http://www.pennmedicine.org/news The latest advisories especially for the news media from Penn Medicine - the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Health System. en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss rachel.ewing@uphs.upenn.edu (Rachel Ewing) 2011, The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania http://www.pennhealth.com/images/pennmedicine_logo.jpg http://www.pennmedicine.org/news Aaron T. Beck, MD, emeritus professor, Department of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Aaron T. Beck Psychopathology Research Center, has been awarded the Prince Mahidol Award for "exemplary contributions in the field of medicine." http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/08/beck/ Wed, 22 August 2012 13:00:00 GMT The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has been awarded a $12 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund a new Center of Excellence in Prostate Cancer Disparities. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/08/prostate-cancer/ Tue, 21 August 2012 19:00:00 GMT The Penn Medicine Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center at Pennsylvania Hospital recently received a gift of one million dollars from Jeff and Anne Keefer of West Chester, PA. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/08/keefer/ Tue, 21 August 2012 16:00:00 GMT Yvonne Paterson, PhD, professor of Microbiology, at the Perelman School of Medicine, and professor and associate dean, at the School of Nursing, has been awarded an almost $5 million renewal by the National Institute for General Medical Sciences for the University of Pennsylvania Postdoctoral Opportunities in Research and Training, or PENN-PORT, the postdoctoral-training program she leads. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/08/paterson/ Mon, 13 August 2012 11:00:00 GMT The National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded $18.5 million to establish the Personalized NSAID Therapeutics Consortium (PENTACON), an international group of scientists led by Garret A. FitzGerald, MD, FRS, director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. PENTACON consists of 42 scientists from 22 institutions. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/08/nih/ Mon, 6 August 2012 12:00:00 GMT Amyloid fibers are protein aggregates associated with numerous neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease, for which there are no effective treatments. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/06/clumps/ Tue, 19 June 2012 21:00:00 GMT Healthy humans harbor an enormous and diverse group of bacteria and other bugs that live within their intestines. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/06/brothers/ Mon, 18 June 2012 19:00:00 GMT Kathryn E. Wellen, PhD, assistant professor of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, is among the 22 researchers named Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences by The Pew Charitable Trusts this week. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/06/pew/ Thur, 14 June 2012 15:00:00 GMT On the evening of Thursday, June 7th, Penn Medicine and Penn Athletics will host a Red Carpet premiere of a new film, Head Games, a revealing documentary about the concussion crisis in sports. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/06/head/ Thur, 6 June 2012 14:00:00 GMT A team from the Perelman School of Medicine and the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania found that the FDA-approved drug daclizumab improved the survival of breast cancer patients taking a cancer vaccine by 30 percent, compared to those patients not taking daclizumab. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/05/fda/ Wed, 16 May 2012 18:00:00 GMT Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania researchers have discovered a mechanism involving the neurotransmitter dopamine that switches fruit fly behavior from being active during the day (diurnal) to nocturnal. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/05/sundown/ Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT All cells have the ability to recycle unwanted or damaged proteins and reuse the building blocks as food. But cancer cells have ramped up the system, called autophagy, and rely on it to escape damage in the face of chemotherapy and other treatments. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/05/block/ Tue, 8 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT A Penn research team, led by Mitchell Lazar, MD, PhD, director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, reports in Nature Medicine that mice in which an enzyme called histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) was deleted had massively fatty livers, but lower blood sugar, and were thus protected from glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, the hallmark of diabetes. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/05/liver/ Mon, 7 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT Niacin, or vitamin B3, is the one approved drug that elevates good cholesterol (high density lipoprotein, HDL) while depressing bad cholesterol (low density lipoprotein , LDL), and has thereby attracted much attention from patients and physicians. Niacin keeps fat from breaking down, and so obstructs the availability of LDL building blocks. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/04/drugs/ Fri, 6 Apr 2012 16:00:00 GMT Researchers have long recognized that autism runs in families, suggesting a genetic component. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/04/dna/ Thur, 5 Apr 2012 13:00:00 GMT The 24-hour internal clock controls many aspects of human behavior and physiology, including sleep, blood pressure, and metabolism. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/04/clock/ Wed, 4 Apr 2012 20:00:00 GMT A Penn- and MIT-led team explained how rapamycin, a drug that extends mouse lifespan, also causes insulin resistance. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/03/baur/ Thur, 29 Mar 2012 18:00:00 GMT A growing body of evidence underscores the importance of human gut bacteria in modulating human health, metabolism, and disease. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/03/bushman/ Thur, 15 Mar 2012 01:00:00 GMT OncoLink, a free cancer information website developed by experts at the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center has launched a redesigned website based on the search habits and feedback from patients, caregivers and health care providers who use the site. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/03/redesign/ Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:00:00 GMT The infamous BRCA genes do not act alone in causing cancer; there is a molecular syndicate at work preventing the way cells normally repair breaks in DNA that is at the root of breast cancer. But finding all of the BRCA molecular collaborators has been elusive. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/02/new-member/ Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT A team led by researchers from the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (IDOM) at the erelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, has overturned a "textbook" view of what the body does after a meal. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/02/textbook/ Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:00:00 GMT Gene therapy for congenital blindness has taken another step forward, as researchers further improved vision in three adult patients previously treated in one eye. After receiving the same treatment in their other eye, the patients became better able to see in dim light, and two were able to navigate obstacles in low-light situations. No adverse effects occurred. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/02/gene-therapy-blindness/ Wed, 8 Feb 2012 04:00:00 GMT People who suffer from sleep disturbances are at major risk for obesity, diabetes, and coronary artery disease, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. For the first time in such a large and diverse sample, analyzing the data of over 130,000 people, the new research also indicates that general sleep disturbance (difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and/or sleeping too much) may play a role in the development of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. The study is published online ahead of print in the Journal of Sleep Research. