Penn Faculty, Staff, and Students
Previous Announcements - 2006
2006: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
December 22, 2006
NIH Salary Cap will increase to $186,600 on January 1, 2007
| For Federal FY 2007 Awards: | Executive Level I **Note: Any awards issued in a prior FY (with an Executive Level 1 cap) may use the levels listed below if funds are available. No additional funding will be issued by NIH. | |
| October 1, 2006 through December 31, 2006: | $183,500 | |
| January 1, 2007 and beyond: | $186,600 |
November 13, 2006
Funding Opportunities
University of Pennsylvania
GENE THERAPY PROGRAM
PILOT GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR RESEARCH ON
Gene Therapy and Pathogenesis of Cystic Fibrosis
Pilot funding is available for investigators doing research on gene therapy and pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis (CF). The scope of this is broadly defined, including applications that address a wide range of topics from CF disease pathogenesis to vector biology.
Two types of applications are being accepted:
1) Basic Science Pilot and Feasibility Studies
Funding of individual basic science pilot and feasibility studies should not exceed $40,000 per year nor extend beyond two years.
2) Translational Pilot and Feasibility Studies
Translational pilot and feasibility projects are projects that seek to: apply basic knowledge to a clinical problem, acquire basic knowledge from clinical specimens, or examine the feasibility of a therapeutic approach in an appropriate animal model or with appropriate clinical specimens. Translational pilot and feasibility projects may receive funding for up to $80,000 per year for up to two years. Translational pilot and feasibility projects may not subject human volunteers to experimental medicines, devices or techniques; obtain clinical specimens prospectively unless such specimens are collected as a part of routine patient care; or make use of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-protected confidential patient information.
Pilot and feasibility projects must present a testable hypothesis, a detailed description of the methods and procedures including data analysis, and discuss the relevance of the work to the problems of CF.
In the spirit of pilot funding, support is intended for junior investigators who are establishing their independent research careers or senior investigators seeking to perform research in an area that they have not previously pursued.
To apply, please submit a one-page proposal (email moniquek@mail.med.upenn.edu to request the application form). In addition, please include your NIH biosketch and other support.
Proposal deadline is Wednesday, November 22, 2006
via email to moniquek@mail.med.upenn.edu
Proposals will be reviewed by an external committee who will decide which applicants will be eligible to complete a full pilot application to be included with our Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Comp II application. Pilot Application deadline for those chosen by the committee is Monday, January 22, 2007. The initial review of pilot and feasibility study applications will be done by CFF's RDP Committee and Medical Advisory Council during review of the general application for the Component II award. If the application is successful, funding will begin July 2007.
Please direct all questions to Monique Molloy via e-mail: moniquek@mail.med.upenn.edu
October 5, 2006
Penn Researchers Make Major Advancement in Lou Gehrig’s Disease and FTD
Identifying Disease Protein for Two Common Neurodegenerative Disorders Will Mean Better Treatments
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered the major disease protein for two neurodegenerative disorders: a type of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s disease. A protein called TDP-43 was found to accumulate abnormally in post-mortem brain tissue from individuals diagnosed with either disease. The misfolded, disease protein was recovered from only affected central nervous system regions, which include the hippocampus, neocortex, and spinal cord.
» read more
October 3, 2006
Penn Leads $98 Million Translational Medicine Collaboration
(Philadelphia, PA) - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine $68 million over the next five years, along with The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Institutional commitments of $30 million bring the Philadelphia consortium’s total to nearly $100 million.
» read more
September 12, 2006
Penn Study Suggests a New Type of Pain Reliever That May Benefit the Heart
(Philadelphia, PA) - Building on previous work, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine have found that deleting an inflammation enzyme in a mouse model of heart disease slowed the development of atherosclerosis.
What's more, the composition of the animals' blood vessels showed that the disease process had not only slowed, but also
stabilized. This study points to the possibility of a new class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that
steer clear of heart-disease risk and work to reduce it.
» read more
September 8, 2006
Invitation to Cover: "The Legacy of the Philadelphia Chromosome: From Discovery to Therapy"
A Symposium in Honor of Peter C. Nowell, MD
(Philadelphia, PA) - In recognition of his over-fifty-year career at the University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine, Dr. Nowell 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.
