Ants and naked mole-rats and societal roles In eusocial superorganisms like leafcutter ant colonies, labor is divvied up according to body shape and size, but PIK Professor Shelley Berger and her team discovered that molecular signals can override that blueprint. Their findings reveal how simple neuropeptides can reprogram ant behavior, reshuffling roles in nature’s most disciplined workforce.(Image: Courtesy of Tierney Scarpa) Ants and naked mole-rats and societal roles PIK Professor Shelley Berger and colleagues explored the genetic basis of labor distribution in communal-dwelling species and discovered that pathways dating back hundreds of millions of years are conserved across animal kingdoms. Their findings offer fundamental insights into complex social behaviors. 5 min. read
The perils and promise of GLP-1 medications Image: rudi_suardi via Getty Images The perils and promise of GLP-1 medications How Penn Nursing researchers are ahead of the curve. 5 min. read
Could gene therapy restore lost hearing? Image: Courtesy of Penn Medicine Magazine Could gene therapy restore lost hearing? Experts at Penn Medicine are working to understand the genetic architecture of hearing loss in adults at the Penn Center for Adult-Onset Hearing Loss. 2 min. read
$50 million gift to launch the Lurie Autism Institute Jeffrey Lurie, CEO and Chairman of the Philadelphia Eagles, speaks at an event announcing the Lurie Autism Institute, a joint initiative between CHOP and Penn Medicine.nocred $50 million gift to launch the Lurie Autism Institute The transformational gift to Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia will establish a joint initiative for autism research and treatment. 4 min. read
How cable news has diverged from broadcast news Image: simonkr via Getty Images How cable news has diverged from broadcast news A team of researchers from the Computational Social Science Lab at the University of Pennsylvania find that cable news has increasingly diverged from broadcast news in the topics covered and language used. 3 min. read
The FBI’s secret impact on American broadcasting The FBI’s secret impact on American broadcasting A new Annenberg School for Communication study of declassified FBI files documents how the Bureau wielded the fear of communist infiltration to infiltrate the broadcasting industry itself.
AI x Science Postdoctoral Fellows collaborate across disciplines Penn’s AI x Science Postdoctoral Fellows Program is breaking down traditional scientific boundaries by integrating artificial intelligence across diverse research fields. Less than a year in, the program is already paying dividends in the form of new collaborations and research publications for inaugural fellows like Brynn Sherman (left) of the School of Arts & Sciences and Kieran Murphy (right) of the School of Engineering and Applied Science.nocred AI x Science Postdoctoral Fellows collaborate across disciplines The new fellowship program, offered through the School of Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, offers mentorship and peer engagement opportunities. 5 min. read
Improving care for disadvantaged patients Improving care for disadvantaged patients New research from Penn Nursing provides insight on the critical factors that help or hinder hospital nurses in delivering quality care to socially disadvantaged patients. 1 min. read
Chronic absenteeism and low graduation rates cost California billions Chronic absenteeism and low graduation rates cost California billions A new report from Penn GSE’s Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education puts numbers on California’s educational challenges. 2 min. read
Improving T-cell responses to vaccines Image: franckreporter via Getty Images Improving T-cell responses to vaccines Penn Vet and Penn Medicine researchers have modified mRNA vaccines to include the cytokine IL-12 and improve T-cell responses which could improve the body’s ability to fight infections. 3 min. read