10.21
Health Sciences
Serving those who serve
In preparation for a career as a physician with the Military Health System, Ryan Leone is spending his summer in Falls Church, Va., interning with the Defense Health Agency.
Public libraries can influence public health
The Healthy Library Initiative, a partnership between Penn and the Free Library of Philadelphia, works to expand the role of public librarian to serve the public health needs of patrons and the community.
A ‘smart-connected cup’ to fight Zika
By combining a a Thermos, a microfluidics chip and a smartphone, researchers have found a way to bring Zika testing to sites where clinical laboratories aren’t present but diagnostics are needed.
Progress in addressing a severe skin disease that affects dogs and humans
Both dogs and humans can suffer from ichthyosis, a disorder that makes the skin dry, scaly, and prone to secondary infections. A new study has uncovered new details about the disease, and moves toward developing a topical therapy.
How cumulative trauma may affect migrant children
Doctors and researchers argue that the cumulative childhood trauma and chronic stress associated with parental separation for migrant children can cause potentially irreparable lifelong harm to their mental and physical health.
A maverick among chemists
Madeleine Joullie, the first woman to join Penn’s chemistry faculty, was also the University’s first affirmative action officer, which she says is the most important thing she’s done.
Boosting testosterone makes men prefer higher-status products
A study out of the Wharton School found that a single dose of testosterone increased men's preference for luxury, high-status items, mimicking animal behavior.
Brain stimulation decreases intent to commit assault
Research from Penn Medicine and the Criminology department shows that using minimally invasive electrical currents on the prefrontal cortex can reduce the desire to carry out such violence and increase the perception that it’s morally wrong.
Study reveals secrets of ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ pancreatic cancer tumors
Immune cell makeup of tumors, and their ability to metastasize, is controlled by factors specific to individual cancer cells themselves.
Using statistics to uncover the truth about individual cells
Researchers at Penn have developed a better method for interpreting data from single-cell RNA sequencing technologies.
In the News
CNN
Smoking featured in half of hip-hop videos, study finds
The Annenberg Public Policy Center’s Dan Romer offered commentary on a study of smoking in music videos. He noted that the study didn’t differentiate between marijuana and tobacco products or consider the role of product placement.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Depression often goes undiagnosed. Researchers are turning to Facebook to change that
Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine co-authored a study on social media and mental illness. “Depression is a really debilitating disease and we have treatments that can help people,” said Raina Merchant. “We want to think of new ways to get people resources and identification for depression earlier.”
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Brown fat could help fight obesity. This Penn scientist is looking to harness its power
Patrick Seale of the Perelman School of Medicine discussed differing types of human fat: “white fat,” which stores energy, and “brown fat,” which burns it. Seale was recently awarded the Richard E. Weitzman Outstanding Early Career Investigator Award for his research on the subject.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Is blackout drinking the same as passing out from alcohol? A Penn psychologist explains
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Reagan Wetherill discussed common misconceptions about alcohol-related blackouts. People in a blackout are “conscious and interacting with their environment,” she said. But their brains are “not creating memories” due to alcohol’s impact on the hippocampus.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Planning for your retirement? Many Americans aren’t financially prepared for how long they may live
Lyle Ungar of the School of Arts and Sciences and Lisa Walke of the Perelman School of Medicine discussed the effects of healthy behavior on the human lifespan. The best way to extend one’s life, apart from quitting smoking, is exercise. “I know no one wants to hear that,” said Walke.
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