By Nurith Aizenman

Last weekend's massacre in Las Vegas is only the latest reminder of the persistent gun violence in the United States. And a new set of statistics on the rates of gun violence unrelated to conflict underscores just how outsize U.S. rates of gun deaths are compared with those in much of the rest of the world.

As a doctoral student at the University of Washington School of Public Health, Dr. Bradley Wagenaar laid the foundation for a career in global mental health research and implementation science.

A study published from his dissertation for the department of epidemiology described patterns of mental health care in central Mozambique’s Sofala province. Additional studies showed the high rate of suicide attempts and deaths and the lack of essential mental health medication.

Welcome back, students! This summer was a busy one for our global health community. We're happy to report a fun- and sun-filled summer with this special highlight of activities and accomplishments by our students, staff, and faculty.

Be sure to check out the student photos, catch up on Department news and updates, and read how one student's experience in the classroom help her navigate the diagnosis of her sister. 

By Steve Hanley

Most of us learned about photosynthesis when we were in high school. Plants use carbon dioxide and sunlight to make the food they need to grow. That means higher carbon dioxide levels should be good for plants, right? Absolutely, says Republican Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas. He is a firmly committed climate change denier who is the chairman of the House Committee on Science.