Health
Year in Review: The top stories that defined Penn in 2023
The Penn community navigated an unprecedented leadership crisis, heightened student activism, and a surge in labor organizing this year.
Top Penn Med, GSE admin. denounce calls for genocide as form of hate amid Magill testimony uproar
"Calls for genocide, echoing horrors of the past, violate our behavioral standards and remind us that we must forcefully condemn, prevent, and respond to hate in all forms," the letter said.
Penn Reproductive Justice offers free Plan B to students, increased menstrual product accessibility
The initiative — the Confidential Emergency Contraception Distribution Project — will provide kits upon request that include one Plan B, an information sheet about how to use Plan B, and packets of lubricant and condoms for students.
FDA opens investigation into potential cancer risks of Penn-pioneered CAR-T therapy
The investigation centers on the possibility that the therapy may cause cancer in rare cases, following reports of T cell malignancies in those who received the treatment.
Penn Med researchers awarded $5 million grant to study Alzheimer's disease, related dementias
Six million people in the United States currently live with Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and Lewy Body dementia.
Wellness at Penn hosts COVID-19 booster clinic, vaccinating around 1,000 attendees
The clinic — which was hosted in partnership with Sunray, a local pharmacy — provided COVID-19 boosters to members of the Penn community from Nov. 8 to Nov. 10.
Penn PRECISE Center research shows how generative AI can be used in clinical practice
The Center’s projects include aiming to enhance vision assessments for at-risk groups and researching machine learning techniques for vision evaluation.
Penn Med researchers awarded $10 million to continue work in preventing breast cancer recurrence
The grant is a part of the United States Department of Defense’s Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative announced in March, which awards $220 million to research studies nationwide.
Penn graduates found anti-vaping company focused on holistic approach to quitting
The DP sat down with the founders to talk about their story and their hopes for the company.
Wellness at Penn finds high student engagement in sleep, sexual health programming
Both programs are accessed via weekly emails that are sent directly to students which include PDF lessons including a variety of media.
Penn researchers partner with Camden County to create virtual reality training on Narcan use
The virtual reality video aims to educate the public on how to use Narcan through an accessible, immersive training experience.
Annenberg survey finds decline in vaccine trust, rise in health misinformation acceptance
71% of those surveyed agreed that vaccines approved in the United States are safe, a decrease from 77% in April 2021.
Penn study highlights therapeutic benefits of personal narratives produced by Chat GPT-4
The project, which successfully completed its first two phases, uses large language models to craft personal narratives, unlocking potential applications in both self-exploration and therapeutic treatment.
Wellness at Penn to host COVID-19 booster clinic next week following new vaccine approval
Wellness at Penn previously recommended the new boosters, which are currently only produced by Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax, for all members of the Penn community.
Panera increases caffeine warnings on Charged Lemonade amid FDA probe into Penn student’s death
The family of Katz — a Penn student with a heart condition who died last September — filed a lawsuit against Panera last week alleging that Katz died after consuming Panera’s Charged Lemonade.
Penn student Sarah Katz died after drinking Panera Charged Lemonade, lawsuit alleges
On the day of her passing, Katz consumed a 30-ounce Charged Lemonade from a Panera at 200 S. 40th St. and went into cardiac arrest hours later.
Wellness at Penn vaccinates over 10,300 community members at annual flu clinic
The annual clinic, which offered free flu vaccines to all members of the Penn community, was hosted from Oct. 4 to Oct. 6 in Gimbel Gymnasium in the Pottruck Health and Wellness Center.
Penn Medicine, Omega Psi Phi fraternity host Men's Wellness Day event alongside campus groups
The event provided a variety of resources like free screening and tests, specifically geared toward promoting men’s health.
Pennsylvania one of 10 states with new COVID-19 variant
Other states with detected samples of the variant are Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.