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2010 News Archives

December 21, 2010
Wade Berrettini, MD, PhD is mentioned in a Philadelphia Inquirer article that looks at teens battling mental illness, and discusses a program called Minding Your Mind.
Click for article

December 17, 2010
At #3 on their annual Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs list, TIME notes that a series of new methods are emerging, including tests of spinal fluid -developed by scientists at Penn Medicine - aimed at detecting and confirming Alzheimer's earlier in patients' lives. The test, developed by Les Shaw, PhD and John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD was also named #10 on Discover Magazine's "Top 100 Discoveries of 2010".
Click for article - TIME
Click for article - Discover

December 17, 2010
Ruben Gur, MD is quoted in an ABCNews.com report about a study published in the latest edition of the journal Current Biology that looked at how a certain part of the brain experiences fear.
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December 16, 2010
Steven Berkowitz, MD commented in an MSNBC.com article on a recent study, which investigated a medication that can prevent an exaggerated fear response in mice very similar to PTSD in people.
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December 15, 2010
John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD is quoted in a ProteoMonitor article which reports that the initial analysis of ADNI plasma proteome data suggests possible protein signatures for Alzheimer's.
Click for article

December 15, 2010
Daniel Langleben, MD, associate professor of Psychiatry, was interviewed in an ABCNews.com report on the latest study to explore how an MRI might be used to detect how honesty and deception affect the brain.
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December 10, 2010
HealthDay reports on a study by Karl Rickels, MD from the December issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, concerning patients with generalized anxiety disorder treated with venlafaxine hydrochloride extended release.
Click for article

December 9, 2010
John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD, professor of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, is interviewed by the AAMC Reporter about his research in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative conditions.
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December 8, 2010
Research regarding anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, led by Josep Dalmau, MD, professor of Neurology and a neuro-oncologist at Penn, was mentioned In a Washington Post report on a mysterious medical case.
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December 8, 2010
An article in The Scientist details the research of Max Kelz, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, which looks at how the brain transitions between consciousness and unconsciousness, both in terms of anesthetics and sleep medicine. Amita Sehgal, PhD is also cited in the article.
Click for article

December 8, 2010
Charles O'Brien, MD, PhD is interviewed on the "Kojo Nmandi Show" on Washington DC's NPR affiliate, WAMU Radio, in a segment discussing the social effects of alcohol addiction.
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December 8, 2010
David Dinges, PhD, professor and chief of the Division of Sleep and Chronobiology in the Department of Psychiatry, is interviewed in a Medscape report regarding the cognitive deficits caused by sleep deprivation.
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December 7, 2010
Michael Thase, MD, director of the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, is quoted in an article in US News & World Report about beating the holiday blues.
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December 6, 2010
The Seattle Times reports on a Penn Medicine study, led by Namni Goel, PhD, looking at people who have a gene variant closely associated with narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that causes excessive daytime sleepiness.
Click for article

December 6, 2010
In a story about facial attractiveness, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that professor of Neurology Anjan Chatterjee, MD, and his colleagues have done brain imaging on people as they looked at attractive faces.
Click for article

December 3, 2010
Investigators at the School of Medicine, including Douglas Smith, MD and D. Kacy Cullen, PhD, and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a color-changing patch that could be worn on soldiers' helmets and uniforms to indicate the strength of exposure to blasts from explosives in the field. Coverage has appeared in numerous outlets, including Wired.co.uk, Science, UPI.com, WHYY, and Technology Review.
Click for press release
Click for article

December 2, 2010
Researchers at the Udall Center for Parkinson's Research, led by Alice Chen-Plotkin, MD, assistant professor of Neurology, have developed the first blood-based biomarker test to predict cognitive decline in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Coverage has appeared on CBS3, Philadelphia Business Journal, and News Works.
Click for press release
Click for article

December 2, 2010
Anjan Chatterjee, MD, professor of Neurology, is interviewed by Philadelphia Magazine in an article looking at how multimedia use impacts our ability to pay attention and filter out distractions.
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December 2, 2010
The US Army reports that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatments were discussed by medical experts at a panel at the 27th Army Science Conference. Edna Foa, PhD kicked off the discussion by offering a presentation on prolonged exposure (PE), its effectiveness in treating PTSD and whether PE can be effective in treating PTSD among active personnel.
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December 2, 2010
The KidsJudge Science Fair, sponsored in part by the Mahoney Institute of Neurological Sciences and the Biological Basis of Behavior Program, was featured on ABC6 TV.
Click for clip

November 24, 2010
Douglas Smith, MD, director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair, comments in Science News about a new study looking at face shields, the standard-issue helmet worn by U.S. troops to help protect soldiers from traumatic brain injury.
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November 19, 2010
Peter B. Crino, MD, PhD, associate professor of Neurology and director of the Penn Epilepsy Center, comments in a Healthymagination.com article about genetic testing and autism.
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November 19, 2010
For Great American Smokeout Day, 6 ABC reports on a new Penn Medicine study led by Caryn Lerman, PhD, looking at how genetics play a role in smoking cessation.
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November 19, 2010
An article in the Chicago Tribune cites research from the University of Pennsylvania, regarding Alzheimer's disease among Latinos.
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November 17, 2010
Psych Central News covers the research of Anna Rose Childress, PhD, which was presented at the Society for Neuroscience meeting. Researchers reported how brain-machine interfaces are allowing brain control of cursors, speeding the recovery of hand control in stroke patients, and offering hope for restoring sight after retinal damage.
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November 17, 2010
In a story about the newly proposed graphic warnings for cigarette packs, NPR's "On Point" speaks with Andrew Strasser, PhD, assistant professor of Psychiatry, biobehavioral laboratory director of the Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center and investigator for Penn's Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction.
Click for article

November 15, 2010
Douglas Smith, MD, professor of Neurosurgery and director of the Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair, was interviewed by KNX (CBS) Radio in Los Angeles about concussions after a local high school football player sustained a head injury that required him to be airlifted to a local hospital.

November 11, 2010
Edna Foa, PhD discussed Prolonged Exposure Therapy with FOX29 in a story regarding her work with America's war veterans living with post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
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November 10, 2010
John Trojanowski, MD, PhD is interviewed by the Philadelphia Inquirer about the lifestyle factors that may help lower the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Among those factors: cognitively stimulating activity.
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November 10, 2010
Biotechdaily.com mentions a Penn study published in the Journal of Neuroscience describing brain-penetrant microtubule-stabilizing drugs that could provide a new strategy for treating Alzheimer’s disease. Penn Medicine authors on this study include Virginia M.-Y. Lee, PhD; John Trojanowski, MD, PhD; Kurt Brunden, PhD, CNDR; and Bin Zhang, MD, PhD.
Click for article

November 8, 2010
Les Shaw, PhD, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, is interviewed in an Ivanhoe syndicated TV segment, aired by stations in Denver and Wilmington, North Carolina, discussing a spinal fluid test that can detect the presence of Alzheimer's disease markers.
Click for article

November 8, 2010
The Daily Pennsylvanian reports on a recent book signing on campus by Richard Doty, PhD. Dr. Doty's book focuses on the actual science behind human pheromones and he contends that the pheromone phenomenon is a myth.
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November 8, 2010
Douglas Smith, MD is interviewed in an Ivanhoe TV segment, picked up by an ABC station in Massachusetts, which looks at the latest advances in prosthetics. Dr. Smith and his team grew a mini-nervous system.
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November 5, 2010
James Kearney, MD, chief of Otorhinolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital, spoke with CBS3 about vertigo. Sixers head coach, Doug Collins has been experiencing bouts of vertigo since suffering a mild concussion, which is one of many reasons an individual may experience vertigo.

