Addressing breastfeeding disparities for African American mothers Although the rate of breastfeeding initiation in the United States has continued to rise since 1972, African American mothers continue to experience a significant disparity in initiation. Addressing breastfeeding disparities for African American mothers Despite an abundance of data on the importance of breastfeeding and human milk for babies and their mothers, a disparity exists for African American mothers and infants, where breastfeeding is initiated only about 69% of the time.
How to foster supported decision making for adults with cognitive impairment The paper proposes a three-step model for implementation of supported decision making—identifying the areas of life that need support, identifying the kinds of support needed or wanted, and establishing a formal agreement between the parties involved. How to foster supported decision making for adults with cognitive impairment Supported decision making helps medical professionals identify what people living with dementia can do, not what they can’t.
New changes to Penn’s retirement savings plans New changes to Penn’s retirement savings plans Effective April 2021, Penn’s retirement savings plans will undergo a major change.
Penn Museum series highlights ‘Black History Untold: Revolution’ Sofiya Ballin is an independent journalist and the creator of the Black History Untold project. Penn Museum series highlights ‘Black History Untold: Revolution’ With “Black History Untold: Revolution,” the Penn Museum’s virtual programming offers a different perspective.
The world’s first general purpose computer turns 75 The world’s first general purpose computer turns 75 The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), built at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering, sparked the “birth of the computer age” thanks to a team of women programmers.
Amateur music-making in the early republic Assistant professor of music Glenda Goodman Amateur music-making in the early republic Glenda Goodman, an assistant professor of music, explores how hand-copying musical compositions and amateur performance shaped identity and ideas in the post-Revolutionary War period.
Take-at-home tests boost colorectal cancer screening tenfold Take-at-home tests boost colorectal cancer screening tenfold By making it the default to send screening tests to patients’ homes unless they opted out via text message, screening rates increased by more than 1000%.
When the message matters, use science to craft it Jessica Fishman, director of the Message Effects Lab, is a faculty research associate with appointments at the Annenberg School for Communication and in the Department of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine. (Image: Courtesy of Annenberg School for Communication) When the message matters, use science to craft it An interdisciplinary initiative called the Message Effects Lab aims to understand, tap into, and develop communication around what motivates specific behaviors for specific populations. Its first projects center around COVID-19 testing and vaccines.
From animals to people and back again Humans aren’t the only species susceptible to COVID-19. A growing number of other animal species have become infected, posing a threat to the health of wildlife and domesticated animals, and in some cases exacerbating threats to people. From animals to people and back again Penn researchers are studying the propensity of SARS-CoV-2 to cross between species, and they are working to protect people, pets, and wildlife from COVID-19 infection.
Stem cell study illuminates the cause of an inherited heart disorder Pictured, an iPSC-cardiomyocyte harboring an LMNA mutation. Researchers at Penn studied how mutations in LMNA impact how DNA is organized in the cell. (Image: Penn Medicine News) Stem cell study illuminates the cause of an inherited heart disorder A new study from Penn Medicine shows that LMNA gene mutations can disrupt the ‘identity’ of heart muscle cells, leading to a congenital form of dilated cardiomyopathy.