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Addiction Disorders
Elizabeth Heller’s lab uncovers how drug addiction can create lasting changes in genes
Elizabeth Heller’s lab uncovers how drug addiction can create lasting changes in genes
Leading a neuroepigenetics lab at her alma mater, Heller and the work of her 10-person lab is focused on molecular brain mechanisms, aiming to uncover chronic changes that can happen and keep happening in the brain long after exposure to addictive substances ends.
Overcoming barriers to treatment for opioid use disorder
Overcoming barriers to treatment for opioid use disorder
New research shows that emergency departments can be a gateway to medications for opioid use disorder.
The origins of the opioid epidemic
The origins of the opioid epidemic
The study, “Origins of the Opioid Crisis and its Enduring Impacts” examines the role of the 1996 introduction and marketing of OxyContin as a potential leading cause of the opioid crisis.
Pregnancy and opioid-use disorder: How to keep pregnant patients and babies healthy
Pregnancy and opioid-use disorder: How to keep pregnant patients and babies healthy
At the Perinatal Resources for Opioid Use Disorder (PROUD) Clinic at Penn Family Care, patients are screened for mental health conditions and supported with integrated care before, during, and after pregnancy.
Barriers and facilitators in treating opioid addiction in the ER
Barriers and facilitators in treating opioid addiction in the ER
Despite effective medications for opioid use disorder, such as buprenorphine and methadone, few people receive treatment. The ongoing challenge is to expand access to these lifesaving treatments to people who need them the most.
Boots on the ground for the opioid task force
Boots on the ground for the opioid task force
Opioid addiction is a “public health emergency,” according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Overdose deaths involving opioids—both prescription and illegal—have increased fivefold between 1999 and 2016.
From addiction and loss to recovery and empathy: Q&A with Nicole O’Donnell
From addiction and loss to recovery and empathy: Q&A with Nicole O’Donnell
At Penn Medicine’s Center of Excellence, the certified recovery specialist reaches out to people who are addicted in need of support and guidance, drawing on her own experience to be uniquely helpful and intuitive for people who need the most help.
A potential new weapon in the battle against addiction
A potential new weapon in the battle against addiction
New research revealed that FDA-approved drugs to treat diabetes and obesity may reduce cocaine relapse and help addicts break the habit. Such medications work by targeting receptors for glucagon-like peptide 1, a hormone in the brain.
Penn takes on Philadelphia’s opioid epidemic
Penn takes on Philadelphia’s opioid epidemic
The University is leveraging its expertise to fight the city’s opioid crisis on multiple fronts.
In the News
Philadelphia Inquirer
Mayor Parker’s plan to ‘remove the presence of drug users’ from Kensington raises new questions
Shoshana Aronowitz of the School of Nursing and Ashish Thakrar of the Perelman School of Medicine comment on the lack of specificity in Philadelphia’s plan to remove drug users from Kensington and on the current state of drug treatment in the city.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Penn study finds ‘dramatic rise’ in patients with opioid addiction who leave hospitals early, against medical advice
Ashish Thakrar of the Perelman School of Medicine comments on his research into the increase in early discharge rates that is co-occurring with the rapid spread of fentanyl in street drug supplies in Philadelphia and across the country.
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The New York Times
How family history influences your drinking
Henry Kranzler of the Perelman School of Medicine says that complete abstinence is an extreme solution for alcohol use disorder but is the one that works the best.
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Associated Press
Election offices are sent envelopes with fentanyl or other substances. Authorities are investigating
Jeanmarie Perrone of the Perelman School of Medicine says that studies simulating exposure from opening envelopes containing powders showed that very little, if any, of the powder becomes aerosolized to cause toxicity through inhalation.
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Prevention
The most exciting health breakthroughs of 2023
Bonnie Milas of the Perelman School of Medicine discusses the dangers of fentanyl and recommends keeping Narcan in household medicine chests.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Camden County launches virtual reality training program to teach people how to use Narcan for drug overdoses
The School of Nursing and the Annenberg School for Communication have partnered with New Jersey’s Camden County to create a virtual reality training video for administering the opioid-reversing drug Narcan.
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