News & Events

Epi Stories

MPH student Olivia McCollum receives NIH Diversity Supplement with Global WACh to detect gut pathogens in young children in Kenya

Sarah Hemminger | February 21, 2024
8 minutes to read

University of Washington Department of Epidemiology (Epi) Master of Public Health (MPH) student, Olivia McCollum, highlights the importance of National Institute of Health (NIH) Diversity Supplements as a valuable resource to minoritized graduate students whose backgrounds contribute diverse perspectives to global research. Diversity Supplements recruit and support eligible individuals, including those from underrepresented racial and...


Nutrition Study in the Navajo Nation Receives Recognition from American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Ari Asercion | February 14, 2024
3 minutes to read

The Navajo Nation is a sovereign nation of the Diné people, spanning parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. Gardening and healthy eating are priorities in the Navajo Nation. Historically, the Diné people have sustained their food security through their connection to the land, but today the USDA classifies the majority of the Navajo...


UW Department of Epidemiology Inspires Next Generation of Public Health Leaders 

Laura East | February 1, 2024
3 minutes to read

In December 2023, representatives from the University of Washington Department of Epidemiology (UW Epi) visited TAF@Saghalie high school and led students through a two-day epidemiology and public health workshop. This workshop, led by UW Epi graduate program director, Stephen Schwartz, student engagement and outreach coordinator, Jalen Smith, and epidemiology doctoral student, Hiwot Zewdie, introduced students...


University of Washington plays key role in $150M CLARiTI study for Alzheimer’s and related dementias research

UW SPH | February 1, 2024
2 minutes to read

The University of Washington (UW) has received a portion of a new $150 million grant to collaborate on a study called Clarity in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Research Through Imaging (CLARiTI). The five-year study funded by the National Institute on Aging will provide cutting-edge imaging and blood-based biomarker data for researchers worldwide to advance...


Large language models outshine traditional natural language processing methods for identifying rare circumstances

Ari Asercion | January 3, 2024
5 minutes to read

Researchers have recently begun using Natural Language Processing (NLP) to analyze case files and other large batches of information more efficiently. However, traditional NLP requires a human to review case files and train the program to recognize nuanced or ambiguous language. For example, when a report says, “The patient reported that their head hurt,” the...


Department of Epidemiology Chair Search

UW Epi News | December 27, 2023
2 minutes to read

The Department of Epidemiology in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington (UW) invites applications from transformational leaders to become its new Department Chair and Professor with Tenure. The Chair will support the Department’s mission of providing rigorous training in the fundamentals and practice of epidemiology and improving public health through excellence in research and public...


New faculty spotlight: Jeanie Santaularia

UW Epi News | December 21, 2023
4 minutes to read

A large majority of violence research relies on traditional violence surveillance systems that may suffer from selection bias and potentially over-represent the most vulnerable populations, such as people of color. As part of her work and research, Dr. Jeanie Santaularia, University of Washington (UW) Department of Epidemiology Assistant Professor, evaluates errors and biases in existing...


UW research finds that mailing HPV test kits directly to patients increases cervical cancer screening rates

UW News | November 28, 2023
5 minutes to read

Three years ago, the federal government set a series of targets to improve Americans’ overall health. Among the dozens of goals laid out in the plan, called Healthy People 2030, was a significant increase in the proportion of Americans who kept up to date with cervical cancer screening.  That, in turn, would enable more people...


Q&A with Epi alumna Jean McDougall

UW EPI NEWS | October 25, 2023
3 minutes to read

Jean McDougall earned her MPH in 2009, and graduated with her PhD in epidemiology in 2013, from the University of Washington Department of Epidemiology. Today, she is a Staff Scientist at Fred Hutch Office of Community Outreach and Engagement, where she monitors the cancer burden in the State of Washington and partners with communities to...


UW epidemiology professor Ali Rowhani-Rahbar elected to National Academy of Medicine

UW News | October 9, 2023
3 minutes to read

Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, a professor of epidemiology and of pediatrics at the University of Washington (UW), has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine in recognition of research that has “deepened our understanding of the risk and consequences of firearm-related harm,” the organization announced on October 9, 2023.   Among the most prestigious scientific organizations in...