November 2, 2010
John O'Reardon, MD, associate professor of Psychiatry and director of the Treatment Resistant Depression program, discusses transcranial magnetic stimulation in an article on AARP.com.
Click for article

November 2, 2010
Leo McCluskey, MD, MBE spoke with the Philadelphia Daily News about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in light former Philadelphia Eagle fullback Kevin Turner's recent diagnosis. The article was picked up by FoxSports.com.
Click for article - Daily News
Click for article - FoxSports

November 2, 2010
Dr. David A. Wolk, MD, assistant professor of Neurology, was interviewed in an article in Clinical Psychiatry News regarding the APOE genotype associated with phenotypic differences in Alzheimer's disease.
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November 1, 2010
Jason Karlawish, MD, an associate professor of Medicine and Medical Ethics as well as Associate Director of and a practicing clinician in the Penn Memory Center, was quoted in a New York Times article about money troubles in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
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October 29, 2010
In continuing coverage, the CBS Early Show discusses research by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, lead by Namni Goel, PhD, which was published earlier this week in the journal Neurology that may reveal why some people are more prone to yawning and/or tossing and turning in bed than others.
Click for article - CBS
Click for article - WebMD

October 29, 2010
Psychiatrist John O'Reardon, MD, associate professor of Psychiatry and director of the Treatment Resistant Depression program, was interviewed by 6ABC about the treatment of depression with Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
Click for article

October 27, 2010
ABCNews.com reports that a new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, lead by Namni Goel, PhD, found that a genetic marker associated with narcolepsy may determine sleepiness. Additional coverage has appeared in HealthDay News, CNN.com, Daily Mail (UK), AOL Health, NBC affiliates and other outlets around the country.
Click for article - ABC News
Click for article - HealthDay
Click for article - CNN

October 26, 2010
WHYY's Radio Times sat down with Alzheimer’s researchers, John Trojanowski, MD, PhD and Jason Karlawish, MD to talk about the latest developments in the field.
Click for clip

October 25, 2010
David Wolk, MD, assistant professor of Neurology, was mentioned in a TIME.com article, which described a new technique that may help boost memory, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Dr. Wolk was also interviewed in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Click for article - TIME
Click for article - Inquirer

October 22, 2010
Max B. Kelz, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Anesthesia, is the recipient of the 2010 Presidential Scholar Award from the American Society of Anesthesiologists. The award recognizes anesthesiologists who dedicate their formative careers to research. Lee A. Fleisher, MD talks about Dr. Kelz in an article in Anesthesia.
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October 21, 2010
Irwin Lucki, PhD was interviewed by LiveScience regarding a gene therapy treatment that cures mice of depression-like symptoms. According to the new study, this therapy could be the key to treating the blues in humans.
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October 21, 2010
Penn Medicine News reports on a recent Penn study, led by Virginia M.-Y. Lee, PhD and John Trojanowski, MD, PhD, which gives hope for a new class of Alzheimer’s disease drugs. The study was also mentioned in Drug Discovery Opinion.
Click for press release
Click for article - Drug Discovery Opinion

October 21, 2010
Bert W. O'Malley, MD is mentioned in a HemOncToday article, detailing how robotic surgery, like the TORS procedure developed at Penn, is a paradigm shift for the treatment of head and neck cancers.
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October 19, 2010
WHYY Radio interviewed John O'Reardon, MD, associate professor of Psychiatry, regarding the use of ECT in the treatment of depression.
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October 19, 2010
An article in Psychiatric News notes that Penn Behavioral Health has been selected as one of eleven institutions that will conduct field trials for the DSM-5, taking the proposed revisions from each of the 13 DSM-5 work groups into the field to observe their impact on diagnosis and patient care.
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October 18, 2010
Anjan Chatterjee, MD was quoted in a Philadelphia Inquirer article, which looked at "miraculous" artistic recoveries and examples of artists creating great work while suffering from some form of irreversible brain trauma.
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October 18, 2010
The San Francisco Chronicle looks at new diagnostic possibilities to detect Alzheimer's disease even decades before patients are symptomatic and their brains have been irreparably damaged. The article notes that a spinal fluid test to detect Alzheimer's disease biomarkers was studied primarily at the University of Pennsylvania.
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October 14, 2010
ABCNews.com interviews Edna Foa, PhD, director of the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety and a professor of Psychiatry, about the Chilean miners' mental health.
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October 13, 2010
The Institute of Medicine awarded the 2010 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health to Charles O'Brien, MD, PhD for achievements in addiction science.
Click for press release

October 12, 2010
Four professors from the School of Medicine have been elected members of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), one of the nation's highest honors in biomedicine, including Caryn Lerman, PhD, the Mary W. Calkins Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Annenberg Public Policy Center; director of the Tobacco Use Research Center; and interim director of the Abramson Cancer Center.
Click for press release

October 12, 2010
NBC10 looks at a new study which found that zapping the brain with a small electric current enhances brain function. David Wolk, MD, assistant professor of Neurology, is conducting follow-up studies of older adults at the Penn Memory Center.

October 12, 2010
WHYY reports that brief therapy interventions after traumatic events can make a big difference in the lives of children, according to a new Penn study, led by Steven Berkowitz, MD, associate professor of Clinical Psychiatry.
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October 8, 2010
An article highlighting the combined inpatient and outpatient imaging at Penn’s Ruth and Raymond Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine is featured in the October issue of Health Imaging & IT Magazine. Nick Bryan, MD, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Radiology is quoted in the article. Also quoted are: Ann Costello, director of Radiology; William Stavropoulos, MD, associate professsor Radiology and associate chair for Clinical Operations; and Emily Conant, MD, professor of Radiology and chief of Breast Imaging.
Click for article

October 7, 2010
Philip Gehrman, PhD, CBSM, assistant professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry, is interviewed on CBS3's Talk Philly program, discussing various studies investigating insomnia. The studies are looking at behavioral issues, possible medication-based treatments, and cancer survivors' sleep patterns.

