#pennmedicine

Pam King Sams

Sep 16, 2021
4 min

Should You Worry About the Mu Variant?

Yet another variant is being mentioned in discussions about the pandemic these days. Its name is mu, and after being discovered in Colombia in January, it’s now found across the globe. Mu has several characteristics that make it seem likely to infect human cells more efficiently than the original strain of the virus. The World Health Organization has identified this mutation as a “variant of interest” — as opposed to rather a “variant of concern” — because health officials ar

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mRNA pioneers, Dr. Drew Weissman and Dr. Katalin Kariko share Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.

Pam King Sams

Sep 15, 2021
2 min

mRNA pioneers, Dr. Drew Weissman and Dr. Katalin Kariko share Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.

Drew Weissman's decades of research helped pave the way for mRNA Covid-19 vaccines, but the scientist isn't resting on his laurels. The University of Pennsylvania immunologist, who on Thursday shared the $3 million 2022 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences with his longtime collaborator Katalin Kariko, is now spearheading efforts to design a new vaccine against all coronaviruses. The Silicon Valley-backed award honors major discoveries with the highest cash amounts in science.

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Penn Medicine has hundreds of positions to fill ahead of $1.6B Pavilion opening next month.

Pam King Sams

Sep 14, 2021
2 min

Penn Medicine has hundreds of positions to fill ahead of $1.6B Pavilion opening next month.

With about a month-and-a-half to go before Penn Medicine's $1.6 billion Pavilion makes its debut, the health system still has hundreds positions to fill at the 504-bed hospital building in West Philadelphia. Penn Medicine recently launched what it is calling a "massive recruitment effort" to hire more than 600 people for the 17-story project. The Philadelphia health system is offering various bonuses — some as high as $15,000 — to draw people in. The health system has already

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2022 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Awarded to Penn Medicine mRNA Pioneers.

Pam King Sams

Sep 9, 2021
3 min

2022 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Awarded to Penn Medicine mRNA Pioneers.

Weissman and Karikó are honored for engineering modified RNA technology which enabled rapid development of effective COVID-19 vaccines It was a scientific discovery 16 years ago that paved the way for creation of lifesaving vaccines when the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe in 2020. Now, the two Penn Medicine researchers behind the findings are again being recognized for their innovative and monumental work, which has ushered in a new era of vaccine technology. Drew

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Penn Medicine Study Details Robust T-Cell Response to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines.

Pam King Sams

Aug 16, 2021
3 min

Penn Medicine Study Details Robust T-Cell Response to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines.

Penn Study Details Robust T-Cell Response to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines—a More Durable Source of Protection Results underline the importance of a second dose and include implications for booster shots Messenger-RNA (mRNA) vaccines against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 provoke a swift and strong response by the immune system’s T cells—the heavy armor of the immune system—according to a study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvan

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Penn Medicine researchers identify more genetic markers for Inherited Testicular Cancer.

Pam King Sams

Aug 9, 2021
3 min

Penn Medicine researchers identify more genetic markers for Inherited Testicular Cancer.

A new meta-analysis increased the number of genetic locations for disease by 40 percent PHILADELPHIA—A meta-analysis of nearly 200,000 men revealed 22 new genetic locations that could be susceptible to inherited testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) — a 40 percent increase in the number of regions known to be associated with the cancer. The new findings, published online in Nature Communications, could help doctors understand which men are at the highest risk of developing the d

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Scientists Say COVID-19 Booster Shots Aren’t Needed Yet. Here’s Why.

Pam King Sams

Jul 20, 2021
6 min

Scientists Say COVID-19 Booster Shots Aren’t Needed Yet. Here’s Why.

The past week has been a wild ride for fully vaccinated Americans seeking clarity on whether they will need COVID-19 booster shots—either now or in the future, particularly as more contagious variants emerge. On July 8, Pfizer and BioNTech announced they planned to seek emergency authorization for a booster dose of their vaccine, saying that their data shows their vaccine’s efficacy is waning and that a booster “may be needed within six to 12 months after full vaccination.” P

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COVID-19 Pandemic Brings an ‘Epidemic of Sleep Deprivation

Pam King Sams

Jul 15, 2021
4 min

COVID-19 Pandemic Brings an ‘Epidemic of Sleep Deprivation

By David LAZA, LA Times - Having trouble sleeping? You’re not alone. Sleep disorders have grown so prevalent since the start of the pandemic, there’s a name for it — “coronasomnia.” That got me wondering, as I yet again tossed and turned for much of the night, if this is going to have long-term consequences for society. Simply put, is this the new normal? Are we now, thanks to the pandemic, a nation of lousy sleepers? “I don’t think we’re forever doomed,” said Dr. Ronald Cher

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Are Allergies Triggering Your Migraines?

Pam King Sams

Jul 2, 2021
5 min

Are Allergies Triggering Your Migraines?

People With Migraine Are More Likely to Have Allergies Migraine and allergies are both very common conditions, and it’s not at all unusual for people to have both, according to Katherine Hamilton, MD, an assistant professor of clinical neurology and a headache specialist at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia. “It’s also been shown in studies that people with migraine are more likely to have allergies, and people with allergies are more likely to have migraine, though we don't unde

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Katalin Karikó, mRNA Trailblazer, Awarded 2022 Vilcek Prize for Excellence in Biotechnology.

Pam King Sams

Jun 28, 2021
2 min

Katalin Karikó, mRNA Trailblazer, Awarded 2022 Vilcek Prize for Excellence in Biotechnology.

