Population Health

Nicole McNichols, associate teaching professor of psychology at the UW, writes, "On November 17, my students at the University of Washington heard from someone at the center of todays most complicated conversations about sexuality, labor, and the digital world. That person was Ari Kytsya, an enormously successful OnlyFans creator whose online presence is very different from what many people imagine when they hear 'OnlyFans model.'"

Several major hospital systems across the Puget Sound region are cutting hundreds of jobs, a wave of reductions that experts warn could soon lead to longer waits, fewer available services, and growing pressure on families seeking medical care.Anirban Basu, professor of health economics at the UW, is quoted.

UW Professor Connie So and interns in the Department of American Ethnic Studies take part in launching an educational campaign to support elderly Asian Americans in protecting themselves from crime and scams.

Getting help for parents of children with autism and receiving an early diagnosis can be costly and slow. Annette Estes, director of the UW Autism Center and a research professor of speech and hearing sciences at the UW, is quoted.

Interactions between academic neuroscience and industry will grow, and the neurotech sector will expand, most survey respondents predict. The current funding upheaval in the United States may accelerate this trend as the field searches for new funding models. Bing Wen Brunton, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Over the course of two months, Bloomberg Businessweek conducted interviews with 18 people who either have experienced delusions after interactions with chatbots or are coping with a loved one who has, and analyzed hundreds of pages of chat logs from conversations that chronicle these spirals. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

Ten years ago the world met in France to agree to the landmark Paris Agreement a global commitment signed by almost 300 nations to ward off catastrophic climate change. Adrian Raftery, professor emeritus of statistics and of sociology, is quoted.

Ashleigh Theberge, a UW professor of chemistry, pursues projects ranging from designing at-home biological sample collection kits to exploring the physics of liquid flow to investigating molecules made by filamentous fungi. Her broad-ranging interests made her a fit for the Schmidt Polymaths Program, which supports mid-career scientists pursuing interdisciplinary research.

As King County officials work through the budget process, they are engaged in deciding the future of a restorative justice program diverting youth from the criminal legal system. Sarah Cusworth Walker, research professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences in the UW School of Medicine and Katherine Beckett, professor of sociology and of law, societies and justice at the UW, are quoted.

A decade ago, nearly every country in the world adopted the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the rise in global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius by 2100. Adrian Raftery, professor emeritus of statistics and of sociology, is interviewed.

COVID-era school closures caused the U.S. significant economic and educational loss while being less effective than other transmission interventions, according to new research. Adrian Raftery, professor emeritus of statistics and of sociology, is quoted.

Heading back to school Wednesday, students in the Northshore School District will pack their books, pens, and paper, but not their cell phones.Its just one of many Washington state school districts that now have a district-wide policy for mobile devices.Luca Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

When State Superintendent Chris Reykdal urged Washington school districts to crack down on in-class cell phone use last year, he was echoing a national outcry from educators struggling to keep students focused. This fall, most districts are rolling out new policies aimed at curbing smart device distractions during school hours. Luca Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

In part two of this investigation, public records show a Bellingham staffer asking ChatGPT to write responses to emails about parking, traffic, a homeless camp and more. As generative AI tools like ChatGPT are used more and more by local governments, adoption is often outpacing potential safeguards and ethical guardrails. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

A growing number of school districts are implementing new cell phone bans in the classroom, and a University of Washington study found that while teachers generally support the policies, students are less positive, though some concede the policies improve concentration. Luca Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is interviewed.