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One in four Americans develops insomnia each year
1 in 4 Americans develops insomnia each year, according to new research from Penn Medicine.

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One in four Americans develops insomnia each year

About 25 percent of Americans experience acute insomnia each year, but about 75 percent of these individuals recover without developing persistent poor sleep or chronic insomnia.

Penn Today Staff , Greg Richter

Tipping point for large-scale social change? Just 25 percent
Damon Centola in front of a blackboard.

Damon Centola is a professor in the Annenberg School for Communication and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and director of the Network Dynamics Group.

(Image: Courtesy of Annenberg School for Communication)

Tipping point for large-scale social change? Just 25 percent

How many people need to take a stand before a behavior is no longer seen as normal? According to research from Annenberg’s Damon Centola, there’s now a quantifiable answer: roughly 25 percent.

Michele W. Berger , Julie Sloane

Hormones flatten social hierarchy and synchronize behaviors
Penn Integrates Knowledge professor Michael Platt

Penn Integrates Knowledge professor Michael Platt

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Hormones flatten social hierarchy and synchronize behaviors

Findings from a study of male rhesus macaques from PIK professor Michael Platt and postdoc Yaoguang Jiang could lead to treatment options for social impairments in disorders like autism and schizophrenia.

Michele W. Berger

‘Candy aspirin,’ safety caps, and the history of children’s drugs
A new book from Nursing professor Cynthia Connolly looks at “candy aspirin” and other case studies surrounding development, use, and marketing of children’s meds in the 20th century.

A new book from Nursing professor Cynthia Connolly looks at “candy aspirin” and other case studies surrounding development, use, and marketing of children’s meds in the 20th century.

‘Candy aspirin,’ safety caps, and the history of children’s drugs

When St. Joseph Aspirin for Children was introduced in the 1940s, it was formulated to be attractive in taste and color to its young audience. Dubbed “candy aspirin,” the product became popular—fast. As a consequence, aspirin poisonings of children under five skyrocketed.

Michele W. Berger

New ‘match’ streamlines clinical training experience for psych graduate students
A person leaning against a glass railing, one elbow on the rail, the other hand on top of the leaning hand. The person is wearing a black dress with gold intertwining circles, a black sweater, glasses and gold earrings.

Melissa G. Hunt is the associate director of clinical training in the Department of Psychology in the School of Arts & Sciences. She is also author of the book “Reclaim Your Life from IBS: A Scientifically Proven Plan for Relief without Restrictive Diets.”

New ‘match’ streamlines clinical training experience for psych graduate students

A new “match” for clinical psychology graduate students connects trainees with potential externship sites. In its second year, the initiative successfully matched more than 250 trainees in the mid-Atlantic region.

Michele W. Berger

Wrongful convictions reported for 6 percent of crimes
Criminologist Charles Loeffler

Criminologist Charles Loeffler led a team of researchers that looked at wrongful convictions in the prison population as a whole. The results represent the first such estimate for crimes across the spectrum, from retail theft to murder.  

Wrongful convictions reported for 6 percent of crimes

For capital crimes like rape and murder, wrongful convictions happen in about 3 to 5 percent of cases. Such an estimate had proved elusive for the prison population as a whole—until now, thanks to work from Penn criminologists.

Michele W. Berger