Read about SPH people, research and impact.
SPH Blog
What motivated you to pursue Alzheimer's research? My dissertation at UW, which I worked on in the early 1980s, focused on the co-occurrence of medical illnesses and depression in elderly patients.
Donna Denno is a pioneering online teacher for the UW, but she rarely posts a lecture. She tells us how she teaches and what drives her to protect vulnerable children across the globe.
Timothy Thornton loved math, but knew statistics might have more practical benefits. Now he's helping unlock genetic health risks for Hispanics as part of a new center within our Department of Biostatistics.
Dedra Buchwald came to the UW as a pioneer in chronic fatigue research. Her passion for cross-cultural work soon led her to explore Native American health issues. Today she is director of the Center for Clinical and Epidemiological Research, the umbrella organization of Partnerships for Native Health, which recently became part of the School of Public Health.
How long have you been at the UW?
I've been on the faculty for 36 ½ years. I was an undergrad and also went to grad school here. I'm a real Husky, given my history. I bleed purple and gold.
Bonnie Duran has been well aware that indigenous people smoke more, often drink too much, and have higher rates of obesity than other groups. Find out how she's "decolonizing research" to improve the health of these communities.
Saloni Parikh combines a passion for public health with a talent for computer programming. As an undergraduate, Parikh participated in a global health study in Kenya, helping develop a mobile application that allowed healthcare workers to track pregnant mothers with HIV.
Myo Myint Aung followed in his father's footsteps to become a medical doctor in Myanmar, the long-isolated Southeast Asian nation now opening up after decades of military dictatorship. His experience providing care to survivors of a devastating cyclone led him to pursue a career in public health. Now he's in his second year of the Master's in Health Administration program, and plans to return to Myanmar to help improve access to health care.
Preparation and opportunity sometimes come together. Lorelei Walker was "forged in stress," the daughter of performing artists who lived paycheck to paycheck. She decided early to follow stability and become a scientist. Now, Walker studies how stress can affect the health of future generations. She's part of an emerging field known as epigenetics.
Transmission of HIV from mothers to children has dropped dramatically, thanks to researchers such as Grace John-Stewart. Find out how success in Kenya led John-Stewart to create a UW center that integrates public health approaches for women, children and adolescents.
Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett was in born in Tasmania and grew up in Salt Lake City, the son of a physician and pioneering engineer of the artificial heart. After working in pediatrics and Public Health – Seattle & King County, and volunteering in a clinic on the Thai-Burma border, he recently became director of the School of Public Health's Northwest Center for Public Health Practice.
Fred Rivara and Arthur Kellermann conducted groundbreaking gun violence research in the 1980s and '90s. They found, among other things, that keeping guns in the house raised the risk of homicide and suicide among family members and friends. How did Congress respond? By essentially banning further studies into gun violence.
Countless lives were saved through Mary Selecky's public health efforts. During her 14 years as Washington State Secretary of Health, adult smoking rates dropped nearly a third. More children are vaccinated against disease, while the state is better prepared for earthquakes, floods and epidemics. Selecky also promoted patient safety and better partnerships with Canada. "Bugs know no borders," she says.
Glen Duncan found his passion in exercise – the perfect medicine, he says, to prevent a range of health woes. He teaches Physical Activity in Health and Disease, the only course on campus of its kind. And he's conducting potentially groundbreaking research on the links between exercise, the built environment and chronic disease.
Beti Thompson set out to teach at a small liberal arts college, but ended up doing cancer prevention work with underserved communities. Her projects – from eastern Washington's Yakima Valley to New Mexico and Chile – have raised awareness about cancer while inspiring young scientists to go into public health work. Her innovative projects include a "colossal colon" and home-health parties.