luck, Mimi! Event details: https://buff.ly/4bLN6hn

It's season! Join us tomorrow as Miguel Paredes presents, "Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 and mpox transmission patterns through phylodynamic interference." Best of luck, Miguel! Event details: https://buff.ly/4boL1YX

"Mentoring is important to me because I benefitted from amazing mentorship." A big congratulations to Grace John-Stewart as she is recognized for her commitment to mentoring. For 25 years she has shaped the careers of 135 individuals, promoting diversity and excellence!

Grace John-Stewart receives the 2024 Marsha L. Landolt Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award | UW School of Public Health UW SPH faculty Grace John-Stewart honored with the 2024 Marsha L. Landolt Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award.

Closing the quarter with our final , Zahyr Lauren also known as The Artist L. Haz will be discussing solidarity and healing. This talk is open to the public but registration via Zoom is required: https://buff.ly/3V0pRKX