The ancient philosopher Plato conjectured that the universe was composed of particular geometric shapes; the earth, of cubes. Findings from a multidisciplinary research team found truth in Plato's belief.
Plato was right. Earth is made, on average, of cubes
The ancient Greek philosopher was on to something, the School of Arts & Sciences’ Douglas Jerolmack and colleagues found.
An immune response can be helpful, harmful, or somewhere in between, in COVID-19 and many other medical conditions.
Navigating cytokine storms
Pairing their expertise, Nilam Mangalmurti of the Perelman School of Medicine and Christopher Hunter of the School of Veterinary Medicine have been working to understand the protective and harmful aspects of the immune response, including in COVID-19.
As the pandemic hit, recent grad Alexandria Brake (holding “Go Team” sign) and colleagues at the St. James School in North Philadelphia began distributing groceries and other supplies to students and their families. (Image: Courtesy of Alexandria Brake)
More Side Gigs for Good during COVID-19
In the latest installment of the Side Gigs for Good series, Penn Today hears from faculty, staff, and students who have been continuing to care for their communities as the pandemic’s effects stretch on.
David Holt of the School of Veterinary Medicine and colleagues have been using an innovative imaging technique to seek out cancer in dogs undergoing surgery. (Image: John Donges)
Glowing dye may aid in eliminating cancer
In dogs with mammary tumors, researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine used a substance that glows under near-infrared light to illuminate cancer.
COVID-19 reshaped Andi Johnson’s course on social determinants of health, inspiring a new focus on how the pandemic shaped employment and how people's jobs influenced their ability to stay safe.
Exploring the links between jobs and health, reframed by COVID-19
More than half of America’s farm workers are immigrants, and most have been considered essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic. While this designation has ensured the continuity of their livelihoods, it has also increased their risk of becoming sick.
Carlo Siracusa, associate professor of clinical behavior medicine at the School of Veterinary Medicine (Image: John Donges/Penn Vet)
Helping pets cope with quarantine, and reopening
Having their owners at home constantly may have been heaven for some cats and dogs and burdensome for others. The School of Veterinary Medicine’s Carlo Siracusa explains how to recognize signs of animals’ stress and prepare for a return to normal routines.
In a new report, paleontologists Lauren Sallan and Jack Stack re-examine the “enigmatic and strange” prehistoric fish Tanyrhinichthys mcallisteri. (Image: Nobu Tamura)
300-million-year-old fish resembles a sturgeon but took a different evolutionary path
Tanyrhinichthys mcallisteri recasts the notion of what it means to be a “primitive” vertebrate, according to paleontologists Lauren Sallan and Jack Stack.
Edwin Kim, medical director of Penn Medicine’s Charles O’Brien Center for Addiction Treatment, discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected how people use—and misuse—alcohol.
Researchers Meagan Rubel and Eric Mbunwe process fecal samples in a hunter-gatherer village at dusk. (Image: Courtesy of the Tishkoff laboratory)
Parasites and the microbiome
In a study of ethnically diverse people from Cameroon, the presence of a parasite infection was closely linked to the make-up of the gastrointestinal microbiome, according to a research team led by Penn scientists.
Despite her time being cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, rising senior Adriana Discher packed a lot into her time studying abroad in Hanoi, Vietnam, and Cape Town, South Africa. (Image: Courtesy of Adriana Discher)
Examining health inequities with a global lens
Rising senior Adriana Discher examined public health measures and disparities in four countries—three in person and one virtually—during a semester abroad program this spring.
