7.30
Health Sciences
Spinal fluid biomarkers detect neurodegeneration, Alzheimer’s disease in living patients
Spinal fluid biomarkers detect neurodegeneration, Alzheimer’s disease in living patients
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of neurodegeneration can be identified using a combination of biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid of living patients, Penn researchers find.
100 years of insulin
100 years of insulin
On July 27, 1921, Canadian doctors Frederick Banting and Charles Best successfully isolated the hormone insulin, one of the most important breakthroughs in treating diabetes. Experts from around the University share their thoughts on the medical triumph on the 100th anniversary.
City-funded housing repairs in low-income neighborhoods impacts crime rates
City-funded housing repairs in low-income neighborhoods impacts crime rates
Penn Medicine research suggests that investment in structurally damaged homes in low-income and minority neighborhoods are associated with reduced crime and improved public health.
Safe nurse staffing standards in hospitals saves lives and lowers costs
Safe nurse staffing standards in hospitals saves lives and lowers costs
A new study published in The Lancet Global Health showed that establishing safe nurse staffing standards in hospitals in Chile could save lives, prevent readmissions, shorten hospital stays, and reduce costs.
Penn Medicine’s first living donor uterus transplant
Penn Medicine’s first living donor uterus transplant
Cheryl Cichonski-Urban donated her uterus to Chelsea Jovanovich through Penn Medicine’s Uterus Donation program. In May, Jovanovich gave birth to a baby boy.
Community concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine tracked by Twitter
Community concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine tracked by Twitter
A study of vaccine-related Twitter posts reveals significant differences in concerns people have when broken down by age, race, population density, and religious beliefs.
A COVID vaccine for kids
A COVID vaccine for kids
Jeff Gerber, who is heading the clinical trial of the Moderna vaccine in kids under 12 at CHOP, speaks with Penn Today about the trial and why getting children vaccinated is so essential.
The search for the culprit behind songbird deaths
The search for the culprit behind songbird deaths
Across the United States, songbirds are dying from a mysterious condition. Working with long-established partners, researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine are striving for a diagnosis.
Combining gamification, cash incentive increases veterans’ exercise
Combining gamification, cash incentive increases veterans’ exercise
A new study finds that daily step counts increased by approximately 1,200 among veterans who were given goals and participated in gamelike interventions with loss-framed cash rewards.
Getting to the heart of genetic cardiovascular diseases
Getting to the heart of genetic cardiovascular diseases
Day, a physician-scientist and cardiologist works to unlock the mysteries of genetic heart disease, integrating translational and clinical science to understand the full spectrum of genetic heart disease evolution and progression.
In the News
WHYY (Philadelphia)
Penn researching ways to avoid side effects of key treatment for serious COVID cases
To improve outcomes for patients hospitalized with COVID-19, researchers led by Mitchell Lazar of the Perelman School of Medicine are exploring which populations are most prone to side effects when treated with glucocorticoids, a type of steroid.
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Forbes
The most common causes of memory loss
Jason Karlawish of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about memory loss, the condition’s symptoms, and seeking diagnosis. “Start with a doctor who knows you well, so a primary care physician,” he said. “Ideally, people go in with someone who knows them well—a spouse, child or close friend—who can speak to what they’ve been seeing.”
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“All Things Considered,” National Public Radio
COVID symptoms may linger in some vaccinated people who get infected, study finds
Paul Offit of the Perelman School of Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said that initially, COVID-19 “was billed falsely as a winter respiratory virus that, like influenza, could cause severe and occasionally fatal pneumonia. But this virus is much more than that.”
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Today
Olympians face 'overwhelming' mental pressure—especially this year
Jeremy Tyler of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the pressure faced by Olympic athletes. “Imagine going into the most important moment of your present lifetime, the world watching, having the knowledge that everyone expects you to live up to your reputation of being the best … and you’ve got go into it completely alone, without any social or emotional support,” he said. “I can’t think of a higher pressure or more daunting task to go through.”
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The Hill
Masks and vaccines: What would you do to save a child?
Susan Coffin and Sage Myers of the Perelman School of Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia wrote an opinion piece about unvaccinated children’s vulnerability to the COVID-19 delta variant. They called for adults to continue wearing masks in risky environments, saying, “allowing even one child to become severely ill is too many if it can be prevented with simple measures.”
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