Not all heart attack patients receive the same type of care, researchers find
While acute myocardial infarction — commonly referred to as a heart attack — remains a leading cause of death in the United States, deaths have decreased significantly over the past two decades in part due to improved treatment methods, according to Charleen Hsuan, associate professor of health…
Clinical and Translational Science Institute awards four pilot grants - 2025
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute, with co-sponsorship from the Center for Medical Innovation, has awarded $200,000 in grants to support four interdisciplinary, multi-investigator pilot research projects. The projects were awarded under the Bridges to Translation Pilot…
Cameron featured on "Reach" podcast about empathy
On WPSU's "Reach" podcast, Daryl Cameron explains empathy as sharing feelings, perspective-taking, and compassion. It’s flexible, can be learned, and sometimes causes challenges like burnout. His research shows empathy isn’t limited; people can grow empathy for both humans and animals, emphasizing…
Young girls may be less responsive to food fullness cues than young boys
Young boys ate less during a meal if they had already consumed a serving of fruit, but girls ate the same amount of the meal whether or not they had eaten fruit, researchers in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences found in a recent study.
The researchers said this study, available…
Six New Faculty Join Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute
Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) welcomes six new cofunded faculty members, further strengthening its mission of advancing interdisciplinary social and behavior science across the University.
The new SSRI cofunded faculty come from a wide range of colleges and disciplines…
New SSRI calendar subscription feed
Now you can subscribe to SSRI events via your Calendar in Outlook. Simply click on "Subscribe to SSRI Calendar" link at the top of the SSRI events page and follow the step-by-step directions. Once completed, your Outlook Calendar will automatically update periodically with new and updated events…
New Evidence-to-Impact Podcast Episode Explores the Destigmatization and Recovery of the Opioid Crisis
We are back! We have a discussion with Denise Holden, founder and CEO of the RASE Project, a recovery community organization that has since expanded outside of Pennsylvania and Dr. Sarah Kawasaki, the Chief of Addiction Medicine, and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine at Penn…
Newly named Child Health Research Center to advance health of children, families
Since 2004, the Center for Childhood Obesity Research in Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development has developed evidence-based strategies to promote healthy growth and eating behaviors in children and families.
In recognition of the interconnectedness of children’s physical, mental and…
Innovative methods of studying brain health, cognition topic of upcoming lecture
Martin “Marty” Sliwinski, director of the Center for Healthy Aging at Penn State and Gregory H. Wolf Professor in Healthy Aging and Human Development, will present the 2025 Schmitt Russell Research Lecture, “Measuring a Moving Target: Cognition-on-the-go and the new science of brain health,” on…
SSRI Cofund Julia Szabo recognized for enhancing teaching with technology
Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) has announced the recipients of the inaugural New Faculty Recognition Award for the 2024-25 academic year. This award recognizes new faculty at Penn State who have demonstrated a clear and ongoing commitment to enhancing student learning by actively…
Why Social Science? - Because It Gives Educators and Policymakers the Tools to Improve Education
By Tabbye Chavous, Executive Director, American Educational Research Association
Wearing my hats as a social science scholar and academic leader, I have studied trends in the development of science over the past 150 years. Over that time, scholarly science has focused on the continual advancement…
Walmart funds Clearinghouse study on skill-based veteran employment programs
The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State (Clearinghouse) has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation to evaluate two innovative employment programs aimed at reducing underemployment among military veterans.
According to the Veterans Metrics Initiative (TVMI),…
Lisa Gatzke-Kopp named head of human development and family studies
Lisa Gatzke-Kopp, professor of human development and family studies, has been named the head of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.
Gatzke-Kopp, who began her role as head of the department July 1, joined Penn State in 2007 as an assistant professor of human development and…
Registering with Global Safety Network
Penn State requires that our faculty and graduate students register with the Global Safety Network so that that the University can assist international travelers in the event that they find themselves in an emergency situation abroad (e.g., a military attack or natural disaster) or — if they are…
Q&A: What would reclassifying marijuana mean for medical research?
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — There may be a major change in national drug policy coming soon.
The Trump administration is considering reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance. The change in classification was proposed in 2024 under the Biden administration, following a…
Piazza Center awarded grant to examine fraternity affiliation and leadership
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State's Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research has been awarded $70,000 to study student learning outcomes from fraternity membership. The study, sponsored in part by the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), will examine the potential…
Center for Nursing Research announces fall 2025 seminar series
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing’s Center for Nursing Research (CNR) has announced its Seminar Series for the 2025-26 semesters. This seven-part series virtual series is designed to advance nursing research by fostering collaboration between…
Endometriosis affects more systems in women’s bodies than previously understood
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In endometriosis, cells similar to uterine tissue grow outside the uterus. According to researchers in the Penn State Department of Kinesiology who study the disease, endometriosis is often treated as a purely gynecological condition. In a new study, however, they…
Research or Regress: What if we could stop impaired driving?
For teenagers, getting a driver's license is a key to freedom. But for parents, it can be a source of worry, especially since car accidents are one of the leading causes of death among teens, and one in four teen crashes involves underage drinking and driving. Yet, these deaths and injuries are…
Conference to focus on improving child welfare
The Social Science Research Institute's Child Maltreatment Solutions Network is hosting an in-person conference, “Innovative Pathways in Child Welfare Practice”, in the Eric J Barron Innovation Hub on Oct. 3.
Interested attendees can register now.
The conference will include…
New screener offers empirical insights to improve veteran transitions
For the newest generation of U.S. veterans, transitioning to civilian life can pose profound challenges. Post-9/11 veterans are younger and more diverse, and they face rising rates of trauma, mental health conditions, underemployment and service-connected disabilities, according to a research team…
New website shows how opioid settlement funds are helping Pennsylvanians
Beginning in 2021, a national coalition of attorneys general led by then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro reached settlements to hold prescription opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacy companies accountable for their role in contributing to the opioid addiction epidemic in the United States…
SSRI Affiliate Florence Becot honored by agricultural safety, health society
Florence Becot, Nationwide Insurance Early Career Professor in Agricultural Safety and Health in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, received the Jim Williams Early Career Achievement Award from the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health at the organization’…
New associate director for graduate education at Huck Institutes named
Penn State Professor of Anthropology David Puts has been named the associate director for graduate education at the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. The post was most recently held by Troy Ott, professor of reproductive physiology, who served as interim director of Huck in 2024 before becoming…
Why Social Science? - Because Reimagining Science Requires Behavioral and Social Scientists at the Table, Too
By Sam Goldstein, Science for Good
Nearly 40% of deaths in the United States are preventable through changes in behavior. Modifiable risk factors like smoking, poor diet, inactivity, or alcohol use are contributors to many cancers. For children and teens ages 1 to 17, the leading cause of death is…