Identifying a Vulnerability in Critical Spacecraft Networks News / December 7, 2022 When NASA docks two spacecraft in orbit, timing is critical. Their movements must be precisely synchronized with each other to prevent catastrophic failure, which means the computer networks that control their thrusters must not be disrupted for even a split second; instructions on exactly how and when to move must... Read More
‘Organ-on-a-Chip’ Device Provides New Insights into Early-Stage Pregnancy News / November 28, 2022 If you’d read about it in a science fiction novel, you might not have believed it. Human organs and organ systems — from lungs to blood vessels to blinking eyes — bio-miniaturized and stored on a plastic chip no larger than a matchbook. But that’s the breathing, blinking reality at the Biologically Inspired Engineering Systems (BIOLines)... Read More
‘Curious Minds: The Power of Connection’ News / September 6, 2022 With appointments in the Departments of Bioengineering and Electrical and Systems Engineering, as well as the Department of Physics and Astronomy in Penn Arts & Science, and the Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry in Penn Perelman’s School of Medicine, Dani S. Bassett is no stranger to following the thread of... Read More
What the Genomes of Ancient Humans Can Teach us About Modern Health News / September 2, 2022 For nearly 40 years, geneticists have looked to ancient DNA to find answers about our modern condition. And, beyond just ancient DNA, research institutions—including Penn Medicine—have sought to sequence current human DNA to better understand how genetic variations affect health and disease. What Iain Mathieson wants to do is compare the past and... Read More
‘Where Penn Health-Tech is Going’ News / August 29, 2022 When it began five years ago, Penn Health-Tech (PHT) was an experiment. It was a trial to see whether bringing engineering expertise into contact with clinicians at one of the nation’s premier academic institutions could actually translate into something that helps everyday people. In a way, it was taking theories from academia... Read More
A Vision for Addressing Climate Change through Engineering Research News / August 18, 2022 The Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (ERVA), a U.S. National Science Foundation-funded initiative, released a report today delineating bold, fundamental research priorities the engineering research community can pursue to address climate change. ERVA’s inaugural report results from a visioning event that convened more than 100 leading researchers from universities, industry and... Read More
Applying Microrobotics in Endodontic Treatment and Diagnostics News / August 15, 2022 With its irregularities and anatomical complexities, the root canal system is one of the most clinically challenging spaces in the oral cavity. As a result, biofilm not fully cleared from the nooks and crannies of the canals remains a leading cause of treatment failure and persistent endodontic infections, and there... Read More
Adapting to Extreme Heat in Philadelphia to Increase Human Vitality News / August 10, 2022 Each academic year, the Penn Environmental Innovations Initiative funds a slate of Research Communities, interdisciplinary groups that are engaged in studying a common theme of broad environmental significance and are designed to encourage student engagement and produce at least one public-facing outcome. One of this year’s Research Communities is known... Read More
‘Combating Urban Heat’ News / August 4, 2022 On any given day, Sarah Sterinbach might be hosting online events for educate environmental activists, camping in protest of fossil fuel investment, or 30 pages deep in a municipal climate policy plan. A rising Penn junior from New York City, Sterinbach is majoring in environmental science and urban education. Those... Read More
TV News Top Driver of Political Echo Chambers in U.S. News / July 27, 2022 In the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, many maligned the echo chambers they believed they saw taking over social media: People with like-minded friends were all sharing content with the same political bent, amplifying a singular set of messages, and leading to greater polarization overall. But according to research... Read More
