Innovation

carl june

Cancer cell therapy pioneer Carl June receives the Sanford Lorraine Cross Award

The Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center received the award for his work in developing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy.

Steve Graff ・

Overhead view of a medical worker in full PPE discussing a COVID spit test with a student on campus.

Reflecting on a year shaped by COVID-19

Penn Today brings together noteworthy stories and images from the past year and highlights ways for individual members of the Penn community to share their personal experiences.

Erica K. Brockmeier, Katherine Unger Baillie ・

A robot made of blocks of ice on a table.

GRASP Lab’s coolest robot yet

The Lab’s latest GRASP Lab’s latest modular robotic system is a series of units made out of blocks of ice. These robots could be deployed to research in the Antarctic, or even an extraterrestrial planet.

Evan Lerner ・

A close-up of a person standing outside.

Repurposing a proven gene therapy approach to treat, prevent COVID-19

In a Q&A, Penn Medicine’s James M. Wilson discusses using adeno-associated viral vectors to transport a lab-made antibody cocktail into the body. This method, delivered via nasal spray or mist, has the potential to act as a “bioshield” against SARS-CoV-2.

Michele W. Berger ・

A gloved hands holds two small pieces of ceramic dental technology.

Embracing digital dentistry

The School of Dental Medicine is enhancing and integrating its digital capabilities, opening up new possibilities for training students, conducting research, and delivering seamless and cutting-edge patient care.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・



In the News


Philadelphia Inquirer

Philly schools could be on the forefront of using AI. Here’s what that means

Penn has partnered with the Philadelphia School District to launch a pilot program to train teachers and administrators on how best to integrate artificial intelligence in city schools, featuring remarks from L. Michael Golden of the Graduate School of Education.

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The Irish Times (Dublin)

Bosses struggle to police workers’ use of AI

Ethan Mollick of the Wharton School says that workers who privately use generative AI to accelerate their work might not be willing to admit it.

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Bloomberg

Supreme Court will hear TikTok’s challenge to looming U.S. ban

Justin (Gus) Hurwitz of Penn Carey Law says that the heart of the TikTok ban case is balancing the First Amendment against both national security concerns and the court’s deference to Congress and the executive branch.

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CNBC

Family offices face hidden risks in making direct investments

According to a study by Raphael “Raffi” Amit of the Wharton School and colleagues, direct investments in private companies could mean taking on more risk than expected if family offices aren’t leveraging their resources.

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The Conversation

When AI goes shopping: AI agents promise to lighten your purchasing load—if they can earn your trust

Ethan Mollick of the Wharton School says that the adoption of AI in everyday life will be gradual, as societal change typically lags behind technological advancement.

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Technical.ly Philly

What a new innovation index tells us about Philadelphia

Penn is lauded for its research and development efforts, including the modified mRNA technique that was commercialized into a COVID vaccine and won its researchers a Nobel Prize last year.

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