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/01/sleep-cardio-diabetes-obesity/ Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT Men are four times more likely to develop liver cancer compared to women, a difference attributed to the sex hormones androgen and estrogen. Although this gender difference has been known for a long time, the molecular mechanisms by which estrogens prevent -- and androgens promote -- liver cancer remain unclear. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/01/liver-cancer-gender/ Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT TBen Stanger, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and Andrew Rhim, MD, a Gastroenterology Fellow in the Stanger lab, discovered that pancreatic cancer cells in an animal model begin to spread before clinically obvious tumor tissue is detected. What's more, they showed that inflammation enhances cancer progression in part by facilitating a cellular transformation that leads to entry of cancer cells into the circulation. They report their findings this week in Cell. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/01/cell-tracking-cancer/ Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania is one of six institutions to be named part of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Lung Repair and Regeneration Consortium (LRRC). Each of the institutions will receive $2.5 million over five years. Edward Morrisey, PhD, professor of Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology and Scientific Director of the Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine, will lead the Penn consortium. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/01/lung-biologists-award/ Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT Cancer cells have been long known to have a "sweet tooth," using vast amounts of glucose for energy and for building blocks for cell replication. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/01/cancer-cells-sugar-free/ Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT A new multi-center study, including neurologists and neurosurgeons from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, reveals that Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) – a treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with medication-resistant muscle movement impairment or tremors – can improve those symptoms and reduce medications for patients implanted with the device. The study appears Online First in Lancet Neurology. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/01/deep-brain-parkinsons/ Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT Patients with gout – a painful type of inflammatory arthritis caused by the crystallization of urates in soft tissues – are advised to start treatment that lowers uric acid levels in the blood. Unfortunately, as the long-term medication starts to break down crystals deposited in the joints, many patients experience gout attacks caused by the release of crystals from softened deposits. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/01/gout-rilonacept/ Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT Good Shepherd Penn Partners has named Lisa Marsilio, MBA, of Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, as Executive Director. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/01/gspp-new-exec-dir/ Mon, 9 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT Patients simultaneously treated for both Type 2 diabetes and depression improve medication compliance and significantly improve blood sugar and depression levels compared to patients receiving usual care, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Of patients receiving integrated care combined with a brief period of intervention to assist with adherence to prescribed medication regimens, more than 60 percent had improved blood sugar test results and 58 percent had reduced depression symptoms, compared to only 36 percent and 31 percent, respectively, of patients receiving usual care. The full results of the study are published in the January/February issue of The Annals of Family Medicine. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/01/diabetes-depression/ Mon, 9 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT Four faculty members at the University of Pennsylvania have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), three from the Perelman School of Medicine. This year 539 members have been awarded this honor by AAAS because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/01/aaas-fellows-2012/ Thu, 5 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT A group of Penn Medicine researchers is set to save lives with cell phone cameras -- and they are challenging the public to help. The MyHeartMap Challenge, a month-long contest slated to take place beginning in mid January, will send thousands of Philadelphians to the streets and to social media sites to locate as many automated external defibrillators (AEDs) as they can. The contest is just a first step in what the Penn team hopes will grow to become a nationwide, crowd-sourced AED registry project that will put the lifesaving devices in the hands of anyone, anywhere, anytime. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/12/myheartmap-challenge/ Wed, 8 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT In a study in which researchers posing as mothers attempted to schedule appointments for sick children at specialty clinics, practices affiliated with academic medical centers were less likely to deny appointments to children with Medicaid-CHIP insurance coverage versus children with commercial insurance, according to report from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published online this week in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/12/children-medicaid-chip/ Wed, 7 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT The holidays can be difficult for those who have lost a loved one. This week, Penn Medicine will host its annual Light Up a Life ceremonies, to honor and remember family, friends, and loved ones who have passed, by lighting trees in their honor. Penn Wissahickon Hospice, a division of Penn Home Care and Hospice Services and part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, holds the celebration in honor of the people who have brightened and enriched the lives of others. The thousands of lights on the trees are each dedicated in honor or memory of a patient, friend or loved one. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/11/penn-hospice-lul-events/ Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT Greening of vacant urban land may affect the health and safety of nearby residents, according to a study published online in the American Journal of Epidemiology this week. The team, led by senior author Charles C. Branas, PhD, associate professor of Epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, found in a decade-long comparison of vacant lots and improved vacant lots, that greening was linked to significant reductions in gun assaults across most of Philadelphia and significant reductions in vandalism in one section of the city. Vacant lot greening was also associated with residents in certain sections of the city reporting significantly less stress and more exercise. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/11/more-green-crime/ Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT A research group at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, led by John Lynch, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, has received a National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant to establish a Barrett's esophagus translational research network (BETRNet) with Columbia University (led by Dr. Timothy Wang) and the Mayo Clinic (led by Dr. Kenneth Wang). The award is for nearly $8 million across all sites. