1.21
Health Sciences
Opiate overdoses spike in Black Philadelphians, but drop in white residents since COVID-19
Opiate overdoses spike in Black Philadelphians, but drop in white residents since COVID-19
New research into opioid overdoses that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic highlights new disparities along racial lines that are likely fueled by existing inequality.
New treatment target discovered that halts osteoarthritis-like knee cartilage degeneration
New treatment target discovered that halts osteoarthritis-like knee cartilage degeneration
Penn Medicine researchers have used nanotechnology and previous knowledge of a protein pathway to significantly reduce knee cartilage degeneration and pain.
The backlog in mammograms during the COVID-19 pandemic
The backlog in mammograms during the COVID-19 pandemic
The backlog of diagnostic mammograms is not expected to return to regular operations for nearly six months at best, and a lack of early detection will have health implications on cancer management for years to come.
Applying physics expertise to making smiles brighter
Applying physics expertise to making smiles brighter
With a background in physics and material science, Yu Zhang has joined the School of Dental Medicine to advance the way dentists restore oral health.
Two Penn faculty named Hastings Center Fellows
Two Penn faculty named Hastings Center Fellows
Scott D. Halpern and Jennifer Prah Ruger are acknowledged for their outstanding accomplishments in ethics and health.
Too many donor kidneys are discarded in U.S. before transplantation
Too many donor kidneys are discarded in U.S. before transplantation
A new study finds kidneys discarded as low-quality in the U.S are similar to kidneys transplanted with acceptable outcomes in France.
How researchers scrub Twitter for health data from real humans—not bots
How researchers scrub Twitter for health data from real humans—not bots
For more than 10 years, Graciela Gonzalez-Hernandez has been studying natural language across social media to inform clinical care, carefully sifting through language to determine which voices qualify as patient experiences.
How medical schools can transform curriculums to undo racial biases
How medical schools can transform curriculums to undo racial biases
Penn Medicine researchers find that lectures and assessments misuse race, playing a role in perpetuating physician bias.
Older, nonwhite patients access telemedicine significantly less among patients overall
Older, nonwhite patients access telemedicine significantly less among patients overall
A new study out of Penn Medicine finds minorities, older populations, non-English speakers, and those with lower incomes face inequities in accessing telemedicine care.
One step closer to an at-home, rapid COVID-19 test
One step closer to an at-home, rapid COVID-19 test
The lab of César de la Fuente is working on a paper-based biosensor that could provide results in minutes. Clinical trials began Jan. 5.
In the News
NPR
Current, deadly U.S. coronavirus surge has peaked, researchers say
David Rubin of the Perelman School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said that while there’s been a decline in COVID-19 transmission rates in most parts of the country, it will take many weeks or months for the number of people getting sick and dying to fall. "It's going to take a while. There's going to be a long tail, unfortunately," he said.
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The Washington Post
Some COVID-19 mutations may dampen vaccine effectiveness
E. John Wherry and Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about how new variants of the novel coronavirus might respond to the existing COVID-19 vaccines. “We don’t want people thinking that the current vaccine is already outdated. That’s absolutely not true,” said Wherry. However, he warned, the mutations “do in fact reduce how well our immune response is recognizing the virus.”
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The New York Times
Underselling the vaccine
Aaron Richterman of the Perelman School of Medicine said overemphasizing the COVID-19 vaccine’s imperfections and unknowns may do more harm than good. “Not being completely open because you want to achieve some sort of behavioral public health goal—people will see through that eventually,” he said.
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The New York Times
Need a new knee or hip? A robot may help install it
Matthew Sloan of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the increase in hip and knee replacement surgeries in the past 20 years. “Among the older patients, the big driver is the desire to stay active,” he said.
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CBS Philadelphia
Drug being tested at University of Pennsylvania to treat COVID-19 shows promise
Carl June of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about cyclosporin, an inexpensive drug that may help prevent severe inflammation in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. “Hopefully, [FDA approval of the drug] would decrease the burden of patients in our hospitals,” June said.
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