10.20
Health Sciences
General anesthesia just as safe as spinal anesthesia after broken hip surgery
General anesthesia just as safe as spinal anesthesia after broken hip surgery
Challenging common beliefs, Penn research shows patterns of recovery to be similar for patients who received spinal anesthesia and those who got general anesthesia.
Eight Penn researchers receive 2021 NIH Director’s Awards
Eight Penn researchers receive 2021 NIH Director’s Awards
The National Institutes of Health grants, totaling more than $8 million, will support seven high-risk, high-reward research projects.
Geographic disparities in lower extremity amputation rates
Geographic disparities in lower extremity amputation rates
A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows that peripheral artery disease affects Black people and those of low socioeconomic status, and the U.S. health system is missing opportunities to slow or stop the progression.
Five things to know about the upcoming flu season
Five things to know about the upcoming flu season
Thanks to COVID prevention measures, last year’s flu season was among the mildest in years. Penn experts explain why this year may be different and how to prepare.
Cancer care in Penn Medicine’s Pavilion: Reimagined, revitalized, and inclusive
Cancer care in Penn Medicine’s Pavilion: Reimagined, revitalized, and inclusive
The Pavilion is designed to bring research and clinical care together, while connecting patients and their families with their medical teams in innovative ways.
Addressing systemic inequities linked to readmission for minority stroke patients
Addressing systemic inequities linked to readmission for minority stroke patients
Racial minorities are disproportionately affected by stroke. A new study reveals readmissions between Black and white stroke patients may be linked to the level of nurse staffing in the hospitals where they receive care.
Sports psychologist talks athletes and mental health
Sports psychologist talks athletes and mental health
Andrea Wieland, the associate athletic director for sports performance at Penn Athletics, discusses athletes and mental health, Simone Biles, Ben Simmons, the yips, and the importance of seeing athletes as whole people.
Insights on trust and vaccines: Lessons from an emergency department analysis
Insights on trust and vaccines: Lessons from an emergency department analysis
A team from the Perelman School of Medicine completed a survey to determine who people trust when it comes to vaccine hesitancy.
Black women face increased risk of triple negative breast cancers
Black women face increased risk of triple negative breast cancers
An analysis of nearly 200,000 patients highlights the heterogeneity of breast cancer risk factors for women of differing races, ages, and disease subtypes.
Penn Medicine and Wistar awarded $11.7 million melanoma research grant
Penn Medicine and Wistar awarded $11.7 million melanoma research grant
The Specialized Programs of Research Excellence, or SPORE, grant from the National Cancer Institute will fund three new melanoma research projects over five years.
In the News
The New York Times
Waiting on U.S. mandate, some nursing homes are slow to vaccinate staff
PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel said lower COVID-19 vaccination rates lead to more infections. “We should be clear that mandates have been working and have been working in every industry that has tried them,” he said.
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Scientific American
Four success stories in gene therapy
Jean Bennett and Albert Maguire of the Perelman School of Medicine developed a gene therapy to treat blindness in patients with retinal dystrophy caused by mutations in the RPE65 gene. “These people can now do things they never could have dreamed of doing, and they’re more independent and enjoying life,” said Bennett.
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ABC News
Why breakthrough COVID deaths can be misunderstood
Edward Stadtmauer of the Perelman School of Medicine advised cancer patients to get vaccinated against COVID-19. “If you have abnormal plasma cells to begin with or are getting therapy that might suppress or damage plasma cells, you can see why that this group of patients may have the most difficulty responding to a COVID infection and responding to vaccines,” he said. “If there is any group of patients who should be vaccinated and get a booster, it is this group of patients.”
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ABC News
Why COVID boosters weren't tweaked to better match variants
John Wherry of the Perelman School of Medicine said there’s no guarantee that a booster shot retooled to target the delta variant would work better than a general COVID-19 vaccine booster.
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Fortune
Same vaccines, but different fatality rates: Why are some COVID outbreaks worse than others?
John Wherry of the Perelman School of Medicine said, “We’ve learned more in the last year and a half about human immunology and human vaccine responses than we probably learned in the previous several decades.”
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