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/11/barrett-esophagus/ Wed, 2 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT For the first time in the Delaware Valley Region, a patient has undergone a complex and intricate bilateral hand transplant that could significantly enhance the quality-of-life for persons with multiple limb loss. The procedure was performed by Penn's Hand Transplant Program which operates under the leadership of the Penn Transplant Institute and in collaboration with Gift of Life Donor Program, the nonprofit organ and tissue donor program which serves the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. The highly-trained team's first bilateral hand transplant was performed in September. At this time, the patient is progressing well and both the patient and donor family wish to remain anonymous. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/11/hand-transplant-pressconf/ Tue, 1 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT For the first time in the Delaware Valley Region, a patient has undergone a complex and intricate transplant procedure that could significantly enhance the quality-of-life for persons with multiple limb loss. In September, a highly-skilled, specially-trained team from the newly established Penn Hand Transplant Program at the Penn Transplant Institute performed its first bilateral hand transplant. Working closely with its partner, Gift of Life Donor Program, a team of 30 members – 12 surgeons, three anesthesiologists and 15 nurses – performed the 11-and-a-half hour double transplant procedure – a Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation – that involved experts in solid organ transplantation, orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery, reconstructive microsurgery and anesthesia. Details of this history-making procedure will be forthcoming a press conference tomorrow at 10 am at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/10/bilateral-hand-transplant/ Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT On Friday, August 12, J. Larry Jameson, M.D., Ph.D., the newly inaugurated executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (www.med.upenn.edu), will help launch the medical careers of 170 first-year students at Perelman School of Medicine, as they don their first white coats and mark the beginning of their journey into the art and science of healing. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/08/white-coat/ Fri, 12 Aug 2011 13:00:00 GMT In a cancer treatment breakthrough 20 years in the making, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center and Perelman School of Medicine have shown sustained remissions of up to a year among a small group of advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients treated with genetically engineered versions of their own T cells. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/08/t-cells/ Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:00:00 GMT In the latest issue of Nature, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania clarify the role of two proteins key to T-cell development. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/08/key-molecule/ Mon, 8 Aug 2011 14:00:00 GMT Research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine shows that a brain chemical (or neurotransmitter) called Substance P appears to amplify the formation of the extraskeletal bone. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/08/substance-p/ Mon, 1 Aug 2011 17:00:00 GMT The Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania announces the launching of a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary center focused on discovering novel treatments for orphan diseases. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/07/orphan/ Tue, 26 July 2011 18:00:00 GMT According to U.S. Census Reports, nearly 16,000 children in the Philadelphia area have suffered the loss of a parent. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/05/camp_erin_philadelphia_2011/ Tue, 10 May 2011 13:00:00 GMT National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins, MD, PhD, will join Penn scientists and physicians in celebrating the opening of the new Smilow Center for Translational Research (SCTR) Tuesday. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/05/translational-research-center/ Mon, 02 May 2011 16:00:00 GMT For nearly 20 years, New Jersey State Senator Diane Allen delivered our nightly news on Philadelphia channels CBS3 and then NBC10. For the last 15 years she has served in the New Jersey State Legislature, helping to solve the difficult problems faced by New Jersey residents. She was diagnosed with head and neck cancer nearly a year and a half ago. Her recovery was very public, as her whole life has been. She’s never backed away from a challenge, but found cancer to be the toughest adversary she ever faced. To bring greater awareness to head and neck cancers and support fellow survivors, Allen will address Penn Medicine physicians, patients, and community supporters on Friday, April 8 for Penn’s second annual Focus on Head and Neck Cancers Conference. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/04/head-neck-cancer-conference/ Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:00:00 GMT Penn experts will present research findings that could come to define new standards of cardiovascular diagnostics and care at the 2011 American College of Cardiology Meeting. Cardiovascular experts from around the world will gather in New Orelans, LA April 2 - 5 to present and discuss the latest advances in cardiovascular medicine, science and education. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/03/american-college-cardiology/ Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:00:00 GMT Former Philadelphia Flyers captain and former Penn Medicine patient, Keith Primeau, will attend and give a few remarks about the importance of rehab medicine in his recovery at a groundbreaking ceremony at the Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse Campus, held by Good Shepherd Penn Partners and Penn Medicine. The ceremony is to announce to the community the new facility changes and patient services additions, especially the addition of out-patient physical medicine and rehabilitation services. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/03/rittenhouse-rehab-expansion/ Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:00:00 GMT On March 17, people all over the world will take part in the international celebration of St. Patrick's Day. But this year, for fourth year medical students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, March 17 will forever hold a whole new meaning for luck and celebration. At the stroke of noon on Thursday, 147 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine students (75 women and 72 men) will gather in an emotion-filled ceremony to open their "residency placement" envelopes and learn where they will spend the next few years receiving their advanced medical training. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/03/match-day-2011/ Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:20:00 GMT On Wednesday, December 1, 2010, over 140 third and fourth graders from the St. Donato School, Saint Francis DeSales School, and the Swarthmore-Rutledge School will spend a morning on the Penn campus judging hands-on science activities developed by students at Penn, including undergraduate Biological Basis of Behavior program majors and graduate students in neuroscience http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/11/kids-judge-neuroscience-fair/ Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:20:00 GMT Members of the Philadelphia Flyers are scheduled to be on hand for Penn Wissahickon Hospice’s annual Light Up a Life ceremony at Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse on Tuesday, November 30 at 6:00pm. At the event, a tree will be lit; each light on the tree is dedicated in honor or memory of a patient, friend or loved one. