School of Nursing

Parental nicotine use and addiction risk for children

In research done using rats, Penn Nursing’s Heath Schmidt and colleagues found that males that engaged in voluntary nicotine use had offspring more likely to do so, too. Some offspring also developed impaired memory and anxiety-like behavior.

Michele W. Berger

Making meaning from the loss of a child

Research by Diane Spatz of the School of Nursing and colleagues reveals how donating milk served as an important part of the grieving process for some parents who had lost a baby before or at birth.

Katherine Unger Baillie , Michele W. Berger

U-Night shines in person

The first in-person celebration for rising juniors in two years was not dampened by the rain, as the Class Board of 2024 honored one of Penn’s most resilient student class.

Tina Rodia

Running to shine a light on mental health

Earlier this week, Penn’s Samantha Roecker competed in the Boston Marathon. In the process, she raised more than $45,000 to help nurses struggling as a result of the pandemic, and she broke the world record for fastest marathon in scrubs.

Michele W. Berger

New COVID-19 roadmap: Four takeaways

A report spearheaded by PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel, with input from other Penn experts, lays out a dozen priorities for the federal government to tackle in the next 12 months. The aim: to help guide the U.S. to the pandemic’s “next normal.”

Michele W. Berger



In the News


Chronicle of Philanthropy

Bill Conway’s $1 billion plan to end the nursing shortage

Linda Aiken of the School of Nursing says that many nurses are underpaid and experience a higher rate of burnout than other medical professionals. Leonard A. Lauder has donated $125 million to the School of Nursing to recruit students from underrepresented backgrounds and train more nurse practitioners as frontline workers.

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The Guardian

Breast milk for adults: Wellness elixir or unscientific fascination?

Diane Spatz of the School of Nursing says that adult interest in consuming human milk could reflect the growing understanding and messaging of how breast milk influences infant health, like protecting against diseases.

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Baltimore Banner

Why few communities chose Baltimore’s high-risk, high-reward opioid legal strategy

Peggy Compton of the School of Nursing outlines the contextual factors that laid the foundation for the opioid crisis.

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WHYY (Philadelphia)

Philadelphia-area health experts see shift in attitudes on vaccination in ‘post-COVID’ era

Alison Buttenheim of the School of Nursing comments on attitude shifts around vaccines following the pandemic.

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San Diego Union Tribune

When 3 years of training came down to 2 minutes of running, Nia Akins was ready. Now the Rancho Bernardo High graduate is headed to the Olympics

School of Nursing graduate Nia Akins has become America’s top hope for an Olympic gold medal in the 800-meter run.

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