Katherine Unger Baillie

Like a beloved pair of jeans, human DNA accumulates damage over time, and older people’s bodies can’t repair it as well. Many scientists believe a build up of damage can cause cells to enter an irreversible dormant state known as senescence.

The brain is a privileged organ in the body. So vital to life, the brain is protected from alterations elsewhere in the body by a highly regulated gateway known as the blood-brain barrier, which allows only selected molecules to pass through.

Sally Willig vividly recalls the intensity of her first experience competing at the Penn Relays, back in 1980.

Nanotechnology may sound futuristic, but it has already found its way into household products, from cosmetics to cleaning solutions. And with a little help from a School of Dental Medicine scientist, consumers may one day even find nanoparticles in a tube of toothpaste.

Working in the ancient Egyptian city of Abydos over the winter break, a team of Penn archaeologists knew they had found something special. After excavating a series of chambers constructed of mud-brick—usually a sign of a common person’s tomb—they encountered a stone slab, and finally, a burial chamber lined with limestone.

By Sarah Welsh

[Editor’s note: This story is part of a series celebrating National Public Health Week by featuring stories that highlight public health efforts across the University.

Penn's health schools are celebrating National Public Health Week by featuring stories that highlight public health efforts across the University. Follow along on Twitter at ‪#‎PennOneHealth‬. ***

(This is the first in a series of features introducing the inaugural Penn President's Engagement Prize winners.)   As a young student growing up in Tarkwa Breman, a rural village in Ghana, Shadrack Frimpong was surrounded by many bright peers, both male and female. But as the years passed, many of the female students stopped coming to school. 

Therapeutic agents intended to reduce dental plaque and prevent tooth decay are often removed by saliva and the act of swallowing before they can take effect. But a team of researchers has developed a way to keep the drugs from being washed away.