In the aftermath of natural disasters, cleanup and recovery costs can soar. With climate change fueling more severe weather events, the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center is innovating new strategies for building resilience and helping victims bounce back.
Preparing, and paying for, climate change-induced disasters
In the wake of a series of unusual and devastating December tornadoes, Carolyn Kousky of the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center tells Penn Today about strategies for resilience and recovery.
Michael Z. Levy, whose own research uses interdisciplinary methods to shed light on epidemiology and public health, taught the course with colleague César Ugarte-Gil and featured a bevy of guest experts. (Image: Peggy Peterson)
In Peru and the U.S., considering the factors that drive public health
By comparing and contrasting the two nations’ approaches to controlling infectious diseases, students in Parallel Plagues deepened their appreciation of how these diseases emerge, cause harm, and might be effectively controlled.
PIK Professor Kevin Johnson named University Professor
Kevin Johnson, who has appointments in the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and a secondary appointment in the Annenberg School for Communication, will become the David L. Cohen University Professor.
Penn’s Medical Emergency Response Team, ‘prepared for anything’
The student-run organization, which includes nearly 70 undergraduates who are licensed EMTs, complements the Division of Public Safety and Philadelphia Fire Department by responding to medical emergencies on campus.
A chewing gum that could reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission
In experiments using saliva samples from COVID-19 patients, the gum, which contains the ACE2 protein, neutralized the virus, according to research led by School of Dental Medicine scientists.
New findings from a study led by the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Andrés Blanco point a way forward for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. (Image: National Cancer Institute)
Changing the identity of cancer cells to eliminate them
A team led by the School of Veterinary Medicine’s M. Andrés Blanco has uncovered a new target for treating certain blood cancers that works by removing an obstacle to their maturation.
The Energy and Sustainability Initiative will support collaborative, cross-disciplinary work on one of the most urgent issues facing society today: breaking our dependence on non-renewable energy sources and promoting a cleaner environment. (Image: Sam Falconer)
Sam Falconer
An investment in energy and sustainability ‘for the survival of humanity’
Significant new support for research and hires will bolster Penn’s existing strengths in developing the energy and sustainability solutions of the future.
A better estimate for tick numbers with ‘citizen science’ data
A team led by School of Arts & Sciences biologists found a way to account for biases in data collected by members of the public, using it to create a comprehensive abundance map of the tick responsible for transmitting Lyme disease.
With coral reefs under threat from climate change, pollutants, sedimentation, and other factors, Barott and colleagues hope to continue investigating how such challenges may influence coral reproduction and persistence. (Image: Courtesy of Kelsey Speer)
From corals to humans, a shared trigger for sperm to get in motion
Coral sperm require a specific pH to move, according to research from the School of Arts & Sciences, which identifies a signaling pathway that is shared by organisms including humans. The results inform how corals may fare with climate change.
