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Postdocs
A plant-based, oral delivery of insulin regulates blood sugar levels similar to natural insulin
A new, affordable method of insulin delivery developed by Henry Daniell of the School of Dental Medicine lowers the risk of hypoglycemia when compared to current diabetes treatments.
On a different wavelength, Nader Engheta leads a community in light
2023 Franklin Medal winner Engheta is one of the world’s biggest names in wave physics. The Penn Engineering professor is renowned for his unique approach to science, combining technical brilliance, creativity, and care.
The evolution of societal cooperation
Research led by the School of Arts & Sciences’ Joshua Plotkin and Taylor Kessinger sheds light on the impact of social contexts and multilayered societies on promoting cooperative behavior.
Social conformity in pandemics: How our behaviors spread faster than the virus itself
Researchers led by former postdoc Bryce Morsky and Erol Akçay of the School of Arts & Sciences have produced a model for disease transmission that factors in the effects of social dynamics, specifically, how masking and social distancing are affected by social norms.
Beyond the pipette and the stethoscope, students explore biology’s societal impacts
The new Biology and Society course, supported by SNF Paideia, gave biology majors the chance to explore how scientists must contend with subjects such as health equity and vaccine hesitancy.
Scholarship beyond the written word
Ethnomusicologist Juan Castrillón, the inaugural Gilbert Seldes Multimodal Postdoctoral Fellow at the Annenberg School for Communication, is on a quest to get other academics to see multimedia work as he does: on par with scholarly text.
From a small town in Lebanon to cancer research
When Mayassa Bou-Dargham, a postdoctoral fellow in Penn’s Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute received a pilot project grant, a banner was hung in her Lebanese hometown. Getting there took years of determination, self-confidence and, in small part, fate.
From glacier ice, a wealth of scientific data
Biogeochemist Jon Hawkings of the School of Arts & Sciences and his lab study glaciers to understand the cycling of elements through Earth’s waters, soils, and air in its coldest regions, with implications for climate change, ecosystem health, and more.
The future of health research in Malawi
A workshop convened by Penn, University College Dublin, and the Young Researchers Forum in Malawi brought together stakeholders to discuss the African nation’s use of technology in health care and the double burden of non-communicable and infectious diseases.
How species partnerships evolve
Biologists from the School of Arts & Sciences explored how symbiotic relationships between species evolve to become specific or general, cooperative, or antagonistic.
In the News
GLP-1s ‘modestly lower’ the risk for depression in adults with diabetes
A study by postdoc Huilin Tang of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues finds that GLP-1 hormones can reduce the risk of depression among older adults with diabetes.
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These two personality traits make you instantly more attractive, say studies of over 4,000 people
A study by postdoc Natalia Kononov of the Wharton School suggests that kindness and helpfulness can make someone more attractive, regardless of the situation or relationship.
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Scientists found a brain switch that could turn anxiety on and off
A study by postdoc Pei Wern Chin of the School of Arts & Sciences found that anxiety behaviors in mice could be controlled by either stimulating or inhibiting the neurons that release serotonin in the cerebellum.
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Dogs may be able to communicate by pressing buttons, research suggests
Postdoc Amritha Mallikarjun of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that dogs use buttons as a trained behavior to try and get the things they want.
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Dogs really are communicating via button boards, new research suggests
Postdoc Amritha Mallikarjun of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that dogs are using button boards to communicate non-randomly and with intent, although they don’t necessarily have formal language ability.
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Keto diet supplement could boost a cancer treatment's effectiveness
A study by Perelman School of Medicine student Puneeth Guruprasad and postdoc Shan Liu suggests that a component of the keto diet could boost CAR T cell therapy to help treat cancer.
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