UW Medicine

11/07/2025

Pediatric environmental-medicine specialist Dr. Catherine Karr has some practical ways for those who are pregnant to take extra precautions during wildfire season.

She says to stay indoors and in clean air spaces during heavy smoke days whenever possible, and to avoid creating indoor pollutants by frying food or lighting candles.

“We found that there was a higher risk of preterm birth with higher exposure to wildfire smoke,” said Dr. Karr. “Unfortunately, in the western United States, that's where we saw the highest risk.”

11/07/2025

November is , and throughout the month we are celebrating the contributions and diverse cultures of our American Indian and Alaska Native employees and what their heritages means to them in a multi-part series.

We asked why they chose a career in healthcare, whether their heritage played a part and what they wish more people knew about their cultures or communities.

Today, we're featuring Oliver Bear Don't Walk IV, PhD (he/him, they/them), Apsáalooke - Assistant Professor, Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, University of Washington School of Medicine - WWAMI.

"Like a lot of people in biomedical informatics, I kind of fell into the field by chance. What got me excited about biomedical informatics was that I could combine skills in applied mathematics and artificial intelligence with the electronic health record to improve healthcare delivery. Recently, I’ve gotten into the question of how to ethically integrate Indigenous knowledge into the electronic health record. It’s been incredibly rewarding to work with clinicians, patients, and community members to find ways to improve health outcomes through artificial intelligence, ethics and medicine.

My Indigenous heritage is deeply ingrained in my research. It took me a while to find my way here, but I’m proud to work with Indigenous knowledge, ethical frameworks and worldviews in biomedical informatics.

Right now, I’m focused on a project to describe factors that influence health outside the clinic from Indigenous perspectives. This can include participating in sweats, beading with loved ones, and smudging while you pray for guidance. I’m co-leading this research with experts in Seattle’s Indigenous communities. I feel fortunate that they’ve placed their trust in me to do this research in a good way.

I’m amazed by all the people at UW working on Indigenous futures in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine. I believe that Indigenous knowledge surrounding health, ethics and artificial intelligence can benefit everyone. Similar to how Western views on health and well-being have helped many people, Indigenous knowledge on health and well-being isn’t just for Indigenous people."

11/06/2025

If you're still trying to catch up with the time change, you're not alone. In fact, the time change has an impact on your health.

Neurologist Dr. Nathaniel Watson recommends we adopt permanent standard time because it better lines up with the body’s natural rhythms.

“Sleep and circadian health touches basically every aspect of human physiology,” says Dr. Watson.

He points out that the sleep disruptions that can come along with the time change increase risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and even depression (especially when we leap forward in the spring).

“Sleep and circadian health touches basically every aspect of human physiology,” Dr. Nathaniel Watson said.

11/05/2025

This past September, Linda Johnston celebrated the 55th anniversary of having received her first kidney transplant when she was only 16 years old!

Linda attributes much of her health and vocation as a medical doctor to UW transplant surgeon Dr. Tom Marchioro, who guided and inspired her as a young kidney patient.

She was the youngest dialysis patient and kidney transplant recipient at UW. She thinks she may be the longest living patient on replacement therapy, having started dialysis on December 4, 1969.

After her parents were told that nothing could be done and that she would not recover kidney function, but they sought a second opinion from the University of Washington.

That's where they met Dr. Tom Marchioro, transplant surgeon, and Dr. Robert Hickman, pediatric nephrologist and inventor of the Hickman catheter.

In September 1970, when Linda was 16 years old and had been on dialysis for 9 months, she received a new kidney. The living donor was her mother. Three months after surgery, she returned to high school, and soon after that she began working at a fabric store.

Inspired by Dr. Marchioro, Linda eventually enrolled in college at the University of Washington, and later entered the University of Washington School of Medicine - WWAMI.

Going to medical school was absolutely the thing I wanted to do. Even if, let's say, I didn't survive long after, I still would have said, I'm glad I did it. That's how I wanted to spend my time. And it was a fantastic experience. I really loved it," she says.

"The best, in fact the only, way to thank Dr. Marchioro and everyone else involved in my care was to live my life to the fullest with joy, vigor and enthusiasm! In fact, unbeknownst to me, I had been thanking him all along by enjoying every single day of my life. And I still do!”

This is unpublished Early days of dialysis and transplantation in Seattle Linda Johnston has much to celebrate, which she does every year on September 15th. This year, she celebrated the 55th anniversary of having received her first kidney transplant when she was only 16 years old. She is very aware...

11/04/2025

A healthy diet can improve fertility for both men and women.

