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.
Can closing homeless encampments help Philadelphia’s opioid problem? A report authored by Dennis Culhane of the School of Social Policy & Practice and David Metzger of the Perelman School of Medicine shows that shuttering two camps led to many new addiction-treatment slots and some successful placements in permanent or temporary housing. (Photo: City of Philadelphia) Can closing homeless encampments help Philadelphia’s opioid problem? According to a new report, the city’s recent effort opened up treatment spots for people with opioid addiction and offered permanent and temporary housing options.
Demystifying genomic technology for veterinary researchers Demystifying genomic technology for veterinary researchers The School of Veterinary Medicine’s Center for Host-Microbial Interactions helps researchers delving into ‘omics’ to promote animal and human health.
Negotiating a truce in the war on drugs Ethan Nadelman, founder and former executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, Penn political science professor Marie Gottschalk, Evan Anderson, a senior lecturer in the School of Nursing, and Roseanne Scotti, the New Jersey director of the Drug Policy Alliance, discussed their policy ideas. (Photo: Gwyneth K. Shaw) Negotiating a truce in the war on drugs A Penn Law symposium brought together experts from the legal, law enforcement, social work, and policy camps to discuss how to refocus the decades-long fight to be less punitive and more protective.
Green labs group strives to make science more sustainable In circumstances when plastic petri dishes are necessary for laboratory work, Preston ensure that they are properly cleaned and sorted for recycling. Reducing waste of all kinds, however, is the number one goal. Green labs group strives to make science more sustainable With a Green Labs working group, Elicia Preston of the Perelman School of Medicine and the University’s Sustainability Office in Facilities and Real Estate Services are striving to make the pursuit of scientific research a more eco-friendly endeavor.
Longer shifts don’t create chronic sleep loss or reduce patient safety Longer shifts don’t create chronic sleep loss or reduce patient safety Two large national studies show that patient safety was unaffected, and residents showed no signs of chronic sleep loss regardless of shift length for first-year doctors.
With a second patient free from HIV, what’s next? With a second patient free from HIV, what’s next? Scientists have succeeded in sending an HIV patient into long-term remission, only the second time such a feat has been documented. Pablo Tebas and Bridgette Brawner discuss what this means for HIV research and for people living with the virus.