Welcome to Year Zero
New doctor, new disease, new parent.
Impatient Hope
“Anything was possible, because no one knew.”
Hero on the Beach
David Langer C’85 M’90 GM’98 helped save a stranger’s life.
Journey to the Nobel
Gregg L. Semenza M’82 Gr’84 is a Nobel Prize winner.
Rush on the Mind
A focus on mental illness was a constant throughout the multi-faceted career of Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, prolific writer, longtime Penn faculty member, and the most prominent—and controversial—physician of his day.
End Stage
“I will soon be with my son. I am fine.”
Phantom Concussions
Here’s what may have afflicted US diplomats in Cuba.
The Legend of Frances Houston
James Widerman C’66 shares a touching memory of how biomedical librarian Frances Houston helped his father, Arnold H. Widerman C’33 M’37, obtain books for his classes.
Hope for Katherine Belle
How one family’s journey through the realm of rare disease led them to the newest frontier of precision genetic medicine.
FDA Approves First Gene Therapy for Cancer
FDA approval for Penn-developed gene therapy for cancer.
Science and Error
A history of unripe findings and unintended consequences.
Strange Brotherhood
The hidden chapter of wartime human experimentation in the DKE house.
UV versus C. Diff
Finding: UV light can reduce C. diff infections.
States Worse Than Death
Patient preferences diverge from standard measures of care quality.
Chasing Miracles
The author wanted to know why the stem-cell treatments that worked so well for her hobbled dog aren’t being used to put the spring back in humans’ steps. Researchers at Penn’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine explained—and shared some of their own, measured, progress toward successful therapies.
A $2 Genetic Test for Zika
Penn researchers develop a $2 genetic test for Zika virus.