Maria A. Oquendo, MD, PhD, is probing the human mind and brain to prevent more lives from being lost to the tenth leading cause of death in the United States.
At this moment, more than 118,000 people in the United States are in need of a lifesaving organ transplant. And 64 percent of them are currently on a waiting list 鈥 to which roughly 1 person is added every 10 minutes 鈥 according to the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS). That鈥檚 75,868 people in line for a transplant. Unfortunately, only about half of them will actually receive the transplant they need this year. In an effort to encourage more people to register as organ and tissue donors, folks at Penn Medicine are tackling the issue from a few different angles 鈥 from advocacy to research to policy.
The U.S. medical community needs a better understanding of the biology of pain and how it plays out in individuals to be able to combat the national epidemic of addiction to painkillers.
From the Broad Street Run here in Philadelphia to the Cherry Blossom 10-mile run in Washington, DC, and others across the country and overseas, running season is just around the corner! And for many people, from avid runners to weekend warriors, that means it鈥檚 almost time to lace up your shoes and dust off those training plans.
But, recent news stories about runners suffering sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and other heart-related complications mid-race might leave some wondering if there may actually be a risk to running.
The value of intersecting the sequencing of individuals鈥 exomes (all expressed genes) or full genomes to find rare genetic variants -- on a large scale -- with their detailed electronic health record (EHR) information has 鈥渕yriad benefits, including the illumination of basic human biology, the early identification of preventable and treatable illnesses, and the identification and validation of new therapeutic targets,鈥 wrote Daniel J. Rader, MD, chair of the Department of Genetics, in the Perelman School of Medicine at Penn.
- The rapidly emerging field of precision medicine is a 鈥渄isruptive innovation鈥 that offers the possibility of remarkably fine-tuned remedies to improve patient health while minimizing the risk of harmful side effects, says J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System, in this week鈥檚 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Strategies aimed at reducing childhood obesity should acknowledge individuals鈥 rational taste preferences and apply insights from behavioral economics to design choice architecture that increases their likelihood of success, say two physician-scientists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics in an editorial published in JAMA Pediatrics.
Penn Medicine physicians and scientists are available for comment on a variety of topics relating to health and injury issues that Winter Olympic athletes may face. Experts are available for interviews by phone, webcam or satellite uplink from the Penn campus in Philadelphia.
Penn Transplant Institute/University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine faculty are presenting research findings and moderating sessions on the lateast advances in transplant medicine. The American Transplant Congress keynote speaker (May 4th) this year is Penn Med's Medicine's own Dr. Arthur Caplan, the Robert Hart Director of the Center for Bioethics and the Sidney D. Caplan Professor of Bioethics. Dr. Caplan will address "The Not-So Distant Future of Organ Transplantation - Ethical Obstacles and Opportunities.
Experts from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine are available to offer expert medical insight and commentary during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver on issues ranging from the effects of performance enhancing drugs to concerns about the spread of novel H1N1, head trauma and more.
For older Americans "鈥 who vote in larger numbers than any other age group "鈥 there are significant barriers in exercising their right to vote. Jason Karlawish, MD, associate professor of Medicine and Medical Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, recommends that to help break down the logistical and geographical voting barriers many older Americans face, the United States must develop a model for mobile polling.
Judd Hollander, MD, Professor and Clinical Research Director in the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine, can share insights on the ways in which new technologies may both improve health care delivery and reduce costs for widespread, chronic health problems. These issues will play a central role in discussions about health care reform as the 2008 presidential election approaches.
As the 2008 presidential election draws nearer, debate continues over immigration and health care reform. Meanwhile, U.S. doctors must find innovative, cost-effective ways to care for these new Americans. A national authority on health care concerns among underserved populations, Steven C. Larson, MD, associate professor of Emergency Medicine and assistant dean for Global Health Programs at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, can share insights on novel ways in which the government can provide quality health care for all Americans.
PENN Medicine experts are specially equipped to share insight into health issues particular to the Beijing Games. Areas of expertise include: 1) Air quality and athletic performance; 2) Ensuring a safe and ample blood supply for visitor and athletes ; 3) Detecting the next generation of performance enhancers.