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Health Sciences
Dental School inspiring high school students through Summer Mentorship Program
This summer, the School of Dental Medicine welcomed 16 high school students from the broader Philadelphia area for the Provost’s Summer Mentorship Program.
Long-awaited accolades for mRNA scientists Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman’s key mRNA discoveries more than 15 years earlier made COVID vaccines possible. Now the global public has opportunities to honor them.
How machine learning could aid compatibility in kidney transplantation
Through the PURM internship program, undergraduate students are further researching an algorithm developed to group kidney donor-recipient pairs into low-risk and high-risk groups for graft survival.
‘In vivo’ RNA-based gene editing model for blood disorders developed
Researchers from Penn Medicine and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia show that gene editing tools can be delivered via lipid nanoparticles, which would reduce cost and increase access to cutting-edge gene therapies.
Protein identified as a target for Alzheimer’s treatment
New Penn Medicine research finds that a tau-regulating protein suppresses deterioration, and suggests replenishing the protein may improve cognitive and motor function.
Could psychedelics simultaneously treat chronic pain and depression?
This summer, Ahmad Hammo, a rising third-year student in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, is conducting a pilot study to explore psilocybin’s potential as a therapy for chronic pain and the depression that often accompanies it.
Artificial intelligence is leveling up the fight against infectious diseases
In a new review, Presidential Assistant Professor Cesar de la Fuente and co-authors assess the progress, limitations, and promise of research in AI and infectious diseases.
Individuals with depression are more than two times as likely to be diagnosed with dementia
Penn Medicine research finds the risk of dementia is higher for men than women, and in individuals with multiple inpatient hospitalizations for depression.
Behavioral economics strategies can help patients quit smoking after a cancer diagnosis
Researchers from Penn Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia find ‘nudges’ from electronic health records could improve the implementation of tobacco use treatment.
Deeply Rooted Collaborative awards more than $59K in ‘Community Green Grants’
The joint initiative from Penn Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has awarded 21 grants to fund initiatives to fight food insecurity, community garden cleanup, education programming, and more.
In the News
Sugar-coated gold nanoparticles could replace some antibiotics
According to a Penn Medicine study, a new therapy involving laser light and sugar-coated gold nanoparticles can reduce tooth decay and infected wounds without needing antibiotics.
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A new strategy to attack aggressive brain cancer shrank tumors in two early tests
A clinical trial led by Stephen Bagley of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that targeting two associated proteins with CAR T cell therapy could be a viable strategy for shrinking brain tumors.
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Alzheimer’s may be caused by a build-up of fat in brain cells
A study by Michael Haney of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that the root cause of Alzheimer’s is a build-up of fat droplets in brain cells.
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Cats aren’t jerks. They’re just misunderstood
James Serpell of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that the domestic cat suffers from its legacy of being a not-quite-wild animal on the margins of society.
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Philadelphia hospital program adds psychologists to bridge mental health services for trauma survivors
A new psychology team at the Penn Trauma Violence Recovery Program has provided about 46 survivors with short- and long- term therapy, featuring remarks from Elinore Kaufman and Lily Brown of the Perelman School of Medicine.
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