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/11/flyers-join-hospice-memorial-tree-lighting/ Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:00:00 GMT Physicians, patients, and community supporters will gather in style on Friday evening to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Rena Rowan Breast Center and the fifth anniversary of the Jordan Center for Gynecologic Oncology at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center. The event will also mark the official launch of the new MacDonald Women’s Cancer Risk Evaluation Center, which aims to help women who are at high risk of breast and ovarian cancers. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/10/heel-to-heal-womens-cancer-event/ Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:00:00 GMT Research suggests that after their playing days are done, many National Football League players may face increased risks for cardiovascular disease, particularly football players with large body mass. In order to intercept and block possible heart-health issues, more than 60 retired NFL players, including former Eagles Mike Quick and Harold Carmichael, will take part in a cardiovascular screening on September 25, 2010 at Penn Medicine’s Heart and Vascular Center. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/08/white-coat/ Fri, 24 Sep 2010 19:00:00 GMT On Friday, August 13, 163 first-year students at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine will don their first white coats, a sign of commitment and optimism as they begin learning the art and science of healing. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/08/white-coat/ Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:00:00 GMT Join us June 17, 2010 for a media seminar and expert panel to explore the pros and cons of one of the hottest and most hotly contested approaches to modern surgery – remote and minimally invasive surgery through the use of robots – from surgical, ethical and financial perspectives. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/06/robotic-surgery-media-seminar/ Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:30:00 GMT Our media toolkit provides easy access to resources for media covering the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago, June 4-8, 2010. We can provide information about cancer research at the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center and access to experts who can comment on a wide range of cancer topics. Please check back, as this page may be updated just before or during the meeting. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/05/asco-2010/ Fri, 28 May 2010 15:00:00 GMT By tomorrow morning, the Philadelphia Flyers will either be headed to the NHL’s Stanley Cup Finals or looking to close out the Eastern Conference Finals against the Montreal Canadians. Either way, the Flyers Fun Patrol will be stopping by Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse to visit with patients in the Penn Hospice at Rittenhouse inpatient hospice and the Good Shepherd Penn Partners inpatient rehabilitation units. Wives of the current and past Flyers players may stop by, as patients and staff get Flyer’d Up in support of the Flyers. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/05/flyers-fun-patrol/ Mon, 24 May 2010 20:00:00 GMT The only overnight bereavement camp of its kind in the area, Penn Wissahickon Hospice’s Camp Erin - Philadelphia will host nearly 100 children May 14th – 16th. At Camp Erin – Philadelphia, children aged 6-17 who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or close friend will take part in the three-day camp which combines traditional, fun, high-energy camp activities with grief education and support, to help the children cope with the loss of a loved one. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/05/camp-erin/ Thu, 13 May 2010 18:00:00 GMT Among the 154 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine students taking the Hippocratic Oath for the first time as new doctors this weekend is Aura Obando, who is making a long trip to be at graduation: travelling 7700 miles over three days, she will be returning from a six-week trip working at Teule Hospital in Tanzania just in time to reunite with her class to march at graduation and receive her diploma. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/05/graduation/ Thu, 13 May 2010 18:00:00 GMT A special event will be held Monday, May 10 to honor a new, $25 million gift from Madlyn and Leonard Abramson, celebrate five decades of progress in cancer research and treatment at Penn Medicine, and highlight the promise of future work to conquer the disease.To illustrate the tremendous achievements that are turning cancer patients into survivors every day, the event will include presentations from the physicians who treat cancer using the latest targeted drug therapies, precision radiation technology and minimally invasive surgical techniques. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/05/abramson-cancer-research-gift/ Invitation to Cover: Penn Medicine dermatologists will offer free skin cancer screenings on Saturday, May 22 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Ruth and Raymond Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. The screening is sponsored by Penn Medicine’s Department of Dermatology and the Abramson Cancer Center. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/05/skin-cancer-screening/ Thu, 06 May 2010 14:00:00 GMT Over 200 trauma professionals will gather to be recognized for their lifesaving and critical care efforts and celebrate the strides being made in patient care and injury prevention during Penn Medicine’s annual Trauma Reflections Ceremony on Thursday, May 6, 2010. The program will also celebrate "great saves," with more than a dozen former Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania trauma patients and their families reuniting with the doctors and nurses who ensured their survival when they were critically injured. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/05/trauma-reflections-ceremony/ Wed, 05 May 2010 18:00:00 GMT Genetic profiling to inform people about their risk for dozens of diseases and traits comes with the assumption that identifying an increased risk could lead to preventive measures to reduce a person's risk for developing disease or to improve disease outcome. But little is known about the public's understanding and perceptions of such care, or what is really useful in day-to-day healthcare from the physician-patient perspective. We will present research that surveys the attitudes of early seekers of personalized genetic information by hearing from study participants themselves and a panel of experts covering the many aspects of this brave new world. Please join us for a writers’ roundtable to discuss these issues with study participants, and from a clinician, genetic counseling, and bioethics perspective. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/05/genetic-profiling-media-roundtable/ Tue, 04 May 2010 19:30:00 GMT A Symposium in Honor of Penn's Peter C. Nowell, Recipient of the 2010 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science - April 30, 2010. The relationship between chromosome alterations and cancer had been debated for more than one hundred years. The first direct link between chromosomal abnormalities to any malignancy came with the discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome in 1960 by Peter Nowell at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the late David Hungerford from the Fox Chase Cancer Center’s Institute for Cancer Research. Understanding abnormalities in the replication of the chromosome led to the eventual development of the genetically targeted cancer drug Gleevec in 2001. This symposium celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome and brings us up to date on the genetic basis of cancer, addressing the role of tyrosine kinase enzymes, microRNAs, and immune cells. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/04/genetic-basis-of-cancer/ Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:00:00 GMT On April 21, 2010, ver 140 third and fourth graders from the Penn Alexander School, the St. Donato School, and the Sterck/Delaware School for the Deaf will spend a morning on the Penn campus judging hands-on science activities developed by students at Penn, including undergraduate Biological Basis of Behavior program majors and graduate students in neuroscience. