Coronavirus Research

Screenshot of a video call with 13 people

Interning virtually

The Translational Research Internship Program, offered by the Perelman School of Medicine’s Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics Education Programs, provides mentorship for undergraduates as they complete a translational research project.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・

Illustration of a T cell releasing signaling molecules, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-13

Navigating cytokine storms

Pairing their expertise, Nilam Mangalmurti of the Perelman School of Medicine and Christopher Hunter of the School of Veterinary Medicine have been working to understand the protective and harmful aspects of the immune response, including in COVID-19.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・

close-up image of bat on a tree trunk; three bare trees are in the right background

Bats and COVID

A new study from Penn Vet's New Bolton Center tests the guano of North American bats currently in Pennsylvania wildlife rehabilitation centers for the presence of COVID-19.

Kristina García ・

screen shot of zoom call of moderator and three panelists

The business of sports without fans

Wharton professor Adi Wyner led a live, online panel discussion on the future of sports in a post-pandemic world, and how leagues are pivoting their plans and business models to move forward without fans in attendance.

Dee Patel ・



In the News


The New York Times

‘Like a horror movie’: A small border hospital battles the coronavirus

Genevieve Kanter of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about a study she co-authored that warned of disparities in access to critical care facilities amid the pandemic. “Unfortunately, there will be a lot of unnecessary suffering and deaths from COVID-19 because of the lack of I.C.U. capacity in these low-income areas,” she said.

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The New York Times

Scientists uncover biological signatures of the worst COVID-19 cases

John Wherry of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about his research on the distinct immune signatures of severe COVID-19 infections, which can cause the typical immune response to go awry.

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WHYY (Philadelphia)

Philly families live with crushing heartbreak as COVID-19, gun violence crises collide

Zaffer Qasim of the Perelman School of Medicine led a study about the intersection of rising COVID cases and incidents of gun violence. “There’s a significant contribution from COVID-19, but how tight that association is and whether there’s a direct effect of one or the other, that needs a little bit more study,” he said.

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The New York Times

Study of coronavirus in pregnant women finds striking racial differences

Carmen Guerra, Karen Puopolo, and Scott Hensley spoke about research from the Perelman School of Medicine that found that Black and Latinx pregnant Philadelphians are five times as likely as white counterparts to have been exposed to the coronavirus.

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Reuters Health

Scientists focus on how immune system T cells fight coronavirus in absence of antibodies

John Wherry of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the crucial role of T cells in controlling viral infections like COVID-19.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia needs more contact tracers

Lyle Ungar of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Angela Duckworth of the School of Arts & Sciences called for Pennsylvania to hire thousands more contact tracers to slow the spread of COVID-19. While it’s an expensive proposition, they say it’s still less costly than “the $225 million in grants to small businesses affected by the pandemic and the estimated $5 billion in tax revenue that Pennsylvania is expected to lose through June of next year.”

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