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Health Sciences
Penn Medicine: Red Blood Cells Take on Many-Sided Shape During Clotting
Red blood cells are the body’s true shape shifters, perhaps the most malleable of all cell types, transforming – among many other forms -- into compressed discs capable of going through capillaries with diameters smaller than the blood cell itself. While studying how blood clots contract John W.
The ‘Personalized Advantage Index,’ a Decision-Making Tool, Developed at Penn
One of the primary social motivations for scientific research is the ability to make better decisions based on the results.
Penn Biologists Establish New Method for Studying RNA’s Regulatory ‘Footprint’
Increasingly, biologists have come to realize that RNA is not merely a transitional state between DNA and proteins but plays a major role in determining whether and how genes are turned into a protein product. Gaining a deeper understanding of RNA regulation can help scientists shed light on diseases that arise when this function goes awry.
Disparities Run Deep: Parkinson's Patients Utilization of Deep Brain Stimulation Treatment Reduced within Demographic Groups
Among Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, female, black, and Asian patients are substantially less likely to receive proven deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery to improve tremors and motor symptoms, according to a new report by a Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania researcher who identified considerable disparities among Medicare recipients receiving DBS for Parkinson
Survival Rates Similar for Gunshot, Stabbing Victims Whether Brought to the Hospital by Police or EMS, Penn Medicine Study Finds
A new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has found no significant difference in adjusted overall survival rates between gunshot and stabbing (so-called penetrating trauma injuries) victims in Philadelphia whether they were transported to the emergency department by the police department or the eme
Leading Health Care Executives Optimistic About Health Care Reform, Penn Survey Shows
Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of the nation’s leading health care executives say they believe the health care system will be somewhat or significantly better by 2020 than it is today as a result of national health care reform. Additionally, 93 percent believe that the quality of care provided by their own hospital or health system will improve during that time period.
Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center Celebrates 40 Years, Bestows Inaugural Abramson Award
This December marks the 40th anniversary of the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) of the University of Pennsylvania being designated a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute.
Penn Medicine: Despite Rising Health Care Costs, Few Residency Programs Train Doctors to Practice Cost-Conscious Care
Despite a national consensus among policy makers and educators to train residents to be more conscious of the cost of care, less than 15 percent of internal medicine residency programs have a formal curriculum addressing it, a new research letter published today in JAMA Internal Medicine by a Penn Medicine physician found.
Penn Team Reduces Toxicity Associated With Lou Gehrig’s Disease in Animal Models
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a devastating illness that gradually robs sufferers of muscle strength and eventually causes a lethal, full-body paralysis. The only drug available to treat the disease extends life spans by a meager three months on average.
Penn Medicine Named as Inaugural Member of NIH Network to Revolutionize Stroke Clinical Research
The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania will join a new national network of 25 regional stroke centers selected to advance stroke research on prevention, treatment and recovery.
In the News
The Washington Post
Americans are sleeping more than ever. See how you compare
Mathias Basner of the Perelman School of Medicine says that work and traveling are the major sleep killers, with the majority of traveling being commuting to and from work.
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Today
Should you try oil pulling to boost your oral health? Dentists explain benefits and side effects
Dean Mark Wolff of the School of Dental Medicine says there aren’t enough robust, large-scale clinical studies or trials demonstrating the supposed benefits of oil pulling.
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Fox 29 (Philadelphia)
Cannabis reclassification could be game-changer for U.S. drug policy
Michael Cirigliano of the Perelman School of Medicine says that marijuana deserves to be removed from the same category as LSD, heroin, and fentanyl.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
These two Philly-area nurses are on a mission to get nursing recognized as a STEM field
Marion Leary of the School of Nursing is co-leading a national coalition seeking to convince federal agencies to recognize the field of nursing as a STEM profession.
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Nature
Bird flu virus has been spreading in U.S. cows for months, RNA reveals
Louise Moncla of the Veterinary School of Medicine says that the bird flu virus is clearly being transmitted to cows in some way.
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