» read more
September 5, 2006
Penn's School of Medicine Retains Rank of Second in Nation for NIH Research Awards
Record $399 Million Received
(Philadelphia, PA) - According to figures released by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine ranks 2nd in the nation in terms of total research awards to academic medical schools in the United States. For Fiscal Year 2005, Penn received 924 total awards - including research and training grants - worth more than $399 million. This total represents a 1.4% increase from the previous year. The NIH is the single largest source of funding for biomedical research and training in the nation, and their annual rankings are considered an important barometer of research strength.
» read more
September 5, 2006
Pennsylvania Muscle Institute Mini-Research Grants
» read more
August 15, 2006
Penn Researchers Find Link Between Autism and Abnormal Blood-Vessel Function and Oxidative Stress
New Findings Could Help Explain Pathology of Autistic Syndrome
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicinediscovered that children with autism showed signs of abnormal blood-vessel function and damaging levels of oxidative stress compared to healthy children. The children with autism possessed levels of biochemicals that indicate the presence of constricted blood vessels via the endothelium (the cells that line vessels) with a higher tendency to form clots (through cells called platelets).
» read more
August 11, 2006
Penn Researchers Discover "Remote Control" for Expression of Human Growth Hormone Gene
Mistakes in Expression Implied in Growth Disorders
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine recently discovered a novel mechanism that works over an extensive genomic distance and controls the expression of human
growth hormone (hGH) in the pituitary gland. This mechanism involves a newly discovered set of "non-coding
RNAs" expressed in the vicinity of the hGH gene.
» read more
August 8, 2006
Penn Researchers Determine Structure of Smallpox Virus Protein Bound to DNA
Structure Could Aid in Anti-Viral Drug Design
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have determined the structure of an important smallpox virus enzyme and how it binds to DNA. The enzyme, called a topoisomerase, is an important drug target for coming up with new ways to fight smallpox. The researchers present their findings in the August 4 issue of Molecular Cell.
» read more
July 26, 2006
Penn Researchers Calculate How Much the Eye Tells the Brain
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine estimate that the human retina can transmit visual input at about the same rate as an Ethernet connection, one of the most common local area network systems used today. They present their findings in the July issue of Current Biology. This line of scientific questioning points to ways in which neural systems compare to artificial ones, and can ultimately inform the design of artificial visual systems.
» read more
July 21, 2006
Long-Term Ibuprofen Treatment After Brain Injury Worsens Cognitive Outcome In An Animal Model
Possible Implications for Traumatic Brain Injury Patients(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that chronic ibuprofen therapy given after brain injury worsens cognitive abilities. These findings - in a preliminary, animal-model study - have important implications for traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients who are often prescribed such nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) as ibuprofen for chronic pain. The findings appear online this month in Experimental Neurology.
» read more
July 18, 2006
Study Reveals Age and Socioeconomic Factors Are Strongest Determinants of Sunburn in U.S. Population
Younger Adults and Adults with Higher Incomes and Higher Levels of Education Report Getting Burned More Than Other Americans(Philadelphia, PA) - According to a study that appears in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 39 percent of respondents of a national survey conducted in 2003 had at least one sunburn in the previous 12 months, a 22 percent increase since 1999. Additionally, this percentage rose dramatically as income and education levels increased and the age of respondents decreased.
» read more
July 17, 2006
Discovery of Agile Molecular Motors Could Aid in Treating Motor Neuron Diseases
(Philadelphia, PA) - Over the last several months, the labs of Yale Goldman, MD, PhD, Director of the Pennsylvania Muscle Institute at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and Erika Holzbaur, PhD, Professor of Physiology, have published a group of papers that, taken together, show proteins that function as molecular motors are surprisingly flexible and agile, able to navigate obstacles within the cell. These observations could lead to better ways to treat motor neuron diseases.
» read more
July 17, 2006
Gatekeeping: Penn Researchers Find New Way to Open Ion Channels in Cell Membranes
Implications for Channel-Related Disorders, Drug Design
(Philadelphia, PA) - Using an enzyme found in the venom of the brown recluse spider, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered a new way to open molecular pores, called ion channels, in the membrane of cells. The research team - Zhe Lu, MD, PhD, Yajamana Ramu, PhD, and Yanping Xu, MD, PhD of the Department of Physiology at Penn - screened venoms from over 100 poisonous invertebrate species to make this discovery.
