Plastic insulation like Styrofoam is commonplace in seafood packaging and buildings.
But plastics never completely disappear, instead they break up into ever smaller particles
or microplastic. These tiny particles are harmful to the soils, marine environment
and wildlife, and may affect human health.
Researchers with the Biomaterials Lab seek to better understand the effects of these
stray plastic bits. The team is working to solve the global plastic pollution problem
by developing insulation that is recyclable, reusable, and biodegradable. Researchers
combine design-thinking, microbiology, and physics to dream-up scalable biological
materials that store carbon and provide a sustainable vital barrier from the elements.
Their key ingredients to de-carbonizing industries include beetle-kill spruce trees
and renewable cellulose that is literally grown in a lab. The Biomaterials Lab is an active innovation platform for new bio-based
materials and circular bio-economy solutions in the Circumpolar North. The lab uses
norm-critical design thinking as a framework to tackle some of the most pressing environmental
and public health problems facing the Arctic today.
Healthcare providers from across the state of Alaska recently completed specialized training through the Comprehensive Advanced Life Support (CALS) program, thanks to the Alaska Center for Rural Health and Health Workforce (ACRH-HW) at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Sand Point high school students participated in a variety of didactic and hands-on activities that introduced them to different types of careers in behavioral health, therapeutic modalities and self-care skills.
Students at the statewide HOSA - Future Health Professionals Leadership Conference participated in competitions showcasing their instructional knowledge in physical therapy, dental science, nurse assistant, sports medicine, forensics, vet science, and phlebotomy.
Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska is supporting a new video campaign with the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) to encourage people to pursue careers in behavioral health, which includes care for mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
In a recent analysis of the state’s healthcare workforce, the Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association found that job vacancies are increasing, and not enough people are entering the workforce to make up for it.
Leaders in Alaska discussed the pressing healthcare workforce crisis in the state and ways to support and retain providers at the 2023 Alaska State of Reform Conference last month.