Weitzman students at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C. with Oksana Markarova (Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States), Dorothy McAuliffe (U.S. Special Representative for Global Partnerships, Department of State), John Thompson (Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment, Department of State) and Eugenie Birch (co-director, Penn IUR).
(Image: Courtesy of the U.S. Department of State)
Penn students present work to help rebuild Ukrainian city
With the two-year anniversary of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine looming, city planners begin to strategize solutions to rebuild, sustainably.
Martin Claassen of the School of Arts & Sciences and Jiaoyang Huang of the Wharton School each has been selected to receive a 2024 Sloan Research Fellowship, which recognizes early career scientists in North America. They are among 126 chosen this year to receive the two-year, $75,000 fellowship, in recognition of their accomplishments, creativity, and potential to become leaders in their fields.
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Martin Claassen and Jiaoyang Huang named 2024 Sloan Research Fellows
Two from Penn honored as early career researchers and scholars for their accomplishments, creativity, and potential to become leaders in their fields.
Bispecific T cell engagers are emerging as a powerful class of immunotherapy to treat cancer but are sometimes hindered by unwanted outcomes, such as on-target, off-tumor toxicity; cytokine release syndrome; and neurotoxicity. Now, researchers Penn researchers have developed a novel “switchable” bispecific T cell engager that mitigates these negative effects by co-opting a drug already approved by the FDA.
(Image: iStock / CIPhotos)
‘Switchable’ bispecific antibodies pave way for safer cancer treatment
Immunotherapy utilizing an FDA-approved drug has enabled Penn researchers to develop a novel switchable bispecific T cell engager that mitigates negative outcomes of immunotherapy.
Many deaths during the pandemic which were not listed as /COVID-related may have, in fact, been as a result of COVID. In a collaborative study, researchers in the School of Arts & Sciences found that increases in non-COVID excess deaths occurred at the same time or in the month prior to increases in reported COVID-19 deaths in most U.S. counties, indicating that many COVID deaths went uncounted as such.
(Image: iStock/BriVisu)
‘Natural’ deaths likely COVID-19 related
New study led by Penn and Boston University provides the most compelling data yet to suggest excess mortality rates from chronic illnesses and other natural causes were driven by COVID-19 infections.
(On homepage) Engineers at Ball Aerospace, one of Roman’s industrial partners, installed and aligned the element wheel assembly into the observatory’s Wide Field Instrument. The assembly will help Roman solve some of the most profound mysteries in astrophysics. When light bounces off and is concentrated by the main and secondary mirrors of Roman, it will move through a component called the element wheel. After being focused and filtered, this light will hit a big array of sensors that captures the light to form an image. Depending on their research needs, astronomers can use special science filters to pick out certain types of light for their studies.
(Image: Courtesy of Ball Aerospace)
Once a spy satellite, now a telescope with an eye on the cosmos
Researchers from Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences are part of a collaboration to develop Hubble’s wide-eyed cousin, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
Respiratory diseases like influenza and COVID-19 drive inflammatory responses that can cause long-term damage to the lungs and can be difficult to treat. Now, by using techniques that deliver mRNA via lipid nanoparticles, researchers led by Andrew Vaughan of the School of Veterinary Medicine were able to greatly enhance modes of repair for damaged blood vessels in the lung, leading to improved oxygen saturation.
(Image: iStock/Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen)
Researchers breathe new life into lung repair
A collaborative effort from teams across Penn culminates in new techniques to repair lung tissue after damage from flu and COVID-19.
How common is common sense? A straightforward question that, surprisingly, has yet to receive a definitive science-based answer. Now, PIK Professor Duncan Watts and co-author Mark Whiting of the Wharton School and the School of Engineering and Applied Science present a new way to quantify common sense among both individuals and collectives.
(Image: Courtesy of Mark Whiting)
How common is common sense?
Researchers from Penn develop a framework for quantifying common sense, findings address a critical gap in how knowledge is understood.
Michael Mitchell (left) and Emily Han (right) examine a microfluidic device used to make LNPs by mixing lipids and mRNA.
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Breaching the blood-brain barrier
A team of researchers in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has devised a method to deliver mRNA into the brain using lipid nanoparticles, potentially advancing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and seizures.
Randall Kamien of the School of Arts & Sciences and long-time collaborator Geneviève Dion, a professor of design at Drexel University, are investigating the mechanics of knitting, an area of research that represents a significant shift in understanding and using fabrics.
(Image: Courtesy of Geneviève Dion)
Mechanics of knitting
Randall Kamien of the School of Arts & Sciences and Geneviève Dion of Drexel University share how combining traditional origami techniques with modern textile science can lead to practical applications in various industries.
A collaborative team of researchers led by Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences have found the interplay of natural systems and human-induced climate change are setting the stage for more frequent and severe weather events.
(Image/iStock / Piyaset)
Climate change and atmospheric dynamics unveil future weather extremes
A collaborative team of researchers led by Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences have found the interplay of natural systems and human-induced climate change are setting the stage for more frequent and severe weather events.
