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Perelman School of Medicine
Proton therapy side-effects found fewer than conventional radiation
In the largest study of its kind, Penn researchers compare overall adverse events of proton and photon therapies.
Compound’s benefits aren’t tied to the body clock
New research from Penn Medicine overturns what was previously known about a compound associated with reductions in obesity and diabetes risk.
Cancer screening rates decline when patients see doctors later in day
Compared to patients who see their primary care doctor earlier in the day, cancer screening rates decline significantly as the day goes on, according to a new study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine and Wharton School.
How do you find a virus that’s completely unknown?
A team of microbiologists and pulmonologists at Penn have scanned genome databases and found a new abundant viral family associated with disease.
The beauty of the two-wheeled commute
On Bike to Work Day, Penn will fete two-wheeled commuters with snacks, showers, and swag. For many at the University, commuting by bike is a way of life. Five Penn staff and faculty share how they make it work and why they keep riding.
Cognitive enhancers are considered largely acceptable at the workplace
A new study from Penn Medicine neurologists finds the general public largely views the use of cognitive enhancers such as Adderall as an acceptable practice when used by adults in the workplace.
Philadelphia’s sweetened drink sales drop 38 percent after beverage tax
Findings from a Penn study support beverage taxes as a promising policy tool to help improve public health.
Major payment reform program for cancer drugs falls short
A joint study between Penn Medicine and the Wharton School highlights limitations of voluntary incentive programs.
Training physician-scholars to see patients as people, not categories
The anthropology M.D.-Ph.D. program, recently graduating its first two students, combines clinical and ethnographic skills aimed at working with and caring for society’s marginalized.
Can algorithms diagnose disease better than doctors?
Proponents of artificial intelligence in medicine say the technology holds great potential in predicting drug interaction, infection risk factors—even in cancer diagnoses Penn’s Ravi Parikh and Amol Navathe discuss their research on the best way to leverage artificial intelligence in medicine.
In the News
Philadelphia Inquirer
Pa. woman was convinced she bought Obamacare insurance. She got scammed by a look-alike website.
PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel spoke about a class exercise in which he asks students to shop for health insurance using the government marketplace. When he attempted the assignment, he found it easy to accidentally use an unaffiliated site. “Unless you know what the right place looks like, what the offers are, they’ve done a very good job of making it look like it’s the [government] health insurance site.”
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The New York Times
Tuesday could be the beginning of the end of Philadelphia’s soda tax
Christina Roberto of the Perelman School of Medicine commented on Philadelphia’s soda tax: “It’s not surprising that, if you raise the price of something, people will buy less of it.”
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The Atlantic
What is pornography doing to our sex lives?
Mary Anne Layden of the Perelman School of Medicines said the social pressure to mimic pornography can result in more sexual violence for some and a resistance to sex by others.
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Self
This is the difference between feeling anxious and having an anxiety disorder
Holly Valerio of the Perelman School of Medicine clarified the differences between having anxious feelings and actually having an anxiety disorder. For those with the latter, there is “often a disconnect in the estimation of danger … in anxiety-producing situations versus the actual or realistic threat,” she said.
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The New York Times
Where should a child die? Hospice homes help families with the unimaginable
Chris Feudtner of the Perelman School of Medicine said palliative care for children is a “largely silent, hidden, and woefully unmet need.” However, he said, these facilities are expensive and unsustainable under the current reality of American health care.
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