SSRI Welcomes New Associate Directors Frankenberg and Thompson
Sep 25, 2023
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State recently announced the addition of two new associate directors: Cheryl Thompson and Erica Frankenberg. Thompson is a professor in the department of public health sciences at the Hershey College of Medicine, the…
Advance care planning project co-led by College of Medicine expands scope
Jul 21, 2022
The Project Talk Trial, a national study of two advance care planning interventions in underserved communities, will soon expand its reach to include individuals with mild cognitive impairment and those at risk for Alzheimer’s disease and its related dementias. Hospice Foundation of America (HFA)…
Team looks at health disparities and impact of adverse childhood events
Mar 15, 2022
Penn State students, along with a team from Penn State Health, Penn State College of Medicine and Gramener, a data science consulting company, worked together to identify risk factors, health disparities — and the lifetime consequences of — adverse childhood events (ACE). The team was part of a …
Diagnosing head injuries key in child abuse cases
Feb 15, 2022
Being able to accurately diagnose suspected child abuse is crucial, as an incorrect diagnosis can possibly lead to traumatic family separations and questionable criminal charges or result in the return of the child to an abusive situation. Researchers at Penn State are committed to improving the…
Minority acceptance of combo flu-COVID vaccine higher than for COVID alone
Jan 12, 2022
Acceptance of a combination influenza-COVID-19 vaccine among minority individuals is higher than for the COVID-19 vaccine alone, according to new research led by Penn State. The results suggest that bundling COVID-19 vaccines or boosters with influenza vaccines may be a convenient option to…News Topics: COVID-19College of Medicine
Penn State receives a five-year, nearly $6 million grant to study factors promoting early childhood development
Oct 18, 2021
The effects of genetics, home environment, and prenatal substance use on child health and brain development are largely unknown, even though pregnancy and early childhood are incredibly important periods of growth. To address this knowledge gap, Penn State was recently awarded a five-year, $5.8…
Penn State seeks community partners for advance care planning project
Apr 13, 2021
Reducing health disparities by examining the effectiveness of tools that encourage end-of-life conversations may improve the likelihood that underserved patients receive care that is consistent with their values and beliefs. To achieve this outcome, Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) has partnered…
College of Medicine receives $2.7 million to address COVID-19 health disparities
Dec 11, 2020
Dr. Jennifer Kraschnewski, professor of medicine, public health sciences and pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine, has received $2.69 million through the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to establish projects aimed at addressing COVID-19 health disparities among nursing…
Using wearable technology to prevent kidney stones
Oct 1, 2020
idney stones are a painful and expensive medical problem, and people who suffer from kidney stones once are likely to experience them a second time. Recurrence can often be prevented if patients increase urine output by increasing the amount of water that they drink. Though this may seem easy,…
Impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on building a community in medical education
Jul 13, 2020
Over the past 3 months, nearly 30,000 medical students across the United States have been displaced from their traditional health care roles. With relatively little warning or time for preparation, students, faculty, and administrators scrambled to create platforms, structures, and processes to…News Topics: College of MedicineCOVID-19
Parents and communities can help prevent teen vaping, experts say
Feb 20, 2020
As vaping becomes more prevalent in high schools and middle schools, parents and communities can take steps to help prevent teens from vaping or engaging in other risky behaviors, according to experts at Penn State. Melissa Tomascik, prevention coordinator for the PROSPER (PROmoting School-…
Researchers receive nearly $5 million to curb opioid cravings
Dec 10, 2019
Opioid overdoses take the lives of tens of thousands of Americans annually. Two researchers from Penn State College of Medicine have received nearly $5 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study whether an already-approved drug can be used to reduce cravings and prevent relapse…
Penn State's Project ECHO awarded $1.5M to address substance abuse
Nov 22, 2019
Project ECHO at Penn State College of Medicine will use a $1.5 million federal grant to address underage drinking and opioid use in 10 rural counties in central Pennsylvania. The five-year grant was awarded by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Blair, Bradford,…
Popular electronic cigarette may deliver nicotine more effectively than others
Nov 18, 2019
When it comes to nicotine delivery, not all electronic cigarettes are created equally, according to Penn State researchers. New research from Penn State College of Medicine shows that JUUL, a popular pod-based electronic cigarette, can deliver more nicotine at a faster rate than most other types of…
Personalized gene networks may enhance study of disease
Nov 11, 2019
Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine have developed a new method to model how genes interact with each other — and it may someday contribute to the development of personalized treatments for patients. According to the researchers, the new model is able to construct personalized networks…
Online guidebook now available for conducting clinical research at Penn State
Oct 29, 2019
An online guidebook detailing the clinical research process and available support resources at Penn State is now available for faculty and staff at all University campuses. Based on a guidebook released last year specifically for Penn State College of Medicine, it is a collaborative effort of Penn…
College of Medicine researchers receive NIH funding for addiction research
Oct 27, 2019
The National Institutes of Health have awarded more than $2 million to Patricia “Sue” Grigson, professor and chair in the Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, and Scott Bunce, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral health and clinical psychologist, as part of the Helping to End…
Exercise can now be prescribed like medicine for people with and beyond cancer
Oct 16, 2019
It’s well known that exercise is good for preventing and treating many forms of heart disease, but less commonly known are the benefits of physical activity for people living with and beyond cancer. A new initiative called Moving Through Cancer — led by Kathryn Schmitz, professor of public health…
Registration open for a seminar on increasing policy relevance of research
Oct 7, 2019
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute presents “Increasing Policy Relevance of Research” at its next Bench to Bedside and Beyond Seminar Series from noon to 1 p.m. on Oct. 25. In addition to being held in H4504 at the College of Medicine, the session will be streamed to 116…
Doctor’s passion for the community brings important contributions to institute
Sep 13, 2019
On a recent summer day in Sharon, Pennsylvania, Dr. George Garrow ate lunch at café, a product of the former steel town’s revitalization efforts. A woman approached him as he sat eating. “You probably don’t remember me,” she said, sheepishly, as she mentioned a medical issue he helped her with,…
Fall schedule for biostatistics seminars now available
Aug 14, 2019
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute announces its Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design (BERD) Research Methods Seminar Series schedule for the fall semester. The series features lectures on fundamental research methods in the fall semester, with more advanced topics…
Registration open for seminar on underrepresented population recruitment
Aug 13, 2019
A seminar titled “Recruiting Underrepresented Populations in Clinical Trials” will be presented at the next installment of the Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute's Bench to Bedside and Beyond Seminar Series from noon to 1 p.m. on Aug. 20. In addition to being held in Room H4504…
Penn State’s Institutional Review Board program announces updates to structure
Jul 23, 2019
Penn State investigators conducting research with people — whether surveys or clinical trials, secondary data analysis or educational interventions — work with the University's Institutional Review Board (IRB) Program. The IRBs work to protect the rights and welfare of research participants and…News Topics: College of MedicinePenn State Research
Unusual eating behaviors may be a new diagnostic indicator for autism
Jul 10, 2019
Atypical eating behaviors may be a sign a child should be screened for autism, according to a new study from Penn State College of Medicine. Research by Susan Mayes, professor of psychiatry, found that atypical eating behaviors were present in 70% of children with autism, which is 15 times more…
Researchers look to unlock post-traumatic stress disorder puzzle
Jul 2, 2019
A team of Penn State and University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine researchers is attempting to answer a question that has long puzzled experts: Why do some individuals suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after experiencing trauma, and others do not? The research, led by Nanyin Zhang,…