» read more
July 17, 2006
Shiriki Kumanyika, PhD, MPH, of the University of Pennsylvania, Wins 2006 H.O.P.E. Award From the American Journal of Health Promotion
Penn Researcher Strives to Reduce Health Disparities Among the Disadvantaged
(Philadelphia, PA) - Shiriki Kumanyika, PhD, MPH, a Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has won the 2006 Robert F. Allen Symbol of H.O.P.E. Award from the American Journal of Health Promotion. It is presented annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to serving the health promotion needs of underserved populations or to promoting cultural diversity in health promotion.
» read more
July 13, 2006
Expert Advisory
Commentary on Healthcare Information Technology: Defining the Limits of Computerized Physician Order Entry
Systems
(Philadelphia, PA) - In the July 12 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care, sociologist Ross Koppel,
PhD, of the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine, analyzes two
well-known medical information technology systems in light of a study published in the same issue. Researchers from the
Colorado Permanente Medical Group (Palen et al.) found no positive value to computerized reminders for laboratory tests
needed to accompany 25 major medications. These two systems are CPOE (computerized physician order entry) and DSS
(Decision Support Systems).
» read more
July 13, 2006
New Source of Multipotent Adult Stem Cells Discovered in Human Hair Follicles
Implications for Personalized Approaches to Transplants
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have isolated a
new source of adult stem cells that appear to have the potential to differentiate into several cell types. If their approach
to growing these cells can be scaled up and proves to be safe and effective in animal and human studies, it could one day provide
the tissue needed by an individual for treating a host of disorders, including peripheral nerve disease, Parkinson's
disease, and spinal cord injury.
» read more
July 12, 2006
Penn researchers identify small molecules capable of fighting treatment-resistant tumors
Imaging technology paves way to future individualized cancer treatment
(Philadelphia, PA) - Using a newly developed drug screen, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine have discovered small molecule compounds that are able to perform the functions of a gene commonly mutated
in many types of cancer. By combining molecular imaging techniques with human cancer cell culture and animal model
approaches, the researchers were able to reveal the ability of the compounds to kill human tumor cells. These findings
emphasize the growing role of imaging technology in aiding researchers in the development of individualized cancer
treatments.
» read more
July 5, 2006
Dr. Gail Morrison Receives Award for Leadership in Medical Education
(Philadelphia, PA) - Gail Morrison, MD, Vice Dean for Education and Director of the Office of Academic
Programs at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, is the recipient of the 2006 Daniel C. Tosteson Award for
Leadership in
Medical Education from the Carl J. Shapiro Institute for Education and Research. The Tosteson Award is presented to an
individual whose leadership has brought about significant innovation or improvement in undergraduate and/or graduate
medical education.
» read more
July 3, 2006
Mutation in Tumor Suppressor Gene Causes Pancreatic Islet Cells to Reproduce
Cancer Biology Discovery Could Lead to New Diabetes Treatments
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that the acute loss of a protein called menin can cause the proliferation of pancreatic islet cells, which secrete insulin to regulate blood sugar. The menin gene (Men1) mutation in humans causes an inherited disease called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). Not only could this discovery inform basic cancer biology, it also has implications for treating Type 1 diabetes. The researchers report their findings in the latest issue of Cancer Research.
» read more
July 3, 2006
Sleeping With the Lights On: Discovery of New Fruit Fly Protein Illuminates Circadian Response to Light
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified a new protein required for the circadian response to light in fruit flies. The discovery of this protein - named JET - brings investigators one step closer to understanding the process by which the body’s internal clock synchronizes to light. Understanding how light affects circadian (24-hour) rhythms will likely open doors to future treatments of jetlag.
» read more
June 27, 2006
Dr. Mitchell Lazar Receives the 2006 Edwin B. Astwood Award Lecture from The Endocrine Society
(Philadelphia, PA) - Mitchell Lazar, MD, PhD, Director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and
Metabolism, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, is the 2006 recipient of The Endocrine Society's Edwin B.
Astwood Award Lecture. Lazar will present his talk, entitled, "Nuclear Receptors and Endocrinology," at the society's 88th
annual meeting, this week in Boston, MA.
» read more
June 20, 2006
Altered Activity in Tandem Receptors Points to Further Complexity in Schizophrenia Pathology
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, in collaboration
with
scientists at the City University of New York, have identified a striking dysregulation in neuronal receptor activity in
the postmortem brain tissue from patients with schizophrenia. By stimulating receptors in the prefrontal cortex, the
research team tracked heightened levels of erbB4 receptor activity, as well as decreased NMDA receptor activity in the
tissue from patients with schizophrenia. Additionally, they were able to identify a relationship between these two
receptor groups, suggesting a mechanism for decreased NMDA receptor function that has long been suspected in
schizophrenia. The researchers report their findings in this week's advanced online issue of Nature Medicine.