Katalin Karikó, PhD, part of the University of Pennsylvania scientific team whose innovative research laid the foundation for COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, will receive the 2022 Vilcek Prize for Excellence in Biotechnology. The prize, from The Vilcek Foundation, is awarded to immigrants to the United States who change the country and the world or to those who are dedicated advocates of immigrants. Karikó will officially receive the award, which comes with $100,000, in the spring of

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How mRNA Vaccines Help Fight Cancer Tumors, Too

Pam King Sams

Jun 16, 2021
4 min

How mRNA Vaccines Help Fight Cancer Tumors, Too

by Steve Graff Thanks to researchers in different fields who put in nearly two decades of past work on mRNA vaccine technology, people around the world are being immunized today from COVID-19 — and hopefully leading us out of this pandemic. Now, because of the increased focus on this versatile technology and that foundation of research, mRNA vaccines for other diseases have an even greater chance of making it to patients. “The whole platform is very, very flexible,” said Norb

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Reinventing the Emergency Room at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania’s New Pavilion.

Pam King Sams

Jun 11, 2021
4 min

Reinventing the Emergency Room at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania’s New Pavilion.

By Kelsey Odorczyk According to the CDC, nearly 130 million patients visit emergency rooms in the United States per year. And if you’re one of those 130 million, you might have noticed there’s a lot of waiting around. Patients all over the country lament long wait times, and unfortunately, some even leave before seeing a provider. What’s more, due to shifting demographics and resources, hospitals are declining in number, but visits are increasing, which only exacerbates crowd

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Thanks to Hind Al Zaabi for helping UAE patients and their families!

Pam King Sams

Jun 11, 2021
1 min

Thanks to Hind Al Zaabi for helping UAE patients and their families!

So happy to see Hind Al Zaabi who has steadfastly led and transformed DOH-AD IPC. US Hospitals are grateful to her and her team for helping all of us take even better care of UAE patients and their families! Hind is phenomenal leader whose work ethic and quest for excellence inspires others every day. We are so grateful for her leadership and look forward to helping with her next mission! Thank you! #pennmedicine #memorialhermann #dohsocial

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Two studies say COVID-19 Immunity Could Last for Years.

Pam King Sams

Jun 2, 2021
3 min

Two studies say COVID-19 Immunity Could Last for Years.

Immunity to the novel coronavirus could last for a year — and possibly longer — particularly after COVID-19 vaccination. Two recent studies indicate that most people who contracted COVID-19, recovered and then got vaccinated later may not need a booster shot, according to The New York Times. Those who were never infected and then got vaccinated may need a booster shot later, the newspaper reported. Both studies looked at people who were exposed to COVID-19 about a year ago. I

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Penn Medicine Researchers Discover Drug that Blocks Multiple SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Mice

Pam King Sams

May 31, 2021
4 min

Penn Medicine Researchers Discover Drug that Blocks Multiple SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Mice

A small molecule STING agonist was highly protective against the virus that causes COVID-19 and likely other coronaviruses. The drug diABZI — which activates the body’s innate immune response — was highly effective in preventing severe COVID-19 in mice that were infected with SARS-CoV-2, according to scientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The findings, published this month in Science Immunology, suggest that diABZI could also treat ot

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Penn Medicine Launches Region’s First Post-COVID-19 Neurological Care Clinic

Pam King Sams

May 26, 2021
2 min

Penn Medicine Launches Region’s First Post-COVID-19 Neurological Care Clinic

The Penn Neuro COVID Clinic Provides Standardized Diagnosis and Management of Neurological Complications Due to COVID-19 According to a recent study, as many as one in three COVID-19 survivors experience a mental health or neurological disorder within six months of a coronavirus infection, adding to a growing body of evidence that show COVID-19 can have serious and potentially long-lasting effects on the brain. The Penn Neuro COVID Clinic aims to assess and treat long-haul CO

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CDC’s Mask Guidance Spurs Confusion and Criticism, as Well as Celebration

Pam King Sams

May 20, 2021
8 min

CDC’s Mask Guidance Spurs Confusion and Criticism, as Well as Celebration

Federal health officials’ decision to rescind almost all masking and distancing recommendations for fully vaccinated Americans created as much confusion as it did celebration, sending states, businesses and individuals scrambling to figure out what rules, if any, are still appropriate and when. Many, including President Biden, hailed the relaxation of restrictions by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a milestone in the nation’s return to normal. But with a maj

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Will I need to get a COVID-19 booster shot?

Pam King Sams

May 19, 2021
5 min

Will I need to get a COVID-19 booster shot?

Pharmaceutical companies that produce COVID-19 vaccines have been quick to announce that people will likely need a booster shot to maintain their immune response to the virus and its variants. Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla has said people will “likely” need one every 12 months, similar to an annual flu shot. Meanwhile, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel wants to produce a vaccine targeting the variant of COVID-19 first detected in South Africa, and expects regular boosters w

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their guidance on wearing masks.

Pam King Sams

May 14, 2021
2 min

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their guidance on wearing masks.

Fully vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks outdoors and in most indoor settings to protect against COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday in a move that surprised health experts and officials while delighting some mask-weary Americans and confusing many. “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky a

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Biotechnologist César de la Fuente Awarded Princess of Girona Prize for Scientific Research

Pam King Sams

May 5, 2021
1 min

Biotechnologist César de la Fuente Awarded Princess of Girona Prize for Scientific Research

César de la Fuente, PhD, a Presidential Assistant Professor in Psychiatry, Microbiology, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Bioengineering, was awarded the 2021 Princess of Girona Foundation Scientific Research Award by the Princess of Girona Foundation. The honorary chairman of the foundation, King Felipe VI of Spain, hosted a ceremony to announce the honor on April 29, 2021. De la Fuente was selected for his leadership and achievements in the field of computational

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