Penn Medicine in the News

Thrills, Chills and Phils: Penn Medicine Rallies Round Their Team
9 Oct 2009
Neither high winds nor a chill in the night air could stop more than 500 Penn Medicine students, faculty, alumni, and friends from turning out and cheering on our team at the 2009 “Back to School” Phillies game.

As the World Champion Phillies took on the Houston Astros on September 29, a record-setting crowd of Penn Medicine attendees came together at Citizens Bank Park for a night of fellowship and enjoyment.  We are grateful to Penn Medicine Board Member and Campaign Vice-Chair John Middleton for hosting this outstanding event.

The pre-game tent party offered traditional stadium food, drinks, and entertainment, causing first year medical student Alex Macnow to comment, “It’s awesome that they put all this together for us!” The Phanatic made an appearance, running through the tent, high fiving students and giving huge hugs to faculty, board members, and their children alike. Camera phones were held high in the air, snapping pictures of the rascally mascot in action. 

Despite the cold weather, friends and families enjoyed watching the Phillies move one step closer to the NL East Championship with a 7- 4 victory that featured a grand slam homerun by Pedro Feliz.   Some used binoculars to get the best view, while others enjoyed dancing to the music near their seats. A big round of applause followed “the wave” after it successfully orbited the stadium.

Back to School Night is fast becoming one of the main attractions of the year.  As Penn Medicine faculty member Stacey Gordon, who attended with son Devlin, put it, “every year we look forward to this game, and our favorite part of it is going together.”

View photos from Back to School Night in our Events Media section.

Penn Medicine Dean Receives Distinguished Service Award from AAMC
5 Nov 2009
Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCh, Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System, and Dean, School of Medicine, will receive the Abraham Flexner Award for Distinguished Service to Medical Education from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The award will be presented on Saturday, Nov. 7, during the association’s annual meeting in Boston. 

Weight Training Boosts Breast Cancer Survivors’ Body Image and Satisfaction with Intimate Relationships
3 Nov 2009
In addition to building muscle, weightlifting is also a prescription for self-esteem among breast cancer survivors, according to new University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine research. Breast cancer survivors who lift weights regularly feel better about bodies and their appearance and are more satisfied with their intimate relationships compared with survivors who do not lift weights, according to a new study published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.

Penn Medicine Leads Nationwide Study of Testosterone Therapy in Older Men
2 Nov 2009
Penn Medicine will lead a new clinical trial at 12 sites across the nation to test whether testosterone therapy can favorably affect certain conditions affecting older men. Low serum testosterone may contribute to a number of problems affecting older men, including decreased ability to walk, loss of muscle mass and strength, decreased vitality, decreased sexual function, impaired cognition, cardiovascular disease and anemia. While testosterone normally decreases with age, in some men, low levels of testosterone may contribute to these debilitating conditions. The Testosterone Trial will involve 800 men age 65 and older with low testosterone levels.

Cellular Source of Most Common Type of Abnormal Heart Beat Found
2 Nov 2009
While studying how the heart is formed, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine serendipitously found a novel cellular source of atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common type of abnormal heart beat. Jonathan Epstein, MD, William Wikoff Smith Professor, and Chair, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, and Vickas Patel, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, have identified a population of cells in the atria of the heart and pulmonary veins of humans and mice that appear to be the seat of AF. The finding may lead to a more precise way to treat AF, with reduced side effects. Their findings appear online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Inhibitor of Heat Shock Protein is a Potential Anticancer Drug, Penn Study Finds
29 Oct 2009
Heat, lack of nutrients, oxygen radicals – all can wreak havoc on the delicate internal components of a cell. Proteins called HSPs (heat shock proteins) allow cells to survive stress-induced damage. Scientists have long studied how HSPs work in order to harness their therapeutic potential. Penn Medicine researchers, in collaboration with Fox Chase Cancer Center, have now identified a small molecule that inhibits the heat shock protein HSP70. They also showed that the HSP inhibitor could stop tumor formation and significantly extend survival of mice. They describe their findings in this month’s issue of Molecular Cell.

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