» read more
June 16, 2006
Expert Commentary: Leading Penn Bioethicist Challenges Scientists to Lead the Public in Moral Conversations about Their Work
Failure To Do So May Result in Misunderstandings and Missed Opportunities
(Philadelphia, PA) - In the first-ever article on bioethics to appear in Cell, one of the nation’s leading bioethicists challenges scientists to proactively engage the public in discussions about the value and significance of their research protocols … to maintain an ethical base, at all times, in the conduct of their own research … and to help advance scientific knowledge among the public and their colleagues by freely sharing new and relevant information.
» read more
June 16, 2006
Sleepy Fruit Flies Provide Clues to Learning and Memory
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered that a brain region previously known for its role in learning and memory also serves as the location of sleep regulation in fruit flies. Through further examination of this brain structure, researchers hope to shed light on sleep regulation and its role in memory.
» read more
June 13, 2006
Infected for Life: How Herpes Simplex Virus Uses MicroRNA to Hide Out in Cells
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered part of the reason why cold sores, caused by a herpes virus, come back again and again. The new study, published online last month in Nature, points to a small RNA molecule, called a microRNA (miRNA) as the culprit that keeps the latent virus-infected cell alive. These findings could one day lead to a new way to fight the virus and offers the first target for intervention in the latent infection.
» read more
June 8, 2006
Penn Researchers Reveal Inner Workings of Transcription Factor Protein In Neuronal Cell Dendrites
Cell-Death Protein Could Play a Role in Neurodegeneration and Schizophrenia
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered that a protein called Elk-1 interacts with mitochondria, the energy storehouse of a cell, suggesting that this protein - typically active in the nucleus - could play a role in cell death, and mitochondria-related diseases such as neurodegeneration and schizophrenia.
» read more
June 8, 2006
Penn Psychologist Receives Grant to Study Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Alcohol Dependence
Penn Investigators First to Examine Efficacy of Treatment Strategies
(Philadelphia, PA) - Over the next three years, Edna B. Foa, PhD, Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, will receive $1.7 million from the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to continue her groundbreaking study of treatment strategies for individuals who suffer from both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol dependence (AD).
» read more
June 1, 2006
Pick Your COX Partners
Penn Study Reveals COX Enzymes Work Together in Ways that Suggest New Biological Roles, Drug Targets
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Queen's University, Ontario, Canada report in the online edition of Nature Medicine this week that the COX enzymes - well-known for their contrasting role in cardiovascular biology - interact physically to form a previously unrecognized biochemical partnership and function in the development of blood vessels in a mouse model. Collaborators Garret FitzGerald, MD, Director of Penn's Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, and Colin Funk from Queen's University, say that the findings suggest new biological, developmental, and therapeutic roles for COX enzymes and prompt a re-evaluation of basic assumptions about the role of COX enzymes in disease.
» read more
May 15, 2006
Penn Researcher Receives First Annual Prize for Scientific Contributions to Women’s Health from the Society for Women’s Health Research
(Philadelphia, PA) - Marisa Bartolomei, PhD, Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, was awarded the first annual Society for Women’s Health Research Medtronic Prize for Scientific Contributions to Women’s Health. She was recognized for her work in the field of sex differences research and women’s health. Bartolomei received a $75,000 award and trophy at the Society for Women's Health Research’s annual gala dinner held in Washington, DC on Monday, May 8, 2006.
» read more
May 5, 2006
Researchers Identify Most Effective Current Treatments for Alcohol Dependence
Penn Participates in National Study of 1,383 Patients
(Philadelphia, PA) - According to a study that appears in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and 10 other sites found that the medication naltrexone, when delivered with structured medical management, or specialized alcohol counseling by a behavioral specialist are equally effective treatments for alcohol dependence.
» read more
May 5, 2006
NIH Awards $4 Million to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine to Establish a Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology
First Environmental Health Sciences Center in the Commonwealth
(Philadelphia, PA) - Over the next four years, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine will receive $4.1 million from the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to study the effects of environmental pollutants on human health. The new Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) represents a partnership between research scientists and communities in southeastern Pennsylvania. The CEET mission is to understand the mechanism by which environmental exposures lead to disease. Understanding these processes can lead to early diagnosis, intervention, and prevention strategies. The goal will be to improve environmental health and medicine in the region.
