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Perelman School of Medicine
Racial disparities in avoidable hospitalizations for Medicare beneficiaries
Racial disparities in avoidable hospitalizations for Medicare beneficiaries
A new Medical Care study by LDI Fellow Norma Coe and colleagues reveals racial disparities in avoidable hospitalizations that are even greater than in traditional Medicare.
Genetic disease CDKL5 deficiency disorder could be treatable after childhood
Genetic disease CDKL5 deficiency disorder could be treatable after childhood
The study finds that the CDKL5 gene, which plays an important role in proper brain development during childhood, is also active in adulthood, and that gene therapy may help adult patients.
Mandates likely work to increase vaccine uptake
Mandates likely work to increase vaccine uptake
Rather than causing a backlash, vaccination requirements will succeed at getting more people inoculated, according to research from PIK Professor Dolores Albarracín and colleagues at Penn.
National Academy of Medicine welcomes two new members from Penn
National Academy of Medicine welcomes two new members from Penn
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Marylyn D. Ritchie and PIK Professor Sarah A. Tishkoff are among 100 new members to be elected this year to the Academy, one of the highest honors in health and medicine.
Penn’s Way kicks off workplace giving campaign, with $1.6M goal
Penn’s Way kicks off workplace giving campaign, with $1.6M goal
The charitable giving campaign runs through Nov. 19. The campaign is built on three pillars: health care disparity, food insecurity, and social justice.
How consumers describe racism in health care
How consumers describe racism in health care
A team of researchers looked at Yelp reviews of hospitals that highlighted racist experiences.
General anesthesia just as safe as spinal anesthesia after broken hip surgery
General anesthesia just as safe as spinal anesthesia after broken hip surgery
Challenging common beliefs, Penn research shows patterns of recovery to be similar for patients who received spinal anesthesia and those who got general anesthesia.
Eight Penn researchers receive 2021 NIH Director’s Awards
Eight Penn researchers receive 2021 NIH Director’s Awards
The National Institutes of Health grants, totaling more than $8 million, will support seven high-risk, high-reward research projects.
Geographic disparities in lower extremity amputation rates
Geographic disparities in lower extremity amputation rates
A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows that peripheral artery disease affects Black people and those of low socioeconomic status, and the U.S. health system is missing opportunities to slow or stop the progression.
Five things to know about the upcoming flu season
Five things to know about the upcoming flu season
Thanks to COVID prevention measures, last year’s flu season was among the mildest in years. Penn experts explain why this year may be different and how to prepare.
In the News
Scientific American
Four success stories in gene therapy
Jean Bennett and Albert Maguire of the Perelman School of Medicine developed a gene therapy to treat blindness in patients with retinal dystrophy caused by mutations in the RPE65 gene. “These people can now do things they never could have dreamed of doing, and they’re more independent and enjoying life,” said Bennett.
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ABC News
Why breakthrough COVID deaths can be misunderstood
Edward Stadtmauer of the Perelman School of Medicine advised cancer patients to get vaccinated against COVID-19. “If you have abnormal plasma cells to begin with or are getting therapy that might suppress or damage plasma cells, you can see why that this group of patients may have the most difficulty responding to a COVID infection and responding to vaccines,” he said. “If there is any group of patients who should be vaccinated and get a booster, it is this group of patients.”
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ABC News
Why COVID boosters weren't tweaked to better match variants
John Wherry of the Perelman School of Medicine said there’s no guarantee that a booster shot retooled to target the delta variant would work better than a general COVID-19 vaccine booster.
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Fortune
Same vaccines, but different fatality rates: Why are some COVID outbreaks worse than others?
John Wherry of the Perelman School of Medicine said, “We’ve learned more in the last year and a half about human immunology and human vaccine responses than we probably learned in the previous several decades.”
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MSNBC
The Beat with Ari Melber
Thea Gallagher of the Perelman School of Medicine discussed the pandemic’s toll on mental health. Rather than forcing a confident, upbeat exterior to appease others, Gallagher recommends “being real and authentic, and talking about the struggles that you are having.”
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