Perelman School of Medicine

many hands in pointing to a computer, one holding a stethoscope, indicating doctors

First-year doctors spend almost 90 percent of their time away from patients

First-year doctors, or interns, spend 87 percent of their work time away from patients, half of which is spent interacting with electronic health records.

App predicts risk of developing hernia following abdominal surgery

A Penn-developed app can predict the likelihood that a patient will develop an incisional hernia following abdominal surgery, utilizing electronic health records to identify the most common risk factors for patients.

A man in a blue plaid coat, pink shirt and purple tie standing in front of a blurry building.

Brain regions linked to memory and emotion help humans navigate smell

The work points to the existence of a grid-like hexagonal structure in olfactory-related brain areas, similar to mapping configurations previously found to support spatial navigation in animals.

skillet on a table surface with one fried egg and two strips of bacon

A cardiologist’s take on the keto diet

Does the keto diet improve blood sugar and lessen cardiovascular risk factors, or does it lead to spikes in bad cholesterol, heart problems, and hypoglycemia? One doctor looks to science for answers.

CRISPR-edited lung cells (green) with EGFP fluorescent protein.

Researchers use gene editing with CRISPR to treat lethal lung diseases before birth

Using CRISPR gene editing, a team from Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have thwarted a lethal lung disease, in which a harmful mutation causes death within hours after birth.

Anita Allen, Daniel Rader, and Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein

Three from Penn elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Vice Provost for Faculty Anita Allen of the Law School and the School of Arts and Sciences, Daniel Rader of the Perelman School of Medicine, and Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein of Perry World House join a group recognized for their world-class leadership and expertise.

Astronaut in a space suit on a spacewalk outside the International Space Station.

How a year in space affects the brain

Penn Medicine’s Mathias Basner discusses the NASA Twins Study, which analyzed astronaut Scott Kelly’s physical and mental health after he spent 340 days in space, and found that Kelly’s performance on a cognitive test battery dropped when he returned to Earth for six months.

Chips in Space

Microfluidic devices lined with human cells are headed to the International Space Station in early May, part of an effort to understand why astronauts get sick more easily in orbit.

person wearing a camouflage jacket in a wheelchair holding a tumbler of alcohol

Study reveals overlapping and distinct genes associated with heavy drinking and alcoholism

In the largest-ever genome-wide association study of both traits in the same population, a team of researchers found 18 genetic variants of significance associated with either heavy alcohol consumption, AUD, or both.

doctor with a gloved hand examines young child's arm during a skin test screening

Topical targeted therapies show promise in treatment of skin cancer

A Penn study finds fewer side effects with small-molecule kinase inhibitors compared to standard ointment when treating precancerous skin lesions.

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