As telehealth abortion medication faces threats, research remains important to understanding access, affordability

UW SPH | September 27, 2023
8 minutes to read

While medication abortion with mifepristone has been around for more than two decades, access to this safe and effective way to terminate an early pregnancy grew during the pandemic with the rise of telehealth. Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in 2022, which ended the federal constitutional right to abortion, medicated abortions provided via telehealth increased...


Heavy drinking, handgun-carrying linked among rural youth

UW Medicine | August 23, 2023
4 minutes to read

In the rural United States, an adolescent who drinks heavily has a 43% greater probability of carrying a handgun in the following year, according to a study published this month in The Journal of Rural Health. “While there has been a lot of research on this correlation in urban areas, little is known about the...


UW Epidemiology Alum Jeanne Marrazzo (MPH, ’94) named director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

UW SPH | August 8, 2023
2 minutes to read

The National Institutes of Health has announced Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo as the new director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).  Marrazzo, an alum of the University of Washington School of Public Health’s (UW SPH) Department of Epidemiology, succeeds Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led NIAID for 38 years. She is expected to assume the director role...


Meet Epi’s Student Lifecycle and Community Engagement Coordinator 

Ari Asercion | July 26, 2023
6 minutes to read

Jalen Smith is the University of Washington Department of Epidemiology’s (UW Epi) newest addition to the Student Academic Services (Epi SAS) team. As student lifecycle and community engagement coordinator, Jalen is a resource for students throughout their time interacting with UW Epi. Their role in strengthening community engagement and partnerships helps provide continuity for students...


Student Epidemic Action Leaders Team Collaborate with Grant County Health District

Grant County Health District | July 24, 2023
2 minutes to read

Moses Lake, WA– The Grant County Health District is excited to partner with two University of Washington (UW) master’s in public health epidemiology students who are current members of the Student Epidemic Action Leaders (SEAL) Team at the UW. The SEAL Team provides students with experience in applied epidemiology training and field assignments at state...


Why gender-affirming care should be part of preventive mental health care for trans people

UW SPH | July 14, 2023
6 minutes to read

Supporting the mental health of trans people is an urgent public health issue. When compared to the general U.S. population, the rates of lifetime suicide attempts, severe psychological distress and clinical depression are estimated to be nine, eight and six times higher for trans people. Gender-affirming care is linked to improved quality of life and...


Dr. Janet Baseman to Serve as Department of Epidemiology Interim Chair

UW EPI NEWS | July 1, 2023
2 minutes to read

The University of Washington School of Public Health (UW SPH) is pleased to share that Dr. Janet Baseman, PhD, MPH has agreed to serve as Interim Chair of the Department of Epidemiology until a permanent chair is found. Dr. Baseman has been on faculty in the UW Department of Epidemiology (UW Epi) since 2007; and...


Reducing Childhood Asthma Hospitalization Rates in the Duwamish Valley

Duwamish River Community Coalition | May 25, 2023
3 minutes to read

University of Washington researchers and Duwamish Valley community advocates have received a five-year grant from the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to help reduce childhood asthma hospitalization rates and improve quality of life for asthmatic children who live in the Seattle neighborhoods of South Park and Georgetown. Children who live in the Duwamish...


Epidemiology community members receive 2023 SPH Awards of Excellence

UW EPI NEWS | May 24, 2023
2 minutes to read

Several exceptional students, faculty, and staff from the University of Washington Department of Epidemiology (Epi) were honored at the 2023 University of Washington School of Public Health (SPH) Awards of Excellence. The SPH Awards recognize exemplary staff, faculty and students for their dedication, service and many contributions to the school. The following individuals were recognized...


Removing Personal Belief Exemptions for the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine School Requirement: The Effects on Immunization Rates

Ari Asercion | May 22, 2023
5 minutes to read

In 2000, the United States declared measles to be eliminated, however declining vaccination rates and the resulting increase in measles outbreaks have led to growing concern that the US may lose elimination status. Washington state experienced two large measles outbreaks in 2019, with the majority of cases cropping up among unvaccinated individuals. With 87 individuals...