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In the News

Headlines featuring UW Biostatistics people and research.
Kathleen Kerr
Kathleen Kerr
Melanoma Overdiagnosis: Awareness May Not Change Behavior
Dermatology Times,

Being aware of melanoma overdiagnosis does not appear to curtail the rate at which dermatopathologists diagnose melanomas, according to a survey published in JAMA Dermatology. Corresponding author Kathleen Kerr, professor of biostatistics at the University of Washington School of Public Health, is quoted.

Jennifer Clark Nelson
Jennifer Clark Nelson
Jen Nelson earns research award
Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute,

Jen Nelson, director of biostatistics at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute and a UW affiliate professor of biostatistics, is coauthor a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that was named Manuscript of the Year by the Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN).

Screenshot of Jon Wakefield being interviewed on PBS News Hour
Screenshot of Jon Wakefield being interviewed on PBS News Hour
WHO report finds nearly 15 million deaths associated with COVID-19 worldwide
PBS NewsHour,

Nearly 15 million people around the world have died from COVID's impact, directly or indirectly, during the first two years of the pandemic, according to a new World Health Organization report. It’s also about three times higher than governments have reported so far. University of Washington's Jonathan Wakefield, whose modeling work helped produce the report, joins William Brangham for more.

A crematorium in Guwahati, Assam, India, during the country's devastating COVID wave in May 2021 David Talukdar/NurPhoto via Getty Images
A crematorium in Guwahati, Assam, India, during the country's devastating COVID wave in May 2021 David Talukdar/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The WHO Has Nearly Tripled Its Estimate Of The Pandemic’s Death Toll
BuzzFeed News,

The UN’s health agency has embraced statistical methods that put the true toll of the pandemic at around 15 million. Will it shock nations that are denying the severity of COVID-19 into action? Jonathan Wakefield, professor of statistics and of biostatics at the UW, is quoted.

Masked woman prays before cremation site in India.
Masked woman prays before cremation site in India.
Covid: World’s true pandemic death toll nearly 15 million, says WHO
BBC News,

Statistician Prof Jon Wakefield, from Seattle's University of Washington, helped the WHO and told the BBC: "We urgently need better data collection systems. It is a disgrace that people can be born and die - and we have no record of their passing. So we really need to invest in countries' registration systems so we can get accurate and timely data."

Beagle eating out of bowl
Beagle eating out of bowl
How Often Should You Feed Your Dog? Giant Study Reveals a Surprising Answer
ScienceAlert,

Every dog is different, and depending on things like their breed, size, age, and health, their particular dietary requirements may also be different, including what you should feed them, and how much. UW Professor of Biostatistics Kathleen Kerr, the study's senior author, is quoted.

Practitioner examines skin on patient shoulder. Dermatopathologists told researchers that they see cases that should not have been biopsied in the first place, pointing to overdiagnosis as a problem that may be rooted in too many skin biopsies.Peakstock/Shutterstock
Practitioner examines skin on patient shoulder. Dermatopathologists told researchers that they see cases that should not have been biopsied in the first place, pointing to overdiagnosis as a problem that may be rooted in too many skin biopsies.Peakstock/Shutterstock
Many pathologists agree overdiagnosis of skin cancer happens, but don’t change diagnosis behavior
UW News,

“Overdiagnosis is the diagnosis of disease that will not harm a person in their lifetime. If melanoma is being overdiagnosed, it means that too many people are getting the scary news that they have cancer, and receiving and paying for unnecessary treatment,” said Kathleen Kerr, professor of biostatistics in the UW School of Public Health.

Jonathan Wakefield
Jonathan Wakefield
India's Objections To WHO COVID-19 Mortality Estimates Are Misleading, Experts Say
IndiaSpend,

Unlike claims made by the Indian government in its press release, the WHO's estimates do not rely on models that include factors like seasonal variations in temperature, Jon Wakefield, professor of statistics and biostatistics at the University of Washington, who had led the modelling for India as a member of the TAG, explained