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Exposure to air pollution worsens Alzheimer’s disease
Emissions from a power plant.

Image: Pencho Chukov via Getty Images

Exposure to air pollution worsens Alzheimer’s disease

New research from Penn Medicine finds living in areas with high concentration of air pollution is associated with increased buildup of amyloid and tau proteins in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, accelerating cognitive decline.

Kelsey Geesler

2 min. read

From the frontlines of climate change
Mangroves growing on a small island separated from the mainland due to abrasion in West Java.

Image: Aditya Irawan/NurPhoto via AP Images

From the frontlines of climate change

People living on small islands and territories face mounting climate impacts, but little is known about their stance on the issue. Research from a team including Parrish Bergquist, assistant professor of political science, aims to fill those gaps.

From Omnia

2 min. read

Students use art to change how we communicate about research
Five ceramic art pieces on display.

Image: Courtesy of Penn Medicine News

Students use art to change how we communicate about research

Science is hard to explain. The Artist-in-Residence initiative at Penn’s Translational Research Immersion Program seeks to help by using art.

2 min. read

Understanding atomic disorder and next-gen electronics
Imaging devices surround a material on a blue backlit surface.

A new class of 2D materials known as MXenes holds the key to next-generation applications, such as consumer electronics and medical devices. Now, collaborative research led by Zahra Fakhraai of the School of Arts & Sciences, Aleksandra Vojvodic of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and their collaborators offers fundamental insights into the chemical and geometric mechanisms underlying the synthesis of these materials, a finding that could lead to cleaner, quicker energy conversion and storage for these devices. 

nocred

Understanding atomic disorder and next-gen electronics

A Penn team has developed insight into the chemical and geometric mechanisms underlying the synthesis of new 2D materials, paving the way for next-gen devices, biomedical applications, and cleaner, quicker energy conversion and storage.

5 min. read

Where AI models fall short in mimicking the expressiveness of human speech
Ethan Yang, Jjianjing Kuang, Kevin Li, and Henry Huang.

Through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program, students Ethan Yang, Kevin Li, and Henry Huang worked with linguistics professor Jianjing Kuang to study the ability of AI models to replicate the expressiveness of human speech.

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Where AI models fall short in mimicking the expressiveness of human speech

Undergraduates Kevin Li, Henry Huang, and Ethan Yang worked with linguistics professor Jianjing Kuang to compare speech production and perception by humans and AI—research that can help companies move closer to natural and expressive AI speech.

2 min. read

Foraging patterns and preferences of local honeybees
A person in a beekeeper suit holding a panel covered in bees and honeycomb.

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Foraging patterns and preferences of local honeybees

A new Penn Vet study aims to shed light on honeybees’ foraging habits, with an eye toward aiding their survival.

From Penn Vet

4 min. read

What is real about human-AI relationships?
A screenshot of a Replika chatbot screen.

Image: Courtesy of Annenberg School for Communication

What is real about human-AI relationships?

In a new paper, Annenberg School for Communication doctoral student Arelí Rocha explores how people discuss their relationships with AI chatbots.

Hailey Reissman

2 min. read

Students use machine learning to track and protect whale populations
Chinmay Govind writing equations on a chalkboard.

Chinmay Govind, a rising second-year in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, writes equations on a chalkboard in his team's research space at David Rittenhouse Laboratory. For his portion of the PURM project, Govind used AI to track and map whale locations.

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Students use machine learning to track and protect whale populations

For their Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program project, Chinmay Govind and Nihar Ballamudi leveraged AI to locate and census whales. The study may inform policy measures that help to improve protections for whale populations worldwide.

5 min. read