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Public Health
Two apps target cancer risk in marginalized populations
The tech-based mobile health interventions from Nursing’s Anne Teitelman focus on preventive health actions, including the HPV vaccine.
5 tips to scare away cavities
Beyond the inevitable sugar high, what are the implications of consuming a glut of candy? Pediatric dentist Maria Velasco suggests coming up with a plan, then giving away the rest of the treats.
Staging the plague
Eighty-one students training in a diversity of health professions worked with regional and federal agencies to confront an imagined outbreak scenario centered around bubonic plague in Philadelphia.
Promoting innovative, reproducible science: Penn’s Research Excellence Initiative
The two-year effort includes electronic research notebooks, a research symposium, and a task force of faculty and students, all spearheaded by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.
Gruesome photos on cigarette boxes can propel anti-smoking campaigns
Warning messages on cigarette packs are most effective when diseased body parts and testimonials are pictured.
Be in the know about your health, and be rewarded
From Human Resources’ 2018-19 “Be in the Know” campaign to details about diabetes, cancer, and other screenings recommended by a Penn Med expert, a breakdown of ways to make healthy living achievable.
‘Healthy Pequeños’ teaches young children about hygiene, germs, and food safety
Alaina Hall’s project, a 2018 Penn President’s Engagement Prize winner, is already making a difference for a residential childcare home in Miacatlán, Mexico.
Medicaid expansions linked to slower rises in overdose deaths
A recent study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine contradicts the idea that state expansions of Medicaid leads to more illicit use of prescription opioids.
Digital resources could help narrow sexual health equity gap for Puerto Rican adolescents
A study from Penn Nursing shows results of a web-based intervention in Puerto Rico that is designed to increase sexual risk communication between parents and adolescents.
Hospitals prepare for future disasters to prevent shortages of life-saving drugs
Fallout from previous hurricanes has made hospital staff more aware of the risks natural disasters bring, and are proactive in anticipating drug shortages and supplies.
In the News
UPenn hosts free online panel for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion
The Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative, led by José Bauermeister and Jessica Halem of the School of Nursing, will host a free online panel in April on the integration of LGBTQ+ people in the workforce.
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Mayor Parker’s plan to ‘remove the presence of drug users’ from Kensington raises new questions
Shoshana Aronowitz of the School of Nursing and Ashish Thakrar of the Perelman School of Medicine comment on the lack of specificity in Philadelphia’s plan to remove drug users from Kensington and on the current state of drug treatment in the city.
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Posts mislead about COVID-19 vaccine safety with out-of-context clip of FDA official
Jeffrey S. Morris of the Perelman School of Medicine says that many adverse medical events, even those clearly unrelated to vaccines, have been reported an order of magnitude more for COVID vaccines during the pandemic than any time before.
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Philadelphians hope a cleaner city will reduce gun violence. Will Oh or Parker make it a reality?
A $3 million blight reduction project in Philadelphia is informed by Penn research showing that cleaning up trash and revitalizing vacant lots can reduce gun violence rates by as much as 29%.
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Universal basic income is working—even in red states
Researchers at Penn concluded that a basic income program in Stockton, California, could have profound positive impacts on local public health.
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NJ’s Camden County deploying virtual reality to teach students about naloxone
Penn partnered with New Jersey’s Camden County to create a virtual reality training video for administering the opioid-reversing drug Narcan.
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