October 5, 2010
Douglas H. Smith, MD, director, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, was quoted in a Philadelphia Inquirer article about the study of traumatic brain injury. Kristin Hamann, PhD, a postdoc in the Smith lab, and Elias Melham, MD, professor of Radiology also appear in the article.
Click for article

October 5, 2010
The Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center announced that it is one of 18 official study sites for the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), which will use a combination of advanced imaging, biologics sampling and behavioral assessments to identify biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease progression.
Click for press release
Click for article - Penn Almanac
Click for article - Daily Pennsylvanian

October 4, 2010
A recent Penn study, led by Steven Berkowitz, MD, associate professor of Clinical Psychiatry, shows that following a traumatic event, early intervention reduces the odds of PTSD in children by 73 percent. The study now appears online in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
Click for press release
Click for article - Psych Central
Click for article - UPI

September 24, 2010
An article in the Fall 2010 issue of INSIDE Magazine by the Jewish Exponent spotlights dramatic medical advances available in the Philadelphia Region. William Welch, MD, FACS, chief of PAH Neurosurgery, professor and clinical vice chair of Neurosurgery and Jason G. Newman, MD, assistant professor of otorhinolaryngology, were featured in the article for the robotic techniques used in Head and Neck Surgery at PAH.
Click for article

September 24, 2010
John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD, co-director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, was interviewed by the Associated Press in a report on genetic findings in Alzheimer's research. The AP article has been picked up by more than 200 outlets.
Click for article

September 21, 2010
The Penn Almanac reports, in continuing coverage, that the National Institutes of Health has awarded a $12 million grant to Caryn Lerman, PhD to study how genetics affect attempts to quit smoking.
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September 15, 2010
The Philadelphia Inquirer and Fox29's Good Day interviewed Doug Smith, MD, professor of Neurosurgery and director of the Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair, about the challenges of diagnosing concussions, in light of the Philadelphia Eagles out with concussions.
Click for article

September 14, 2010
William C. Welch, MD, FACS, FICS, chief of Neurosurgery at Pennsylvania Hospital, was mentioned in the New York Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer as the independent neurological expert for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Click for article - NY Times
Click for article - Phila Inquirer

September 14, 2010
Bert O'Malley, MD, co-director of the Penn Head and Neck Cancer Center, was interviewed by CBS 3's Talk Philly program about the causes, signs and symptoms, and treatment outcomes for head and neck cancer patients.
Click for clip

September 13, 2010
An article in the Newark Post reports that Delaware Governor Jack Markell awarded the Order of the First State to Newark resident Scott Mackler, MD, PhD. Dr. Mackler, an associate professor in Medicine and Psychiatry, continues to teach and conduct research a decade after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) and is working with students to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying cocaine addiction.
Click for article

September 10, 2010
Anjan Chatterjee, MD was interviewed in a Washington Post article which reported that scientists have developed a scan that can measure the maturity of the brain, an advance that someday might be useful for testing whether children are maturing normally and for gauging whether teenagers are grown-up enough to be treated as adults.
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September 8, 2010
An article on AlzForum.com discusses reseach led by Andrew Siderowf, MD, associate professor of Neurology, regarding the pathology behind Parkinson disease decline.
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September 8, 2010
KYW Radio reports that a University of Pennsylvania professor has won a $12 million grant to study how genetics affect attempts to quit smoking. The National Institutes of Health awarded the grant to Caryn Lerman, PhD, professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Annenberg Public Policy Center and scientific director of Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center.
Click for press release

September 7, 2010
WHYY radio interviewed David Yusko, PhD, clinical director of the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety about treatment options for PTSD.
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September 7, 2010
David Wolk, MD, assistant director of the Penn Memory Center, was quoted in a Delaware News Journal article discussing productivity and multitasking.
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August 31, 2010
John Trojanowski, MD, PhD, director of Penn's Institute on Aging, comments in The Fiscal Times about new targets for stopping Alzheimer's in light of the latest failed drug trial for the disease.
Click for article

August 30, 2010
Leslie Shaw, PhD, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, comments in the Los Angeles Times about the $70-million ADNI project, seeking to find predictive biomarkers for neurological disease in spinal fluid as well as telltale signs of early Alzheimer's in brain scans.
Click for article

August 27, 2010
A Penn study, led by Max B. Kelz, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, sheds light on how the brain transitions between sleep and awake states under anesthesia.
Click for press relsease

August 26, 2010
Penn scientists, including John Trojanowski, MD, PhD and Virginia Lee, PhD, are highlighted in a Philadelphia Inquirer article about their discovery of a genetic stutter that may influence the risk of developing ALS.
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Click for press release

August 26, 2010
In an interview with Nightline, Adrian Raine, D.Phil., PIK professor of Criminology, Psychiatry and Psychology, discusses his research on the brains of people who have been scientifically determined to be psychopaths.
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August 26, 2010
Dwight L. Evans, MD has been appointed as co-director of the Penn Medicine Neuroscience Center (PMNC) to join Amita Sehgal, Ph.D. who is currently co-director of the PMNC.
Click here to read full release

August 25, 2010
Reporting on the mental health of the trapped miners in Chile, WHYY Radio interviewed Elna Yadin, PhD, from the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, to ask what the miners can do to help lessen the traumatic impact of their situation.
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August 25, 2010
In an Associated Press article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, David Dinges, PhD is interviewed regarding his research into astronauts and their response to isolation and stress.
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August 25, 2010
J. Russell Ramsay, PhD spoke with Reuters Health about a recent study which found that adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who still have symptoms despite taking medications might benefit from "talk therapy," also known as cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT.
Click for article

August 19, 2010
The research of Doug Smith, MD, director of Penn's Center for Brain Injury and Repair, on understanding how brain cells respond to injuries, is featured in the August issue of Discover.
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August 18, 2010
John Trojanowski, MD, PhD was quoted in the Wall Street Journal regarding a new study showing that repeated blows to the head from playing sports are linked to signs of a brain condition similar to Lou Gehrig's disease.
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August 16, 2010
Anjan Chatterjee, MD, professor of Neurology, comments in a Philadelphia Inquirer article on the use of beta-blockers to relieve performance anxiety.
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August 16, 2010
A Reuters article reports on a new study which found that personalities do not seem to be connected to risk of developing or dying from cancer. James C. Coyne, PhD, professor of Psychiatry and co-author of an editorial published with the study, was quoted in the article.
Click for article

August 13, 2010
John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD and Jason Karlawish, MD were quoted in a New York Times article that described the recent collaborative effort among scientists and executives to find the biological markers that show the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in the human brain.
Click for article

August 11, 2010
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that a screening test developed largely at the University of Pennsylvania has proved surprisingly good at predicting who will go from relatively mild memory decline to full-blown Alzheimer's disease.John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD and Leslie Shaw, PhD played lead roles in developing the test.
Click for article

August 11, 2010
Mathias Basner, MD, MS, MSc, adjunct assistant professor of Psychiatry, is quoted in a Science News article which reports on a new study showing that sound sleepers produce distinctive brain signals which enabling them to sustain sleep in noisy environments.
Click for article

August 11, 2010
John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD is interviewed in a New York Times article about a spinal fluid test that can detect signature biomarkers in early stages of Alzheimer's disease. He is also quoted in a PBH Newshour article.
Click for article - NYT
Click for article - PBS Newshour