» read more
May 2, 2006
Expert Advisory
Commentary on How the US Drug Safety System Should Be Changed
(Philadelphia, PA) - In the May 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH, Professor of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and Chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, analyzes the limitations of the current system of drug-safety monitoring and proposes a solution that addresses overly aggressive early marketing practices; an absence of incentives to complete post-marketing safety studies; direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising that can promote non-critical use of "blockbuster" drugs; the current trend toward delaying drug approval; and public misunderstanding about the safety of drugs.
» read more
April 26, 2006
Penn Researchers Discover Gene That Creates Second Skeleton
Pinpointing Cause of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) Will Accelerate Development of Treatments for
FOP and Common Bone Disorders
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have
located the "skeleton key," a gene that, when damaged, causes the body's skeletal muscles and soft connective
tissue
to undergo a metamorphosis into bone, progressively locking joints in place and rendering movement impossible.
» read more
April 17, 2006
Therapeutic Prospects Beyond Vioxx
Penn Study Suggests New Class of Anti-inflammatory Drugs that Might Lessen Chance of COX-2 Cardiovascular
Problems
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have clarified the
mechanism by which drugs like Celebrex and Vioxx cause heart problems, in multiple animal models. The findings offer the
prospect of a new generation of anti-inflammatory drugs that bypass this issue, as reported in the April 13 advanced online
edition and May print issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
» read more
April 7, 2006
Muscle Center Gets $3.2M Grant
Five schools will get resources to research musculoskeletal disorders
Penn has received a $3.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for the study of musculoskeletal disorders. The grant will fund a center that will involve 75 faculty members from five Penn schools, though it will be based largely in the Medical School.
» read more
April 7, 2006
Daniel Rader, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, Selected to Direct a 2006 “Freedom to Discover” Unrestricted Biomedical Research Grant in Cardiovascular Medicine
12 Scientists Are Chosen Around the Globe For Their Pioneering Work in Advancing Human Health
(Philadelphia, PA) - Daniel Rader, MD, a specialist in preventive cardiovascular medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS), has been selected to direct a prestigious Freedom to Discover Unrestricted Biomedical Research Grant awarded to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine by Bristol-Myers Squibb.
» read more
April 7, 2006
Biomedical Graduate Studies at Penn Awarded Grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
New program introduces PhD students to the world of clinical medicine
(Philadelphia, PA) - Biomedical Graduate Studies (BGS) at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has been chosen by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to receive a four-year, $700,000 grant to develop training for students to help shorten the time it takes to translate basic science discoveries into new medical treatments.
» read more
April 1, 2006
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Ranked #3 in Nation by U.S.News & World Report
Penn Advances in Ranking This Year
(Philadelphia, PA) - The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine is among the top three research-oriented medical schools in the nation, according to an annual survey of graduate schools by U.S.News & World Report. Penn is ranked #3 in the survey; and is the only medical school in the Delaware Valley to appear in the ranking. The complete survey will be available in the newsstand book, Best Graduate Schools, on April 3rd.
» read more
April 1, 2006
HIV Accessory Protein Disables Host Immunity Via Receptor-Protein Intermediary
Findings Point to Possible Novel Ways to Fight AIDS, Immune Disorders, Sepsis
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered that an HIV-1 accessory protein called Vpr destroys the host cell’s ability to survive by binding to a host receptor. This, in turn, keeps an important enzyme from activating the cell’s immune system. These findings refine an earlier understanding of Vpr HIV pathogenesis and imply new approaches to treating AIDS, inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and possibly sepsis. This research appears in the February print issue of Nature Cell Biology.
» read more
March 22, 2006
Discovery About Protein Sorting in Pigment Cells Sheds Light on Melanoma, Alzheimer's Disease
Penn Experts Lead Assessment of State of Adolescent Mental Health Disorders
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered how a protein called Pmel17 is sorted by pigment cells in the skin and eye to make a fiber matrix that eventually sequesters melanin, the dark pigment found in skin, hair, and eyes. Understanding the molecular steps prior to fiber formation – and when this process goes awry – may lead to a better understanding of melanoma and Alzheimer’s disease. Pmel17 is a major target within the immune system in current anti-melanoma immunotherapies. Michael S. Marks, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and colleagues published their findings in the March issue of Developmental Cell.
