7.30
Health Sciences
2021 cohort of Postdoctoral Fellows for Academic Diversity named
2021 cohort of Postdoctoral Fellows for Academic Diversity named
The competitive program, managed by Office of the Vice Provost for Research, is designed to support early career researchers and scholars while enriching the Penn community.
‘Electronic nose’ accurately sniffs out hard-to-detect cancers
‘Electronic nose’ accurately sniffs out hard-to-detect cancers
An odor-based test that sniffs out vapors emanating from blood samples was able to distinguish between benign and pancreatic and ovarian cancer cells with up to 95% accuracy.
How HIV infection shrinks the brain’s white matter
How HIV infection shrinks the brain’s white matter
Researchers from Penn and CHOP detail the mechanism by which HIV infection blocks the maturation process of brain cells that produce myelin, a fatty substance that insulates neurons.
U.S. public skeptical of sharing digital data for COVID-19 control
U.S. public skeptical of sharing digital data for COVID-19 control
According to a new study, even in the midst of a pandemic, most U.S. consumers would not look favorably upon the use of their digital data for public health purposes.
Researchers discover drug that blocks multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants
Researchers discover drug that blocks multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants
The drug diABZI—which activates the body’s innate immune response—was highly effective in preventing severe COVID-19 in mice that were infected with SARS-CoV-2 and likely other coronaviruses.
‘Global Health Justice and Governance’
‘Global Health Justice and Governance’
In a special issue of the journal Global Health Governance, seven experts reflect upon Jennifer Prah Ruger’s call for a new model of global public health that prioritizes equity and cooperation between nations and agencies.
Honing cultural humility skills can improve health care as a whole
Honing cultural humility skills can improve health care as a whole
At Penn Medicine, medical personnel are adopting cultural humility as an ongoing process of developing a set of skills to approach any individual from any culture at any time.
Low on antibodies, blood cancer patients can fight off COVID-19 with T cells
Low on antibodies, blood cancer patients can fight off COVID-19 with T cells
T cells can step up to do the job when antibodies are depleted, suggests a new Penn Medicine study of blood cancer patients with COVID-19.
Scientists say active early learning shapes the adult brain
Scientists say active early learning shapes the adult brain
Through the Abecedarian Project, an early education, randomized controlled trial that has followed children since 1971, Penn and Virginia Tech researchers reveal new discoveries about brain structure decades later.
Vaccines, variants, and the evolving lexicon of COVID-19
Penn Today shares the third update to the pandemic glossary, providing insights into the jargon becoming an everyday part of conversations and news headlines about the ongoing public health crisis.
In the News
“All Things Considered,” National Public Radio
COVID symptoms may linger in some vaccinated people who get infected, study finds
Paul Offit of the Perelman School of Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said that initially, COVID-19 “was billed falsely as a winter respiratory virus that, like influenza, could cause severe and occasionally fatal pneumonia. But this virus is much more than that.”
FULL STORY →
Today
Olympians face 'overwhelming' mental pressure—especially this year
Jeremy Tyler of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the pressure faced by Olympic athletes. “Imagine going into the most important moment of your present lifetime, the world watching, having the knowledge that everyone expects you to live up to your reputation of being the best … and you’ve got go into it completely alone, without any social or emotional support,” he said. “I can’t think of a higher pressure or more daunting task to go through.”
FULL STORY →
WHYY (Philadelphia)
Penn researching ways to avoid side effects of key treatment for serious COVID cases
To improve outcomes for patients hospitalized with COVID-19, researchers led by Mitchell Lazar of the Perelman School of Medicine are exploring which populations are most prone to side effects when treated with glucocorticoids, a type of steroid.
FULL STORY →
Forbes
The most common causes of memory loss
Jason Karlawish of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about memory loss, the condition’s symptoms, and seeking diagnosis. “Start with a doctor who knows you well, so a primary care physician,” he said. “Ideally, people go in with someone who knows them well—a spouse, child or close friend—who can speak to what they’ve been seeing.”
FULL STORY →
The Hill
Masks and vaccines: What would you do to save a child?
Susan Coffin and Sage Myers of the Perelman School of Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia wrote an opinion piece about unvaccinated children’s vulnerability to the COVID-19 delta variant. They called for adults to continue wearing masks in risky environments, saying, “allowing even one child to become severely ill is too many if it can be prevented with simple measures.”
FULL STORY →