As one of the world’s top research institutions, our entire health system is built on groundbreaking discoveries. With a long tradition of medical breakthroughs, Penn Medicine’s research drives discoveries that transform laboratory innovations into life-changing clinical care. We fuel a continuous cycle of inquiry—from the bench to the bedside and beyond—ensuring every study advances science and improves lives. Rooted in our commitment to progress and inspired by the needs of real people, our research drives the future of medicine.
Navigating clinical research at Penn Medicine
Explore opportunities to participate in clinical trials at Penn Medicine and be part of research that shapes the future of patient care.
The Office of Clinical Research serves as the central resource for clinical research information, supporting patients, families, and research professionals.
Sometimes referred to as "bench to bedside" medicine, translational research "translates" discoveries made in the research laboratory into a clinical setting, so patients can benefit from the research quicker. Translational research is also referred to as translational medicine.
Our researchers are leaders in discoveries that advance science and pave the way for new therapies and procedures to improve human health. The basic and clinical research findings emerging from our laboratories and hospitals improve the treatment of a wide range of medical conditions and provide the foundation of knowledge on which many of medicine's next generation of cures will be developed.
Penn Medicine’s Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT) supports research at the interface of basic and clinical research focusing on developing new and safer medicines.
FDA approvals originating at Penn Medicine
Pioneering the future of medicine
Penn Medicine’s 250+ year history is marked by a legacy of monumental medical breakthroughs. From pioneering CAR T cell therapies to the discovery of mRNA vaccine technology, we are shaping the future of medicine through groundbreaking research and transformative treatments.
Stories of research and innovation at Penn Medicine
World’s first patient treated with personalized CRISPR therapy
In a historic medical breakthrough, a child with a rare genetic disorder has been successfully treated with a customized CRISPR gene editing therapy.
Trials aim to make cancer relapse a thing of the past
“The thought is always in the back of your head: Is it lurking? Will it come back?” Clinical trials are testing methods to stop cancer from recurring.
Carl June on the boundless potential of CAR T cell therapy
Carl June, MD, explains how CAR T cell therapy, which has been transformative for blood cancers, holds the potential to help millions more patients.