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/04/kids-judge-science-fair/ Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:30:00 GMT On April 17, nurses at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center have gathered experts in health and wellness together for a free community health fair in West Philadelphia. Last year, more than 265 children, adults and seniors attended the event. This year, people can attend the free "Spring into Health Community Day" to receive blood pressure and diabetes screenings, HIV testing, nutritional and smoking cessation counseling, pharmaceutical medication review, physical fitness, stress management tips and more. In addition, there will be cultural performances, face painting, light food and giveaways throughout the afternoon. The event is free and open to the public. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/04/penn-presbyterian-community-health-fair Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:00:00 GMT It all comes down to this – Match Day. After a challenging four or more years in medical school, classmates, spouses, children, and friends will gather on March 18 to watch as 145 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine medical students (80 women and 65 men) take the next step in their medical journey into residency. Anxiously waiting in their seats, each student will be called individually and handed an envelope with their match. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/03/match-day-event/ Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:00:00 GMT 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. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/01/olympics-medical-experts/ Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:00:00 GMT During the busy holiday season, four Penn Medicine locations will pause to honor friends, family and loved ones by lighting trees. Penn Wissahickon Hospice, a division of the Penn Home Care & Hospice Service and part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, holds the Light Up a Life ceremony annually to honor the people who have brightened and enriched the lives of others. Each light on the tree is dedicated in honor or memory of a patient, friend or loved one. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2009/11/hospice-light-up-a-life/ Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:30:00 GMT On the evening of November 23, 2009, Penn Medicine will celebrate the upcoming opening of the Roberts Proton Therapy Center with an event to honor the many donors and staff members who have made this cutting-edge $140 million radiation therapy facility a reality. Patients from all over the country are expected to come to Penn for this precise form of radiation therapy, which is especially well suited for treating cancers in the brain, head, neck, eye and spinal cord, and in hard-to-reach organs such as the liver, pancreas, and esophagus. Partnerships with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the U.S. Department of Defense will also allow pediatric cancer patients and U.S. military service members and their family members to be treated in the new center. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2009/11/proton-therapy-center-celebration/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:00:00 GMT Far away from town hall showdowns on the future of health care in America, the next generation of doctors is preparing to don their first white coats, a sign of commitment and optimism as they begin learning the art and science of healing. The 161 individuals in the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s entering class of 2009 will recite the time honored Hippocratic Oath to first, do no harm in front of family and friends on Friday, August 14, as they start their medical careers. Ranging from 21 to 28 years in age, students in the class represent 61 colleges and 31 states from around the country – nearly one quarter are from Pennsylvania. However the health care reform debate is resolved, these men and women stand ready to follow in the Penn Medicine tradition of compassionate care, advanced medicine and putting patients first. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2009/08/white-coat-ceremony/ Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:00:00 GMT On June 27, 2009, a local father and the CC Riders will cycle from the March of Dimes home office In White Plains, NY, to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in honor of twin daughters born premature. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2009/06/cc-riders/ Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:20:00 GMT Invitation to Cover, May 18, 2009: As part of a memorable rite of passage, students from The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine will receive diplomas, awards and recite the Hippocratic Oath for the first time as new doctors. Of the 151 graduates, three students are children of parents who are Penn Medicine physicians. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2009/05/penn-medicine-graduation.html Mon, 18 May 2009 14:40:00 GMT West Philadelphia residents have a refreshing, revitalized green space in which to relax and play, thanks to a public-private revitalization project that recently spruced up the Saunders Park Greene with new plantings and signage. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on May 13 in the city-block-size park, which is owned and maintained by Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2009/05/saunders-park-revitalized.html Thu, 07 May 2009 20:10:00 GMT Penn Medicine dermatologists will offer free skin cancer screenings on Saturday, May 16 from 8 a.m. to noon at the new Ruth and Raymond Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. Appointments are necessary and space is limited. Call 215-662-2737 to make a reservation and for more information. The screening is sponsored by Penn Medicine’s Department of Dermatology and the Abramson Cancer Center. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2009/05/skin-cancer-screening.html Fri, 01 May 2009 14:20:00 GMT Stage and screen actor Ben Vereen (Roots, Pippin) will be visiting the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania tomorrow, to share the story of his recent Type 2 diabetes diagnosis with Penn Rodebaugh Diabetes Center patients and inspire them to be actively involved in their diabetes care. His appearance is part of a diabetes awareness campaign funded by sanofi-aventis. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2009/04/ben-vereen-diabetes.html Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:00:00 GMT On April 22, 2009, this fourth annual event examines key issues in the history of women's health- from 'Female Pills' used to combat 'hysteria, stomach and period problems' in 18th century England to the invention of The Pill in 1960 by John Rock, MD. Women's health scholars will discuss Dr. Rock's role as the founder of reproductive medicine, examine miscarriage in late 18th and early 19th century America, and moral and political debate around the use of and funding for Gardasil, the cervical cancer vaccine and more. The conference is sponsored by the Professional Staff of the Pennsylvania Hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital Historic Collections, and the OB/GYN Department of the Pennsylvania Hospital. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2009/04/history-of-womens-health-conference.html Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:30:00 GMT As the cost of medical care and the number of people without medical care continue to rise and preventative care declines, a critical care nurse from Penn Presbyterian Medical Center has gathered experts in health and wellness together for a free community health fair in West Philadelphia. Children, adults and seniors can visit the 'Spring into Health Community Day' Saturday, April 25, 2009 to receive blood pressure and diabetes screenings, HIV testing, nutritional counseling, pharmaceutical medication review, physical exercise tips and more. In addition, there will be cultural performances, face painting, light food and giveaways throughout the afternoon. