Epi Stories
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...
Study model explores impact of police action on population health
A specific police action, an arrest or a shooting, has an immediate and direct effect on the individuals involved, but how far and wide do the reverberations of that action spread through the community? What are the health consequences for a specific, though not necessarily geographically defined, population? The authors of a new UW-led study looking into...
How online access to legal services during COVID-19 impacted domestic violence survivors’ ability to get help
Photo credit: wocintechchat.com When survivors of domestic violence are able to file for protection orders online rather than through the traditional method of in-person at a courthouse, the trauma associated with this process is reduced and barriers like needing to find childcare or take time off work may be alleviated. These are among the findings...
2021 SPH Excellence Awards
Four exceptional students, faculty, and staff from the University of Washington Department of Epidemiology (Epi) were honored at the 2021 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 nominated...
New study to assess STI testing and treatment strategies for young women in South Africa
The University of Washington Department of Epidemiology (UW Epi) Assistant Professor, Dr. Jennifer Balkus, received an R01 grant from the US National Institutes of Health to assess integration of point-of-care sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and patient-delivered partner treatment for cisgender young women aged 16-25, who are at risk for HIV and other STIs in South...
Epi Before Sunrise: Master’s Student Shengruo Zhang Attends Class From Jinzhou City, China
Shengruo Zhang began her Master’s of Science in epidemiology at the University of Washington (UW) in September 2020. While attending the UW has been a goal for Shengruo since she was studying international economics and trade as an undergraduate at Liaoning University, she could not have foreseen taking her first few quarters of epidemiology graduate...
Risk factors for child death during an intimate partner homicide
New study from HIPRC may help direct prevention efforts for child fatality during intimate partner homicides. A new study by the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center (HIPRC) examined risk factors for child fatality during intimate partner homicides (IPH). Using data from the National Violence Death Reporting System (NVDRS), researchers at HIPRC, University of Michigan,...
Precarious employment trends indicate increases in income inequality and health disparities
Quality of work is increasingly recognized as a social determinant of health. In the United States, the number of high-quality, full-time jobs with sufficient salaries and benefits has declined over the last 40 years, whereas the number of low-quality, insecure jobs, also known as precarious employment (PE) has increased. Researchers from the University of Washington...