Department of Epidemiology

News & Events Page


November 22, 2023

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

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…


August 8, 2023

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

Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo

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…


June 5, 2023

Communities Disrupt Mass Incarceration

Clockwise from top left: Brandie Flood, Jamie Garcia, Hamid Khan, Tara Moss, Mienah Z. Sharif Together, we can center community voices to address structural racism When Brandie Flood and Tara Moss intercept someone on the brink of arrest, they have one central question for that person: “What do you need?” They ask because, when the…


May 31, 2023

The benefits of gender-affirming care

Photo of Transgender Flag overlayed on Supreme Court Building. Together, we can make health care inclusive for trans youth There’s a reason families across the country drive hundreds of miles to Washington state so their children who are trans can access gender-affirming care: extensive studies have found that this care benefits mental health. As state…


May 24, 2023

Epidemiology community members receive 2023 SPH Awards of Excellence

Epi Excellence Awardees standing together on the stage and waving

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…


May 22, 2023

Mental Health Matters

Illustration of people by Lea Hidaka Together, we can heal from the trauma of COVID-19 Since the pandemic, many professors in the University of Washington School of Public Health have shifted to starting class with a check-in. Sometimes professors ask students what color best matches their emotions. Other times, they ask what brings students energy,…


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

single dose of MMR vaccine in a vial

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…


May 15, 2023

We deserve clean air now

DEOHS Assistant Professor Elena Austin measures air quality outside a school near the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Photo by Mark Stone. Together, researchers and communities improve air quality across Washington state It’s not just textbooks and homework woes that unite schoolkids of the sunny Yakima Valley with their counterparts in rainy Seattle’s urban neighborhoods. They have…


May 10, 2023

Together, we are ready

Community trust and health infrastructure are necessary to prepare for future public health crises For years, Ahmed Ali, executive director of the Somali Health Board, has advocated for the health of Somali residents in King County, Washington. So, when COVID-19 hit, Ali asked public health leaders to bring mobile testing sites to Somali neighborhoods. Public…


Epidemiology doctoral student Anne Massey builds community trust in public health as 2022’s Miss Seafair

Anne Massey, Miss Seafair 2022 (Photo: Elizar Mercado) Last summer, Anne Massey was sitting aboard a U.S. Navy ship in Seattle when the tiara a top her head started to break.   Massey was 2022’s Miss Seafair and was participating in a final Seafair reception after a week of media interviews, parades and meeting the Blue…



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