A preterm birth study by LDI fellows supports newly instituted changes to racial and ethnic categorizations by a key U.S. agency
The study investigated the “Other” race category on birth certificates to see how this category could affect reporting of preterm birth inequities. Using millions of Pennsylvania birth certificates from 2006 to 2014, the team analyzed the 6.1% of birth certificates that had the “Other” race designation accompanied by a patient-provided write-in response. The team discovered that recategorizing the “Other” category based on combinations of race, ethnicity, and geographic origin reveals overlooked disparities.
When the Schuylkill swallowed the city: Lessons from Hurricane Ida’s historic flood
New Penn research shows that Hurricane Ida wasn’t a once-in-a-century anomaly but a preview of how climate change, urbanization, and aging infrastructure are rewriting flood risk.
The Fed explained: What it does and why it matters
Former Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker and financial historian Peter Conti-Brown, both Wharton professors, unpack the central bank’s origins, its unusual structure, and the quiet ways it shapes the economy
How population changes are impacting primary education worldwide
Research from Penn sociologist Emily Hannum and colleagues reveals regional trends in whether school-age populations are increasing, plateauing, or decreasing—and shows how different countries are responding.
A bioengineered bean gum from the lab of Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell is found to reduce the levels of three microbes associated with head and neck squamous cell cancer to almost zero, without affecting the beneficial bacteria normally found in the mouth.
Fighting oral cancer with bioengineered chewing gum
Research led by Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell shows that antiviral and antibacterial chewing gums reduce the levels of three microbes linked to worse outcomes in oral cancers, paving the way for more effective and affordable therapies.
