4/16
Health Sciences
Penn Engineers: Bone Marrow Transplant Stem Cells Can 'Swim' Upstream
When a cancer patient receives a bone marrow transplant, time is of the essence. Healthy stem cells, which can restart the production of blood cells and immune system components after a patient’s own are compromised, need to make their way from the circulatory system into the bones as quickly as possible.
Weekly Fish Consumption Linked to Better Sleep, Higher IQ
Children who eat fish at least once a week sleep better and have IQ scores that are 4 points higher, on average, according to new findings from the University of Pennsylvania published in Scientific Reports.
Commonalities in Late Stages of Different Inherited Blinding Diseases Suggest Targets for Therapy
Gene therapy holds promise for treating a variety of diseases, including some inherited blinding conditions. But for a gene therapy to be effective, one must know the precise gene responsible for a given individual’s disorder and develop a tailored treatment.
FDA Approves Gene Therapy for Inherited Blindness Developed by Penn and CHOP
In a historic move, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved a gene therapy initially developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for the treatment of a rare, inherited form of retinal blindness.
LGBQ adolescents at much greater risk of suicide than heterosexual counterparts
Specifically, 40 percent of sexual-minority adolescents seriously considered suicide compared to 15 percent of their heterosexual counterparts, and nearly a quarter attempted suicide compared to approximately 6 percent of those in the sexual majority.
Coalition Seeks to Increase Transparency on Life Sciences Career Prospects
Nine American research universities and a major cancer institute today announced plans to give would-be life scientists clear, standardized data on graduate school admissions, education and training opportunities and career prospects.
Penn Students Take on Peace, Water and Climate, First in Norway and Next in Ghana
One way to learn about climate change is to read about it, exploring the scientific literature, perusing science news and combing through reams of relevant data. Another way is to experience it firsthand.
Mobile project aims to increase bystander use of CPR
Four years after it was founded, the Project has trained 3,693 people in Philadelphia, with a goal of reaching 10,000 by mid-2019.
New Penn Method of Stabilizing Peptides Opens the Door to Better Therapeutic and Imaging Techniques
For many people with advanced Type 2 diabetes, taking insulin is a regular part of their routine, helping them control their blood sugar by signaling the metabolism of glucose. But recently, researchers have been investigating GLP-1, a peptide that gets activated when people eat, triggering insulin through a more natural pathway.
Seeing Isn’t Believing: Penn Biologists Show How to Shut Off Hunger ‘Alarm System’
Imagine you’re in a restaurant, hungry, anxious and a bit irritable awaiting your food order to arrive at the table. The server exits the kitchen with a tray full of steaming plates and a flood of relief washes over you.
In the News
Philadelphia Gay News
UPenn hosts free online panel for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion
The Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative, led by José Bauermeister and Jessica Halem of the School of Nursing, will host a free online panel in April on the integration of LGBTQ+ people in the workforce.
FULL STORY →
The New Yorker
How to die in good health
PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel says that incessantly preparing for old age mistakes a long life for a worthwhile one.
FULL STORY →
Philadelphia Inquirer
Mayor Parker’s plan to ‘remove the presence of drug users’ from Kensington raises new questions
Shoshana Aronowitz of the School of Nursing and Ashish Thakrar of the Perelman School of Medicine comment on the lack of specificity in Philadelphia’s plan to remove drug users from Kensington and on the current state of drug treatment in the city.
FULL STORY →
Philadelphia Inquirer
How many patients would recommend their Philly-area hospital to family and friends? Check your local hospital
The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania has been named one of the most recommended acute-care facilities by patients in the Philadelphia area.
FULL STORY →
WHYY (Philadelphia)
Homeward bound: When a Penn Medicine nurse was diagnosed with uterine cancer, she turned to the service dogs she helped to train
A profile highlights Maria Wright of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, from her volunteer work connecting people with service dogs to her cancer diagnosis and her own journey applying for a service dog.
FULL STORY →