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Health Sciences
Five Penn Faculty Earn Distinction as AAAS Fellows
Five faculty members from the University of Pennsylvania have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Researchers at Penn Uncover Mechanism Behind Blood Stem Cells’ Longevity
The blood stem cells that live in bone marrow are at the top of a complex family tree. Such stem cells split and divide down various pathways that ultimately produce red cells, white cells and platelets.
Penn Medicine: Increasing the Number of Insured Patients is Not Tied to Higher ICU Usage in Massachusetts
A multi-institution study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has found that increasing the number of insured patients is not associated with higher intensive care unit (ICU) usage in Massachusetts.
Penn Alumna Meghan Hussey Awarded George J. Mitchell Scholarship
Meghan Hussey, a 2012 University of Pennsylvania graduate, is one of 12 Americans selected to receive a George J. Mitchell Scholarship for graduate studies in Ireland or Northern Ireland.
Epigenetic Changes May Explain Chronic Kidney Disease, Penn Study Shows
The research of physician-scientist Katalin Susztak, MD, PhD, associate professor of Medicine in the Renal Electrolyte and Hypertension Division, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, strives to understand the molecular roots an
Penn Medicine: Paths Not Taken: Notch Signaling Pathway Keeps Immature T Cells on the Right Track
The lab of Avinash Bhandoola, PhD, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, has studied the origins of T cells for many years. One protein called Notch, which has well-known roles in the development of multiple tissues, plays an essential role in triggering T-cell development.
Penn Medicine: Targets of Anticancer Drugs Have Broader Functions than What Their Name Suggests
Drugs that inhibit the activity of enzymes called histone deacetylases (HDACs) are being widely developed for treating cancer and other diseases, with two already on the market. Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, show that a major HDAC still functions in mice even when its enzyme activity is abolished, suggesting that the beneficial effects of HDAC inhibitors may not actually be through inhibiting HDAC activity, and thus warranting the reassessment of the molecular targets of this class of drugs.
Penn Medicine: New Study Finds Similar Outcomes for Repair or Replacement of Damaged Heart Valves
New research presented today at the 2013 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found no difference in outcomes at one-year between two recommended surgical options for treating ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) – repair of the leaky valve or its replacem
Penn Medicine Study Shows Women's Risk of Depression Lowers After Final Menstrual Period
Risk of depression is lower in menopausal women after their final menstrual period (FMP) but a history of depression increases the risk of depressive symptoms both before and after menopause, according to a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Penn Produces Graphene Nanoribbons With Nanopores for Fast DNA Sequencing
The instructions for building all of the body’s proteins are contained in a person’s DNA, a string of chemicals that, if unwound and strung end to end, would form a sentence 3 billion letters long.
In the News
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
UPenn medical school names first vice dean of AI
Mary Ritchie has been named the vice dean of artificial intelligence and computing at the Perelman School of Medicine. Mitchell Schnall has been named the first senior vice president for data and technology solutions at the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
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