August 10, 2010
Leslie Shaw, PhD, professor of Pathology and Lab Medicine, appeares in a CBS Evening News story about a biomarker test for Alzheimer's disease.
Click for article

August 10, 2010
According to a recent JAMA study, the rate of complex fusion procedures for the treatment of spinal stenosis has jumped 15-fold and the increase may be leading to higher complication rates. Pain Medicine News reported on the study and quoted William Welch, MD, FACS, FICS, professor of Neurosurgery and chief of Neurosurgery at PAH.
Click for article

August 10, 2010
In continuing coverage, Cosmopolitan magazine looks at a study by David Dinges, PhD and colleagues which found that a 10-hour "recovery" snooze was not sufficient to make up for a few nights of four hours of sleep.
Click for article

August 9, 2010
John Lee, MD, assistant professor of Neurosurgery and medical director of the Penn Gamma Knife Center at Pennsylvania Hospital, spoke to CBS3 about a new technology -- the 3-D endoscope -- that is allowing him to see the brain in three dimensions during surgery.
Click for article

August 9, 2010
Edna Foa, PhD is interviewed in a Glamour magazine article about anxiety in women. Dr. Foa was also featured in an article appearing in Proto, a Massachusetts General Hospital magazine, discussing post-traumatic stress disorder.
Click for article - Glamour
Click for article - Proto

August 2, 2010
A new study by David Dinges, PhD and colleagues, which found that a 10-hour "recovery" snooze was not sufficient to make up for a few nights of four hours of sleep, was featured in and on multiple media outlets including the Los Angeles Times, CNN.com, BBC News and NBC and FOX affiliates.
Click for article - LA Times
Click for article - CNN.com

August 2, 2010
C. Neill Epperson, MD is quoted in an MSNBC.com article that looks at a woman from Villers-au-Tertre, France, who admitted to suffocating her newborns, and whether or not these murders were a result of psychological issues.
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July 30, 2010
Kenneth Weiss, MD, clinical associate professor of Psychiatry, was interviewed in a CNN.com report about hoarding.
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July 30, 2010
Penn researchers, Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, professor of Ophthalmology and James Wilson, MD, PhD, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine comment in a BioITWorld.com article about how patient success stories are driving gene therapy research forward.
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July 29, 2010
Charles O'Brien, MD, PhD was quoted in a Reuters article, which reported that activists and scientists at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna called on governments to stop criminalizing drug users and instead to provide them with addiction and HIV treatment.
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July 28, 2010
Doug Smith, MD, director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair, was interviewed by CBS 3 regarding a new poster warning NFL players of the dangers of concussion.
Click for clip - taped segment
Click for clip - live segment

July 28, 2010
Michael Grandner, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology, is quoted in a Washington Post article, which looks into the relationship between certain foods and sleep.
Click for article

July 27, 2010
A WNYC Radio Show, the Takeaway, interviews David Dinges, PhD, professor of Psychology in Psychiatry and chief of the Division of Sleep and Chronobiology, about sleep problems and the latest sleep research.
Click for clip

July 26, 2010
Steven E. Arnold, MD is interviewed in a Los Angeles Times article looking at a group known as the Graduation Club, an Alzheimer's Association support group that encourages members to discuss their hopes, fears and frustrations, many of which come from knowing the road that lies ahead.
Click for article

July 19, 2010
John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD and Virginia M.-Y. Lee, PhD, MBA, CNDR were mentioned in a New York Times article about the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Click for article

July 19, 2010
James C. Findley, PhD, DABSM and Philip Gerhman, PhD, CBSM were quoted in a Philadelphia Inquirer article about the negative impact non-sleep activities in the bedroom may have on a person's ability to fall asleep.
Click for article

July 16, 2010
For the third consecutive year, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) has been ranked among the top 10 hospitals in the nation in U.S.News & World Report’s rankings of the best hospitals in America, coming in at #9 this year. HUP is the only hospital in the Philadelphia region, and one of only 14 hospitals nationwide, to be placed on the publication’s “Honor Roll” list in recognition of excellence in 15 specialties, including neurology/neurosurgery, psychiatry, ear/neck/throat, and opthamology.
Click for press release
Click for article

July 16, 2010
A PC World article highlights the research of Brian Litt, MD, who is working on two ways to reduce the size and increase the effectiveness of brain implants.
Click for article

July 14, 2010
Research by Michael Perlis, PhD and colleagues found that drinking tart cherry juice daily could help reduce the severity of insomnia and time spent awake after going to sleep. Their study was published in the Journal of Medicinal Food. The work was featured on UPI.com and several broadcast outlets.
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July 14, 2010
Steven E. Arnold, MD was quoted in an MSNBC.com report on research which found that a large cranium indicates a big brain and that having a bigger brain might help preserve thinking and memory.
Click for clip

July 13, 2010
Robert Berkowitz, MD, senior medical director of the Penn Center for Weight and Eating Disorders, was interviewed by ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer, discussing the upcoming FDA review of new diet drugs.
Click for clip

July 12, 2010
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, led by Alexander Kranjec, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in Neurology, found that soccer referees may have an unconscious bias towards calling fouls when action moves right to left or leftward.
Click for article - TIME
Click for article - Phila Business Journal
Click for press release

July 8, 2010
Mary Ann Layden, PhD is interviewed for a LifeSiteNews.com article, looking at ways to make pornography socially unacceptable. Dr. Layden is co-director of the Sexual Trauma and Psychopathology Program at the Center for Cognitive Therapy.
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July 7, 2010
In an ABCNews.com article about taking lunch breaks at work, David Dinges, PhD describes the important role eating and sleeping have on brain efficiency.
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July 7, 2010
Steven Arnold, MD was interviewed in a WHYY Radio story regarding two new studies published in the journal Neurology which support the theory that depression and dementia are linked.
Click for article

July 7, 2010
A Medscape Medical News article reports that researchers, led by Josep Dalmau, MD, PhD, have identified LGI1 (leucine-rich, glioma-inactivated 1) rather than voltage-gated potassium channels as the autoantigen associated with limbic encephalitis, a finding that may change diagnosis and classification of the disorder.
Click for article

July 6, 2010
Douglas Smith, MD and the Center for Brain Injury and Repair are mentioned in a round-up article in The Scientist about the current state of research in traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Click for article

July 1, 2010
Marina Goldman, MD, an addictions expert from Penn's Treatment Research Center and Department of Psychiatry fellow, is quoted in Philadelphia magazine, regarding the potential side effects of marijuana use.
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June 29, 2010
Guy Diamond, PhD, assistant professor of Psychiatry, is quoted in a Wall Street Journal article looking at what happens when typical teen angst starts to look like something much darker and more troubling.
Click for article

June 28, 2010
A Philadelphia Inquirer article takes an in-depth look at three years of research by Neuroscience PhD candidate Gillian Ritson's work with fruit flies to clarify the pathology of inclusion body myopathy associated with Paget's disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD). Related research by Virginia Lee, PhD, MBA and John Trojanowski, MD, PhD was also mentioned in the article.
Click for article

