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Wellness
New intervention increases healthy behavior among South African adolescents
A new study from the Annenberg School for Communication led by John B. Jemmott found that a specially designed health intervention given to South African youth improved healthy eating and amount of exercise, with effects lasting at least 4.5 years.
For Kennett Square’s mushroom farmworkers, healthy interventions come directly to the workplace
With the President’s Engagement Prize, seniors José Maciel and Antonio Renteria plan to bring subjects like nutrition and sleep to the workers, reinforcing preventive screenings already provided by a local, federally qualified health center.
A cardiologist’s take on the keto diet
Does the keto diet improve blood sugar and lessen cardiovascular risk factors, or does it lead to spikes in bad cholesterol, heart problems, and hypoglycemia? One doctor looks to science for answers.
How a year in space affects the brain
Penn Medicine’s Mathias Basner discusses the NASA Twins Study, which analyzed astronaut Scott Kelly’s physical and mental health after he spent 340 days in space, and found that Kelly’s performance on a cognitive test battery dropped when he returned to Earth for six months.
Weekly paid professional staff learn resilience through free, online opportunity
Offered through the Online Learning Initiative and the College of Liberal and Professional Studies, the course teaches participants resilience, gratitude, authenticity, and more.
University of Pennsylvania receives $6 million Stavros Niarchos Foundation gift to launch Paideia Program
Penn announced a $6 million gift to launch the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program, which will reimagine the ancient Greek ideal Paideia—or “education of the whole person”—with courses focusing on wellness, service, and citizenship.
College campuses are thinking about lactation spaces—but could be doing more
Breastfeeding mothers in higher-education environments can typically find a place to pump, but only recently have institutions begun to prioritize access to this resource.
The link between sleep, genes, and mental health
Whether you’re a night owl or a morning lark could affect your risk of developing a psychiatric disorder.
What do opponents of genetically modified foods really know about the science?
The study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, found that the strongest critics actually know less—a pattern similar for gene therapy, but not for climate change.
Can music improve anxiety and depression for people with memory disorders?
That’s the aim of a recently completed pilot program connecting Penn Memory Center patients, Penn graduate students, and Curtis Institute musicians.
In the News
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
Scientists Isolate Human Lung Progenitor Cells That Repair Alveolar Damage
Edward E. Morrisey, of the Perelman School of Medicine, has co-authored a paper on lung stem cells in mice and humans, which may lead to the development of new strategies for human lung regeneration.
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Science News
Improving Family-based Comm. Key to Enhancing Sexual Health Outcomes of GBQ Adolescents
Research by Dalmacio Flores in the School of Nursing has highlighted missed opportunities for sexual-health education between gay, bisexual, or queer adolescent males and their parents.
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