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Research
How deadly parasites choose to be male
How deadly parasites choose to be male
Penn Vet researchers reveal the gene expression across the life cycle of Cryptosporidium and identify the determinant of maleness.
Experimental mRNA avian flu vaccine
Experimental mRNA avian flu vaccine
Promising preclinical results from a new Penn Medicine study suggest an mRNA vaccine platform could limit the impact of avian flu pandemics.
Brewing brilliance
Brewing brilliance
Nader Engheta and Firooz Aflatouni of Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science turn tea time into new ideas.
B cells drive responses of other immune cells, can be modified to prevent multiple sclerosis symptoms
B cells drive responses of other immune cells, can be modified to prevent multiple sclerosis symptoms
Penn Medicine research finds that abnormally active B cell metabolism causes an inflammatory immune response in individuals with MS.
The case for omega-3 supplementation to lower aggression
The case for omega-3 supplementation to lower aggression
A new meta-analysis by neurocriminologist Adrian Raine shows that omega-3 supplementation can reduce aggressive behavior across age and gender.
How much gossip is needed to foster social cooperation?
How much gossip is needed to foster social cooperation?
Researchers Mari Kawakatsu, Taylor A. Kessinger, and Joshua B. Plotkin in Penn’s Department of Biology developed a model incorporating two forms of gossip to study indirect reciprocity.
Offering both colonoscopy and at-home tests doubled colorectal cancer screening
Offering both colonoscopy and at-home tests doubled colorectal cancer screening
In a Penn Medicine trial analyzing how messages were framed in an underserved population, offering colorectal cancer screening options resulted in the highest screening rate.
More than two hearts beat as one
More than two hearts beat as one
PIK Professor Michael Platt and collaborators studied how physiologic measures like cardiac synchrony can guide decision making in groups. Their study found that heart rate synchrony was a much better predictor than standard questionnaire-based surveys.
Exploring wildlife medicine in a summer externship
Exploring wildlife medicine in a summer externship
Two graduating Penn Vet students reflect on their Rocky Mountain Wildlife Veterinary Externship experience last summer, researching black-footed ferrets, bighorn sheep, and elk.
What predicts human behavior and how to change it
What predicts human behavior and how to change it
In the largest quantitative synthesis to date, Dolores Albarracín and her team dig through years of research on the science behind behavior change to determine the best ways to promote changes in behavior.
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.
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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%.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Fortune
Experts say mortgage rates will stay high as Trump inflation fears negate expected Fed cut
A paper co-authored by Pinar Yildirim of the Wharton School finds that worsening job prospects from automation decrease long-term investments in housing and education, which causes residents to increasingly vote for candidates with populist agendas.
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