5/18
Public Health
Flu vaccination rates in clinics drop as day progresses, but ‘nudges’ give them a boost
A new study shows that nudges prompting staff to create templates for vaccine orders increases flu vaccination rates.
Analyzing roadside dust to identify potential health concerns
Reto Gieré is working with collaborators across the world to identify an overlooked but significant factor in traffic-related air pollution: Tiny bits of tires, brake pads, and road materials that become suspended in the air when vehicles pass over.
Educational program successful at reducing forced sex in South African adolescents
A new study led by John B. Jemmott III, an Annenberg School professor, found that an educational program he designed for adolescents in South Africa reduces sexual assault among those students.
Sara Bachman named dean of Penn School of Social Policy & Practice
Bachman, an acclaimed scholar, epidemiologist and expert in social welfare policy, will lead the school beginning January 1st.
A promising candidate for a universal flu vaccine
A flu vaccine that targets a deeper level of the virus itself may be the key to a universal flu vaccine that is more effective at protecting humans from any strain of flu each season.
From addiction and loss to recovery and empathy: Q&A with Nicole O’Donnell
At Penn Medicine’s Center of Excellence, the certified recovery specialist reaches out to people who are addicted in need of support and guidance, drawing on her own experience to be uniquely helpful and intuitive for people who need the most help.
‘Alarming’ diabetes epidemic in Guatemala tied to aging, not obesity
A new study by Penn Center for Global Health, published in PLOS One, finds that 25 percent of the large indigenous population in Guatemala has either type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Ensuring equality with a framework for workforce inclusion
A study published in JAMA Network Open from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine identifies six factors that measure workforce inequality in delivering health care, as part of Office of Inclusion and Diversity’s equality mission.
The fight to eliminate hepatitis C in Philly: A Q&A with Stacey Trooskin
The state of Pennsylvania increased access to hepatitis C drugs for Medicaid patients regardless of their liver health or drug and alcohol use. Penn's Stacey Trooskin, who also serves as the director of Viral Hepatitis Programs at Philadelphia FIGHT, discusses increasing access to treatment even further.
Alarm and response for emerging health threats: Social media, news, and Zika
Research finds that traditional news accounts and Twitter messages had different associations with risk perceptions and behavior during the 2016 U.S. Zika virus outbreak.
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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