» read more
Expert Advisory
Penn Experts Lead Assessment of State of Adolescent Mental Health Disorders
(Philadelphia, PA) - According to the National Institute of Mental Health, at least one in ten children in the U.S. suffer from a mental disorder severe enough to cause some level of impairment. To address this major public health issue, Dwight L. Evans, MD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and colleagues from across the country assessed the state of scientific research on the prevalent mental disorders with onset between the ages of 10 and 22. Their collective findings were published in the award-winning book, Treating and Preventing Adolescent Mental Health Disorders, a project of the Adolescent Mental Health Initiative of the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands and the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The book received the 2005 Best Book in Clinical Medicine Award from the American Association of Publishers.
» read more
March 13, 2006
Penn Researchers Develop New Test To Detect Rare Proteins in Blood
Applications of New Method Will Make Possible Earliest Warning of Cancer and Other Diseases
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have developed a paradigm-shifting method for detecting small amounts of proteins in the blood.
Applications of this method will make discerning low-abundance molecules associated with cancers (such as
breast cancer), Alzheimer's disease, prion diseases, and possibly psychiatric diseases relatively easy
and more accurate compared with the current methodology, including the widely used ELISA (enzyme-linked
immunoadsorbent assay).
» read more
March 8, 2006
Controlling Your (Nerve) Impulses
Newly Identified Interaction Between Ion Channels Sheds Light on Epilepsy and Other
Neurological Disorders
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered the mechanism that facilitates how two ion channels collaborate in the control of electrical
signals in the brain. The investigators showed that the channels were anchored by a third protein at key
locations on the nerve cell surface, allowing them to work together to set the timing and pattern of nerve
impulses. They also found that this channel partnership mechanism is present in all vertebrates, but is
lacking in invertebrates, suggesting that the coupling of these channels may be essential for the higher
abilities of vertebrate brains. The elucidation of this novel interaction should aid efforts to develop new
treatments for epileptic seizures, pain, and abnormal muscle movements. They report their findings in the
cover article of the March 8 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
» read more
March 7, 2006
Penn Pairs Chronically Ill Patients With Medical Students to Create Better Doctors
The Unique, Long-Term Program Helps to Humanize Patients in the Eyes of Future Doctors
(Philadelphia, PA) - Can someone who suffers from a lethal genetic disease teach a pair of medical
students to become better doctors? That's the goal of a unique, long-term patient-student pairing program at
the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
» read more
March 3, 2006
Penn Study Finds No Increased Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Mild Thyroid
Underactivity
Researchers Question Whether Treatment is Necessary
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that leaving a mildly underactive thyroid gland (subclinical hypothyroidism) untreated does not lead to increased cardiovascular risk. The study results, to be published in the March 1st issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, may lead to changes in the clinical care of this commonly diagnosed condition.
» read more
March 1 , 2006
Molecular Studies in Digestive and Liver Diseases: Grant Program: March 31
» read more
February 22, 2006
Institute on Aging 2006 Pilot Study: May 1
» read more
February 16, 2006
Common Cell-Nucleus Receptor Is Key Component of Internal Clock
Molecules Sensitivity to Lithium Points to New Therapies for Bipolar, Circadian Rhythm Disorders
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered that
a key receptor protein is a critical component of the internal molecular clock in mammals. What's more, this molecule -
called Rev-erb - is sensitive to lithium and may help shed light on circadian rhythm disorders, including bipolar
disorder. The findings, which also provide insight into clock-controlled aspects of metabolism, are reported in this
week's issue of Science.
» read more
February 16, 2006
Penn Researchers Discover Second Molecular Pathway that Promotes Cell Survival During Low Oxygen
Conditions
Findings Give Clues to Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease Physiology
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified a
second molecular pathway that promotes cell survival in low-oxygen conditions. By teasing apart the details of cellular
adaptation during oxygen deprivation, or hypoxia, the researchers hope to gain a better understanding of the abnormal
hypoxic environments that are characteristic of many diseases, including solid-tumor cancers and stroke.