June 25, 2010
Douglas Smith, MD is mentioned in an article by a Chicago Sun-Times columnist chronicling the 1968-1970 Northwestern University Wildcats football team, "about the sport we played together years ago, the one that shaped us, rewarded us, wounded us." The article quotes Smith from the May/June 2010 issue of Scientific American Mind about sports-related head injuries.
Click for article

June 24, 2010
Hank Kung, PhD, professor of Radiology and Pharmacology, is mentioned in the second segment in an ongoing series in the New York Times about Alzheimer's disease. This article highlights work on one of the biggest obstacles in treating Alzheimer's, finding a reliable way to diagnose the disease in living patients.
Click for article

June 18, 2010
Namni Goel, PhD, assistant professor of Psychology in Psychiatry, and Andrew Newberg, MD, associate professor of Radiology, were quoted in an article in SELF magazine that featured eight simple tricks a person can do to improve one's mood, memory and other health issues.
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June 14, 2010
In a Philadelphia Inquirer column, Jim Findley, PhD, of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program, discusses insomnia and sleep habits.
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June 10, 2010
Jay Amsterdam, MD answers a Women’s World reader question, saying that "research suggests that chamomile appears to contain a natural compound that has a tranquilizing effect similar to prescription anti-anxiety medications, but without the habit-forming side effects."
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June 9, 2010
According to an article in Psychiatric News, Kyle Kampman, MD provided an extensive summary of pharmacological treatments for substance use disorders with a focus on alcohol and opioid addiction at the 8th annual colloquium organized by the Philadelphia Psychiatric Society (PPS) on April 24.
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June 8, 2010
Christos Ballas, MD, clinical assistant professor of Psychiatry, spoke with AOL Health about a recent study done by British scientists claiming that coffee drinkers don't get any true wake-me-up perks from their morning brew.
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June 7, 2010
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that patients, family members and physicians from Penn Neurosurgery at Pennsylvania Hospital gathered on Saturday to celebrate the center’s milestone 600th deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. Gordon Baltuch, MD, PhD was featured in the story.
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Click for article - health blog

June 4, 2010
In a surprising finding, researchers have discovered that deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease is equally effective at either of the two most commonly used sites. The multicenter team of researchers included Penn Medicine’s Matthew Stern, MD, Gordon Baltuch, MD, PhD and Stacy Horn, DO.
Click for article - HealthDay
Click for article - WebMD

June 3, 2010
An article in the Philadelphia Inquirer notes that David Dinges, PhD will be monitoring the sanity of six Russian scientists who will attempt to remain cooped up in a fake spaceship for 520 days - about the length of time it would take to get to Mars and back.
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June 3, 2010
Deborah Kim, MD was interviewed by WHYY regarding a new study, which found that pregnant women who take antidepressants during the first trimester may have an increased risk of miscarriage.
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June 1, 2010
James Coyne, PhD, professor of Psychiatry, and Aaron T. Beck, MD, emeritus professor of Psychiatry, were quoted in a Philadelphia Inquirer article discussing positive psychology.
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May 26, 2010
An Associated Press article discusses attempts to change the underlying brain circuitry that leaves substance abusers prone to relapse. With funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Charles O'Brien, MD, PhD is studying that question in a tough-to-treat population, prison parolees. The AP article was posted by the LA Times, Baltimore Sun, Newsday, Orlando Sentinel, Miami Herald, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Hartford Courant, and Allentown Morning-Call, among others.
Click for article

May 25, 2010
Edna Foa, PhD is featured on MSN's list of the "smartest people in the world." The article notes that, for 30 years, Foa has studied one of the most debilitating psychological diseases in modern history: PTSD. Ten years ago, she began developing a cognitive approach to curing it that is just now being embraced by the mainstream.
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May 25, 2010
David Mandell, ScD was quoted in a Wall Street Journal article which notes that researchers are discovering what occurs in the brains of babies and young children with autism by taking scans of sleeping children.
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May 24, 2010
Dimitri Perivoliotis, PhD, a research associate in Psychiatry, was interviewed on NPR’s Morning Edition in a story about mobile apps that are now being created by psychologists and psychiatrists for patients.
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May 24, 2010
Amy Colcher, MD, clinical associate professor of Neurology and director of Movement Disorders Experimental Neurotherapeutics, appeared on a Fox 29 segment that discussed the devastating impact Huntington’s disease has on families, including a Penn Neurology patient, Mike Burek.
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May 20, 2010
A new Penn Medicine study, led by David Wolk, MD, characterizes cognitive and anatomic differences in Alzheimer’s Disease gene carriers. Coverage also appeared in Medscape Neurology.
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May 17, 2010
In continuing coverage, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that compulsive behaviors in some patients being treated for Parkinson's disease have been reported for decades. Now, a large study, led by Daniel Weintraub, MD, has linked more types of out-of-control behavior with more Parkinson's drugs that are increasingly being used for more disorders.
Click for article

May 14, 2010
Andrew Newberg, MD, director of the Penn Center for Spirituality and the Mind, is mentioned in a Family Circle magazine article about staying focused and paying attention.
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May 14, 2010
CBS 3 reports that Aaron Beck, MD, emeritus professor of Psychiatry, received the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania for his work in psychiatry.

May 14, 2010
The Daily Pennsylvanian reports that Edna Foa, PhD was named one of this year's 100 Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine for her work on the groundbreaking therapy for PTSD patients, called prolonged exposure.
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May 12, 2010
Phil Gehrman, PhD, CBSM and Michael Perlis, PhD are quoted in an article on ABCNews.com, which looks at 10 common sleep myths.
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May 11, 2010
Parkinson's drugs can triple the odds that people develop impulse control problems such as gambling, binge eating, shopping sprees and compulsive sexual behaviors, according to Penn Medicine researchers led by Daniel Weintraub, MD. Coverage appeared in Reuters, LA Times Booster Shots blog, Medpage Today, the UK Press Association, HealthDay via BusinessWeek and WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C.
Click for article - Reuters
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May 11, 2010
A team of researchers, led by Peter B. Crino, MD, PhD have shown that a regulatory protein involved in a rare genetic disease may be related to epileptic and autistic symptoms in other more common neurological disorders. The research was published this month in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Click for press release

May 10, 2010
In continuing coverage, MD+DI (Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry) highlights research by Brian Litt, MD on a new type of implantable device that, among other options, can measure the heart’s electrical output in a way that improves on current devices.
Click for article

May 10, 2010
Allan Pack, MBChB, PhD, professor of Medicine and chief of Sleep Medicine, is quoted in an article in Psychiatric News, which looks at the role psychiatrists play in treating patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), who often have co-morbid depression.
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May 3, 2010
TIME named Edna Foa, PhD to the "2010 TIME 100," the magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The recent dramatic increase of PTSD suffers in the U.S. and around the world, following increased terror attacks and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has resulted in urgent need to disseminate Dr. Foa’s treatment for PTSD, called Prolonged Exposure (PE), to mental health professionals. Coverage also appears on WHYY.com and in the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Click for article - TIME
Click for press release
Click for article - WHYY
Click for article - Philadelphia Business Journal

