Research | Penn Today

Unveiling the brain’s reward circuitry

A new study from Penn Nursing identifies 34 subtypes of neurons in the brain that play potential roles in substance use disorders.

These tiny worms live in eyes, feed on tears and could transmit to humans

Researchers led by Caroline Sobotyk of the School of Veterinary Medicine found more than a dozen parasitic worms in the eyes of a black bear, renewing fears that humans could face danger from the blindness-causing worms.

Kyla Ortved watches Sidney Wong work under hood in lab.

A summer researching equine osteoarthritis and a potential treatment

Through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program, rising second-year Sidney Wong has conducted research in the lab of Kyla Ortved at Penn Vet.

Dementia may not be as common among Parkinson’s patients as thought

A study by Daniel Weintraub of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that dementia is not inevitable with Parkinson’s and is actually less common than presumed.

A person driving pressing a button on a mounted smartphone.

To get drivers to put down their phones, make it a game

A large trial of strategies to reduce distracted driving presented by Penn Medicine experts show that those that were “gamified” yielded a lasting reduction in handheld phone usage while driving.

What happened to crash rates when one state legalized speed cameras?

A study by Erick Guerra of the Weitzman School of Design and colleagues suggests that speed cameras lead to a substantial and statistically significant reduction in fatalities and crashes.

If you’re not getting a good night’s rest, it might be time for sleep ‘physical therapy’

According to a 2018 study from the Perelman School of Medicine, a quarter of Americans develop acute insomnia every year.

Want students to succeed? Give them safe homes

A 2021 Penn study showed that home repairs in low-income, predominantly Black neighborhoods led to a decrease in crime.

Four doctors and nurses having a discussion in a hospital hallway.

Uncovering the extent and drivers of burnout among Hispanic nurses

School of Nursing researchers found higher rates of burnout among Hispanic nurses, driven by a younger average age and poorer work environments.

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Breaking through the mysteries of predicting coma recovery

Penn Medicine’s David Fischer created the RECOVER (REcovery of COnsciousness Via Evidence-Based Medicine and Research) program to provide specialized, comprehensive, and ongoing care for coma patients in various stages of coma recovery.

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