Epi Stories
2019 Epi Graduation Events
School of Public Health Graduation Celebration Sunday, June 16, 2019; 11 AM – 1:30 PM | Alaska Airlines Arena (Hec Ed Pavilion) The School of Public Health (SPH) will be holding its Graduation Celebration for the class of 2019 on Sunday, June 16 at 11:00 AM. We ask all graduating Master’s and PhD students to join us for this...
Depression, dementia risks, and unsafe firearm storage raise concerns for older adults in firearm-owning households
Nearly a quarter of adults aged 65 and older in Washington State live in households that store their firearms unlocked and loaded according to a new report by researchers at the University of Washington School of Public Health. Given the elevated prevalence of dementia and depression in older adults, these findings raise concerns for the safety of...
Rachel Kubiak: Committing to public health service for the global community
Growing up in different countries throughout her childhood, Rachel Kubiak always felt connected to an international community, one where she felt a responsibility to contribute to both at the local and global levels. As a doctoral student in the UW Department of Epidemiology, Rachel’s research aligns with this commitment and may potentially impact people all...
UW researchers discuss firearm risks with Chinese immigrant community
Researchers from the University of Washington and UW Medicine organized a panel session about firearm risks and safety for Chinese community members at the Stan Head Cultural Center in Bellevue on Tuesday. The hour-long event, led by Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center (HIPRC), provided public health information about injuries and deaths involving firearms in...
Firearm homicide rate higher in U.S. counties with greater income inequality
Counties in the United States with greater gaps between rich and poor have a higher rate of homicide deaths involving firearms, according to a national study by researchers at the University of Washington School of Public Health. These same counties experienced higher levels of crime and poverty, and lower levels of community social networks. The...
Japan trip shows students the humanity behind data
Remember the stories behind the data for peace, for the survivors, and for all humankind. If there’s one thing the students traveling to Hiroshima, Japan with Dr. Amanda Phipps have learned, it is this. In late November, Amanda Phipps, an assistant professor of epidemiology, and three University of Washington School of Public Health graduate research...
Laura East to lead Department’s communications program
Laura East will be joining the Department of Epidemiology as the new communications manager, where she will spearhead the Department’s communications program. Laura has worked in global health communications, advocacy, and project management for the past eight years. Most recently, Laura has been serving as a client experience manager within Weber Shandwick’s Health & Social Impact...
Large cancer genetic study finds genetic link between cancers
Researchers have identified strong genetic relationships between major cancers, using data from some of the largest genome-wide association studies of cancer to date. The study, published today in Nature Communications, sought to quantify the genetic correlations and heritability—the extent to which disease risk is due to genetics—of six solid cancers and 38 non-cancer traits. It was led...
Professor’s own experience with pain leads him to advocate for pain community
Pain took on a new meaning for Jonathan Mayer, Ph.D., a pain researcher and professor of epidemiology and medical geography at the University of Washington, after his own experience with untreated pain left him unable to stand or walk for days. In a narrative piece published today in the January Health Affairs, Mayer shares his chilling experience...
Lyons awarded $20,000 to study link between injury, treatment & chronic prescription drug use
The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute (ADAI) at the University of Washington (UW) has awarded Vivian Lyons, a doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology, with a $20,000 grant to study the association between injuries, treatment and chronic opioid and benzodiazepine use in Washington State. Lyons will use the funds to create a database of...
New faculty spotlight: Stephen Mooney
According to University of Washington Department of Epidemiology (Epi) Acting Assistant Professor Stephen Mooney, the world around us can dictate our health. From pedestrian dangers to physical activity opportunities, our environment is related to our health outcomes. Mooney also conducts research at the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center on improving these outcomes. 1. What are...
Epi faculty and student nominated for UW teaching award
Two members of the Department of Epidemiology (Epi) have been nominated for the university-wide Distinguished Teaching Award: Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, the Bartley Dobb Professor for Study and Prevention of Violence, and Mary Fan, a professor of law at the University of Washington (UW) and a doctoral student in the Epi department. Each year, the UW’s Center for...
For households with children, alcohol misuse and unsafely stored firearms can be a dangerous mix
In Washington State, there are an estimated 470,000 children under 18 living in a firearm-owning household. Among them, over half live in a household with an unsafely-stored (not locked and unloaded) firearm. For children living with an adult who misuses alcohol, there may be an increased risk of self-harm, unintentional injury, or interpersonal violence. Considering...
Rebecca Brander: Perfecting the handoff to improve child health outcomes
Raising healthy children is like a track relay event. For children born in contexts where they are at a higher risk for disease, the handoff of the baton to them isn’t as smooth as it could be. It is difficult to recover from a poor handoff, and it has implications for the child’s entire life,...
Suicide more prevalent than homicide in US, but most Americans don’t know It
In the United States, suicide is twice as common as homicide — and more often involves firearms — but public perception is just the opposite. News reports, movies and TV shows may contribute to the perception of a high risk of firearm homicide, authors of a new study say, leaving a substantial gap between ideas...
Ph.D. student Natasha Ludwig-Barron receives NIH Diversity Supplement to investigate drug injections and HIV in Kenya
As a Mexican-American, first-generation college student, University of Washington Department of Epidemiology (Epi) Ph.D. student Natasha Ludwig-Barron notes the importance of diversity supplements as a valuable resource to underrepresented students, whose backgrounds can contribute diverse perspectives to global research. Diversity Supplements are mini-grants used to support and recruit students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups,...
Epi welcomes new HR associate
As the new HR Associate to the University of Washington (UW) Department of Epidemiology (Epi) and Department of Health Services, Donna Timbrook will provide support and coordinate numerous Workday functions. Timbrook is not new to the UW. For the last 12 years, she worked as the budget and fiscal analyst for the College of Engineering. In...
New faculty spotlight: Alison Fohner
For University of Washington Department of Epidemiology (Epi) Assistant Professor Alison Fohner, microscopic DNA offers a big view into population health. Fohner’s interest in genetics began during her undergraduate studies. Since then, the human genome has been the foundation to her research in improving precision medicine. She approaches genetic epidemiology through an ELSI (ethical, legal,...
EPI faculty awarded Royalty Research Fund to study stress, health in low-income families
Assistant professor of epidemiology Anjum Hajat and colleagues at the University of Washington Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Government have been awarded $39,000 from the selective Royalty Research Fund (RRF). The award will help Hajat and her co-investigators set up a pilot study to gather initial data that will explore the relationships between...
Police, hospital records show warning signs of future firearm injury
An individual’s history of substance use, mental disorder and arrest can indicate an elevated risk of getting shot, according to a new study from the University of Washington School of Public Health. These warning signs illustrate the growing challenges healthcare and police personnel face in recognizing someone at risk of firearm injury. The study, published in...