April 29, 2010
In a story that aired on CBS Evening News, Donald Silberberg, MD, professor of Neurology and Wade Berrettini, MD, PhD, professor of Psychiatry, participated in an NIH panel looking at research about tactics to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, such as exercise, cognitive games, diet and nutritional supplements.
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April 28, 2010
M. Sean Grady, MD, chair of Neurosurgery, discusses subarachnoid hemorrhages with CNN.com, in light of singer and reality star Bret Michaels’ current condition.
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April 22, 2010
An article appearing on US News & World Report.com and MSN.com (via HealthDay News) describes new research led by Caryn Lerman, PhD, which suggests that a set length of time for using the nicotine patch may not work for all smokers trying to kick the habit.
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April 21, 2010
Penn Medicine scientists and colleagues have developed a brain implant that essentially melts into place, snugly fitting to the brain’s surface. The technology could pave the way for better devices to monitor and control seizures, and to transmit signals from the brain past damaged parts of the spinal cord. The study, coauthored by Brian Litt, MD, appears this month in Nature Materials. Articles describing the research appeared on Wired News.com, Reuters, UPI, and Technology Review.
Click for article

April 21, 2010
Research by David Dinges, PhD is highlighted in a New Scientist article looking at concentration, fatigue and how long can we push ourselves mentally before our brain needs a break.
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April 20, 2010
Stacy Horn, DO, clinical assistant professor of Neurology in the Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders Center, was quoted in a Delaware News Journal article regarding Parkinson's disease diagnosis and treatment options.
Click for article

April 20, 2010
Andrew Newberg, MD, director of Penn’s Center for Spirituality and the Mind, is quoted in the HuffingtonPost.com in an article about neuroscience and how significant events in your life and significant choices you make about your behavior, create new information pathways and patterns within your brain.
Click for article

April 15, 2010
The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked #2 among the nation's research-oriented medical schools by U.S.News & World Report, rising from #3 last year. In addition, Penn Medicine was ranked 7th among top primary care schools. Penn was also ranked #4 in the country for its programs in drug/alcohol abuse. Coverage also appears in the Philadelphia Inquirer and in the Daily Pennsylvanian.
Click for article
Click for press release

April 13, 2010
Jason Karlawish, MD, associate director of the Penn Memory Center and fellow of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, was quoted in a story from ABC World News with Diane Sawyer which reported that according to newly revised guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology, having mild dementia is no longer a reason to take away an elderly person's car keys.
Click for article

April 13, 2010
A WHYY Radio segment noted a lecture series moderated by Raquel Gur, MD, PhD and held at Penn this past weekend. Healthy Minds Across America, presented by NARSAD, outlines the latest scientific findings on treatments and support to improve the lives of people with mental illnesses.
Click for segment

April 13, 2010
David Oslin, MD, a University of Pennsylvania psychiatrist who specializes in addiction, was interviewed in a New York Times article regarding the effect alcohol has on aging drinkers.
Click for article

April 12, 2010
Douglas Smith, MD, professor of Neurosurgery and director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair, answers a question in a Scientific American Mind Q&A brief regarding progressive brain deterioration that may occur postinjury.
Click for article

April 9, 2010
In continuing coverage of Penn Medicine’s involvement in Haitian earthquake relief efforts, the Penn Current interviewed Michael Ashburn, MD, professor of anesthesiology and critical care and team leader of the nine-person Penn Medicine team that went to Haiti.
Click for article

April 6, 2010
A new study by addiction experts at the Center for the Studies of Addiction found that patients who suffer from both depression and alcohol dependence benefitted more from a medication combination of an antidepressant, sertraline, and naltrexone, compared to either medication alone or placebo.
Click for press release

April 6, 2010
A Penn study, led by John B. Jemmott III, PhD, found that community-based organizations (CBOs) were able to successfully implement an evidence-based HIV/STD risk-reduction intervention with adolescents, meaning far more “at risk” youths can be reached.
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April 2, 2010
Caryn Lerman, PhD was quoted in a WHYY Radio story that aired during NPR’s Morning Edition, about why nicotine addiction is so difficult to kick. Dr. Lerman was also among the authors of an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune about how President Obama's ongoing battle with cigarettes provides an opportunity to do something to reduce the 400,000 American lives lost every year to smoking.
Click for article - WHYY Radio
Click for article - Chicago Tribune

March 31, 2010
In continuing coverage, a new generation of flexible, miniaturized devices that stick onto organs and promise better diagnosis and control of medical conditions ranging from heart problems to epilepsy, is described in Medical Device Daily and on Futurity.org. "We hope this will revolutionize the interface between devices and tissues in many different medical applications," explained study author Brian Litt, MD.
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March 31, 2010
MORE Magazine lists the newly created Penn Center for Women’s Behavioral Wellness, one of a handful of female-centric outpatient mental health programs in the US, as the best place for women over 40 to seek treatment for depression.
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March 26, 2010
A Daily Pennsylvanian story notes that the School of Medicine announced a new research agreement with AstraZeneca to find new therapies for Alzheimer’s Disease in order to bridge the transition from drug discovery to development. Virginia M.-Y. Lee, PhD, MBA will lead the collaboration for the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research.
Click for article

March 25, 2010
Caryn Lerman, PhD and Robert Schnoll, PhD are quoted in a Daily Pennsylvanian article about stimulus grant funds aimed at decreasing smoking and obesity rates in Philadelphia and around the nation.
Click for article

March 25, 2010
A new generation of flexible, miniaturized devices that stick onto organs promises better diagnosis and control of medical conditions ranging from heart problems to epilepsy, reports a team of researchers in Science Translational Medicine. Study author Brian Litt, MD explained in a BusinessWeek article, "In the brain, we could treat movement orders and epilepsy with finer control than ever before."
Click for article

March 22, 2010
David S. Metzger, PhD was quoted in a Philadelphia Inquirer article that reported on a spike in syphilis cases and sharp cuts in state funding to Philadelphia for HIV/AIDS, which are presenting a challenge to public-health workers tasked with preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
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March 17, 2010
David Dinges, PhD is quoted in an article on Oprah.com, discussing mid-afternoon drowsiness and how best to combat the sluggishness.
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March 16, 2010
Researchers, including Helen M. Pettinati, PhD, reported that combining sertraline (Zoloft) and the opioid antagonist naltrexone keeps depressed alcoholics sober better than either drug alone or placebo. Coverage appeared in HealthDay, MedPage Today, and various broadcast TV outlets.
Click for article - HealthDay
Click for article - MedPage Today

March 16, 2010
Edna Foa, PhD is quoted in a Wall Street Journal article, which looks into new techniques for altering memories, like exposure treatment, that are raising possibilities of one day treating people who suffer from phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety-related conditions.
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March 10, 2010
In a Business Week article about a researcher compiling a database of athletes who may have died as a result of repetitive head traumas, Douglas Smith, MD notes that the work by these researchers has helped expand awareness of head injury, especially for parents whose children play sports.
Click for article

March 10, 2010
Marcos Frank, PhD, associate professor of Neuroscience, discusses early brain development and the importance of sleep during early life on BBC Radio.

