Penn Medicine News Blog Archive: Women's Health

Basser.graphic.blue.background.expanded This week, when Oscar-winning actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie revealed that she underwent surgery to remove her breasts after learning that she carries one of the BRCA gene mutations that put her at high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, the news hit home here at the University of Pennsylvania. Just a year ago, Penn announced the creation of the Basser Research Center for BRCA, which was made possible by a $25 million gift from Penn alums Mindy and Jon Gray, in honor of Mindy Gray’s sister, Faith Basser, who died of ovarian cancer at age 44. As the only center in the United States devoted solely to research on prevention and treatment for cancers related to BRCA mutations, Jolie’s story turned a spotlight on the important work in progress there, and the experiences of the many other families with similar cancer risks.

In an online video series, Florie Charles, a doctoral student at the University of California at San Francisco, and founder of Youreka Science, simply uses a white board and colored markers (and occasionally a small cut out mouse -- animal, not computer peripheral) to explain findings from recent papers in an accessible, fresh, and engaging way. One of her newest videos happens to feature a recent publication from the lab of Garret FitzGerald, MD, FRS, director of Penn Medicine's Institute of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics.

From left: Janet Rocchio, RN, MBA, Danielle Burkland, MD, Catherine Salva, MD, and Celeste Durnwald, MD, attend last week's first annual Wine and Dine for Women's Health event On Tuesday, April 9, local residents, sponsors, and 16 of Philadelphia’s best-known restaurants joined forces in the city’s first ever Wine and...

Penn Medicine will play a starring role in the Philadelphia Science Festival again this year. The Festival is a citywide collaboration showcasing science and technology every April. This year it runs from April 19 - 28, 10 days to celebrate the region’s strengths in science and technology, bringing together more than 100 partners from academia to museums to restaurants.

When most people think about ways to improve their heart health, they consider eating a healthier diet, getting some additional exercise, and possibly sipping a glass of red wine each night. But few people really consider the complex role that sleep – yes, sleep – plays in their overall cardiovascular...

“The needs that call Penn Medicine to action in the community are profound. Twenty-five percent of Philadelphians live in poverty – that’s nearly 400,000 adults and children – and one in seven city residents have no health insurance. Hunger and homelessness remain, still, throughout the city. These societal problems only...

Mariell Jessup, MD To celebrate February as American Heart Month, the News Blog is highlighting some of the latest heart-centric news and stories from all areas of Penn Medicine. As we wrap-up our Heart Month blog post series, I asked Penn Medicine’s Mariell Jessup, MD, medical director of the Heart...

To celebrate February as American Heart Month, the News Blog is highlighting some of the latest heart-centric news and stories from all areas of Penn Medicine. At first pass, lariat seems like just a hifalutin' word for the more down-to-earth, lasso – a long, noosed rope. For most, either word...

The new year frequently brings with it resolutions to improve our lives. And the two goals topping most people’s lists are losing weight and getting more exercise. Every January, gyms suddenly become more crowded and weight-loss programs see significant increases in membership. Diet aid apps are downloaded by the thousands....

In an effort to cut through the constant communications clutter – websites, e-newsletters, targeted text messages and mailings, plus a plethora of pregnancy and parenting magazines – that bombards women during pregnancy and during early motherhood, Pennsylvania Hospital is taking a fresh approach to help educate and inform staff and...

Nathan Francis Mossell, MD, the first black student in Penn’s School of Medicine, received his medical degree in 1882. On his first day, he later wrote, he was “accompanied by a storm of protest” as his fellow incoming students sounded their displeasure. “I was not perturbed in the least,” wrote...

At any one time, Penn Medicine investigators run as many as 3,000 studies involving human subjects, generating knowledge about disease and finding new cures. And making sure these studies run smoothly are 700 clinical research coordinators who do everything from recruiting patients and administering medication to collecting the data that...

UCHCFrom providing screenings for high blood pressure in West Philadelphia barber shops to arming women who are recovering from addiction with the skills to build new lives with their children, Penn Medicine’s employees reach far beyond our campus community to help, care for, and inspire people to improve their health. Each year since 2007, Penn Medicine has highlighted the work of its faculty, staff and students in Philadelphia and its neighboring communities in Simply Because. Last year’s book is full of the faces and stories of everyone who comes together to be part of these programs.

Ah, the fabulous colors of fall. A time when those of us inhabiting the more northern parts of the hemisphere are treated to a natural environment rich in russet, gold and burgundy hues. Then, come October: PINK. There are all the little ribbons, t-shirts and caps. There’s pink neon lights...

Genetic Counseling Can Help Identify Clues Confusion and fears surrounding breast cancer abound. While researchers have long since put some myths to rest -– such as ideas that using anti-perspirant, drinking caffeine, and wearing an underwire bra will all increase your risk -- others issues related to breast cancer risk...

Life is full of embarrassing moments. Who among us hasn’t suffered the mild mortification of unknowingly walking around with toilet paper trailing from a shoe? Or an unzipped fly? How many of us know what it’s like to emerge from an underwater dive only to discover that part of our...

Al D'Angelantonio, III, DPM, looks at feet as the foundation for the rest of the body. Like the structure of a house, if support isn’t there, the structure will start to fail. As such, everything from precariously high heels to unsupported flip-flops can have short- and long-term consequences on your joints, bones and quality of life.

To CPAP or not to CPAP, that is the question that an estimated 100 million Americans who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) might face in their quest for a better night's sleep. And for many of these patients, this CPAP conundrum -- whether or not and when to wear...

Free Wig Salon at Pennsylvania Hospital Hair. It’s big. And I’m not just talking about the 1980’s. Hair is our only built-in body adornment, capable of infinite versatility – if you have it. Often referred to as one’s “crowning glory,” the significance of hair spans centuries. It was the source...

All of Society Needs to Support Breastfeeding for Everyone to Reap the Maximum Benefits Medical journals, magazines, websites… they’re all touting the same message, something nature has known all along: breastfeeding is beneficial for both babies and mothers. The message is getting through - but not always to everyone who...