Sniffing out cancer: Trained dogs can detect hemangiosarcoma by scent
Penn Vet’s Cynthia M. Otto and Clara Wilson and colleagues show that trained dogs can identify the odor of hemangiosarcoma, a devastating canine cancer, offering the hope of a better screening tool and more effective treatments.
The Polyhedral Structures Laboratory is housed at the Pennovation Center and brings together designers, engineers, and computer scientists to reimagine the built world. Using graphic statics, a method where forces are mapped as lines, they design forms that balance compression and tension. These result in structures that use far fewer materials while remaining strong and efficient.
(Image: Eric Sucar)
20 breakthroughs of 2025
From ancient tombs and tiny robots to personalized gene editing and AI weather models, Penn’s 2025 research portfolio showed how curiosity—paired with collaboration—moves knowledge into impact and stretches across disciplines and continents.
Jennifer J. Prah of the School of Social Policy & Practice discusses recommended reforms to address abuse that continues after women leave their abusive partners.
(Image: Eric Sucar (left) and Carson Easterly (right))
How might AI shape the future of work?
Computer scientist Konrad Kording and economist Ioana Marinescu have developed an interactive model that incorporates assumptions from both their fields to predict how AI will affect wages, jobs, and the overall economy.
Histopathology tissue sections of the normal colon (left) showing highly organized cell-cell junctions (red) and proliferative zones (green) in colonic crypts. In contrast, a colon adenocarcinoma (right) is highly disorganized, with inconsistent cell junctions that can ultimately contribute to metastatic dissemination.
(Image: Maggie Robertson)
Identifying genes that keep cancer from spreading
Using a novel approach, Penn Vet’s Chris Lengner and M. Andrés Blanco and colleagues have identified two genes that suppress colorectal cancer metastasis.
A collaborative team led by Theodore D. Satterthwaite, Golia Shafiei, and Michael P. Milham has developed a large-scale, open data resource for mapping brain development and its associations with mental health.
(Image: fmajor via Getty Images)
Mapping the links between brain development and mental health
A new large-scale, open data resource from the Perelman School of Medicine and collaborators helps researchers link brain development with mental health disorders.
Clock changes disrupt sleep, health, and well-being
Indira Gurubhagavatula of the Perelman School of Medicine explains how seasonal time changes affect the body’s internal clock, and offers tips for an easier transition.
(Left to right) Nicola Mason, Mary Beth Boland, and Antonia Rotolo with Rex, first dog treated on metastatic osteosarcoma trial.
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Dogs with cancer are helping save lives—both canine and human
The Comparative Immunotherapy Program led by Penn Vet’s Nicola Mason is redefining how therapies are developed and tested—uniting human and veterinary medicine to move promising immunotherapies forward.
Applying design to agriculture for a new approach to agroforestry
Penn researchers are leading a multidisciplinary land-use project that blends trees, livestock, and streamside buffers to turn New Bolton Center into a living lab for stewardship agriculture.
