Epi Stories
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,...
Visiting faculty Dr. Manolis Kogevinas reflects on changing societies and health
Dr. Manolis Kogevinas grew up in Greece during a Cold-war era dictatorship. Following the military junta of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Greece witnessed a modern renaissance where citizens embraced creativity and a sense of supreme fellowship in free expression. In this time of social consciousness and societal rebirth, public health was not an immediate focus....
2018 Epi graduation events
Saturday, June 9 Events University of Washington Commencement Ceremony at Husky Stadium The University of Washington will honor the graduating class of 2018 on Saturday, June 9, 2018 during the University’s 143rd Annual Commencement Exercises. More than 5,500 graduates will take the field at the magnificent Husky Stadium to the cheers and applause of 40,000...
SPH researcher receives $2.4 million to test healthy food program for American Indians
Amanda Fretts, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health, has received a $2.4 million grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to test a program to improve the dietary habits of American Indians with type 2 diabetes. “Diet is a cornerstone of diabetes control, and...
Epi SEAL Team partners with Zimbabwe community leaders to improve disease outcomes
When the worst Ebola outbreak began its terrible trek along the western coast of Africa, public health professionals – and nations – were left scrambling. Although not the first, the 2014 Ebola outbreak raged for over two years, killing nearly 12,000 people. Its opaque origins and the ferocity by which it spread only exacerbated public...
Jennifer Velloza Named 2018-2019 Magnuson Scholar
Jennifer Velloza, a third year doctoral candidate in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington (UW), was named a 2018-2019 Magnuson Scholar. Velloza is the fifth Epi student in a row to win the award for the School of Public Health. The Magnuson Scholars Program is among the UW’s highest honors. Each year,...
Rowhani-Rahbar appointed Bartley Dobb Professor
Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, has been selected to receive the Bartley Dobb Professorship for Study and Prevention of Violence, effective July 1, 2018. Established in 1997, this five-year endowment funds an appointed University of Washington (UW) faculty member for their work in the study and prevention of violence through resolution of conflict. “I am...
Putting the puzzle pieces together to improve Latino health: Francisco Rios Casas
Francisco Rios Casas grew up in the Los Angeles sprawl in an area known as Santa Ana. As he spent more time exploring different parts of the metropolis during high school, and later at the University of Southern California (USC), Francisco became more aware of the impact the built environment can have on physical and...
Fringe Loan Use Linked to Risk of Poor Health
For many poor and working-class Americans, gaining access to a traditional bank or a credit line can be difficult. While the fringe banking industry–which includes payday lenders, pawnbrokers, car title lenders, and cash checkers–provides an alternative for these groups, it comes at a costly price. Now, researchers have found that using fringe loan services may...
Four Epi students selected as Translational Research Trainees
Out of only 16 recipients, four University of Washington (UW) Department of Epidemiology (Epi) students were selected as TL1 Translational Research Training Program trainees at the Institute of Translational Health Sciences (ITHS). The UW program brings together a multi-disciplinary group of predoctoral students interested in a career in translational science. The year-long program offers a combination of...
UW Epidemiology staff member nominated for 2018 Distinguished Staff Award
Barbara (Barb) McLaughlin, the Grants and Contracts Manager for the Department of Epidemiology, was nominated for the University of Washington’s highest staff honor, the 2018 Distinguished Staff Award. She was joined by faculty, staff, and family to celebrate her nomination during a reception for all Distinguished Staff nominees on February 27. Barb has been with the Department of Epidemiology...
Sticking to the beat: How breaking your circadian rhythm can affect your health
We all have it – our own natural rhythm. Our 24-hour internal clock – known as circadian rhythm – oscillates precisely with daily cycles of light and dark. With a steady pace, it rises and falls, directing cycles of alertness and sleepiness. The mastery of this bodily conductor depends on one thing – the reliability...
Alum Rachel Hanisch discusses the future of cancer research
For Dr. Rachel Hanisch (Ph.D. ’12), the practice of epidemiology became a study of the world – how it works and how to improve it. While at the University of Washington Department of Epidemiology (Epi), Hanisch spent a summer in Senegal, a West African nation that moves to its own beat. Vibrant colors in city...
Placing neuroscience at the heart of population health epidemiology
Epidemiology has played a crucial role over the decades in understanding Alzheimer’s Disease and other common causes of dementia, like vascular disease and Lewy body disease. Yet, there are still more questions than answers about the causes, appropriate treatment, and preventive measures for dementia-related diseases. The World Health Organization estimates 50 million people are affected by dementia worldwide,...
Epi welcomes new chair: Stephen Hawes, Ph.D.
Interim Dean Joel Kaufman has named Stephen Hawes, PhD, MS, the new Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health, effective Feb. 16. Hawes is an expert on human papillomavirus (HPV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemiology and cervical cancer epidemiology, and has been a faculty member since 2002....
Dr. Bennet Omalu spotlights a profoundly inconvenient truth
Dr. Bennet Omalu practices the science of death. He is a forensic pathologist and investigates the specific cause and manner of death, particularly in cases where it has not occurred by natural causes. He has investigated over 12,000 cases, but one changed his life forever. Early in his career, working at the Allegheny County Coroner’s...
Karr wins Presidential Early Career Award
Catherine Karr, professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and adjunct professor of epidemiology, was named a recipient of the 2017 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. It’s the highest honor given by the U.S. government to early-career scientists and engineers. Awardees are selected for their “pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of...