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Health Sciences
Proactive genetic testing for hereditary cancer risk can help improve outcomes
Neonatal intensive care nurse Kimyatta Frazier found solace in a relationship with a genetic counselor at Penn Medicine who would be instrumental in helping her feel more in control of any future cancer diagnoses.
A two-time bone marrow donor makes helping people his profession
The kindness of nurses during his first bone marrow donation led Jake Purnell, a nurse at the Penn Medicine Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine, on his career path.
Making meaning from the loss of a child
Research by Diane Spatz of the School of Nursing and colleagues reveals how donating milk served as an important part of the grieving process for some parents who had lost a baby before or at birth.
$25M gift establishes Armellino Center of Excellence for Williams Syndrome at Penn Medicine
The generosity of Penn alumnus Michael Armellino creates a center for the care of patients with the rare genetic condition across all stages of life and propels scientific discovery.
Urging caution but not panic on monkeypox
While unfamiliar to many in the U.S., monkeypox and other poxviruses have been on the radar of researchers at the School of Dental Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine for decades.
Building Penn Medicine’s Pavilion helped launch his career. Now, William Griffin is going places
Griffin participated in PennAssist, a program to help graduates of Philadelphia’s career and technical high schools and city residents enter the building trades, and made an impression on the construction management team for the Pavilion.
How do media depictions of tobacco influence smoking decisions for young adults?
Two studies from the Annenberg School for Communication’s Robert Hornik find that media portrayals of such behaviors can change actions and perception, but how and by how much depends on a range of factors.
Lighting the way for rare disease
After finding out about STAC3, a rare disease without a cure, biology major Magnolia Wang of the College of Arts and Sciences set out to raise awareness and advocate for those struggling with the illness.
An arms race that plays out in a single genome
School of Arts & Sciences biologist Mia Levine and Cara Brand, a postdoc, shed light on an example of coevolution in fruit flies that has implications for human health.
A Penn Vet tale: Olive, the tiny little fighter
When Olive, the four-month-old Shih Tzu mix, became critically ill with respiratory distress, clinicians at Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital spent a week collaborating on intensive treatment.
In the News
Mayor Parker’s plan to ‘remove the presence of drug users’ from Kensington raises new questions
Shoshana Aronowitz of the School of Nursing and Ashish Thakrar of the Perelman School of Medicine comment on the lack of specificity in Philadelphia’s plan to remove drug users from Kensington and on the current state of drug treatment in the city.
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How many patients would recommend their Philly-area hospital to family and friends? Check your local hospital
The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania has been named one of the most recommended acute-care facilities by patients in the Philadelphia area.
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Homeward bound: When a Penn Medicine nurse was diagnosed with uterine cancer, she turned to the service dogs she helped to train
A profile highlights Maria Wright of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, from her volunteer work connecting people with service dogs to her cancer diagnosis and her own journey applying for a service dog.
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UPenn medical school names first vice dean of AI
Mary Ritchie has been named the vice dean of artificial intelligence and computing at the Perelman School of Medicine. Mitchell Schnall has been named the first senior vice president for data and technology solutions at the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
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Is apple cider vinegar really a cure-all?
Nitin K. Ahuja of the Perelman School of Medicine says there’s no supportive data that adding acid to the stomach will somehow help control acid reflux.
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