“A lot of women who maybe feel like they’re leading a wonderfully healthy lifestyle…they are very active. Maybe they’re training for marathons and they’re eating, but they’re not eating enough. That can cause hypothalamic amenorrhea, which can stop ovulation,” says Clinical Dietitian Nutritionist Judy Simon. “Nutrition is a fix here. You can give women estrogen. It’s not going to fix it; they’re going to have low estradiol levels anyway.”

Research she helped conduct suggests that a “plant forward” diet, which includes more vegetables and fruit, whole grains, seafood, dairy and soy can improve fertility within a few months!

“These plant-forward diets offer a way to reduce inflammation in our body, and this can help promote a healthy uterine environment in women, which helps for implantation of the embryo,” she said.

If you are trying to get pregnant, it might be time to improve your diet.

11/04/2025

This afternoon, we held a flag-raising ceremony across our UW Medicine hospital campuses in honor of Native American Heritage Month. The flag depicts a Medicine Wheel, recognized by many Native People as a symbol for health and healing.

This month-long recognition offers an opportunity to learn about the places we inhabit. Throughout November, we celebrate the diverse cultures, traditions, histories and contributions of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples in the United States.

There are 29 federally recognized tribes in the state of Washington, along with some that have yet to receive federal recognition, such as the Duwamish. Indigenous peoples in Washington have a rich cultural history that predates European settlement by thousands of years.

The University of Washington acknowledges the Coast Salish peoples of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Suquamish, Tulalip and Muckleshoot nations.

11/03/2025

For patients whose hearts or lungs are failing, ECMO machines act as a life-saving bridge giving the body time to recover. In situations like the stories of Kelli Gehrke and Ethan Noack, where survival was uncertain, teams of dedicated specialists using these machines were key in their recovery.

Dr. John Scott, a trauma surgeon at the UW Medicine Department of Surgery and the medical director of Harborview’s ECMO program said an ECMO buys time for medical staff to evaluate and diagnose challenging cases and gives the body time to do what it does best — heal itself.

Curious about these remarkable machines, the people they've helped save and the brave care teams? Read the full story at KUOW Public Radio.

Heart and lung bypass machines have been around for more than 50 years. For much of that time they were used primarily to help patients survive while they waited for an organ transplant. But in the last 10-15 years, and especially since Covid, they are being used as a last-ditch effort to stabilize....

10/31/2025

What is it about haunted houses, horror movies, or jump scares that makes us keep coming back for more? According to Dr. Kristen Lindgren, a clinical psychologist and researcher at the University of Washington School of Medicine - WWAMI, fear is wired into us as a survival instinct, but in safe environments it can actually feel exciting.

“It’s that sense that you’ve got basic safety happening around you; then you’re really able to get the pleasure and the rush from it as the good rush,” Lindgren said. “Versus the ‘Holy moly, we got to get out of here as soon as possible’ rush that you get if you were at a place or a situation that wasn’t objectively safe.”

Curious about the science of fear and why we seek it out? Read more...if you dare.

The things of nightmares have arrived in the Inland Northwest.

10/31/2025

Trick-or-treat! What is your favorite Halloween treat?

Gastroenterologist Dr. Chris Damman told KIRO 7 News that while Halloween is a time for indulgence, the high sugar intake from candy can lead to inflammation and stress on the pancreas. Moderation is key.

With Halloween just around the corner, parents are being reminded of the potential health impacts of excessive sugar consumption on their children.

10/30/2025

Would you survive until the end if you were in a horror movie?

We asked an emergency medicine doctor how someone could, theoretically, survive injuries and wounds from horror movies before help is available — turns out, their advice is relevant for real life, too.

In any emergency, the first step is always call 911 immediately.

An ER doctor's tips

10/29/2025

Neurologists Dr. Amin, Dr. Mahmood and Dr. Chowdhury (PGY1) were all smiles as they represented UW Medicine at Cham Refugees Community Youth Career Day on Saturday!

Youth Career Day shows young people a variety of career paths and connects them with professionals from various fields such as healthcare, technology, business, education, skilled trades, public service, and the arts.

During the event, attendees found interactive career booths and dynamic panel discussions to hear from professionals about their personal career journeys, challenges, and advice.

This day was all about opening doors, sparking curiosity, and helping young people envision the many possibilities their futures can hold.

"It was a beautiful event for local youth exploring different careers. On a personal note, it was rewarding to be able to show youth that professionals who looked like them could pursue careers in medicine, something I didn't have when I was a youth," says Dr Amin.