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Health Sciences
President's Engagement Prize-Winners Launch Social Impact Projects
Though they graduated mere weeks ago, five members of Penn’s Class of 2015 have already begun projects destined to make a profound impact on individuals and communities around the world, with support from the President’s Engagement Prizes.
Protein "Comet Tails" Propel Cell Recycling Process, Penn Study Finds
Several well-known neurodegenerative diseases, such as Lou Gehrig’s (ALS), Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's disease, all result in part from a defect in autophagy – one way a cell removes and recycles misfolded proteins and pathogens.
Penn Medicine Study Finds Participation in Research Studies Not Detrimental to Preterm Infants
Premature babies who are enrolled in clinical trials for therapies to treat and prevent complications from preterm birth are no more likely to die or experience poor outcomes than babies who are not trial participants, according to a retrospective analysis of more than 5,000 babies born before 29 weeks of gestation.
Penn Medicine's Judith Green-McKenzie, MD, MPH, Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Judith Green-McKenzie, MD, MPH, an associate professor of Emergency Medicine and chief of the division of Occupational Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, was awarded the 2015 Kehoe Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Education or Researcher from the American College of Occupational and Envir
Young Adults Find Health Insurance Enrollment on HealthCare.gov Challenging, According to Penn Study
When trying to enroll in a health insurance plan through HealthCare.gov during the first open enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) health insurance marketplaces, young adults were confused by unfamiliar health insurance terms, concerned about the affordability of plan options, and unsure how to seek good primary care.
Penn Author Calls for Better Primary Care for Medicaid Patients to Curb Unnecessary Emergency Room Visits
Although a goal of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act was to provide Medicaid patients with a source of nonemergency care outside of hospital emergency departments (EDs), researchers suggest that these newly enrolled patients will likely continue to look to EDs for treatment of chronic diseases and other nonemergency issues, despite state attempts to impose fees on ED visits.
Denis Kinane Reappointed Dean of the Penn School of Dental Medicine
Denis Kinane has been appointed to a second term as dean of the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Michael Platt Appointed Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor
Michael Platt has been named the University of Pennsylvania’s 16th Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor, effective July 1.
Penn Vet Research Confirms a More Accurate Method for Blood Glucose Testing
For diabetics, a quick prick of the finger can give information about their blood glucose levels, guiding them in whether to have a snack or inject a dose of insulin. Point-of-care glucose meters, or glucometers, are also used in the veterinary world to monitor cats and dogs with diabetes or pets hospitalized for other reasons.
Penn: Mom’s Stress Alters Babies’ Gut and Brain through Vaginal Microbiome
Stress during the first trimester of pregnancy alters the population of microbes living in a mother’s vagina. Those changes are passed on to newborns during birth and are associated with differences in their gut microbiome as well as their brain development, according to a new study by University of Pennsylvania researchers.
In the News
Times of India
Drinking two beers daily ages the brain by 10 years; study reveals surprising findings
A study by Penn researchers found that one to two units of alcohol per day shrunk overall brain volume and gray matter volumes.
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Irish News
Seven unusual sleep hacks to help you drift off peacefully—we speak to a sleep expert about how to get a good night’s rest
A study from the Perelman School of Medicine found that participants who practiced paradoxical intention experienced significantly reduced sleep anxiety.
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Yahoo! Life
More yogurt and nuts, less alcohol and snack foods: How GLP-1 medications like Ozempic are influencing people’s food spending habits
Carrie Burns of the Perelman School of Medicine says that weight-loss medications tend to decrease cravings for foods high in sugar and fat.
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WESA Radio (Pittsburgh)
Migratory birds mainly responsible for bird flu outbreak, experts tell Pa. lawmakers
Louise Moncla of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that avian flu viruses are being spread far geographically because of wild migratory birds.
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Huffington Post
Thirteen subtle changes veterinarians would never ignore in their cats
Kaitlyn Krebs of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that cats can indicate illness through behavioral changes such as hiding or spending time in unusual places.
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