Epi Stories
Study suggests dapivirine vaginal ring is safe to use as HIV prevention during breastfeeding
A monthly vaginal ring containing the antiretroviral drug dapivirine – an HIV-prevention method that has been approved in several African countries and recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) – appears to be safe when used during breastfeeding, suggest results of a Phase IIIb open-label study presented today at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic...
How a series of questions helped Kenneth Mugwanya fight the HIV epidemic
Kenneth Mugwanya is a physician-epidemiologist at the University of Washington School of Public Health, where he works as an assistant professor of global health and epidemiology. (Photo credit: Elizar Mercado) Kenneth Mugwanya’s first job as a young physician in Uganda was working with HIV-infected children. This was around the height of the HIV epidemic, when...
How partnerships between tribal communities and researchers like Mandy Fretts are improving heart health
Diabetes was so common in Mandy Fretts’ community, she thought it was just a part of life. Fretts, a member of Eel Ground First Nation (Mi’kmaq), an American Indian community in New Brunswick, Canada, grew up watching family members like her grandmother and father work hard to control their blood sugar by eating healthy and exercising....
More U.S. adults carrying loaded handguns daily, study finds
The number of U.S. adult handgun owners carrying a loaded handgun on their person doubled from 2015 to 2019, according to new research led by the University of Washington. Data come from the 2019 National Firearms Survey (NFS), an online survey of U.S. adults living in households with firearms, including nearly 2,400 handgun owners. Compared...
Here’s what nonadherence to gender-affirming hormone prescriptions shows us about trans people’s access to equitable health care
While gender-affirming hormones are critical to trans individuals’ health and wellbeing, a new study provides insight into why people may be taking more or less than their prescribed dosages. The study, Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy Dosing Behaviors among Transgender and Nonbinary Adults, was published September 7 in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. To the study authors’ knowledge,...
Diet-related metabolite TMAO linked to mortality in older adults
Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a gut-derived metabolite that can serve as a biomarker for different aspects of human health, including diet, gut microbiome, and metabolism. Previous research has found that TMAO was associated with serious cardio-metabolic health outcomes. In a recent JAMA Network Open article, researchers found that TMAO and related metabolites are positively associated...
Epidemiology community members receive 2022 SPH Awards of Excellence
Congratulations to the University of Washington Department of Epidemiology (UW Epi) nominees who were honored at the 2022 UW School of Public Health (SPH) Awards of Excellence. The SPH Excellence Awards recognize exemplary staff, faculty, and students for their dedication, service, and contributions to the school. The SPH Excellence Awards ceremony was held in person...
Researchers find patterns of handgun carrying among youth in rural areas, building foundation for injury prevention
The first results of research led by the University of Washington into handgun carrying by young people growing up in rural areas has found six distinct patterns for when and how often these individuals carry a handgun. The patterns, or “longitudinal trajectories,” suggest that youths in rural areas differ in some ways from their urban counterparts when...
More generous EITC payments benefit maternal health
A study suggests that economic support reduces alcohol misuse and depressive symptoms among low-income mothers.
Gender-affirming care can improve mental health outcomes in transgender youth
New research published in JAMA Network Open shows that gender-affirming hormones and puberty blockers have a beneficial impact on depression and suicide risk in transgender and nonbinary youth. The study followed 104 transgender and nonbinary youth, ages 13 to 20, over the span of twelve months as they received care at the Seattle Children’s Gender...
We’re hiring for multiple faculty positions!
The Department of Epidemiology within the School of Public Health at the University of Washington is seeking creative, collaborative, and forward-thinking individuals to join our faculty. We expect to be hiring new faculty members during the next several years. Our department values and honors inclusive excellence to catalyze innovative solutions to overcome complex public health...
Households with riskiest firearm storage practices had less healthcare access, new study finds
Firearm owning households are more likely to have healthcare insurance and access to a provider, according to a new study published in December’s issues of Preventive Medicine. The study found access to healthcare and safe storage counseling may have limited reach for households with risky storage. Prior research has shown that provider-led counseling could have...
New CFAR award to support Indigenous scholars on their path to HIV-related research careers
The UW/Fred Hutch Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) has received a CFAR Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pipeline Initiative (CDEIPI) Award for a project titled “Navigating research: Supporting undergraduate and graduate Indigenous scholars on their path to HIV-related research careers.” The CDEIPI award, offered by the District of Columbia CFAR, upholds an overarching aim of “increasing...
Study finds gaps in awareness of state gun laws across the US
Nationwide, nineteen states and the District of Columbia have Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws, which provide legal mechanisms to temporarily restrict a person showing dangerous behavior toward self or others from accessing firearms. A recent national study published in JAMA Network Open found that more than half of gun owners and three quarters of non-gun...
UW student COVID-19 response team receives public health excellence award
A team of University of Washington School of Public Health students received the Exceptional Student Award from the Washington State Public Health Association (WSPHA) for their work supporting the COVID-19 outbreak response in North Central Washington. The award recipients are Bruce Bello (MPH-Epidemiology), Kathleen Moloney (MPH-Global Health), Jeff Taylor-Kantz (MPH-Epidemiology), and Ashley Tseng (PhD-Epidemiology). All...
New faculty spotlight: Mienah Z. Sharif
Public Health Critical Race Praxis provides a framework for health equity research which moves beyond documenting ‘race-based’ disparities toward explicitly recognizing how racism is driving health inequities as well as how racism operates within the population health field. For Dr. Mienah Z. Sharif, University of Washington Department of Epidemiology (UW Epi) Assistant Professor, this framework...
Alzheimer’s data center at UW awarded $35 million to continue mission of free, global access
For researchers around the world working to understand and treat Alzheimer’s and eventually find a cure, data from clinical exams of patients suffering from this complex neurodegenerative disease needs to be standardized and accessible. Since 1999, that’s what the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC), housed in the UW School of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology, has been...
Genetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 indicates role of inter-state travel on transmission in Washington
The first confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in North America was identified in Washington State (WA) in January 2020. Since then, there have been nearly 500,000 confirmed cases throughout WA. In a recent study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, researchers investigated the role of introductions of SARS-CoV-2 in WA and their geographic source using...
Evaluating Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) policies potential for violence prevention
Fact Sheet Outlines Health and Safety Implications of EITCs The federal earned income tax credit (EITC), the largest cash transfer program for low-earning workers in the United States, is an economic policy intended to reduce poverty. Each year, the EITC program provides earning subsidies in the form of tax credits to certain workers based on...
Stories and data from King County’s Ethiopian community to inform recommendations for public health communication strategies
Researchers from the University of Washington School of Public Health Departments of Epidemiology and Global Health are collaborating on a project documenting the experiences of Amharic-speaking Ethiopian immigrants and refugees living in King County during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amharic, a widely-spoken language in Ethiopia, is one of the top languages other than English spoken in...