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2009/04/community-health-fair.html Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:45:00 GMT In order to 'have it all' women are expected to 'do it all.' But is it at the cost of their own good health? Today, women have access to the best, most modern medicine there is, but are they accessing it for themselves? The Penn Medicine Department of Communications invites the media to a special seminar to discover the latest research and treatment strategies to help women better negotiate some of the most serious health challenges facing them today: diabetes and kidney disease; cardiovascular disease; thyroid disorders and bone loss; and gynecologic oncology. This informational luncheon and seminar features expert researchers and clinicians from Pennsylvania Hospital, Penn OB/GYN Care, and Penn Health for Women at Pennsylvania Hospital.  http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2009/03/treating-the-whole-woman-media-seminar.html Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:30:00 GMT Over 130 third and fourth graders from the Penn Alexander School, the Samuel Powel Elementary School, and the Sterck/Delaware School for the Deaf will spend a morning on the Penn campus judging hands-on science activities developed by students at Penn. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2009/03/kids-judge-neuroscience-fair.html Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:30:00 GMT Over the next five years, Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Associate Scholar in the Center of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, will receive funding from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to study the relationship between psoriasis, cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular outcomes. This research will build a deeper understanding of the relationship between inflammatory diseases like psoriasis and myocardial infarction (heart attack), potentially paving the way for improved disease management strategies for the over 7 million Americans with psoriasis. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2009/03/psoriasis-associated-risks.html Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:30:00 GMT Blending the comforts of home with first-class end-of-life care, Penn Hospice at Rittenhouse, a division of Wissahickon Hospice and part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, will open its doors for terminally ill patients this week in Center City Philadelphia. The first inpatient hospice of its kind in the area, the facility offers 12 large, private rooms, a spa center, meditation area and panoramic views of the city. Patients will receive exemplary care from a specialized team of physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors and chaplains to manage pain symptoms and other physical, emotional and spiritual needs unique to patients in their final days. Families will be able to spend time with their loved ones 24 hours a day, and will have access to a family lounge with wireless internet, a dining room with full kitchen as well as respite and bereavement support. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2008/11/penn-hospice-rittenhouse.html Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT Upset and inspired by a firsthand look at medical care delivered without electricity and running water, Kathryn Cunningham Hall started Power Up Gambia! and has raised $300,000 to install solar panels that will provide clean water and constant electricity to a hospital in West Africa’s Gambia. She is one of the 155 individuals in the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s new class of 2008 who share a passion for driving change and progress in the medical community. Representing 30 states and 61 colleges from around the country, these students will officially start their medical careers today, as they receive their white coats and recite the Hippocratic Oath in front of family and friends. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2008/08/white-coat-ceremony-2008.html This weekend, children ages six to 17 who’ve experienced the death of parents, relatives or friends will gather for the Philadelphia area’s second annual Camp Erin. The three-day camp offers a variety of traditional summer camp activities combined with professional grief counseling, education and emotional support to help campers find innovative ways to remember and memorialize their lost loved ones and develop essential coping skills. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2008/08/camp-erin-grief-support.html The babies were dying – without life support, they might live just another few minutes. Their families had said goodbye, and wanted their newborns to become organ donors, in hopes of saving another tiny life. But the babies’ conditions couldn’t meet the normal standards for organ donor eligibility. What to do? In a roundtable discussion, Arthur Caplan, PhD, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, weighs in on the ethical considerations of the changing assumptions about when death occurs, the importance of respecting the dead donor rule and how to decide which patients are suitable organ donors. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2008/08/caplan-organ-donor-guidelines.html Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine will be presenting at the annual meeting of the Society for Developmental Biology, which will be held from July 26-30, 2008 on the Penn campus. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2008/07/developmental-biology-meeting.html As a nation we are living longer than ever before, but are we living better? Can we afford what a longer life expectancy brings us? Declining physical and cognitive function doesn’t always have to be inevitable; mental ability and independence can be maintained and improved. Patients and caregivers alike can not only age gracefully, but happily and actively. This special media seminar, being held in conjunction with the Institute on Aging of the University of Pennsylvania, invites you to discover the latest research and treatment strategies that help older Americans negotiate the medical and social challenges for successful aging. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2008/06/aging-media-seminar.html The region’s only cyclotron will complete its 3,700 mile transatlantic journey from Belgium by arriving with a police escort from the Port Authority of Philadelphia to the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at the University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, January 29, 2008. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/jan08/proton-therapy.html A family affected by multiple myeloma will visit the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania as part of its cross-country jaunt to raise awareness of this form of cancer. Myeloma, also called multiple myeloma, affects the production of red cells, white cells, and stem cells and is the second most common of the blood cancers affecting an estimated 75,000 people worldwide. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/aug07/myeloma-mobile.html The 153 members of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s entering class of 2007, hailing from 31 states and 54 colleges from around the county, will be presented with the traditional white coat and recite the Hippocratic Oath to mark the official beginning of their medical careers. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/aug07/white-coat-ceremony.html 'Learning to enjoy nutritious foods and be physically active in fun ways are life lessons that parents can teach their children to help them develop healthy habits they will carry through their school years and on into adulthood,' says Lisa Hark, PhD, RD, Director of the Nutrition Education Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Hark, who also hosted TLC's show 'Honey, We're Killing the Kids,' offers the ABC's of back-to-school nutrition for parents and children. