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Wellness
Greening vacant lots reduces depression in city dwellers
People living within a quarter mile of greened lots had a 41.5 percent decrease in feelings of depression and a nearly 63 percent decrease in self-reported “poor mental health,” compared to those who lived near the lots that received no intervention.
To improve online information about violence and abuse, one group turned to Wikipedia
Three undergrads and a recent alum, working with the Ortner Center’s Susan B. Sorenson, added the latest scientific research to more than 50 entries.
Correcting a blind spot
A groundbreaking genetic study seeks to transform the prevention and treatment of glaucoma while reversing historical racial disparities in who suffers from the disease, and who benefits from such research.
How to motivate heart disease patients to exercise? Pay them.
Financial incentives and wearable devices lead to increased exercise for high-risk patients with heart disease.
Let the sunshine in
Our circadian rhythms need exposure to full spectrum natural light to stay in sync with the external environment. Limiting our access to natural lightwaves leaves our bodies out of balance.
One in four Americans develops insomnia each year
About 25 percent of Americans experience acute insomnia each year, but about 75 percent of these individuals recover without developing persistent poor sleep or chronic insomnia.
Why does sleep deprivation affect cognitive function of some more than others?
The key may be microRNAs, small non-coding RNAs that help regulate gene expression, according to a study from Penn Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Making an IMPaCT on community health services
Training community members as healthcare liaisons originated as an Innovation Accelerator at Penn, and is now a branded product on the health care market across the country.
Running with heart: How the body handles a marathon
It’s go-time for everyone training for the 122nd Boston Marathon. With proper training, running a marathon is not exactly dangerous per se, but it does have a considerable impact on the heart and arteries.
Student-led Campus Conversation kicks off Mental Wellness Awareness Week
A panel of undergraduate and graduate students address stresses of college life, and what resources are available to help bolster their health and wellness.
In the News
My brother’s recovery from a car crash became a lesson in how to talk to doctors and nurses
Emily Largent of the Perelman School of Medicine writes that communication is part of healing, as she experienced when her brother was in a car accident and unable to notify family himself.
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Millennial HR professionals are entering the C-suite, and their priorities reflect their lived experiences: ‘We spend a lot of time getting to know folks deeply’
Matthew Bidwell of the Wharton School points to an uptick in student interest in employee wellness strategies.
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Stressed? Depressed? Mindfulness training could offer long-term relief
Yvette Sheline of the Perelman School of Medicine is quoted on how many cultures have used different variations of mindfulness, and that classes are generally affordable and accessible in most cities.
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The less college students sleep, the worse their grades, study finds
Two hundred Penn students and staff participating in a seven-week online course to build better sleep habits have reported an overall decrease in symptoms of insomnia, according to Rebecca Huxta of Wellness at Penn.
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New on the job: Penn director of well-being initiatives creates tools for success
As Wellness at Penn’s inaugural director of well-being initiatives, doctoral candidate Jackie Recktenwald of the Graduate School of Education is looking to improve student health and wellness across campus.
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The foods that keep you hydrated
Dan Negoianu of the Perelman School of Medicine says there’s really no data behind the eight-glasses-of-water-a-day advice.
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