David Meaney on Penn’s Research Enterprise

As one of the leading research institutions in the world, Penn is at the forefront of groundbreaking discovery.

But the impact of that research extends far beyond academia, significantly enhancing the lives of people both locally and globally. Research at Penn not only leads to new medical and technological discoveries that can improve people’s health, but it also provides jobs and capital investment that helps boost the local and regional economy.

Penn Today spoke with David Meaney, Vice Provost for Research and Solomon R. Pollack Professor in Bioengineering, about research at Penn—its current priorities, plans for evolution and growth, and its role in and impact on the greater community.

How would you describe the research identity of Penn right now, and how is it evolving?

Penn’s research identity is defined by an unusual trifecta: it has a breadth of research that allows it to answer several questions about our future and our past; it has the depth of scholarship to create solutions that are meaningful and improve the public well-being; and it has an unusual campus proximity that makes answering these questions a truly collaborative and human experience. We have world-class programs across medicine, engineering, arts and sciences, social policy, law, business, veterinary medicine, nursing, and design—and they’re all within a 10-minute walk of each other. That’s rare. We’re evolving and learning how to take full advantage of that proximity. The problems that matter most now—whether in health, climate, AI, or inequality—don’t respect disciplinary boundaries. Our identity is shifting from a collection of excellent schools to something more deliberately integrated.

How does the research mission align with the University’s broader academic and societal goals?

Research isn’t separate from teaching or from service—it’s the engine that drives both. Our students learn by participating in discovery, not by just absorbing what’s already known. Our faculty share their stories about their discoveries, as well as the discoveries and insights of others, in the classroom to provide examples of how the principles of knowledge can ‘come to life’ in exploring the world around us. And our obligation to society isn’t just to produce knowledge, but to ensure that knowledge reaches the people who need it. Penn has always had a practical bent—we are very much, as people say, in the image of Benjamin Franklin himself. That means our research mission succeeds when it shapes better clinicians, better engineers, better policy, and better art—and when the communities around us feel the benefit.

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