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Wellness
Quantifying the health risks of being a family caregiver
Health care and economics researchers find that more research is needed in the area of ‘next friend risk,’ or the full dimension of health risks faced by family and friends who become caregivers to the homebound.
For Transplant House families, dinner just got a whole lot better
At the Clyde Barker Penn Transplant House, a partnership with Walnut Hill College and a Penn Medicine CAREs grant brings homemade baked goods to pre- and post-transplant patients and families.
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.
In the News
Penn is offering free Narcan through vending machine on campus
A vending machine on Penn’s campus will offer free Narcan and other wellness and health products, with remarks from Jackie Recktenwald and Benoit Dubé of Wellness at Penn.
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My brother’s recovery from a car crash became a lesson in how to talk to doctors and nurses
Emily Largent of the Perelman School of Medicine writes that communication is part of healing, as she experienced when her brother was in a car accident and unable to notify family himself.
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Millennial HR professionals are entering the C-suite, and their priorities reflect their lived experiences: ‘We spend a lot of time getting to know folks deeply’
Matthew Bidwell of the Wharton School points to an uptick in student interest in employee wellness strategies.
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Stressed? Depressed? Mindfulness training could offer long-term relief
Yvette Sheline of the Perelman School of Medicine is quoted on how many cultures have used different variations of mindfulness, and that classes are generally affordable and accessible in most cities.
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The less college students sleep, the worse their grades, study finds
Two hundred Penn students and staff participating in a seven-week online course to build better sleep habits have reported an overall decrease in symptoms of insomnia, according to Rebecca Huxta of Wellness at Penn.
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New on the job: Penn director of well-being initiatives creates tools for success
As Wellness at Penn’s inaugural director of well-being initiatives, doctoral candidate Jackie Recktenwald of the Graduate School of Education is looking to improve student health and wellness across campus.
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