Penn engineers turn toxic fungus into anti-cancer drug A sample of Aspergillus flavus cultured in the Gao Lab.(Image: Bella Ciervo) Penn engineers turn toxic fungus into anti-cancer drug Penn-led researchers have isolated a new class of molecules from Aspergillus flavus, a toxic crop fungus, and modified it into a promising cancer-killing compound 2 min. read
Feedback for surgeons curbs excess opioid prescription scripts Feedback for surgeons curbs excess opioid prescription scripts A new study from Penn Medicine shows providing tailored data improves prescribing and maintains patient comfort. 2 min. read
Heat domes and flooding have nearly tripled since the ’50s Record-breaking temperatures lingered over the Northwest during a historic heatwave in June, 2021 in Vancouver, Washington.(Image: Nathan Howard via AP Images) Heat domes and flooding have nearly tripled since the ’50s New research led by Michael E. Mann links a surge in stalled jet stream events to human-driven climate change, with major implications for future heatwaves, wildfires, and floods. 7 min. read
Creating a classroom democracy nocred Creating a classroom democracy Through a Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia course, assistant professor of history Sarah Gronningsater and her students resuscitate early American history. 2 min. read
Food waste: Recycling, not discarding, offers huge environmental benefits (Image: Courtesy of Zhengxia Dou) Food waste: Recycling, not discarding, offers huge environmental benefits Researchers at Penn Vet examine how common food waste recycling methods, including composting, could have a big impact on greenhouse gas emissions and the use of natural resources. 5 min. read
Nancy A. Speck honored for pioneering research in hematology Nancy A. Speck honored for pioneering research in hematology Speck, the John W. Eckman Professor in Medical Science II and chair of the department of Cell and Developmental Biology in the Perelman School of Medicine, has been named the 2025 recipient of the E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize from the American Society of Hematology.
Professor Philip Rea wins Jesse H. Neal Award for Scientific Journalism Professor Philip Rea wins Jesse H. Neal Award for Scientific Journalism Rea, professor of biology in Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences and Belldegrun Distinguished Director of the Vagelos Program in Life Sciences & Management has won the Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Technical/Scientific Content for his article “Gliflozins for Diabetes: From Bark to Bench to Bedside,” published in American Scientist.
Huan Tang on the financial power of data-sharing among firms Huan Tang on the financial power of data-sharing among firms In her study, “Data as a Networked Asset,” assistant professor of finance at Wharton Huan Tang finds that companies are connected not only by products or supply chains, but by the information they exchange. 2 min. read
Exhibition as conversation Exterior view of “(Ex)Urban Futures of the Recent Past” at Galleria Thomas Schultz in Berlin.(Image: Courtesy of Weitzman News) Exhibition as conversation For three faculty members in the Department of Fine Arts, curating exhibitions offers the opportunity to explore relationships between works of art, art and politics, history, and the environment. 2 min. read
Decoding ancient immunity networks A collaborative team from the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Perelman School of Medicine have unraveled the mathematics of a 500-million-year-old protein network that acts like the body’s bouncer, “deciding” which foreign materials get degraded by immune cells and which are allowed entry.(Image / iStock Md Saiful Islam Khan) Decoding ancient immunity networks A collaborative team from Penn Medicine and Penn Engineering have unraveled the mathematics of a 500-million-year-old protein network that “decides” which foreign materials are friend or foe. 5 min. read