Perelman School of Medicine

Penn Medicine: Blood Flow in the Developing Heart Guides Maturation of Heart Valves

Congenital heart valve defects appear in 2 percent of all live births, making them the most common type of birth defect. While some of these defects have been linked to specific genetic mutations, the majority have no clearly definable genetic cause, suggesting that epigenetic factors – changes in gene expression versus an alteration in the genetic code -- play an important role.

Penn Study Links Mutations in Notch Gene to Role in B Cell Cancers

Notch is one of the most frequently mutated genes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common leukemia in adults in the United States. It is also often mutated in other common B cell tumors, such as mantle cell lymphoma. However, the role of Notch in these cancers has been uncertain.

Karen Kreeger

Penn Study Shows How Female Immune Cells Keep Their Second X Chromosome Shut Off

Autoimmune diseases tend to strike women more than men and having multiple X chromosomes could be the main reason why. While a process called X chromosome inactivation serves to balance out gene dosage between males and females, some genes on the “inactive X” chromosome in immune cells can sometimes escape this process, giving women an extra dose of immunity-related gene expression.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Seven Penn Faculty Members Elected to National Academy of Medicine

Seven University of Pennsylvania faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), one of the nation’s highest honors in biomedicine. They are among 70 new U.S. and 10 international members of the globally renowned organization.

Karen Kreeger, Michele W. Berger



In the News


Philadelphia Inquirer

COVID patient who survived coma reunites with Penn care team

A COVID patient who survived his coma recently reunited with the Penn Medicine care team that helped save his life, including Jennifer Olenik of the Perelman School of Medicine.

FULL STORY →



CNN

Vaping immediately affects vascular health and oxygen levels, study shows, even without nicotine

Research published by Marianne Nabbout while a resident at the Perelman School of Medicine finds that vaping has an immediate effect on blood vessels even if an e-cigarette doesn’t contain nicotine.

FULL STORY →



Fox 29 (Philadelphia)

Former patient gives thanks to PA hospital staff after surviving coma, COVID-19 battle

A former COVID patient who spent six months in a coma returned to thank the Penn Medicine team that contributed to his survival, including Megan Carr-Lettieri.

FULL STORY →



Philadelphia Inquirer

Is there a chemical link to memory loss? Penn researchers get $11M to study dementia causes

The National Institutes of Health have awarded $11 million to Aimin Chen of the Perelman School of Medicine to study the link between chemical exposures and dementia.

FULL STORY →



Forbes

Insomnia may be more common than you think. Here’s what to know

According to Penn Medicine, about 1 in 4 Americans experiences difficulty with sleep each year.

FULL STORY →