» read more
February 16, 2006
Penn Researchers Create Technique to Engineer Nerve Tissue "Jumper Cables" to Repair Spinal Cord
Injury, in Animal Model
Technique Holds Promise for Spinal-Cord Repair in Humans
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have created - in
a rodent model
- a completely new way to engineer nerve structures, or constructs, in culture. This proof-of-principle research has
implications for eventually becoming a new method to repair spinal cord injury in humans. The work appears in the latest
issue of Tissue Engineering.
» read more
February 14, 2006
Penn Neurosurgery Goes 3D
New imaging technology results in less-invasive brain surgeries
(Philadelphia, PA) - Neurosurgeons and neuroradiologists at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania are the first in Philadelphia to use virtual reality, three-dimensional (3D) imaging for surgical planning, evaluation, and education. Prior to walking into the Operating Room, Penn neurosurgeons can now use a Dextroscope® to create interactive, 3D images of their patient’s brain to plan the best surgical approach in dealing most effectively with a diagnosed condition.
» read more
February 7, 2006
University Research Foundation Guidelines: March 15
» read more
February 7, 2006
Center for AIDS Research: Call for Proposals
» read more
February 7, 2006
Robert Mayock, MD, Pioneer in Pulmonary Medicine at Penn, Dies
Considered the "Father of Pulmonary Medicine at Penn," the world of medicine has lost a pioneer with the death of Robert Mayock, MD on January 30, 2006. He was 89-years-old. Mayock founded the modern Pulmonary Division, one of the first in the U.S., at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. His professional colleagues will remember him as a trailblazer in the care of pulmonary medicine. His students know him as the man who "taught us the character of a good physician."
"He taught us to always respect our patients," said John Hansen-Flaschen, MD, Chief of the Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Division at Penn, and former student of Mayock. "Clinically, he taught us to consider the whole person and the underlying symptoms that made them ill... to look at chest medicine as broadly defined."
Mayock trained more than 180 pulmonary physicians during his career, many of whom are today ' s leaders in the field of academic and clinical pulmonary medicine. He taught his students to always be mindful of the three "A"s of a successful medical practice -- Availability, Affability, Ability. Hansen-Flaschen explains, "To the generations of pulmonary specialists he has taught and inspired at Penn, Bob Mayock is the prototypical gentleman physician - caring, dedicated and compassionate. His style of practice became a model for what our division is today."
Mayock's medical career started off remarkably. In 1942, as a medical student, he contracted tuberculosis (TB) - a disease that is caused by bacteria that usually attacks the lungs. Ultimately, he survived and became immune to it, and went on to treat others who got it. During the first half of the 20th century, TB presented a major health problem as profound as the AIDS epidemic of today. Highly contagious, spread through the air from one person to another, TB was once the leading cause of death in this country. The advent of effective antibiotics eventually enabled control of the deadly disease and led to the new discipline of pulmonary medicine.
After serving in the army from 1952-1954 and caring for soldiers who returned from the Korean War with tuberculosis, Mayock brought his unique experience with TB to the Penn campus. Along with renowned physician and scientist Julius Comroe, Jr., MD, Mayock also established one of the first two-year fellowship training programs in pulmonary medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, which became the model in other academic medical centers.
Later, his attention shifted from TB to sarcoidosis, a disease similar to TB, but one that has no known infecting organism. He built a clinic here to treat those who had it; and he is known in the medical community for authoring several important papers on the topic, which made him one of the world's leading authorities on this disease. During his career, he wrote more than 60 publications. Of his original papers, his article published in 1963 on the "Manifestations of Sarcoidosis" has been one of the most quoted articles on this disease in medical literature.
A native of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Mayock earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Bucknell University in 1938. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1942 and completing his internship and residency at Penn, he served as the first Chief of the Pulmonary Disease Section at the University of Pennsylvania for nearly two decades, stepping down from the position in 1972.
He also served as Chief at the Philadelphia General Hospital where, in 1955, he founded the School of Respiratory Therapy -- the first of its kind in the United States. As a senior, and then Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, you could still find him on the campus for years after his retirement from clinical work. Overall, his career spanned more than 50 years in the Penn community.
What truly distinguished Mayock was his unique way in which he ministered to his patients with unselfish and unwavering care and devotion. He held a true love of pulmonary medicine, teaching and patient care. "Most of all, he will probably best be remembered for his genuine interest in people of all backgrounds, which transferred over to his patient care skills," comments his daughter, Holly Mayock Luff. "He treated everyone the same, in a thoughtful, respectful and genuinely interested way. He had a way of making people feel special."
