Jeffrey R. Harris has been appointed Chair of the Department of Health Services within the University of Washington School of Public Health, effective Aug. 1, 2015.

Harris is a professor of Health Services and has served as Vice Chair of the department since 2013. Since 2007, he has served director of the Health Promotion Research Center, which is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
 

Steven Macdonald, clinical associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health, received the Pumphandle Award "for outstanding achievement in the field of applied epidemiology" from the Council of State & Territorial Epidemiologists.

U.S. Air Force reservists who did not serve in Vietnam, but suffer from conditions associated with Agent Orange exposure, are now eligible for disability benefits, thanks in part to an Institute of Medicine report co-authored by Professor John Kissel of the Department of Environmental and Occupatoinal Health Sciences.

Women who didn't get enough sleep and snored frequently before being diagnosed with breast cancer had significantly poorer survival rates, according to a new study led by Amanda Phipps, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health.

Scientists have used DNA analysis to identify elephant poaching hotspots in Africa, according to a new study.

Several members of the Department of Biostatistics within the University of Washington School of Public Health co-authored the article, published online in the journal Science. The study was led by Samuel Wasser, research professor of Biology and director of Washington’s Center for Conservation Biology.

New Endowed Fellowship Honors Former SPH Dean Patricia Wahl

An endowed fellowship to support outstanding graduate students in Biostatistics has been created in honor of former Dean Patricia Wahl, who retired last year and is now dean emeritus and professor emeritus of Biostatistics. The endowment was spearheaded by Professors Thomas Fleming and Bruce Weir to honor Wahl.

Gilbert S. Omenn Award-Winners

The Omenn Award annually recognizes a master's and a PhD student for outstanding scholarship and commitment to public health.

UW clinical psychologist professor Debra Kaysen teaches a type of therapy that is easing the anguish of rape survivors in war-torn countries.

The therapy was so effective in the Democratic Republic of Congo it prompted one counselor to tell Kaysen: "When I first saw these women they were ashamed. They couldn't lift their heads up. Now, they glow."

Deepa Rao has heard it many times, especially in South India:

A husband treats his wife poorly, and that emotional or physical abuse leads to depression. The woman feels trapped at home and won’t seek treatment or any kind of health screening. She stops taking her medication for an infectious disease.

And there you have the start of a public health problem.

School-based health centers in Seattle overcame billing, provider training and other barriers to successfully provide long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) for teens who most likely would not have had access to these methods anywhere else. Those were findings from a recent study from the University of Washington School of Public Health published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Everyone agrees science should be at the policy table, researchers say. But little research has been conducted into what works best when it comes to improving the links between policymakers and public health nutrition and obesity investigators.

The UW School of Public Health has opened a new center devoted to developing and promoting innovative approaches to understanding and managing the impact of global environmental change on human health.

The Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHANGE), led by Kristie Ebi, unites faculty, trainees and students from across the University of Washington. It conducts research and policy analysis, education and training, and provides technical assistance and capacity building.

The UW School of Public Health received a $13,000 planning grant from the National Science Foundation to become the sixth site for the Center for Health Organization Transformation (CHOT). The center brings researchers and industry partners together to "further health care innovations through evidence-based research," according to Dr. Cynthia LeRouge, director of the new UW site and associate professor of Health Services.

Hopes to Strengthen Health Systems, Improve Health Care Delivery

Sanjit Kaur wasn't sure she'd be accepted by the University of Washington. After all, she knew a high school valedictorian who was put on the waiting list.

Walking in malls offers a safe, free, comfortable, and relatively-accessible, pedestrian-friendly way for walking, especially for older adults.

Mall Walking: A Program Resource Guide, a new tool developed from research conducted by the Health Promotion Research Center in the UW School of Public Health, explains how mall walking helps people overcome barriers to physical activity by providing:

In two just-released studies, researchers at the University of Washington show that hot weather in King County (which includes Seattle) is associated with adverse health outcomes, including hospitalization and death.

Two graduate students recently completed five-month research projects to help King County keep people in better health and out of jail. The projects were the first domestic assignments under the newly expanded Strategic Analysis and Research Training program (START).

Many things can be done to improve America's complex food systems in ways that align with public health and nutrition goals, according to a new report, "Healthy Nutrition: From Farm to Fork," by the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition.

Global Healthies winners

Five outstanding students were awarded "Global Healthies" awards for excellence and achievement in global health on May 11, three of whom were honored for their projects in Nepal.