Health Sciences

Penn Researchers Discover Why E. coli Move Faster in Syrup-like Fluids Than in Water

Swimming in a pool of syrup would be difficult for most people, but for bacteria like E. coli, it’s easier than swimming in water. Scientists have known for decades that these cells move faster and farther in viscoelastic fluids, such as the saliva, mucus, and other bodily fluids they are likely to call home, but didn’t understand why.

Evan Lerner

Penn Biologists Characterize New Form of mRNA Regulation

RNA, once thought to be a mere middleman between DNA and protein, is now recognized as the stage at which a host of regulatory processes can act to allow for flexibility in gene expression and thus the functions of cells and tissues.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Four Penn Professors Among Class of 2015 AAAS Fellows

Four faculty members at the University of Pennsylvania have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  They are among a class of 347 researchers that have been awarded this honor by AAAS because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

Evan Lerner

Penn Senior Jennifer Hebert Wins Rhodes Scholarship

University of Pennsylvania senior Jennifer (Jenna) Hebert from Pittsburgh, Pa., has won the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in psychiatry at the University of Oxford in England.

Jacquie Posey

Unlocking the Criminal Mind Using Biological Keys

Barely one minute into his Penn Lightbulb Café talk on “The Anatomy of Violence,” Penn Professor Adrian Raine pointed to a slide projected on the screen behind him that showed the cracked skull of 19th century railro

Jacquie Posey



In the News


Newsweek

Sugar-coated gold nanoparticles could replace some antibiotics

According to a Penn Medicine study, a new therapy involving laser light and sugar-coated gold nanoparticles can reduce tooth decay and infected wounds without needing antibiotics.

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Associated Press

A new strategy to attack aggressive brain cancer shrank tumors in two early tests

A clinical trial led by Stephen Bagley of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that targeting two associated proteins with CAR T cell therapy could be a viable strategy for shrinking brain tumors.

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New Scientist

Alzheimer’s may be caused by a build-up of fat in brain cells

A study by Michael Haney of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that the root cause of Alzheimer’s is a build-up of fat droplets in brain cells.

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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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WHYY (Philadelphia)

Philadelphia hospital program adds psychologists to bridge mental health services for trauma survivors

A new psychology team at the Penn Trauma Violence Recovery Program has provided about 46 survivors with short- and long- term therapy, featuring remarks from Elinore Kaufman and Lily Brown of the Perelman School of Medicine.

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