11.27
Health Sciences
Translating groundbreaking scientific discoveries into practical technologies
Amidst the numerous challenges posed by COVID-19, the Penn Center for Innovation has continued to facilitate impactful innovations created at Penn, fostering partnerships and helping to realize new products and businesses.
Potential cellular target for eliminating bone breakdown in osteoporosis found
Potential cellular target for eliminating bone breakdown in osteoporosis found
New research has discovered a cell type that governs the way bones form and maintain themselves, opening up a potential target for future therapies for bone disorders like osteoporosis.
Penn joins ‘cryo revolution’ by adding Nobel-winning microscope
Penn joins ‘cryo revolution’ by adding Nobel-winning microscope
The Singh Center’s Krios G3i, an electron microscope for studying samples at extremely low temperatures, allows researchers to look at cells, proteins, and nanoparticles like never before.
Women and minorities value, perceive, and experience professionalism differently
Women and minorities value, perceive, and experience professionalism differently
A new Penn Medicine study finds marginalized groups of people value professionalism more—and are more likely to leave a job at an institution due to issues of professionalism—compared to their white, male counterparts.
One step closer to a clinical fix for the side effects of monovision
One step closer to a clinical fix for the side effects of monovision
Monovision counters the deterioration of the ability to see up close but also causes dramatic visual distortions. New research confirms that a solution that successfully works with trial lenses—the special lenses used by eye doctors—also succeeds with contact lenses.
Two Penn faculty named 2020 AAAS Fellows
Two Penn faculty named 2020 AAAS Fellows
Qi Long and E. Michael Ostap of the Perelman School of Medicine are among a cohort of 489 distinguished scientists recognized with the honor from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Embracing digital dentistry
Embracing digital dentistry
The School of Dental Medicine is enhancing and integrating its digital capabilities, opening up new possibilities for training students, conducting research, and delivering seamless and cutting-edge patient care.
From 84 days to five hours: Telemedicine reduces dermatology consult time
From 84 days to five hours: Telemedicine reduces dermatology consult time
Allowing primary care doctors to take photos and send them to dermatologists improves access to specialty care, without any increase in costs.
The last line of defense: Contact tracers and COVID-19 patients
The last line of defense: Contact tracers and COVID-19 patients
The third in a series of Penn Medicine’s public health outreach to stem the spread of the coronavirus looks at the role of contact tracing.
Donita Brady is ready for the next steps in cancer biology research
Donita Brady is ready for the next steps in cancer biology research
The Presidential Professor of cancer biology leads a team that is working to understand how cancer grows uncontrolled in cells and discovering novel ways to stop it.
In the News
BBC
COVID vaccines: An opportunity for science?
Alison Buttenheim of the School of Nursing spoke about the hesitancy surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine. “It looks like right now about half of adults, in the U.S. at least, say they are likely to get the vaccine—this moves around a bit—but another 20-30% either say they’re maybe unlikely or might want to wait,” she says.
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Nature
Can dogs smell COVID? Here’s what the science says
Cynthia Otto of the School of Veterinary Medicine spoke about training dogs to identify COVID-19 infections by scent. “The dogs can do it. The challenge is the ignorance that we have as humans as to what can confuse the dogs,” she says.
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Los Angeles Times
At-home health tests are booming amid coronavirus. Experts warn about their safety
Perelman School of Medicine researchers, led by Louiza Kalokairinou, studied the pros and cons of at-home COVID-19 testing and found an increased risk of consumers misinterpreting test results.
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MarketWatch
The weirdest sign of COVID-19 fatigue? More Americans are grinding their teeth
Thomas Sollecito of the School of Dental Medicine spoke about the increase in patients experiencing pain from grinding or clenching their teeth. He recommended meditation and physical exercise to reduce stress but encouraged patients with persistent pain and tension to call their dentists.
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WBUR Radio (Boston)
Pfizer concludes coronavirus vaccine trial and will seek FDA approval
Paul Offit of the Perelman School of Medicine weighed in on Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. “I think there is every reason to be enormously optimistic,” he said.
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