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/jul07/school-nutrition.html As the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians who treat people with cancer, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and many of its 25,000+ members meet this weekend in Chicago at of the largest annual medical conferences in the world. Physicians from the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania – like the rest of their ASCO colleagues – are committed to advancing the education of oncologists and other oncology professionals, to advocating for policies that provide access to high-quality cancer care, and to supporting the clinical trials system and the need for increased clinical and translational research. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/jun07/abramson-cancer-center-asco.html Penn Presbyterian Medical Center is a proud sponsor of the third annual Pennsylvania Sjogren's Walkabout, which aims to increase awareness of the syndrome while raising funds for the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation's research and education programs. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/jun07/sjogrens-walkabout.html The Department of Dermatology and the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania will be conducting free screenings where a Penn dermatologist will check people's skin to determine their risk for developing skin cancer. Over 250 people are scheduled to receive a free screening. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/may07/skin-cancer-screenings.html 2007 marks the first year that a University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine graduating class is comprised of more women (78) than men (77). Surgeon and writer, Dr. Atul Gawande, will provide the Graduation Address to these 155 graduating medical students, as they begin their journey as new doctors. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/may07/commencement.html Judge Marjorie O. Rendell, First Lady of Pennsylvania, will be on-hand to kick off National Nurses Week at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP). She will attend a ceremony showcasing the new Just a Nurse photography exhibit, a unique 'inside' view of nursing's rewards and challenges. Additional guests and speakers include the award-winning journalists and nursing advocates, as well as some of the nurses who are featured in the exhibit. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/may07/forms-ALS-biochemically-different.html Just a Nurse, an exhibit of nearly 100 photographs that capture the rigors and rewards of nursing, opens today at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP). The exhibit runs May 1 - 18, and coincides with National Nurses Week (May 6 - 12). It features the work of photographer Earl Dotter and writer Suzanne Gordon, journalists renowned for their ability to chronicle 'on the job' heroism and sacrifice. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/may07/nurse-photo-exhibit.html Will youth be served? Do the brains have the brawn? These are just a couple of the questions the faculty and administrators will have to consider while preparing for their annual round-ball contest against a team of medical school students. Led by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s basketball coordinator Mike Rabinowitz, the student team’s rotation will correspond to what year they are in med school. First year students will play the first quarter, second year students get the second quarter and so on. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/apr07/faculty-student-basketball.html Two years ago, two students from the Westtown School, motivated by community service and mitzvah projects (mitzvah means 'good deed'), worked together to start the Kids Swim for the Cure swim-a-thon. In just two years, Kids Swim for the Cure has raised nearly $17,000 for skin cancer research at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The money raised by these extraordinary students has not only supported innovative research and patient care programs at the Abramson Cancer Center, but has also increased public awareness and education about skin cancer – particularly melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/apr07/kids-swim-for-cure.html Experts from around the world will gather at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine for a special symposium to review the most current research and explore the future of personalized medicine. Hosted by the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, progress and perspectives of personalized medicine will be presented by leaders in the field from the clinical, pharmaceutical, and ethics arenas. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/apr07/personalized-medicine-symposium.html In 2002, Thomas and Carol Hallinan, of Northeast Philadelphia, lost their son, Peter, 31, to Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma -- a type of brain tumor that affects 190,000 people in the U.S. each year, and is the second most common cause of cancer death in young people ages 15-34. To honor their son's memory, The Hallinans have partnered with the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Penn's Department of Neurosurgery to build support for the advancement of clinical research for patients who suffer from brain tumors.'For Pete's Sake' -- an evening of dinner, dancing, and a silent auction -- is a sold-out event with an expected attendance of 250 people. Proceeds will support brain tumor research at Penn. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/mar07/brain-tumor-event.html Anxious University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine medical students will gather on Match Day with fellow classmates, spouses, and children to learn where they have been accepted for their residency program, the next step in their medical education. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/mar07/match-day.html Over 150 third and fourth graders from the Penn Alexander School, the Henry C. Lea School, the Charles R. Drew School, and the Sterck/Delaware School for the Deaf will spend a morning on the Penn campus judging hands-on science activities developed by undergraduate students in Penn's Biological Basis of Behavior program and graduate students in neuroscience. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/mar07/kids-judge-science-fair.html For individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), transitioning from adolescence to adulthood presents many challenging issues. In addition to the usual stresses of adolescence, young adults with ASD need help dealing with social skills, sexuality, and, at times, extreme anxiety that may result from tension and confusion. Adults with ASD face communication and social problems that can affect employment, personal relationships, and the other skills needed to live an independent life. These challenges affect not only the individual, but also their parents, siblings, and other friends and family members. As children with ASD transition into adulthood, those who care for them are often left asking, what now? http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/mar07/autism-conference.html A 46-year-old former fitness instructor, suffering from biventricular end-stage heart failure and in irreversible cardiogenic shock, has become the first to receive a new temporary Total Artificial Heart in the Northeast U.S. by cardiac surgeons at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/feb07/temporary-total-artificial-heart-release.html A 46-year-old former fitness instructor, suffering from biventricular end-stage heart failure and in irreversible cardiogenic shock, has become the first to receive a new temporary Total Artificial Heart in the Northeast U.S. by cardiac surgeons at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/feb07/temporary-total-artificial-heart.html Charles P. O’Brien, MD, PhD, Vice Chair, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Health System, and Research Director, MIRECC, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, will present Promising Approaches in the Treatment of Drug Addiction at the 2007 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in San Francisco. As a part of the Friday, February 16th session, Addiction and the Brain: Are We Hard-Wired to Abuse Drugs?, O'Brien will discuss the practical applications of neuroscience research that have led to the development of novel medication approaches and other new medications in the pipeline. