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Genetics
The sociology and science of genomes and biomes
The sociology and science of genomes and biomes
Rebecca Mueller studies how infectious microbes like the coronavirus can affect communities of people with genetic vulnerabilities.
Away from the lab bench, Khoa Tran is a ‘science superhero’
Away from the lab bench, Khoa Tran is a ‘science superhero’
The research fellow in the Berger Lab and co-founder of JKX Comics makes science and STEM disciplines more accessible by translating abstruse concepts into approachable comics.
Progress toward a treatment for Krabbe disease
Progress toward a treatment for Krabbe disease
The inherited disease, which typically kills children before their second birthday, has no cure, but a School of Veterinary Medicine study in a canine model offers hope for an effective gene therapy with lasting results.
New genetic cause of an inherited neuropathy discovered
New genetic cause of an inherited neuropathy discovered
A discovery by Penn researchers in siblings may hold answers to new gene therapies for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
Rare genetic mutation leaves people at higher risk for multiple cancers
Rare genetic mutation leaves people at higher risk for multiple cancers
Researchers find a new and previously undiscovered mutation in a particular gene associated with a higher risk of multiple kinds of cancer, and can lead to modified screenings for this particular gene protein.
Researchers identify novel genetic variants linked to Type 2 diabetes
Researchers identify novel genetic variants linked to Type 2 diabetes
Largest-ever study of its kind finds variants that may predispose some people to develop the disease and related conditions like coronary heart disease and chronic kidney disease.
Parasites and the microbiome
Parasites and the microbiome
In a study of ethnically diverse people from Cameroon, the presence of a parasite infection was closely linked to the make-up of the gastrointestinal microbiome, according to a research team led by Penn scientists.
DNA misfolding in white blood cells increases risk for Type 1 diabetes
DNA misfolding in white blood cells increases risk for Type 1 diabetes
A new Penn Medicine study shows that changes in a DNA sequence may cause chromosomes to misfold in a way that elevates the risk for autoimmune diseases.
How our ‘birth environment’ can influence our health
How our ‘birth environment’ can influence our health
Mary Regina Boland studies how one’s “birth environment,” or the factors that a mother experienced while pregnant, affects health risks later in life, and what can actually be predicted while still in the womb.
Three Penn faculty named 2020 Sloan Research Fellows
Three Penn faculty named 2020 Sloan Research Fellows
Engineer Liang Feng, neuroscientist Erica Korb, and statistician Weijie Su each received the competitive and prestigious award honoring early-career researchers.
In the News
Philadelphia Inquirer
A Philly biotech got $60M from a TED initiative for AI in medicine
David Fajgenbaum of the Perelman School of Medicine helped found Every Cure, a biotechnology nonprofit that employs AI to help match existing treatments to new diseases.
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Stat
Study of gender-affirming care reveals immune system sex differences
Montserrat Anguera of the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Veterinary Medicine comments on the work to comprehensively examine the impact of gender-affirming care on the immune system.
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The New York Times
A disease that makes children age rapidly gets closer to a cure
Kiran Musunuru of the Perelman School of Medicine says there’s no guarantee that gene editing which worked well in mice will also work with human patients.
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USA Today
She’s fighting to stop the brain disease that killed her mother before it gets her
Kiran Musunuru of the Perelman School of Medicine comments on shutting off genetic signals in the brain to hold off diseases.
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The Washington Post
FDA approves two sickle cell therapies, including first CRISPR medicine
Kiran Musunuru of the Perelman School of Medicine says that gene editing will be the biggest story of the century.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
More than 260,000 Penn Medicine patients have agreed to share their DNA for research, and the discoveries are just getting started
More than 260,000 people have signed up to participate in Penn Medicine BioBank, co-directed by Marilyn Ritchie and Dan Rader, which cross-references DNA with electronic health records to discover genetic variants of medical conditions.
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