Health Sciences

Modeling the most common form of vision loss in older adults

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in people older than 50. Kathleen Boesze-Battaglia and colleagues have developed a model system that mimics many features of the human condition, giving scientists a platform to gain a deeper understanding of risk factors and possible treatments.

Katherine Unger Baillie

To resolve inflammation, location matters

A single protein can both restrain the initiation of inflammation and help to actively resolve it, according to new research led by George Hajishengallis of the School of Dental Medicine. He and his colleague found that the type of cell that secretes the protein determines which activity the protein promotes.

Katherine Unger Baillie

All hands on deck: Fentanyl in Philadelphia

In 2017, fentanyl surpassed heroin as the leading drug involved in overdose deaths, increasing from 57 percent of opioid-related deaths in 2016 to 84 percent in 2017.

Penn Today Staff

Staying alert to the rare but real risks of acute flaccid myelitis

Sarah Hopkins, a pediatric neurologist at the Perelman School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, has seen an increase in cases of the paralyzing condition this year. She explains what parents and pediatricians should watch for.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Sniffing for science

In the “Citizen Science” course at the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Working Dog Center, Meghan Ramos and Tessa Seales work with dog owners to enhance their pups’ scent detection skills, with an eye toward bolstering the Center’s research.

Katherine Unger Baillie



In the News


The Wall Street Journal

The quest for treatments to keep weight off after Ozempic

Researchers at Penn are conducting a co-authored study of the brains, fat and muscle cells, and eating patterns of people trying to maintain new body sizes.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Inside Penn’s transfer center

Penn Medicine’s transfer command center gets patients from affiliated hospitals and hospitals outside Philadelphia to specialized care that can save lives, with comments from CEO Kevin Mahoney.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Operating rooms are major sources of greenhouse gasses. Penn is eliminating a form of anesthesia that hangs in the air for more than a decade after use

Penn Medicine is phasing out the anesthesia desflurane at four of its six hospitals to eliminate harmful greenhouse gases, with remarks from Greg Evans.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Broad Street runners from Penn are racing with gyroscopes to study the Achilles tendon

Casey Jo Humbyrd and Josh Baxter of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues will track data from running the Broad Street Run to understand how a healthy Achilles tendon functions.

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National Geographic

What is topical steroid withdrawal? If you have eczema, here’s what you should know

Bruce Brod of the Perelman School of Medicine says that prolonged or overuse of topical steroids can cause rosacea, skin thinning, stretch marks, and an extreme and debilitating withdrawal.

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