Epi Stories
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...
Alum Divya Patil receives Fulbright to study postpartum depression in India
At nearly 3,000 feet above sea level on the hot Deccan Plateau sits Bangaluru (Bangalore), India. From first glance, Bangaluru embodies the visitor’s view of India – monsoon and marigold, colors and movement, old and new world. When looking closer at Bangaluru, an observer will see that it is exquisitely complex, balancing significant advancements in...
UW researchers contribute to international study finding genetic link to psychiatric disorders
Psychiatric disorders share genetic links, according to a new study of the genomes of more than 1 million people by the Brainstorm Consortium, which includes researchers from the University of Washington Schools of Public Health and Medicine. The study, released last Thursday in the journal Science, examined whether 25 common neurological and psychiatric brain disorders share similar gene...
Society for Epidemiologic Research Excellence in Education Award named in honor of professors Thomas Koepsell and Noel Weiss
The Excellence in Education award given by the Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) at its annual conference will be named in honor of University of Washington (UW) Department of Epidemiology (Epi) Professor Emeritus Thomas Koepsell and Professor Noel Weiss for their substantial contributions to the field of epidemiology. The announcement of the name change for the annual award was made by Epi Associate...
EPI 514 annual presentations to be held Thursday
For the last 37 years, the students enrolled in EPI 514 Application Of Epidemiologic Methods present their final projects to the Department of Epidemiology at the end of the Spring Quarter during the Super Epi 514 Results (SER) Meeting. EPI 514 gives graduate students in epidemiology the opportunity to gain “hands-on” experience analyzing data to answer a specific research...
Dr. Jennifer Jacobs releases new book on the dangers of overmedication
Dr. Jennifer Jacobs, University of Washington Department of Epidemiology clinical assistant professor, released her book “Do You Really Need That Pill? How to Avoid Side Effects, Interactions, and Other Dangers of Overmedication.” The book investigates the epidemic overuse of prescription drugs. The first half of the book describes the dangers of taking too many drugs,...
Most gun-owning households in Washington state do not safely store firearms
Sixty-three percent of firearm-owning households in Washington state do not store their firearms locked and unloaded, according to researchers at the University of Washington School of Public Health. In findings published today in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers characterized the differences in suicide-risk behaviors among nearly 35,000 Washington firearm-owning and non-firearm-owning households. Such behaviors included...
Four Epi faculty, students and staff recognized at SPH Excellence Awards
Four University of Washington Department of Epidemiology (Epi) students, faculty and staff were honored at the 2018 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. “Congratulations to the Epi students, faculty and staff,...