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/feb07/addiction-symposium.html WITH VIDEOS: Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered that microtubules – components responsible for shape, movement, and replication within cells – use proteins that act as molecular motors and brakes to organize into their correct structure. If microtubules are not formed properly such basic functions as cell division and transport can go wrong, which may have implications in such disease processes as cancer and dementia. The study, published in the January issue of Cell, is featured on the cover of that issue. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/jan07/microtubule-molecular-motor-brake.htm Members of the media are invited to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) for the first annual Delaware Valley Health Council Gift of Life Award presentation. The award was established last year to recognize a hospital for excellence in family care and outstanding rates of organ donation. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/jan07/gift-of-life-award.htm For the tenth consecutive year, the University of Pennsylvania Health System's Penn Care at Home unit will visit homebound patients in the West Philadelphia area with Santa Claus and carolers to provide holiday cheer this Thursday, Dec. 14. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/dec06/penn-care-at-home-caroling.htm The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry and the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia will host 'The Vulcanization of the Human Mind: Neuroimaging, Decision-Making, and Ethics,' a panel discussion exploring how humans make complex decisions involving risk, reward, danger and right and wrong. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/dec06/psychiatry-panel-discussion.htm Six powerful pillars of light will outline the 75,000 square feet of space where the world's first fully integrated proton therapy center will be built at PENN Medicine. Visible to residents across Philadelphia, as well as the guests and honorees at a special naming ceremony from a VIP reception on the top floor of the Biomedical Research Building, the beams of light symbolize the bright future of cancer therapy in which a stream of protons are accelerated to near light speed, bent by powerful magnets and focused with incredible precision at tumors lodged deep within the human body. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/dec06/proton-therapy-center-invitation.htm Biomedical Graduate Studies (BGS) at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine marks its 20th anniversary with a celebration featuring scientific talks by distinguished BGS Alumni. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/nov06/BGSannITC.htm Marine Lance Corporal Han C. Liang is stationed on the front lines in Iraq, but he will be seeing and interacting with his newborn son on Tuesday, October 31st, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania thanks to the Freedom Calls Foundation. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/oct06/FrdmCls.htm How healthy are your legs? The University of Pennsylvania Health System is hosting a free screening event for the public to look for peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.), as well as Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Carotid Disease and Venous Disease. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/oct06/padITC.htm 'A City in Crisis? The Rise of Violence in Philadelphia' - an interdisciplinary forum on mental health and society hosted by the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/oct06/violITC.htm Members of the media are invited to attend The Environment, Health and Disease, a symposium hosted by the new Center for Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/oct06/toxsymp.htm Members of the media and public are invited to attend the annual blood drive jointly sponsored by the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Emergency Nursing and the Red Cross. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Emergency Nurses Department is celebrating Emergency Nurses Week October 8-14. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/oct06/blddrvITC.htm Penn is hosting a free screening event for members of the media to look for peripheral arterial disease. P.A.D. is a condition that develops when arteries in the legs become clogged with plaque, limiting the flow of blood to the legs. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/sep06/padITC.htm RT Image has chosen the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) as one of its 'Most Influential' movers and shakers in the radiology industry in 2006. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/sep06/inflrad.htm The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, School of Nursing, and the Morris Arboretum are jointly sponsoring a symposium on September 19-20, 2006 entitled 'Herbal Medicine: Perception, Practice and Rational Use.' http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/sep06/herbmed.htm The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has a new 'model' patient -- actually, two. A pair of interactive mannequins, controlled by computer and instructor, will assist with the advanced training of medical students this fall semester. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/sep06/simctr.htm In recognition of his over-fifty-year career at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Peter C. Nowell, MD, and his colleagues from Penn and other institutions will talk about the history of the Philadelphia chromosome and what it portends for the next generation of cancer therapies. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/sep06/nowellITC.htm Members of the media are invited to attend Herbal Medicine: Perception, Practice and Rational Use, a symposium hosted by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, School of Nursing and the Morris Arboretum. The symposium is the first of its kind in the Philadelphia area and will bring together several world-renowned experts from the field of herbal medicine. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/aug06/herbmedsymITC.htm The 151 members of Penn's incoming class of medical students hailing from 26 states and 57 colleges from around the country will be presented with the traditional 'white coat' and also recite the Hippocratic Oath to mark the official beginning of their medical careers. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/aug06/whtctITC.htm Members of the media are invited to come see an amazing new PET/CT at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Its powerful advanced "time-of-flight" technology, pioneered in part at Penn, makes it the first clinical machine of its kind in the world. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/jun06/PETCTITC.htm Media Advisory -- The Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania and the Brain Tumor Society present a one-day seminar designed for pediatric and adult brain tumor patients, survivors, and their caregivers. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/jun06/BTSsemMA.htm The media is invited to join The Sopranos TV actress, Aida Turturro, as she tours the Penn Rodebaugh Diabetes Center. After the tour, the media is also welcome to attend a discussion between Turturro and several Penn diabetes patients as they talk about the daily challenges of living with diabetes. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/jun06/TurturroITC.htm Penn Presbyterian Medical Center is a proud sponsor of the second annual Sjogren's Walkabout, which aims to increase awareness of the syndrome while helping to raise money to support the Foundation's research and education programs. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/jun06/SjogrensITC.htm