March 9, 2010
Raquel Gur, MD, PhD was interviewed on WHYY Radio regarding the changes being made to the new edition of the DSM - the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - which is due out in 2013.
Click for article

March 4, 2010
On a CurrentMedicine.tv segment, Christopher Anderson, MD discusses the new data from the SANTE trial that evaluated deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of medically refractory seizures. Gordon Baltuch, MD, PhD collaborated on the trial.
Click for clip

March 4, 2010
John Trojanowski, MD, PhD is quoted in the New York Times about a Pfizer drug trial, called Dimebon, which showed virtually no effect after six months in treating the cognitive decline or behavioral problems associated with Alzheimer’s when compared with a placebo.
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March 2 , 2010
In an interview with WHYY, Guy Diamond, PhD, associate professor of Psychiatry, discusses the important role communication plays in suicide prevention in teens.
Click for article

March 2 , 2010
Charles O'Brien, MD, PhD, professor of Psychiatry and chair of the DSM-V working committee for substance-related disorders, is quoted in a Philadelphia Inquirer article, which looks into the controversial subject of sex addiction, in light Tiger Woods' recent public apology.
Click for article

February 26, 2010
On WHYY Radio, Mark Salzer, PhD discusses early enthusiasm in the "Ten by Ten" campaign, which set out to reduce early mortality among the mentally ill by 10 years over the next 10 years, as well as challenges to provide primary healthcare for people with mental illness.
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February 25, 2010
The Daily Pennsylvanian featured an article on a recent Penn study, led by James Eberwine, PhD, co-director of the Penn Genome Frontier Institute and professor of Pharmacology, that found a link between three brain diseases.
Click for article

February 25, 2010
In continued coverage from American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Check Up, a new health blog from the Philadelphia Inquirer, addressed mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Having a mild concussion “is akin to being mildly pregnant,” notes Douglas H. Smith, MD, director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair, who gave a talk at the AAAS on mTBI. Dr. Smith was also quoted in The Irish Times.
Click for article - Phila Inquirer
Click for article - Irish Times

February 22, 2010
Research, led by Douglas H. Smith, MD, showing that stretched and strained neural connections could yield insights into traumatic injury was featured in Science News.
Click for article

February 22, 2010
An article in the Philadelphia Inquirer profiles A. Thomas McLellan, PhD, a former professor of Psychology Psychiatry and head of the Treatment Research Institute, who now serves as the nation's No. 2 drug-policy official. Charles O'Brien, MD, PhD, a mentor of McLellan's and director of the Center for Studies of Addiction is quoted in the article.
Click for article

February 19, 2010
Caryn Lerman, PhD and Robert Schnoll, PhD are quoted in a Daily Pennsylvanian article about their new study, published earlier this month in Annals of Internal Medicine, showing that using a nicotine patch for a longer course than what is typically recommended helps more smokers kick the habit and return to their quitting attempt after small smoking slip-ups.
Click for article

February 18, 2010
Geoffrey K. Aguirre, MD, PhD was quoted in an article in the Marin Independent Journal (Calif.) which discusses a recent New England Journal of Medicine study of 54 brain-injured patients in which four patients thought to be in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) actually demonstrated the ability to control brain activity via the "activation" images on a functional MRI (fMRI).
Click for article

February 18, 2010
Steven Berkowitz, MD, associate professor of Clinical Psychiatry, was a guest on WHYY’s Voices in the Family with Dan Gottlieb, discussing the profound psychological impact of natural disasters, as it affects not only those who experienced the disaster, but relief workers, media professionals, and family members.
Click for clip

February 18, 2010
An Alzheimer’s Research Forum discusses a paper authored by much of the FTLD research community, including many Penn researchers, describing a genome-wide association study that identified new SNPs linked to frontotemporal lobal dementia with TDP-43 pathology (FTLD-TDP). Vivianna VanDeerlin, MD, PhD, associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine was the co-lead author of the study.
Click for article

February 18, 2010
In continued coverage, an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer looks into the randomized, controlled study comparing an abstinence-only intervention with safe-sex, comprehensive and control interventions. The study, by researcher John B. Jemmott III, PhD, has allowed different interpretations from various factions in America's debate over sex education.  Dr. Jemmott was also interviewed on the Michael Smerconish radio show, discussing this study and ways the results have been misconstrued.
Click for article

February 18, 2010
In continued coverage, an article on Nurse.com notes that a procedure developed at Penn Medicine has been cleared for TransOral otolaryngologic surgical procedures to treat benign tumors and select malignant tumors in adults. Gregory S. Weinstein, MD, and Bert W. O’Malley Jr., MD, both professors of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, founded the world’s first TransOral Robotic Surgery program at Penn Medicine in 2004.
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February 12, 2010
Andrew Newberg, MD, associate professor of Radiology and Psychiatry and director of the Center for Spirituality and the Mind, is quoted in an article from the Kitsap Sun newspaper of Bremerton, Washington discussing life-altering moments that cause individuals to make major, life changes.
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February 11, 2010
Charles O'Brien, MD, PhD discussed updates to the DSM manual with USA Today, HealthDay News and ABC News. One proposed change is to replace substance abuse and dependence with "addiction and related disorders."
Click for article – USA Today
Click for article – ABC News
Click for article - HealthDay

February 10, 2010
In an article published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, John B. Jemmott III, PhD reported that teaching abstinence education to inner city youths can delay the start of sexual activity. WHYY's Radio Times spoke with Jemmott to learn what it means for the field of sex education.
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February 4, 2010
In continuing coverage, John B. Jemmott III, PhD was interviewed in a CBS3 Talk Philly segment regarding the abstinence-only intervention he developed. In light of a recent paper, a national discussion has emerged on the topic, with reporters from The Today Show, NPR, and others continuing to discuss the study's implications.
Click for clip - CBS3 Talk Philly
Click for clip - The Today Show

February 4, 2010
A PloS One study led by James Eberwine, PhD, co-director of the Penn Genome Frontiers Institute and the Elmer Holmes Bobst Professor of Pharmacology, was featured in Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. The results associate a modified form of a protein with three neurodegenerative diseases.
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February 3, 2010
A study of middle-school students, led by John B. Jemmott III, PhD, that found for the first time that abstinence-only education helped to delay their sexual initiation is already beginning to shake up the longstanding debate over how best to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Coverage appeared on ABC World News Tonight, CNN Headline News, Reuters, WHYY, WebMD, NPR, Fox News, Associated Press, Washington Post, HealthDay, LA Times and TV and radio stations across the country.
Click for clip - ABC World News Tonight
Click for article - Washington Post