Mayock was active in many professional organizations including the American Board of Internal Medicine, American College of Chest Physicians, the Laennec Society of Philadelphia, the American Lung Association (ALA), and served as the Chairman of the American Thoracic Society. Mayock also led the effort to remove all cigarette vending machines inside HUP and helped the ALA in its push for a "smoke free" society.
Outside of his work, Mayock had a passion for woodworking, fly-fishing, sailing and bird watching. He was an avid reader and also held a deep respect for the wonders and beauty of nature. He traveled extensively with his wife, Connie.
He was a humble clinician, teacher, advisor and scientist and his legacy will live on through a professorship and teaching award at Penn, as well as a lecture series established by the Pennsylvania Thoracic Society which all bear his name.
Mayock, a long-time resident of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, died of Parkinson's Disease on January 30, 2006. In addition to Connie, his wife of 56 years, he is survived by his sons Robert L. Jr. and Stephen P.; daughter Holly M. Luff; and five grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. on February 28 at the Merion Cricket Club in Haverford, Pennsylvania. Memorial donations may be made to the Pulmonary Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, c/o John Hansen-Flaschen, MD, 873 Maloney Building, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Payable to: Trustees UPENN.
February 2, 2006
A Bouquet of Responses: Olfactory Nerve Cells Expressing Same Receptor Display a Varied Set of Reactions
(Philadelphia, PA) - In a mouse model, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers discovered that olfactory sensory neurons expressing the same receptor responded to a specific odor with an array of speeds and sensitivities, a phenomenon previously not detected in the mammalian sense of smell. The group published their findings this week in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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January 30, 2006
A Real Time Look at Interactions Between RNA and Proteins
Intracellular Observation of RNA Metabolism Will Help Identify Disease-Associated RNAs
(Philadelphia, PA) - For the first time, researchers can now peer inside intact cells to not only
identify RNA-binding proteins, but also observe--in real-time--the intricate activities of these special
molecules that make them key players in managing some of the cell's most basic functions. Researchers at
the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine who developed the new technology see this advance as one
of the next logical steps in genomics research. Senior author James Eberwine, PhD, Professor of
Pharmacology at Penn, and
colleagues published their research last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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January 27, 2006
Penn Study Identifies Patients Most At-Risk for Secondary Strokes
These Findings Set the Stage for Clinical Research into Stroke Prevention
(Philadelphia, PA) - Among patients who have suffered a single stroke, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, along with colleagues at other institutions, have found that severe stenosis, or narrowing, of the arteries in the head represents a major risk factor for the development of a subsequent stroke. Patients with recent symptoms were also at high risk. Further, women faced a greater risk of subsequent stroke than men. Their work, to be published in the January 31 issue of Circulation, lays the foundation for further studies into effective therapies to prevent secondary strokes.
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January 23, 2006
Race/Ethnicity Differences in Gene Predict Lipid Disorder and Heart-Disease Risk in HIV-1 Infected
Patients Taking Protease Inhibitors
Findings Could Help Physicians Tailor Antiretroviral Regimens
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, in collaboration
with the University of Massachusetts, have found that small changes in a human gene, apolipoprotein CIII (apoC-III), which
vary in frequency among people of different ethnicity, may help predict which HIV-1-infected patients are likely to develop
lipid disorders and be at increased risk for heart disease if they take a particular class of anti-AIDS medicines known as
protease inhibitors.
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January 13, 2006
Program on the Holocaust and the Ethics of Human Subjects Research Established at Penn Center for
Bioethics
Multi-Year Contribution Provided by the Sylvia and Solomon Bronstein Foundation
(Philadelphia, PA) - The University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics is pleased to announce the
establishment of
the Bronstein Program on the Holocaust and the Ethics of Human Subjects Research, supported by a multi-year
$100,000
contribution from the Sylvia and Solomon Bronstein Foundation.
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January 5, 2006
Penn Researchers Call for New Paradigm in Clinical Trials: Individual Factors Must Be Considered When Designing and Interpreting Clinical Trials
(Philadelphia, PA) - Two studies published this week from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine point to the need for a more individual approach to medicine and drug testing. The two papers, from the lab of Garret FitzGerald, MD, Director of Penn’s Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, together with Penn colleagues Tilo Grosser MD, Research Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, and Susanne Fries MD, Research Associate in Pharmacology, highlight clinical studies involving COX-2 inhibitors as an example.
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