Medical Ethics | Penn Today

Lukewarm reception to FDA biosimilar plan

The Perelman School of Medicine’s Holly Fernandez Lynch expressed ethical concerns over the selective availability of costly experimental medical treatments.

Chance of being prescribed opioids for a minor injury differs dramatically by where you live

A Penn study showing dramatic variation in opioid prescribing rates and tablet amounts for ankle sprains points to significant opportunities to reduce excessive prescribing, and potentially prevent prolonged use.

How to bring the ballot to aging Americans

The Perelman School’s Jason Karlawish discussed the ethical imperative to help nursing-home residents vote in elections. Karlawish proposed that mobile voting could improve participation.

How police killings of black Americans affect communities

Black Americans are nearly three times more likely to be killed by police than their white counterparts, with even larger disparities among those who are unarmed. The trend is also harming the mental health of the black community.

Examining 20th-century America’s obsession with poor posture, a forgotten ‘epidemic’

Poor posture was considered a real threat to the nation’s health through much of the 20th century. Beth Linker of the School of Arts and Sciences is investigating the history of this forgotten “epidemic” and how its legacy is reflected in notions of health and disability today.

California Considers Taking Custody of Some Street People

The Perelman School of Medicine’s Dominic Sisti weighed in on the move to reopen state facilities for addicted or mentally ill homeless people in California. Sisti said that currently “mentally ill people are still being institutionalized. They are just in jails.”

California Today: Medical Experts Blast U.S.C.’s Silence Over Gynecologist Scandal

Weighing in on allegations of a gynecologist's misconduct at the USC student health center, the Perelman School’s Jonathan Moreno called the state medical board decision not to report Dr. Tyndall “sort of toothless.”

Veterinary experts work to stay ahead of equine doping

As in human sports, unscrupulous practices occasionally make their way into horse racing. Researchers and veterinarians at the School of Veterinary Medicine are keeping an eye on illicit drug use, evaluating samples, and designing tests to maintain the integrity of the sport and keep the competitors safe.

Quayshawn Spencer, an assistant professor in the philosophy department, studies the philosophy of science, biology, and race.

Race has a place in human genetics research, philosopher argues

New research out of the philosophy department argues that certain racial classifications have utility in medical genetics, particularly when considering those classifications as ancestry groups.

Political Stress Test: Trump’s Medical History Becomes Another Divisive Issue

PIK Professor Jonathan Moreno of the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Arts and Sciences weighed in on assertions that the president had dictated his own clean bill of health to his personal doctor. Moreno said, if the doctor’s claims are valid, that Bornstein should lose his medical license for knowingly lying.

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