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Health Sciences
Kevin B. Mahoney named CEO of University of Pennsylvania Health System
The Penn Medicine leader, who will assume this new role on July 1, is praised for developing visionary health system infrastructure and supporting lifesaving innovations in medicine.
Got milk? Penn Vet helps animal farmers get more from healthy herds
The Penn Vet Center for Animal Health and Productivity brings veterinarians directly to farms to help clients improve health and productivity in food animal herds and flocks.
Behind the scenes, complex disease surveillance protects the campus community
Beyond promoting vaccines and overall health education, Campus Health, the public health arm of Student Health Service, is watching for clusters of common illnesses, unusual diagnoses, and anything out of the ordinary.
Patients discharged to home care have higher rates of hospital readmissions
A Penn study highlights important tradeoffs between home versus nursing facilities as the cost for post-acute care rises and payment models shift.
Can closing homeless encampments help Philadelphia’s opioid problem?
According to a new report, the city’s recent effort opened up treatment spots for people with opioid addiction and offered permanent and temporary housing options.
Demystifying genomic technology for veterinary researchers
The School of Veterinary Medicine’s Center for Host-Microbial Interactions helps researchers delving into ‘omics’ to promote animal and human health.
Shining a (UV) light on hospital infections
A rolling, six-foot-tall UV light device assigned to each floor of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania rids hospital rooms of harmful organisms after every discharge, preventing infection.
How do consumers respond to surprise medical bills?
New research examines how consumers proceed with choosing medical care after receiving a “surprise bill” from an out-of-network expense.
Bringing healthy smiles to Philadelphia communities
In health care facilities embedded around Philadelphia, students and faculty from the School of Dental Medicine are ramping up the care they provide to underserved populations.
Green labs group strives to make science more sustainable
With a Green Labs working group, Elicia Preston of the Perelman School of Medicine and the University’s Sustainability Office in Facilities and Real Estate Services are striving to make the pursuit of scientific research a more eco-friendly endeavor.
In the News
PBS NewsHour
Genetic research has a white bias, and it may be hurting everyone’s health
PIK Professor Sarah Tishkoff and Giorgio Sirugo of the Perelman School of Medicine collaborated on a paper that concluded that predominately European genetic databases may lead to difficulties treating people from other racial backgrounds. “If we don’t include ethnically diverse populations, we are potentially going to be exacerbating health inequalities,” said Tishkoff.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Using catheter to replace heart valve better than open-heart surgery, studies suggest
Wilson Szeto of the Perelman School of Medicine said more research and “longer follow-up” are necessary to confirm beneficial outcomes from a new aortic-valve-replacement procedure.
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Wired.co.uk
Genetic research is the wrong way to make sense of ADHD
Jason Schnittker of the School of Arts and Sciences said that linking mental illness to genetics won’t do much to reduce stigma. Instead, he proposed, “it would help to show that mental illnesses are common, even if they’re not diagnosed, and while they can be severe, they can be managed effectively.”
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Today.com
Doctors weigh in on potential benefits of taking a cold shower
Helene Glassberg of the Perelman School of Medicine said those at risk of heart disease should avoid jumping into cold pools or showers. “Abrupt exposure to cold water causes your blood vessels to restrict, causes you to take a deep breath, causes your heart rate and blood pressure to potentially go up and this could potentially cause a stressor on the heart.”
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Philadelphia Inquirer
5 questions: Is your body clock important?
Carsten Skarke of the Perelman School of Medicine offered a primer on chronobiology and how our body clocks might affect medical treatments. “The big hope is that we can find a way to synchronize the time of treatment with the molecular time of the patient.”
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