Health@SAS News
Literature and Medicine
An English course on narrative medicine invites students to look at poetry, novels, and essays that explore illness, disease—and, ultimately, what it means to be alive.
What’s In a Face?
Children gravitate toward objects with anthropomorphic features, an inclination that’s not as strong in children with early signs of antisocial behavior, according to research from the lab of Associate Professor of Psychology Rebecca Waller.
At Work: Nicholas Wilcox, C’13, W’13
Wilcox, a Penn Medicine postdoc, graduated from the Vagelos Life Sciences & Management dual-degree program. “It was the foundation for me to pursue my dream,” he says.
Can Aging Be Treated at the Cellular Level?
Shelley Berger and Esra Sahingur explain senescence, the process of cellular aging, and discuss the complexities of developing anti-aging therapies that target these cells.
Discovering What Powers Community Health in Philadelphia
This fall, in a course taught by Andi Johnson, students worked with a health-focused nonprofit to identify ways to better support staff and learn about how organizations address issues facing city residents.
Addressing the Psychological Effects of IBS
Melissa Hunt and Chung Sang Tse and colleagues have found that cognitive behavioral therapy reduced disability for patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and that psychologists with no prior GI experience could learn to deliver this therapy effectively.
Alternate Paths
Beyond the MD track, non-clinical career options in healthcare abound. Here are three chosen by Penn Arts & Sciences alums.
Does Time Heal All Wounds?
In her Medicine, Magic, and Miracles class, Elly Truitt, Associate Professor of History and Sociology of Science, guides students through the storied history of medicine, healing, and the nature of disease.
Hope for a Healthier World
With a new book, Professor of Political Science Julia Lynch and colleagues offer legislators a roadmap for reducing health inequality.
Is Seeing Understanding?
Despite major advancements in neuroscience, we still know surprisingly little about how human brains process language. In the lab of Penn Medicine’s Michael Beauchamp, Kamille Hernandez, C’27, spent her summer seeking answers.
Bridging Medicine and Business
Arun Das, C’10, W’10, took a winding path—one that included the Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management—to end up at Cabaletta Bio, a biotechnology company that wants to revolutionize autoimmune disease treatment.
Curiosity, STEM, and a Summer on Campus
The Penn Research Experience for High School Students gives Philadelphia 11th and 12th graders a rare opportunity to tackle college-level research. Program alums say the experience was foundational to their love of science.
‘Elusive Cures: Why Neuroscience Hasn’t Solved Brain Disorders—and How We Can Change That’
The first book from Psychology Professor Nicole Rust dives into why research on conditions like Alzheimer’s and depression hasn’t translated more effectively into better treatments.
How the Brain Plays Tricks on the Eyes
By studying the tilt illusion—when the visual cortex sees straight lines as angled—Professors Alan Stocker and Geoffrey Aguirre are making inroads into fundamental computational processes that could inform neuroscience and better AI.
Disease, Fertility, and Inequity
For five years, Letícia Marteleto, Presidential Penn Compact Professor of Sociology, has studied the effects of Zika and COVID on women in Brazil. She’s found that the back-to-back crises have significantly affected family-planning decisions—and there’s much more to learn.
At Work with Ashley Gaines, C’96
Gaines, a vice president in the oncology division of pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, was inspired by a “strong desire to do something in my career that would directly impact people’s lives in a positive way.” A double major in math and urban studies—plus critical-thinking skills she learned in the College—paved her way.
AI Used for Real-Time Selection of Actionable Messages for Government and Public Health Campaigns
A study by Professor of Psychology Dolores Albarracín and colleagues suggests that artificial intelligence can facilitate theory- and evidence-based message selection.
Modern Medicine and the History of Graverobbing
Using archival documents and primary source material in Philadelphia and Scotland, Catherine Sorrentino, C’25, uncovered what happened to society’s most vulnerable with the rise of “anatomical medicine.”
Digging into a Career in the Biological Sciences
At a College Alumni Mentoring Series Roundtable, students connected with Gabrielle Gosciniak C’13, Brielle Gehringer, C’18, GR’23, and Tyler Ling, C’18.
Easing Patient Fears of Radiation via Virtual Reality
Imagine if, before the first treatment, a patient could get a private tour behind the scenes. That’s now possible, thanks to a project that included Cinema & Media Studies’ Peter Decherney, Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Endowed Term Professor in the Humanities.
A Pandemic Puzzle
Matthew Breier, C’26, spent a summer working with Associate Professor David Barnes to research how the 1918 flu pandemic affected Philadelphia’s Black and immigrant neighborhoods.