Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System

Congratulations to Nobel Prize Laureates Katalin Karikó, PhD, and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD! Penn Medicine scientists Dr. Karikó and Dr. Weissman have been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their development of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The Nobel Prize is awarded to those whose contributions “have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.” Rarely has the work of an honoree had such an immediate relevance to so many. We are so proud of these scientists and their groundbreaking discoveries, which have not only met the challenge of a global pandemic, but will have a profound impact on the treatment and prevention of many other diseases in the decades to come. Together, Dr. Karikó and Dr. Weissman have been recognized with multiple national and international commendations, including the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, the Breakthrough Prize, the Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research, the VinFuture Grand Prize, and the Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science. Learn more: https://spr.ly/6040uJxMq

As an Emergency Medicine provider, Raina Merchant, MD, is working to ensure that Penn Medicine a reliable resource where all community members can get the care they need. This mission also aligns with her goals as Chief Transformation Officer to design "the health system of the future" by working to make care more efficient and accessible for patients. CBS Philadelphia recently profiled Dr. Merchant to mark Women's History Month.

To mark five years since the start of the pandemic, Boston Globe Media interviewed Massachusetts born-and-raised scientist, Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, whose monumental mRNA foundational research laid a path to the historic COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. Dr. Weissman spoke about his early days at Penn and the lifesaving research he did with his longtime research partner and fellow Nobel Prize Laureate Katalin Karikó, PhD. He also discussed the potential promise of universal vaccines to prevent a host of viruses like all coronaviruses or all influenzas—including those that may prevent future pandemics. https://spr.ly/6040FD3xy

When Joseph Coates received a terminal prognosis from a rare blood disorder called POEMS syndrome, his girlfriend wasn’t ready to quit. She reached out to Penn Medicine's Dr. David Fajgenbaum, a physician-researcher known for his work using AI models to find new uses for existing drugs. Dr. Fajgenbaum recommended Coates receive a combination of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and steroids. The treatment worked. Read the full story from The New York Times and learn how AI may help find cures in plain sight for rare diseases: https://spr.ly/604004KKI

"You are the architects of change, and the stewards of innovation." Huge congratulations to the 150 Perelman School of Medicine students who matched into residency today! We're so proud of all you've accomplished and can't wait to see what you'll achieve in the years ahead. The future of medicine has never looked brighter.

This Brewerytown café serves coffee while also serving the community. The Monkey and the Elephant is a non-profit café that provides personal and professional development to youth who have aged out of foster care. We're proud to support this mission via our Penn Medicines CARES grant program, which donates funds to Penn Medicine employees like Quality and Patient Safety Manager Eric Trumbower, who spend time outside of work volunteering in their neighborhoods.

From mRNA vaccines to CAR T cell therapy to groundbreaking Alzheimer's research, Penn Medicine is a hub for scientific breakthroughs. What is it that fosters this trailblazing work? A culture of collaboration, says Virginia Lee, PhD, one of the most cited researchers in the world and winner of the 2020 Breakthrough Prize. "It takes all kinds of people to get a drug going to understand a disease." Hear what else she had to say about joining forces across disciplines to promote discovery:

Register now for Cellicon Valley ’25: The Future of Cell and Gene Therapies, an international meeting presented by Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. This meeting provides a unique opportunity for clinicians, researchers, and business leaders to interact with world-renowned experts in CAR T cell therapy for cancer, hematologic disorders and autoimmune diseases. Special guest presentation by Katalin Kariko and a Keynote Panel including Secretary Valerie A. Arkoosh, Lee Greenberger, PhD, and Tom Whitehead. Learn more or register: https://spr.ly/60450OEo1

Susan Taylor, MD, Penn Medicine's Bernett L. Johnson, Jr., M.D. Professor of Dermatology, officially assumed her role as President of the American Academy of Dermatology at their annual meeting last weekend. Dr. Taylor is committing her presidency to ensuring dermatologists have the resources and the support they need to be their best as well as increasing timely access to dermatologic care. Learn more about her training and expertise: https://spr.ly/60450Jhtb

University of Pennsylvania sophomore Emily Whitehead spoke at the Stand Up for Science rally in Washington, DC on Friday, as part of a call to preserve federal funding for biomedical research. In 2012, she became the first child treated with CAR T cell therapy, a treatment developed at Penn Medicine that engineers the immune system to fight cancer. "Without the funding that went into the research that created CAR T cell therapy, I wouldn’t be here today,” she told CNN's Jake Tapper. The then-experimental therapy cured her leukemia and has since revolutionized treatment for thousands of patients with blood cancers around the world. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Emily Whitehead Foundation