Blog Topic: Research

• 

  25 Years of BRCA: How a Cancer Milestone Has Changed the Field

  October 24, 2019

  Each October, the color pink seems to take over as breast cancer awareness month moves into full swing. Everything from nonprofit fundraisers to big time sporting events get a fresh pop of color as a visual reminder of the need for more education and increased awareness, the hope for new cancer treatments, and as a tribute to those who have been affected by, or who have lost their lives, to the disease.

  Breast Cancer Genetics Mens Health Womens Health Research
• 

  The Underrecognized Epidemic of Chronic Kidney Disease

  June 04, 2019

  Today, CKD – a disease where the kidneys progressively fail over time – affects nearly 33 million Americans and is expected to grow to 36 million over the next 10 years.

  Endocrinology Human Interest Research
• 

  What’s Next After a Landmark Year for Castleman Disease Research

  January 03, 2019

  The effort is led by David C. Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc, an assistant professor of Medicine in the division of Translational Medicine & Human Genetics, who not only studies Castleman disease, but also has the disease himself.

  Research
• 

  Spreading the Health

  June 13, 2018

  Geospatial analysis combines extensive geographic and demographic data with transportation options, consumer behavior, and the presence of nearby competitors to achieve a competitive edge. Can this research process used by banks, restaurants, and grocery chains to determine future development sites also help determine the best placement for trauma centers in Pennsylvania?

  Trauma Research
• 

  Uncovering the Long Term Health Impact of Playing in the NFL

  February 02, 2018

  In 1987, NFL players went on strike. Teams scrambled to fill their rosters with “replacement players” with some experience with college or professional football. They became a footnote in sports history, but it turns out these players may actually play a critical role in helping us understand how playing in the NFL affects long-term health.

  Brain and Behavior Neurology Research
• 

  Scientist’s Best Friend

  January 29, 2018

  Meet Venus and Mercury, the loving mother-and-pup companions of married-couple researchers Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, and Albert Maguire, MD. Like many Swedish Briards, they were born with a form of congenital blindness, and their impaired eyesight got worse with age — until they underwent an experimental therapy that Bennett and Maguire had pioneered.

  General Interest Research
• 

  The Promise of a New Year: A Look at Medicine in 2018

  January 10, 2018

  From the FDA’s approval of the first ever gene therapy that brings new hope to cancer patients, to the approval of a gene therapy that can treat a rare form of blindness, to advancements in clinics and labs that could lead to new discoveries, 2017 saw great achievements in the field of medicine. Here’s what Penn doctors say they’re excited about as they look to 2018.

  Research Cancer Breast Cancer Radiology Ear Nose and Throat Psychiatry Dermatology
• 

  Kyra’s Legacy

  December 11, 2017

  A little over 10 years ago, Abramson Cancer Center director Robert Vonderheide, MD – then an assistant professor of Hematology/Oncology – and his colleagues at Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine, told a room full of local reporters about an immunotherapy vaccine to treat lymphoma in pet dogs, which they hoped would someday help children with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

  Cancer General Interest Research
• 

  Fighting Antibiotic Resistance with a Little Help from Nature

  December 08, 2017

  The bacteria are winning. That’s what happens when they’re excessively attacked with the same antibiotics for 70 plus years. About two million people became infected with resistant bacteria this year in the United States, and at least 23,000 of them died as a direct result, according to CDC estimates. The future looks even grimmer: By 2050, resistant bugs will account for 10 million annual deaths around the world.

  Ear Nose and Throat Research
• 

  Addressing Adherence: PrEP’s Achilles Heel

  June 09, 2017

  Prevention is still our best weapon against HIV. One prevention method that has gained a lot of public attention in recent years is pre-exposure prophylaxis, also known as PrEP. Daily PrEP use can lower the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90 percent and from injection drug use by more than 70 percent—but the challenge with PrEP, like many other daily medications, is adherence. That’s where Penn Medicine's Helen Koenig and recent Perelman School of Medicine graduate Giffin Daughtridge come in.

  Basic Science Research Public Health Infectious Disease