February 3, 2010
Douglas H. Smith, MD was interviewed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an article discussing the use of unproven stem cell injections on patients seeking treatment for a variety of conditions, such as traumatic brain injuries.
Click for article

February 2, 2010
Sex education classes that focus on abstinence can convince a significant proportion of children to delay sexual activity, researchers reported Monday in a landmark study which was led by John B. Jemmott III, PhD. Coverage appeared in outlets including the Associated Press, Washington Post, HealthDay, NPR, UPI, LA Times and on CBS Radio stations nationwide, among others.
Click for article

February 2, 2010
Caryn Lerman, PhD and Robert Schnoll, PhD are quoted in several news stories about their new Annals of Internal Medicine study showing that smokers who wore a nicotine patch for 24 weeks instead of the standard 8 weeks recommended for the therapy had more success trying to kick the habit and were less likely to relapse into smoking after small smoking slip-ups. The study was covered by Reuters, BusinessWeek (via Bloomberg News) and Health magazine's web site.
Click for article

February 1, 2010
Psychiatric News looks into research on complementary alternative medicines for mental-health-related issues, including a study conducted by Jay Amsterdam, MD and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania. Results appeared in the August 2009 Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.
Click for article

January 29, 2010
Mark Salzer, PhD, director and principal investigator of the Penn Collaborative and an associate professor of Psychiatry, comments in a WHYY Radio story which reports that Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a novel idea to deal with prison overcrowding. Members of the House Judiciary Committee are looking into the possibility of moving prisoners with mental illnesses into state mental hospitals.
Click for article

January 28, 2010
"Penn Medicine Team One" – the first medical team from Penn Medicine to fly to Haiti and provide expert medical care to earthquake survivors – departed January 25 for a medical relief mission expected to last for approximately two weeks. Ongoing updates, reports, and photos from the team in Haiti, authored by Michael Ashburn, MD, MPH, MBA, and Samir Mehta, MD, are now available in our special Penn Medicine in Haiti feature section.
Click for article

January 27, 2010
David Dinges, PhD was featured in a Men’s Health article, which looks at the impact sleep deficit has on productivity and health.
Click for article

January 27, 2010
“Penn Medicine Team One” – the first medical team from Penn Medicine to fly to Haiti to provide expert medical care – departed from the Philadelphia International Airport yesterday afternoon.  As reported by multiple outlets, including the Penn Current, WHYY FM, CBS3/CW57 TV and 6ABC TV, the team was led by Michael Ashburn, MD, MPH, MBA, who was joined by orthopaedic and trauma surgeons, anesthesiologists, critical medical and surgical care nurses, OR and peri-operative nurses, and OR technical specialists.
Click for article
Click for article - Penn Current

January 22, 2010
Raquel Gur, MD, PhD was interviewed by WHYY News regarding a new research project she is leading, which aims to find genetic markers for different mental disorders and ways to detect problems early on.
Click for article

January 21, 2010
When catastrophe strikes, many American television reporters who are also physicians, travel to the affected geographical site to cover the event. NPR aired a story about how these reporters/doctors find themselves in situations where they are compelled to give on-the-spot medical care. NBC medical correspondent and Clinical Associate Professor of Otorhinolaryngology, Nancy Snyderman, MD, was featured in this story.
Click for article

January 21, 2010
According to a study by Adrian Raine, DPhil and Yu Gao, PhD, which was featured in an article in Psychiatric News online, poor fear conditioning at the tender age of 3 can predispose that person to break the law as an adult.
Click for article

January 19, 2010
The Philadelphia Business Journal highlights autism research at Penn and CHOP. The article discusses a study by CHOP and Penn researchers that identified the first common genetic risk factors for autism and autism spectrum disorders, which was hailed as one of the top 10 medical breakthroughs of 2009 by TIME magazine.
Click for article

January 18, 2010
An article in Psychiatric News reports on several addiction research studies presented at the 2009 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry annual meeting last December. David Oslin, MD discussed the effect of a single genetic mutation on large differences in patients' response to naltrexone treatment.
Click for article

January 18, 2010
AlzForum.org says "Okay, so disease modification has not worked yet.  Has the time come to tackle prevention? Prevention not just by promoting a heart-healthy lifestyle, that is, but also trials. Listen to the archived version of a discussion between Rusty Katz, who directs the FDA's Division of Neurology Products, and Zaven Khachaturian, who heads PAD2020. The two met earlier this month as part of the Visiting Scholars Series of Penn’s Institute on Aging."
Click for discussion - IOA Visiting Scholars Series
Click for article - AlzForum.org

January 15, 2010
The Daily Pennsylvanian reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a technique for minimally invasive head and neck surgeries developed by two Penn Medicine surgeons in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gregory Weinstein, MD, FACS and Bert O’Malley, MD.
Click for article

January 14, 2010
David Dinges, PhD discusses sleep debt recovery in an article in USA Today. Research shows that although chronically sleep-deprived individuals may seem near-normal when they awake, their ability to function deteriorates markedly as night falls.
Click for article

January 13, 2010
An article in the Dover (Del.) Post notes that, as part of a local hospital’s new stroke center, patients with hemorrhagic strokes will be transferred to Penn for neurological intervention given their affiliation with Penn Medicine.
Click for article

January 7, 2010
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association from a team of mental health researchers, including Jay D. Amsterdam, MD, found that patients with severe depression benefit most from antidepressant medications while those with less-severe symptoms see little or no benefit. Coverage has appeared in more than 35 outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, CNN, New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, Good Morning America, Reuters, Forbes, Bloomberg, and television stations across the country.
Click for article - Wall Street Journal
Click for article - CNN
Click for article - New York Times
Click for article - Good Morning America

January 7, 2010
 The research of Douglas Smith, MD, professor of Neurosurgery and director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair, is described in Technology Review. His lab grows engineered nerve bundles to physically bridge previously irreparable injuries in animal models.
Click for article

January 6, 2010
C. Neill Epperson, MD, director of the Penn Center for Women's Behavioral Wellness, was quoted in an MSNBC.com article which reports that more American women are starting families at an older age.
Click for article

January 4, 2010
Penn Medicine research and researchers are mentioned in Discover magazine's list, "The 100 Discoveries That Are Changing the World", including a study on autism co-led by senior author Gerard Schellenberg, PhD and research on congenital amaurosis conducted by collaborators Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, Albert Maguire, MD, and Katherine A. High, MD.
Click for article

January 4, 2010
James C. Coyne, MD is quoted in a New York Times article discussing the suggested health benefits of an optimistic attitude. The article was also posted by AARP Bulletin.
Click for article - New York Times
Click for article - AARP Bulletin

January 4, 2010
Douglas Smith, MD is quoted in an Associated Press article regarding traumatic encephalopathy and the new concussion guidlines adopted by in the NFL. This article was picked up by more than 125 news outlets, including Fox News, Yahoo News, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Forbes, and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Click for article

 

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