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Michele W. Berger
Senior Science News Officer
mwberger@upenn.edu
Medicine
Opiate overdoses spike in Black Philadelphians, but drop in white residents since COVID-19
Opiate overdoses spike in Black Philadelphians, but drop in white residents since COVID-19
New research into opioid overdoses that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic highlights new disparities along racial lines that are likely fueled by existing inequality.
When words aren’t enough, medical students go back to the drawing board
When words aren’t enough, medical students go back to the drawing board
A Penn Medicine class helps students hone their visual art skills to help patients understand their medical treatment better via visual aids that bridge communication gaps and outline their care.
Mutations commonly linked to breast cancer found to pose no increased risk
Mutations commonly linked to breast cancer found to pose no increased risk
Several genetic mutations previously linked to breast cancer and included on commercial genetic tests were found not to increase a woman’s risk of disease, according to a multi-institutional population study of more than 64,000 women.
New statistical method exponentially increases ability to discover genetic insights
New statistical method exponentially increases ability to discover genetic insights
A test of the Sum-Share method found 1,734 genetic variations associated with cardiovascular-related conditions when just one had previously been likely.
New treatment target discovered that halts osteoarthritis-like knee cartilage degeneration
New treatment target discovered that halts osteoarthritis-like knee cartilage degeneration
Penn Medicine researchers have used nanotechnology and previous knowledge of a protein pathway to significantly reduce knee cartilage degeneration and pain.
Two Penn faculty named Hastings Center Fellows
Two Penn faculty named Hastings Center Fellows
Scott D. Halpern and Jennifer Prah Ruger are acknowledged for their outstanding accomplishments in ethics and health.
Too many donor kidneys are discarded in U.S. before transplantation
Too many donor kidneys are discarded in U.S. before transplantation
A new study finds kidneys discarded as low-quality in the U.S are similar to kidneys transplanted with acceptable outcomes in France.
How researchers scrub Twitter for health data from real humans—not bots
How researchers scrub Twitter for health data from real humans—not bots
For more than 10 years, Graciela Gonzalez-Hernandez has been studying natural language across social media to inform clinical care, carefully sifting through language to determine which voices qualify as patient experiences.
How medical schools can transform curriculums to undo racial biases
How medical schools can transform curriculums to undo racial biases
Penn Medicine researchers find that lectures and assessments misuse race, playing a role in perpetuating physician bias.
Older, nonwhite patients access telemedicine significantly less among patients overall
Older, nonwhite patients access telemedicine significantly less among patients overall
A new study out of Penn Medicine finds minorities, older populations, non-English speakers, and those with lower incomes face inequities in accessing telemedicine care.
Media Contact
In the News
The New York Times
Need a new knee or hip? A robot may help install it
Matthew Sloan of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the increase in hip and knee replacement surgeries in the past 20 years. “Among the older patients, the big driver is the desire to stay active,” he said.
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The New York Times
Why are we so afraid of fevers?
Paul Offit of the Perelman School of Medicine said treating fevers can prolong or worsen an illness because immunity works better at higher temperatures. While fever reducers can relieve uncomfortable symptoms, “You’re not supposed to feel better,” he said. “You’re supposed to stay under the covers, keep warm, and ride out the infection. We have fevers for a reason.”
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The New York Times
Should you bank your baby’s cord blood?
Steven Joffe of the Perelman School of Medicine said the cost of private cord blood banking is hard to justify at this point, unless someone in the family is known to have a blood disorder that required a stem cell transplant. “The data suggest there might be a little help there, but I find it not at all convincing,” he said.
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BBC
COVID vaccines: An opportunity for science?
Alison Buttenheim of the School of Nursing spoke about the hesitancy surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine. “It looks like right now about half of adults, in the U.S. at least, say they are likely to get the vaccine—this moves around a bit—but another 20-30% either say they’re maybe unlikely or might want to wait,” she says.
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6ABC.com
Dr. David Fajgenbaum and Ajay Raju—Overheard part II
David Fajgenbaum of the Perelman School of Medicine was interviewed about surviving Castleman Disease.
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The New York Times
Dermatology has a problem with skin color
Susan Taylor of the Perelman School of Medicine co-authored “Dermatology for Skin of Color,” a textbook about treating skin conditions in people with darker skin tones. “We shouldn’t have to write separate textbooks—that information should be integrated into the quote-unquote standard textbooks,” she said.
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