Research

Growing Alaska's research community

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UAA alumna and associate professor Holly Martinson hopes the new Biomed U-RISE program "lights a fire" in Alaska's research community by empowering undergraduate students with lab experience, mentorship and financial assistance. Martinson and co-PI, Professor Tracey Burke, welcomed the first cohort this academic year and will soon open applications for cohort two.

Alumni Spotlight: Ellen McEwen - Presenting dietetics and nutrition research at national conference

Ellen McEwen standing next to poster project

Dietetics and Nutrition graduate selected to share research project results at the National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics conference.

UAA researchers are defining what ‘hot weather’ means in Alaska

Bright sun over alaskan flag

Alaska is prepared to handle harsh winter weather, but climate change has triggered a new threat – heat. Micah Hahn with the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies (ICHS) is teaming with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Alaska branch to develop the state’s first hot weather warning system based on the local temperature threshold.

UAA’s School of Social Work $1.2 million Department of Education grant will fill school social worker shortage in Alaska

Donna Aguiniga, Matthew Cuellar and Mary Dallas Allen smiling, standing in front of trees

UAA's School of Social Work received a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to address the need for Alaska social workers in a K-12 setting. The School-Based Social Work Education and Network Development program (SSWEND) aims to graduate a cohort of 31 fellows by 2026 who will increase the amount of school-based mental health service providers in high-needs schools.

Researchers identify new tick species Alaska

people holding sheets in woods for tick drag

Historically, ticks haven’t been a problem in Alaska. But factors like climate change and tourism have created a welcoming environment for new species that can transmit illnesses to humans. Micah Hahn with the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies is tracking them. “Our work over the past six years is to understand the baseline–where we are with the ticks that exist in Alaska.”

Alaskan innovators awarded $2.5M grant to bring fungus-based insulation solution to global communities

Philippe researching fungus

As the demand for sustainable and organic insulation solutions continues to grow Philippe Amstislavski, Ph.D. and professor of Public Health is working on an innovative multidisciplinary project that could solve Arctic communities building insulation issues.

UAA research finds antibiotic-resistant microbes lurk in poop of Anchorage moose

Moose standing in front of trees

Like other animals in the wild, the big animals that roam Alaska’s largest city are carrying bacteria that cannot be killed by commonly used medicines.

Research project led by UAA’s Micah Hahn receives grant funding from EPA

UAA Associate Professor of Environmental Health Micah Hahn

UAA Associate Professor of Environmental Health Micah Hahn is leading a research project around climate change, health, wildfire smoke and environmental justice in Alaska that recently received a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Scholarly Spotlight: focus on research & scholarship

A light-hearted moment during the brainstorming around a kitchen table: Ian Richey and Battalion Chief Nancy Lockett came up with strategies to address the opioid threat in rural Alaska.

The opioid epidemic remains a complex and multi-faceted issue for residents of the Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Borough, Alaska. Medical student Ian Richey interviewed three local organizations to assess community strengths, describe their missions and how they help patients with substance use disorder.

UAA faculty and students use machine learning to debunk COVID-19 misinformation

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At UAA, computer science Professor Shawn Butler has been using machine learning to debunk COVID-19 misinformation on social media. Butler’s efforts are part of the Division of Population Health Sciences and Department of Journalism and Public Communication’s mission to combat COVID-19 misinformation on public-facing Facebook pages with scientifically accurate information from credited sources through its ongoing Alaska Public Health Information Response Team project.

College of Health News Archive