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Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

Fireside Chat with the NIH Director at the PAA 2026 Annual Meeting (05/08/26)

The Population Association of America invites you to join upcoming fireside chat with the NIH Director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, at the PAA 2026 Annual Meeting, on Friday, May 8, 2026, 1:30 – 2:45pm in the Ferrara Theater (1st Floor) of the America’s Center.  This plenary session, “NIH and the Future of Population Research: A Conversation with the NIH Director”,  will focus on broad issues shaping population research, such as NIH strategic priorities, funding levels, open science/reproducibility, new methods of inquiry/AI, science communication, and the future of social and behavioral research. Professor Will Dow (UC-Berkeley) will moderate.

 

Cha’s Research on Education and Dementia Risk Highlighted in IUSSP’s News Magazine

NIUSSP, the News Magazine of IUSSP, featured research by CSDE Affiliate Hyungmin Cha (Sociology) on the link between education and dementia risk. In the US, each additional year of education is linked to a lower risk of dementia in later life. The decline is steady across the education spectrum, not limited to earning a degree. However, high school diplomas confer extra protection mainly for men and White Americans, revealing important inequality patterns. The peer reviewed article underlying this news piece was published in Demography last year and is titled “How Does the Risk of Dementia Change With Each Additional Year of Education?”.

Guttmannova Publishes Two Studies on Cannabis Risks Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Washington State

CSDE Affiliate Katarina Guttmannova (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) and co-authors recently published two articles in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine examining cannabis-related risks across age groups. The first study drew on cross-sectional survey data from more than 200,000 high school students in Washington and Oregon between 2016 and 2023, and found that proximity to cannabis retail outlets,  particularly within one mile of a school, was associated with increased cannabis use, elevated risk factors, and reduced protective factors among adolescents. The second used longitudinal data (2015-2022) from over 15,000 young adults in Washington State and found a nonmonotonic relationship between cannabis use frequency and alcohol use. While occasional cannabis use was associated with more drinking, daily or near-daily cannabis use was associated with less drinking than occasional use, suggesting possible substance use specialization at higher frequencies.

CACHE PAA Workshop: Measuring Heat for Use in Population Research (05/06/26)

A CACHE Pre-PAA Workshop in St. Louis, Missouri on May 6, 1-5:30pm CT: Measuring Heat for Use in Population Research

So many questions arise when trying to measure heat as a health exposure – let CACHE help! Heat is one of the most frequently examined environmental influences on population health, and a wide variety of data sources exist to measure exposure. This CACHE sponsored workshop provides an overview of heat measures and examples of two, including hands-on experience with code available via the CACHE website. Participants will generate temperature exposure measures from publicly available data, as well as wet bulb temperatures. The Universal Thermal Climate Index data will also be demonstrated and linked to population data.  Learn more here.

Understanding the U.S. Undocumented Population: New 2024 Estimates from CMS (05/05/26)

The undocumented immigrant population in the United States is changing and new data help tell that story. On Tuesday, May 5, 2026 from 10 – 11 AM PT / 1 – 2 PM ET, join the Center for Migration Studies (CMS) for a webinar on its new report, “Estimates of the Size and Composition of the Undocumented Immigrant Population in the United States: 2024,” and what the findings reveal about population growth, long-term settlement, and policy options. Forthcoming in the Journal on Migration and Human Security, the study offers one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date portraits of the undocumented population in the United States.

Riley Finds Higher County Pregnancy Criminalization Rates Associated with Delayed and Inadequate Prenatal Care 

CSDE Affiliate Taylor Riley (UNC Chapel Hill) and co-authors recently published an article in Women’s Health Issues examining whether county-level pregnancy-related arrest rates were associated with prenatal care access among births in Alabama, which is the leading state in the country for criminalizing pregnancy outcomes and conduct. The study found that individuals living in higher-criminalization counties were more likely to delay prenatal care initiation and to receive inadequate prenatal care. The authors describe these findings as suggestive of a chilling effect of pregnancy criminalization on prenatal health care access, and call for evidence-based policy responses in a post-Dobbs context.

Evans Research Seminar: Where the Hood At? Fifty Years of Change in Black Neighborhoods – Michael Lens (05/06/26)

On Wednesday, May 6, the Evans Research Seminar is hosting Michael Lens (Professor of Urban Planning and Public Policy, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs) who will give a talk based on his recent book Where the Hood At?. The seminar will take place  11:30 AM – 12:30 PM in Parrington Hall 360.

Substantial gaps exist between Black Americans and other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., most glaringly Whites, across virtually all quality-of-life indicators. Despite strong evidence that neighborhood residence affects life outcomes, we lack a comprehensive picture of Black neighborhood conditions and how they have changed over time. In Where the Hood At? Lens examines the characteristics and trajectories of Black neighborhoods across the U.S. over the fifty years since the Fair Housing Act.

Call for Grant Proposals from Non-Profits: Social Justice through Philanthropy (05/06/26)

The University of Washington is currently inviting nonprofit organizations to submit grant proposals for a  practice-based UW course called Social Justice through Philanthropy, in which students develop critical thinking skills and practical knowledge regarding philanthropic giving in support of international issues.  The course represents a unique partnership between The University of Washington’s Law, Societies & Justice Department, and the Philanthropy Lab, a Texas-based foundation that promotes philanthropy education in universities and colleges throughout the United States. This year, Social Justice through Philanthropy will be providing $75,000 worth of grants to international NGOs doing human rights, development, and humanitarian work. The $75,000 will be awarded through one $30,000 grant, two $15,000 grants, and two $7,500 grants in order to support five organizations in total.

This year, the students in Social Justice through Philanthropy have decided to focus their giving to organizations and initiatives broadly promoting five of the Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 3, Good Health & Well-Being; SDG 4, Quality Education; SDG 5, Gender Equality; SDG 13, Climate Action; SDG 16, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. The deadline for proposals is May 6, 2026. To participate, please upload your application here as a single PDF file.

Please note that these goals will be interpreted broadly. For example, projects as diverse as providing communities with clean water and sanitation through to increasing agricultural production for food security could be included under SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being. Similarly, initiatives supporting democracy and press freedom through to organizations promoting refugee rights could be included under SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. In short, organizations are encouraged to apply and creatively make the case that they connect to one or more of the SDGs listed above.

Organizations are welcome to use any common format for their proposals so long as they include the following basic key components: Executive Summary, Background/Problem Statement, Goals & Objectives, Method/Activities, Work Plan & Timeline, Organizational History & Experience, and Budget & Justification. Proposals do not need to provide extensive supporting documentation (i.e. audits, staff resumes, board member lists, etc.) beyond proof of IRS 501(c)(3) status. Budgets should be made for the $30,000 grant.

You will also be asked to indicate dates when a representative from your organization can come to the class on the University of Washington campus in Seattle to meet the students and provide a fifteen-minute presentation and answer questions. We encourage all organization to apply, including organization who have received grants from the Social Justice through Philanthropy course in the past (i.e. everyone is eligible). Your participation is essential for students to learn about diverse the type of work organizations on the ground carry out every day to promote human rights, development, and humanitarian assistance and to gain hands-on experience as by making important philanthropic decisions regarding how to address important global issues.