John Sumkai Atiiga, a University of Washington Department of Global Health MPH alumnus, has been awarded the Graduate School’s 2025 Distinguished Thesis Award (Biology & Life Sciences) for his thesis, “Oral Inflammation and Systemic Immune Activation Among Children Living with HIV in Kenya”. This award competition is held by the Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS), and recognizes achievement at the master’s level in multiple STEM disciplines.

The transition to fall signals one of our favorite times of year – the arrival of new students! The Department of Global Health (DGH) is honored to welcome 38 new students to the global health husky pack. Of the 38 students, three are joining the Pathobiology PhD program, four are beginning their studies in the PhD in Global Health Metrics and Implementation Science program, three have started the Doctor of Global Health Leadership and Practice program, and 28 are entering the Master of Global Health program.   

Drs. Anjuli Wagner (Associate Professor, UW Global Health) and John Kinuthia (Affiliate Associate Professor, UW Global Health; Obstetrician Gynecologist, Kenyatta National Hospital) have received a National Institutes of Health award to fund their study, “Mechanisms of Action for mobile SMS PrEP adherence intervention (mWACH PrEP Mechanisms),” which aims to understand how digital health technologies work to support women to adhere to PrEP, a daily oral pill to prevent HIV.

The dedication and innovation from our students in public health practice and research are part of what makes our department great. This summer we recognize several students in our department who have been selected for awards at the University of Washington. We would like to celebrate two of our students – Brekken Selah and Tessa Concepcion – for receiving  School of Public health (SPH) Excellence Awards, and congratulate Grace Umutesi on the Runner Up and People’s Choice Awards for the 2025 UW Three Minute Thesis Competition. Congratulations! 

Graduation Photo Gallery | Graduation Recording | Digital Graduation Program 

On Friday, June 13, the University of Washington’s Department of Global Health (DGH) proudly celebrated the graduation of 58 students from over 15 countries.  

These 58 graduates represented three doctoral and one master’s program: 

A new study in the journal Communications Earth & Environment finds that instances of several diseases were lowered in areas where forest was set aside for Indigenous peoples who maintained it well. Kristie Ebi, professor of global health, highlights the complexity of factors that affect human health, and the importance of understanding the role Indigenous communities play in shaping it.

Global warming in the United States is amping up the country’s sweet tooth, a new study found. When the temperature rises, Americans — especially those with less money and education — drink lots more sugary beverages and a bit more frozen desserts. But University of Washington health and climate scientist Kristie Ebi, who wasn’t part of the research, said as temperatures increase with human-caused climate change “there will be other issues of more importance than a small increase in sugary beverages.”

The first national study of its kind shows that children from marginalized communities are more exposed to extreme heat events. This effect means school authorities in affected areas must be especially careful in monitoring temperature changes, says Kristie Ebi, a professor of global health at the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the University of Washington. 

Scores of researchers reviewed the Energy Department’s argument about greenhouse gases and found serious deficiencies. The Trump administration’s report highlighted the work of Kristie Ebi, a global health professor at the University of Washington, as proof that dietary supplements would help combat nutrient loss from plants in a warmer world. But Dr. Ebi said her research did not make that claim.

Exposure to heat waves over just two years could add up to 12 extra days of age-related health damage. “The results may have implications for public health interventions,” said Dr. Ebi, a professor at the University of Washington, noting that there are ways that governments can intervene to protect people in a warming world.