Health & Safety Matters: The DEOHS blog

Protecting families from wildfire smoke
DEOHS and collaborators survey Yakima Valley families' perspectives on wildfire smoke health risks

Building community power amid climate and housing crises
Amber Khan, the 2025 DEOHS Outstanding PhD Student, studies how to keep low-income renters safe during and after disasters
Showcasing undergraduate research
DEOHS undergrads share research on cannabis workplace safety, wildfire smoke preparedness and more at two UW symposia

From supercomputers to science communication
DEOHS Outstanding Master’s Student and Omenn Award winner Cecilia Martindale is committed to protecting our health from climate change impacts

Outstanding DEOHS undergrad praised for dedication to equity and service
Kaidan St Louis has studied the public health impact of community fridges, biomedical waste and recycling

Taking a metagenomic approach to antimicrobial resistance
DEOHS Assistant Professor Erica Fuhrmeister explores how environmental factors influence antimicrobial resistance

How cuts to climate research could impact community health
Understanding climate change’s impact on health is critical to keeping communities safe, says DEOHS faculty member Joan Casey

Understanding children’s asthma in farming communities
DEOHS MS student Hannah Dye wins Castner Award to assess environmental impacts on children’s health in farming communities
Featured Story

Protecting families from wildfire smoke
DEOHS and collaborators survey Yakima Valley families' perspectives on wildfire smoke health risks
| Lisa Hayward Watts
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Indigenous communities in California are disproportionately exposed to wildfire smoke
DEOHS faculty member Joan Casey and colleagues assess long-term exposures to wildfire smoke with an environmental justice lens
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Improving road safety in Seattle doesn’t come at a cost to businesses
Seattle’s Vision Zero plan to end traffic deaths and injuries is unlikely to hurt business sales, according to new UW research
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EPA tightens air quality standard for soot emissions
DEOHS Professor Lianne Sheppard contributed to new rule as chair of EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee
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Eating ultraprocessed and fast foods in pregnancy may increase phthalate exposure
Chemicals that increase health risks for a developing fetus shed from ultraprocessed food packaging, DEOHS faculty member Sheela Sathyanarayana shows
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Preparing Washington’s second largest city for wildfire season
DEOHS researchers partner with Gonzaga University and others to make Spokane “smoke ready” with $1.1 million EPA grant
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Prescribed burning reduces wildfire smoke impacts
DEOHS-led research helps California forest managers assess smoke hazards from prescribed burns
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