Medicine | Penn Today

Anti-obesity medication boosts weight loss when behavioral therapy falls short

Adding an anti-obesity medication just one month after behavioral therapy begins—rather than waiting the currently recommended six months—can more than double weight loss for patients who struggle initially with lifestyle changes alone, according to new research published in Nature Medicine from a team at the Perelman School of Medicine.

1 min. read

Healio

Ambient scribe tool increases efficiency, reduces documentation burden for clinicians

A study by Anna Schoenbaum of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues found that ambient scribing technology significantly decreased clinical documentation burden for health care professionals at an academic medical center.

nocred

Kathryn Griffo named Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations at Penn

Griffo has worked at Penn for nearly two decades, serving most recently as Chief Advancement Officer for Penn Medicine Development and Alumni Relations.

3 min. read

The Conversation

Fewer deaths, new substances and evolving treatments in Philly’s opioid epidemic − 4 essential reads

Rachel McFadden of Penn Medicine explains the protocol for treating serious wounds caused by tissue death or necrosis due to opioid use.

2024 PEP and PIP winners: Where are they now?

Nearly a year after being awarded the 2024 President’s Engagement Prize and President’s Innovation Prize, the recipients—now alumni—provide updates on their projects.

5 min. read

Scientific American

Four ways the COVID-causing virus changed science

Susan Weiss of the Perelman School of Medicine says that the successful race to develop vaccines, especially those based on messenger RNA, was probably the most important lesson from the pandemic.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Where have all the primary-care doctors gone?

In an opinion essay, Amanda Finegold Swain of the Perelman School of Medicine writes about the continuing shortage of primary-care doctors.

Yahoo! News

Why researchers are sure that the COVID vaccine saved millions of lives

According to a 2024 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, a growing number of Americans mistakenly believe that COVID vaccines have been responsible for thousands of deaths.

A petri dish in a lab labeled Avian Flu HSN4

Older adults might be more resistant to bird flu infections than children

New research from Penn Medicine finds that previous exposures to older flu strains prime the immune system to produce antibodies against H5N1, and children would likely benefit the most from H5N1 vaccinations.

Prevention

A new study just unlocked one surprising key to better sleep

Mina Massaro-Giordano of the Perelman School of Medicine says that exposure to the blue light wavelength can help regulate circadian rhythm.

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