From Play-Doh to Slinkies, an engaging introduction to the basics of the brain Students like Anijah Tucker-Hill tried different-sized brains on for size, trying to guess which model was to human scale. From Play-Doh to Slinkies, an engaging introduction to the basics of the brain The Kids Judge! Neuroscience Fair brought West Philadelphia fourth graders and Penn neuroscience students together for a morning of hands-on fun.
Perelman School of Medicine students find their match Perelman School of Medicine students find their match On March 15, 146 medical students from the Perelman School of Medicine celebrated Match Day—the national, annual ceremony, during which students learn where they will spend the next chapter of their journeys toward becoming physicians and surgeons.
The placebo cure The placebo cure Drug researchers use control groups to measure the efficacy of their drug tests. What happens when the control group responds? Science proves the placebo effect is indeed medicine itself.
A bad bout of flu triggers ‘taste bud cells’ to grow in the lungs The discovery of tuft cells (in green) in mice lungs after flu gives researchers insights into how a bad respiratory infection may set the stage for certain inflammatory conditions, such as asthma. The cells are named for the elongated microvilli which project from their surface. (Image: Courtesy of Andrew Vaughan) A bad bout of flu triggers ‘taste bud cells’ to grow in the lungs The discovery of these seemingly out-of-place sensing cells may lend insight into possibilities for protecting lung function in people who experience severe influenza infections.
An implant to blunt opioid effects An implant to blunt opioid effects A study by Penn Medicine researchers finds a slow-release naltrexone implant helps HIV patients with opioid dependence adhere to medications and prevent relapse.
Prepping Philly high schoolers for college Prepping Philly high schoolers for college Rising 11th graders in the Provost Summer Mentorship Program at Penn spend a month on campus diving into the professional fields of dentistry, medicine, law, nursing, and engineering.
Western bias in human genetic studies is ‘both scientifically damaging and unfair’ Including underrepresented groups in genomics studies, as Sarah Tishkoff (addressing participants above) has done through her career of studying African population diversity, is essential to reap the benefits of such studies, according to a new commentary in the journal Cell. (Credit: Tishkoff lab) Western bias in human genetic studies is ‘both scientifically damaging and unfair’ In a commentary in the journal Cell, PIK Professor Sarah Tishkoff and Giorgio Sirugo shine a light on the lack of ethnic diversity represented in genomic studies, and the consequences for health and medicine.
What is esketamine? Q&A What is esketamine? Following FDA approval of esketamine as a nasal spray to address otherwise untreatable cases of depression, Michael Thase, a professor of psychiatry at Penn Medicine, explains what it is and how it came to be.
Kevin B. Mahoney named CEO of University of Pennsylvania Health System Kevin B. Mahoney Kevin B. Mahoney named CEO of University of Pennsylvania Health System The Penn Medicine leader, who will assume this new role on July 1, is praised for developing visionary health system infrastructure and supporting lifesaving innovations in medicine.
Patients discharged to home care have higher rates of hospital readmissions Patients discharged to home care have higher rates of hospital readmissions A Penn study highlights important tradeoffs between home versus nursing facilities as the cost for post-acute care rises and payment models shift.