11/15
Research
Looking to AI to solve antibiotic resistance
Looking to AI to solve antibiotic resistance
Researchers across Penn have developed an artificial intelligence tool for mining genetic elements from ancient molecules to discover new antibiotics.
How unflagged, factual content drives vaccine hesitancy
How unflagged, factual content drives vaccine hesitancy
A new paper from computational social scientist Duncan Watts examines how factual, vaccine-skeptical content on Facebook has a greater overall effect than “fake news,” discouraging millions from the COVID-19 shot.
Understanding inequities in nurses’ moral distress during COVID-19
Understanding inequities in nurses’ moral distress during COVID-19
New research from Penn Nursing shows how poorer resources and communication in hospitals where Black patients predominantly access care impacts feelings of moral distress among nurses.
Researchers upend theory about the formation of the Milky Way Galaxy
Researchers upend theory about the formation of the Milky Way Galaxy
New findings by Robyn Sanderson and collaborators suggest galaxy’s last major collision was billions of years later than previously thought.
Fruitful insights on the brain
Fruitful insights on the brain
Research led by China Byrns of the lab of Nancy M. Bonini in the School of Arts & Sciences have uncovered new details about the role of zombie-like cells in brain aging, using the fruit fly as a model.
New ‘armored’ CAR therapy produces significant responses in cancer patients
New ‘armored’ CAR therapy produces significant responses in cancer patients
For patients whose cancers don't respond to current CAR T cell therapies, a new, modified CAR T cell therapy by Penn’s Carl June shows promise in a phase 1 clinical trial.
New insights on cellular clones and inflammation in bones
New insights on cellular clones and inflammation in bones
Research led by George Hajishengallis of Penn Dental sheds light on an aging-related condition that drives inflammation in older populations.
Public defender shortages
Public defender shortages
A new report by Paul Heaton, director of the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice, shows that nearly every county in Pennsylvania has a shortage of public defenders.
Text reminders help connect health care workers to care and improve their mental health
Text reminders help connect health care workers to care and improve their mental health
Nationwide, health care workers are facing strains to mental health, but Penn Medicine’s regular reminders about its mental health platform lead to significant improvements of symptoms.
Different brain structures in females lead to more severe cognitive deficits after concussion than males
Different brain structures in females lead to more severe cognitive deficits after concussion than males
New Penn Medicine research finds that axons in brains of female mammals may be more vulnerable to damage.
In the News
Education Week
The more students miss class, the worse teachers feel about their jobs
A study co-authored by Michael Gottfried of the Graduate School of Education finds that teacher satisfaction steadily drops as student absenteeism increases.
FULL STORY →
The Washington Post
Diversity will suffer with five-day office mandates, research suggests
A 2024 Wharton School study found that changing job openings to remote work at startups increased female applicants by 15% and minority applicants by 33%.
FULL STORY →
Interesting Engineering
Superhuman vision lets robots see through walls, smoke with new LiDAR-like eyes
Mingmin Zhao of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and colleagues are using radio signals to allow robots to “see” beyond traditional sensor limits.
FULL STORY →
Phys.org
Rising student absenteeism may be hurting teacher job satisfaction
A study by Michael Gottfried and Ph.D. student Colby Woods of the Graduate School of Education finds that student absences are linked to lower teacher job satisfaction, which could exacerbate growing teacher shortages.
FULL STORY →
SciTechDaily
Scientists unveil 16+ distinct nerve cell types behind human touch
A study by Wenqin Lo of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues used detailed analyses of the genes used by individual nerve cells to identify 16 distinct types of nerve cells in humans.
FULL STORY →
Voice of America
Can honeybees and dogs detect cancer earlier than technology?
Cynthia Otto of the School of Veterinary Medicine and colleagues at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center are training dogs to recognize certain cancer odors.
FULL STORY →