Health Sciences

Penn Scientists Develop Large-scale Simulation of Human Blood

PHILADELPHIA — Having a virtual copy of a patient’s blood in a computer would be a boon to researchers and doctors. They could examine a simulated heart attack caused by blood clotting in a diseased coronary artery and see if a drug like aspirin would be effective in reducing the size of such a clot.

Evan Lerner

Penn Vet saves a puppy that couldn’t eat

When Basil was born, everything seemed fine. For his owner, Brent Grove, who drives a bus and raises dogs on his Westminister, Md., farm, the German shepherd was the latest, cutest addition to his pack. Basil nursed like a normal puppy, but when he graduated to solid food, he couldn’t keep it down.

Evan Lerner

Penn Research: Gatekeeper of Brain Steroid Signals Boosts Emotional Resilience to Stress

A cellular protein called HDAC6, newly characterized as a gatekeeper of steroid biology in the brain, may provide a novel target for treating and preventing stress-linked disorders, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Karen Kreeger

Penn Researchers Create First Custom Designed Protein Crystal

PHILADELPHIA -- Protein design is technique that is increasingly valuable to a variety of fields, from biochemistry to therapeutics to materials engineering. University of Pennsylvania chemists have taken this kind of design a step further; using computational methods, they have created the first custom-designed protein crystal.

Evan Lerner



In the News


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 →



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.

FULL STORY →



The New York Times

Is apple cider vinegar really a cure-all?

Nitin K. Ahuja of the Perelman School of Medicine says there’s no supportive data that adding acid to the stomach will somehow help control acid reflux.

FULL STORY →