Health

  • How Drama Students Help Train Doctors

    With School of Drama students performing the roles of patients and their loved ones, simulations of clinical scenarios help UW Medicine neurology residents hone their skills,

    May 2025 Perspectives
  • The real reason autism rates are rising

    Autism rates are rising, but RFK Jr. is wrong about the reasons. Here's what the science says. Annette Estes, director of the UW Autism Center and a research professor of speech and hearing sciences, is quoted.

    Scientific American
  • Why cameras are popping up in eldercare facilities

    Roughly 20 states now have laws permitting families to place cameras in the rooms of loved ones. Facility operators are often opposed. Clara Berridge, associate professor of social work at the UW, is quoted.

    The New York Times
  • An Earful of AI

    Hearing aid technology is improving all the time with the help of AI, thanks to researchers like Yi Shen, professor of speech & hearing sciences. 

    March 2025 Perspectives
  • More states are moving to ban cellphones at school should they?

    Massachusetts attorney general is championing a bill this legislative session that would ban students from using their cellphones and other personal electronic devices during the school day. Luca Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

    Education Week
  • January is almost as synonymous for divorce inquiries as for resolutions

    A combination of enduring holiday stress and seeking a New Years change drives interest in information about ending marriages. Julie Brines, associate professor of sociology at the UW, is quoted.
    Discover Magazine
  • Advocating for Better Health Care

    As director of government relations for the Catholic Health Association, Paulo G. Pontemayor (BA, 2005) is dedicated to increasing equity and access to health care in the United States.

    January 2025 Perspectives
  • Helping Kids — and Teachers — Succeed

    Throughout her journey from preschool teacher to speech and language pathologist to a special education administrator, Sara Jerger (BS, MS, Speech & Hearing Sciences) has helped students thrive. 

    January 2025 Perspectives
  • From Dancer to Doctor

    Alumna Tessa Olmstead, now completing a medical residency, shares how her dance major has helped her succeed as a medical student. 

    January 2025 Perspectives
  • Self-harm: Why it happens and how to treat it

    Emergency department visits for self-harm have spiked since the pandemic. Experts explain the psychology behind the behavior and how to overcome it. Vibh Forsythe Cox, clinical associate professor of psychology and director of the Marsha M. Linehan DBT Clinic at the UW, is quoted.
    CNN
  • How much energy does it take to make a baby? Researchers are rethinking what they know

    Across the animal kingdom, models have vastly underestimated the energy costs of reproduction. Lauren Buckley, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.
    Nature
  • Sweetened beverage taxes decrease consumption in lower-income households by nearly 50%, UW study finds

    New research from the University of Washington investigated responses to sweetened beverage taxes using the purchasing behavior of approximately 400 households in Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland and Philadelphia. Researchers found that after the tax was introduced, lower-income households decreased their purchases of sweetened beverages by nearly 50%, while higher-income households reduced purchases by 18%.
    UW News
  • Fear of flying? Here’s how to make plane rides less scary

    Fear of flying affects more than 25 million Americans. If you are among them, these tools and expert tips could help make your next plane ride easier. Jonathan Bricker, affiliate professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.
    The New York Times
  • Girls’ brains aged at an ‘accelerated’ rate during the pandemic, study finds

    A new study comparing the brains of children before and after COVID-19 found that adolescent girls’ brains had aged faster than expected during the social isolation and lockdowns brought on by the pandemic. Patricia Kuhl, professor of speech and hearing sciences at the UW and co-director of the UW Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, is quoted.
    The Hill
  • COVID lockdowns prematurely aged girls’ brains by 4 years

    New research found that teens’ brains “aged” during the COVID-19 lockdowns due to the loss of social interaction. Girls were the most impacted. Patricia Kuhl, professor of speech and hearing sciences at the UW and co-director of the UW Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, is quoted.
    VICE