4/22
Medical Ethics
Killings of unarmed Black people and racial disparities in sleep health
Killings of unarmed Black people and racial disparities in sleep health
Penn Medicine research finds that Black adults across the U.S. suffer from sleep problems following exposure to news about unarmed Black individuals killed by police during police encounters.
Challenges and advances in brain-computer interfaces
Challenges and advances in brain-computer interfaces
Following FDA approval for tech startups to begin human clinical trials for brain-computer interfacing technologies, Penn Today met with Anna Wexler of the Perelman School of Medicine to discuss the promising possibilities and potential pitfalls of neurotechnology.
Home health is another care setting where workers use judgment language
Home health is another care setting where workers use judgment language
A first-of-its kind study from Penn LDI reveals that Black and Hispanic patients are described negatively, and have shorter visits.
Beyond the pipette and the stethoscope, students explore biology’s societal impacts
Beyond the pipette and the stethoscope, students explore biology’s societal impacts
The new Biology and Society course, supported by SNF Paideia, gave biology majors the chance to explore how scientists must contend with subjects such as health equity and vaccine hesitancy.
Tackling the ethical considerations of dementia research
Tackling the ethical considerations of dementia research
Alzheimer’s research poses tricky questions. Bedside-nurse-turned-bioethicist Emily Largent wants to answer them, and to improve the lives of Alzheimer’s patients.
Going beyond the binary in historical explorations of sex and gender
Going beyond the binary in historical explorations of sex and gender
Beans Velocci of the School of Arts & Sciences explores how sex and gender have been shaped and categorized through history—and the consequences of those constructions taking on the guise of scientific and medical fact.
Five from Penn elected to National Academy of Medicine
Five from Penn elected to National Academy of Medicine
Five Penn experts have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine for their contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health.
Abortion clinic websites may unwittingly aid patient prosecutions
Abortion clinic websites may unwittingly aid patient prosecutions
More than 99% of abortion clinic web pages studied included widely used code that transferred user data to external entities, which could sell the data or provide it to law enforcement, without the clinics knowledge.
Higher rates of chemical sedation among Black psychiatric patients points to inequities
Higher rates of chemical sedation among Black psychiatric patients points to inequities
Penn Medicine researchers also find that white patients are more likely to be chemically sedated in emergency departments at hospitals that treat high proportion Black patients, suggesting that hospital demographics can impact practice patterns.
Heart disease-protective diabetes drug is not used equitably
Heart disease-protective diabetes drug is not used equitably
The medication GLP-1 RA treats diabetes and is linked to positive outcomes for heart disease patients, yet a Penn Medicine study has found inequities in its use along racial, ethnic, and economic lines
In the News
The New Yorker
How to die in good health
PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel says that incessantly preparing for old age mistakes a long life for a worthwhile one.
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The Washington Post
How to (responsibly) let your cat outside
James Serpell of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that some cats are perfectly happy within the confines of the home, while others have a greater desire to wander, explore, and investigate.
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Associated Press
Many cancer drugs remain unproven five years after accelerated approval, a study finds
PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel says that there should be definitive benefits to cancer drugs five years after their initial accelerated approval.
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The Washington Post
Cats aren’t jerks. They’re just misunderstood
James Serpell of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that the domestic cat suffers from its legacy of being a not-quite-wild animal on the margins of society.
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CNN
ALS drug fails large clinical trial and may be withdrawn from market
Holly Fernandez Lynch of the Perelman School of Medicine says that the lack of good treatment options for ALS has led to an insatiable desire to develop something that is going to modify the course of this disease.
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The Washington Post
How Lloyd Austin’s prostate cancer surgery led to hospitalization
Ravi Parikh of the Perelman School of Medicine says that a bowel obstruction after a prostate removal procedure can lead to significant complications if left untreated.
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