Time

The miracle workers

Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine were among those named as Time’s 2021 Heroes of the Year for their research on mRNA, the foundation for the COVID-19 vaccines.

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Kevin Johnson

PIK Professor Kevin Johnson named University Professor

Kevin Johnson, who has appointments in the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and a secondary appointment in the Annenberg School for Communication, will become the David L. Cohen University Professor.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・

NBC Philadelphia

Penn researchers developing gum that could reduce COVID transmission

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, and School of Veterinary Medicine, along with the Wistar Institute and Fraunhofer USA, are developing a chewing gum laced with a plant-grown protein that could neutralize the COVID-19 virus in saliva.

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Wired

Can a digital reality be jacked directly into your brain?

Researchers led by Daniel Yoshor of the Perelman School of Medicine are developing better electrode arrays, which are used to induce neural activity. Current arrays approved for human use are bulky and contain around 1,000 electrodes, whereas the arrays Yoshor and colleagues are working on would have 64,000 electrodes, and eventually 1,000,000 electrodes.

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BBC News

Could mRNA make us superhuman?

Research by Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine laid the groundwork for mRNA vaccines.

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The Washington Post

Fighting food waste, one apple at a time

Strella Biotechnology, a company housed in Pennovation and co-founded by then junior Katherine Sizov, a winner of the 2019 President’s Innovation Prize, is working to reduce food waste using biosensors to monitor ethylene, a natural gas that ripens fruits and vegetables. “If we don’t solve this food waste problem now, it will become a lot more expensive later,” Sizov said. “As our climate becomes more volatile, this is going to crop up more and more.”

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Penn finds that using automated texts to monitor COVID-19 patients at home saved lives

An analysis of Penn Medicine’s COVID Watch, an automated texting program that helps monitor the condition of COVID-19 patients recovering at home, found that the risk of death for participants was 64% lower than for those receiving the usual care. Furthermore, participants with worsening symptoms went to the emergency department earlier and started treatment sooner than typical patients. “We think that is the mechanism by which we prevented deaths,” said Krisda Chaiyachati.

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An illustration of six faces with different skin tones, ranging from dark to light. Above the faces are connected lines that look like jacks, to indicate social networks.

Clinician peer networks remove race and gender bias

Research from Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication shows that structured health care networks significantly reduce health care inequities and disparities in patient treatment.

Alina Ladyzhensky ・