Penn Medicine

03/16/2026

Meet PENNSTAR Pilot Mark Brennan. He’s giving us a look at the night vision goggles that help our teams navigate the dark, stay safe, and—most importantly—reach the people who need us most, no matter the hour.

03/13/2026

"I felt like I now had a deadline as to how long I'd be able to live."

For MD/PhD student Yentli Soto Albrecht, the fight against ALS is deeply personal. After witnessing her father’s battle with the disease, Yentli discovered she carries the same genetic mutation.

Instead of letting fear take over, she went to work.

Today, Yentli is working alongside Dr. Defne Amado—the same doctor who treated her father—to research gene therapies at the Penn Medicine Comprehensive Center for ALS. They share a single, urgent mission: to find a cure before time runs out.

"My hope is to turn the needle toward making ALS and FTD survivable diagnoses," Yentli says.

🎥: CBS Philadelphia

03/12/2026

The Lurie Autism Institute, a joint initiative of Penn Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, is announcing that geneticist Dr. Huda Zoghbi, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Nancy Lurie Marks Prize for Autism Research, the Institute’s highest honor recognizing transformative contributions to autism research.

The Institute was created to drive discovery, develop new treatments, and improve the lives of individuals and families affected by autism.

03/11/2026

"We can really meet patients where they are in a more personalized manner."

For one-third of stroke survivors, aphasia can make the simple act of speaking feel out of reach. Shreya Parchure and the team at the Laboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation (LCNS) are working to change that.

By using "Explainable AI," they are developing tools that help clinicians understand the unique "why" behind a patient's language barriers. The goal? Tailored speech therapy that adapts to a patient’s specific needs and speeds up the journey back to communication.

03/10/2026

Members of our GI, oncology, and anesthesia teams made it to Peloton HQ to clip in with Alex Toussaint - Peloton for Colon Cancer Awareness Month! They traded their scrubs for cycling shoes to remind everyone that screening shouldn't be scary—and it’s the best way to stay healthy.

Colorectal cancer is highly preventable, yet it remains one of the leading causes of cancer death. Our mantra is simple: prevention is protection. Whether you're hitting a personal best on the bike or scheduling your first colonoscopy, every move counts toward a healthier future.

03/09/2026

03/06/2026

In 2016, Lauren Massimo, PhD, CRNP, encouraged her brother Dennis to donate a blood sample to the Penn Medicine BioBank. Neither of them knew it would one day save his life. 🧬

Fast forward to 2025: That single sample led to the discovery of a Lynch syndrome mutation in Dennis’s DNA. This mutation can increase cancer risk, prompting doctors to catch a silent, Stage III tumor that might not have been found for years.

Today, Dennis is finishing his treatment with the latest research-backed immunotherapy, supported by a multidisciplinary team across Penn Medicine—from genetic counseling to surgery and oncology.

"If a genetic test finding a DNA mutation could save me... how many other people could it save?"

03/05/2026

As a competitive skier for over 50 years, Dr. Hansell Stedman uses his understanding of muscle physiology to push through the pain of lactic acid to find his second wind. But in the lab at Penn Medicine, he’s chasing a much more important finish line: a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

By studying how muscles recover and rebuild, Dr. Stedman and his team are working to give DMD patients the same resilience and durability found in elite athletes. For him, the lab and the trail are one and the same—both require endurance, strategy, and the refusal to quit.

03/04/2026

Even before experiencing cancer herself, Deborah Burnham, PhD, had a knack for “magical” prompts to help patients write through their illness in Penn Medicine - Abramson Cancer Center’s Writing a Life group. Deb, a retired undergraduate English chair at the University of Pennsylvania, has voluntarily co-led the workshop for most of the group’s 10+ years, creating, in the words of one patient, a “precious space for writing, sharing, and healing” that surfaces “what is in you that needs to be said”—reminding patients they are not alone.

While Burnham doesn’t talk much about her own diagnoses in the meetings—she is there to facilitate--she has found the group has been a source of silent comfort in her own health challenges. “These are my people,” she says. “That’s one of the reasons I look forward to these sessions so much.”

Deb says she leaves every meeting thinking, “Thank you.” “I just feel so privileged and so honored to listen to these people.”

03/03/2026

Our mobile mammography unit is feeling right at home at the Philadelphia Flower Show! With its signature flowers and butterflies, our van is more than just a beautiful ride—it’s a symbol of our commitment to bringing breast health education directly into the heart of our community.

While we aren’t performing screenings at the Flower Show, our team is on-site and ready to chat!

Stop by to:
🌸 Learn about the importance of early detection.
🌸 Find out where the van is headed next.
🌸 Get the resources you need to schedule your next mammogram.

Come say hi!
PHS Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

02/26/2026

Huge thanks to Buffalo Bills safety and cardiac arrest survivor Damar Hamlin for stopping by to visit a few of our patients during Heart Month!

We admire your efforts to educate communities and foster connection among others living with heart conditions.

02/25/2026

From hundreds of acres of corn and soybeans to tending livestock, Steven Haines’ life is defined by hard work. But for years, his heart struggled to keep up.

After a family history of heart disease, a heart attack at 42, a triple bypass, and a massive cardiac arrest, Steven’s journey led him to the Penn Medicine Transplant Institute. In 2017, he received the ultimate gift: a life-saving heart transplant.

Nearly 9 years later, this Cecil County farmer is stronger than ever—sawing wood, loading hay, and living the life he loves.

"I’ve had my life saved multiple times over the decades," Steven says. "I am grateful to Penn for giving me this gift of a second chance at life."