9.30
Health Sciences
Family and primary care doctors may have been most at risk of dying from COVID
Family and primary care doctors may have been most at risk of dying from COVID
A Penn-led study suggests that in the health care community, workers in hospital settings may be better protected from COVID-19 than the general population.
Pregnant Black and Hispanic women more likely to be exposed to coronavirus
Pregnant Black and Hispanic women more likely to be exposed to coronavirus
Penn researchers found the rate of virus exposure among pregnant Black and Hispanic women to be five times higher than among white and Asian women.
How our body’s internal clocks communicate may impact our overall health
How our body’s internal clocks communicate may impact our overall health
Most cells contain molecular clocks, but the requirement of peripheral clocks for rhythmicity, and their effects on physiology, are not well understood. Now, a new study reveal the roles of the hepatocyte clock in cell communication and metabolism.
Increasing community impact through Penn Medicine CAREs grant program
Increasing community impact through Penn Medicine CAREs grant program
Outside of hospitals and clinics, Penn Medicine physicians, nurses, staff, and students are serving their neighborhoods through volunteerism.
Is the threat of COVID vaccine hesitancy getting enough attention?
Is the threat of COVID vaccine hesitancy getting enough attention?
The ultimate key to ending the coronavirus pandemic is developing an effective vaccine and administering it to the population. But a number of trends are converging in ways that may prevent the achievement of that population-wide herd immunity.
Disparities in access to telemedical care during the pandemic
Disparities in access to telemedical care during the pandemic
Just as the burden of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality continues to fall on more marginalized populations, so too have the socioeconomic, racial, and gender inequities in access to virtual care.
U.S. military has improved mortality since World War II, with some alarming exceptions
U.S. military has improved mortality since World War II, with some alarming exceptions
Although wound survivability has increased over the last 80 years, the U.S. military’s medical corps suffered some periods of backsliding during conflicts.
LDI SUMR Program rolls into 21st year despite COVID-19 disruptions
The 21st cohort of the LDI Summer Undergraduate Minority Research (SUMR) Scholars are spending their summer with their mentors in video conferences aimed at racial disparities in academic research.
Getting gene therapy to the brain
Getting gene therapy to the brain
Using a large animal model of genetic brain disease, researchers led by John H. Wolfe of the School of Veterinary Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia delivered an effective treatment across the blood-brain barrier to correct the whole brain.
A new approach to aiding Black male trauma survivors
A new approach to aiding Black male trauma survivors
In a collaborative new study between the School of Nursing and Drexel University, researchers have peeled back the layers of what causes and prevents many trauma-surviving Black men from seeking needed professional behavioral health care.
In the News
NBC News
Secret, powerful panels will pick COVID-19 vaccine winners
Susan Ellenberg of the Perelman School of Medicine said it’s important to keep data and safety monitoring boards anonymous to protect the members from people desperate for treatment. It “would be very hard to tell [a patient], ‘Oh I can’t help you.’ It’s an unreasonable burden,” she said.
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Fast Company
UPenn releases surprising report on 9/11 rescue dogs and their causes of death
Research from the School of Veterinary Medicine tracked the causes of death for 95 search-and-rescue dogs deployed on 9/11 and showed that most of the dogs died of typical age-related conditions and outlived others of their breeds. “Dogs have a really good filtering system,” said Cynthia Otto. “Their lungs are different—they don’t get asthma, for example.”
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Bloomberg
Stay-at-home orders more effective on virus than closing businesses
Research by the Wharton School’s Kent Smetters, Alexander Arnon, and John Ricco found that shelter-in-place orders did more to combat the coronavirus than business closures and at a lower economic cost.
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The Wall Street Journal
Thousands of American troops to take part in COVID-19 early-detection study
PIK Professor Jonathan Moreno commented on plans to conduct a COVID-19 early-detection study on U.S. troops. “Should we ask for consent if it reveals medical issues that a person in uniform may not want revealed and is not relevant to job performance?” he asked.
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The Washington Post
FDA poised to announce tougher standards for a COVID-19 vaccine that make it unlikely one will be cleared by Election Day
Holly Fernandez Lynch of the Perelman School of Medicine commented on the FDA’s use of emergency authorizations to expedite coronavirus drugs. “Is the president going to put the screws to the FDA so much that they will speed ahead on a vaccine?” she asked.
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