6.17
Perelman School of Medicine
Making history at LDI: An interview with Rachel Werner
Rachel Werner is the first female and first physician-economist executive director of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, and a professor of both medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine and health care management at the Wharton School.
How to quell a cytokine storm
An international team finds new ways to dampen an overactive immune system, and can influence new drug targets for lupus and other autoimmune disorders.
Seeing disfigured faces prompts negative brain responses
A brain imaging study finds negative implicit biases against individuals with scars, birthmarks, and other facial differences.
Why are so many women still dying from childbirth?
Experts from Penn discuss the role that social determinants, socioeconomics, and racism play, and how the University is addressing the maternal mortality crisis head on.
Trauma linked to earlier puberty, premature brain development, and mental illness
A Penn study details the effects of poverty and trauma on brain and behavior in youths.
New pain management protocol sends 92% of cancer surgery patients home without opioids
A Penn study of robotic urologic surgery patients points to a key step in overcoming opioid crisis—start patients with over the counter medications, and only use opioids if they are really needed.
Children who nap midday are happier, excel academically, and have fewer behavioral problems
A Penn study of nearly 3,000 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in China revealed strong connections between 30 to 60 minutes of shuteye at least three days a week and positive outcomes in a handful of areas.
Penn Medicine releases free, ‘self-service’ AI tool for data analytics
The Penn Medicine Institute for Biomedical Informatics has launched a free, open-source automated machine learning system for data analysis that is designed for anyone to use.
New spinal muscle atrophy treatment gains approval
Zolgensma is based on a delivery system discovered by a Penn gene therapy pioneer, marking a new milestone in treating the rare disease.
Eczema’s effect on children differs by race
A Penn study finds racial disparities in school attendance due to common skin condition, with Hispanic and black children more likely to miss school due to eczema than white children.
In the News
Time
‘They’re chipping away.’ Inside the grassroots effort to fight mandatory vaccines
In an article about anti-vax organizing, Paul Offit of the Perelman School of Medicine said, “Vaccines are a victim of their own success.” Offit continued, “people have forgotten how sick measles can make you and how dead measles can make you.”
FULL STORY →
Nature
Whole-body PET scanner produces 3D images in seconds
Abass Alavi of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about a new version of a PET scanner that can generate 3D renderings of the entire human body in just seconds, a fraction of the time required by older iterations. “The whole-body machine is another quantum jump in medical imaging,” said Alavi.
FULL STORY →
Philadelphia Inquirer
10-year-old’s cholesterol was over 800. Can CRISPR fix the problem?
Kiran Musunuru of the Perelman School of Medicine, who is a partner in a biotech start-up with labs housed at Pennovation Works, spoke about the potential benefits of CRISPR gene-editing for patients with heart disease. A trial for a similar therapy developed by a different team is currently underway at the Abramson Cancer Center.
FULL STORY →
Philadelphia Inquirer
How conquering a rare leukemia in children revolutionized cancer care for millions
Carl June of the Perelman School of Medicine was mentioned for his contributions to the field of cancer research.
FULL STORY →
Philadelphia Inquirer
Philly’s biotech leaders pitched the city at Bio 2019 to CEOs and some even seemed impressed
Carl June of the Perelman School of Medicine participated in BIO 2019, an international biotechnology conference hosted in Philadelphia. Speaking about the change in resources for gene therapy research over time, June said “a lot of ideas used to die because we didn’t have the money to test. Now, that’s over.”
FULL STORY →