Archives

Penn researchers, including Drs. Halpern and Harhay, found that electronic nudges improved end-of-life care discussions in ICUs, increasing hospice discharges and comfort-care orders without shortening hospital stays.

Penn Medicine researchers, including M. Kit Delgado, MD, MS, found that small financial incentives using connected car data significantly increased seatbelt use—even after rewards ended—offering a low-cost, scalable strategy to improve driver safety nationwide.

Elizabeth Diemer, PhD, brings expertise in causal inference and mental health epidemiology to her new role as an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology within the department.

Drs. Christie, Halpern, and Harhay are to be honored by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) for excellence in research, humanism, and mentorship. Awards will be presented at the 2025 ATS International Conference in San Francisco (May 18-21, 2025).

Rising temperatures pose serious risks for people with type 2 diabetes, increasing the likelihood of heat exhaustion, blood sugar fluctuations, and cardiac issues. Charles Leonard, PharmD, MSCE, FISPE addresses these health threats with Yale Climate Connections.

A new National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report, involving DBEI experts Brian Strom, MD, MPH and John Farrar, MD, PhD, finds that co-prescribing opioids and benzodiazepines to veterans increases the risk of death, highlighting critical implications for veteran health care.

Dr. Jones is a pulmonologist and epidemiologist who investigates the genetic determinants of acute respiratory failure. Her primary research interest is the elucidation of the molecular and genetic risk factors […]

Muscio Kit Delgado, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Epidemiology, has been elected to the ASCI. His research blends behavioral and data science with insights gleaned from practicing emergency medicine in an urban trauma center to help promote smarter health choices and policy.

The University of Pennsylvania Prevention Research Center has received a $6.5 million CDC grant to advance community-based prevention research, focusing on improving shared decision-making for older cancer patients. This five-year project will study interventions tailored to patients’ needs, enhancing outcomes in Philadelphia and beyond.

Penn and CHOP researchers receive a $50 million NIH grant to study how environmental exposures impact pregnancy and child health, aiming to reduce health disparities and improve maternal-child outcomes.

Contact Blockley Hall (Room 922)423 Guardian DrivePhiladelphia, PA 19104 Office: 215-746-8557 sabarile@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Contact Blockley Hall (Room 923)423 Guardian DrivePhiladelphia, PA 19104 Office: 215-573-6167 natalya.levina@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Contact Blockley Hall (8th Floor)423 Guardian DrivePhiladelphia, PA 19104 kacie.bogar@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

For almost three years, Kacie Bogar, MS has served as a Research Project Manager for the Center for Real-World Effectiveness and Safety of Therapeutics (CREST) and the Epidemiology division in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics.

Penn undergraduates assist Beth Leong Pineles, MD, PhD with a study of activity restriction during pregnancy with the goal of “deimplementation” in the Penn Medicine system and ultimately nationwide.

Michael Harhay, PhD, MPH, co-authors "Bayesian Statistics for Clinical Research" in The Lancet, comparing Bayesian and frequentist methods and highlighting the growing accessibility and impact of Bayesian analysis in medical research.

Dr. Willis’s research uses analytical and spatial epidemiology to examine healthcare outcomes and disparities in neurological disease populations and to develop evidence€based best clinical practices for neurodegenerative diseases. Her current […]

Dr. Yang’s research program focuses on gastrointestinal cancer epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology and gastrointestinal epidemiology. He has several ongoing R01-level studies, funded by the National Institutes of Health and Veteran’s Administration, which […]

Matthew Ziegler, MD, MSCE has two primary areas of research concentration. The first focuses on prevention of infectious complications related to the treatment of hematologic malignancy. Patients who are receiving […]

Dr. Takeshita’s research program is dedicated to identifying, understanding and eliminating health and healthcare disparities related to dermatologic diseases, particularly chronic inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and acne. […]

Dr. Tasian’s research program focuses on two areas: nephrolithiasis (kidney stone disease) among children and adults, and chronic kidney disease in children with congenital abnormalities of the kidney and urinary […]

Lucy Wolf Tuton, PhD, serves as Executive Director of Bridging the Gaps, a program that links the training of health professionals with the provision of health related service for vulnerable […]

Marijana Vujković, PhD, MSCE is a Research Assistant Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology. Dr. Vujković’s research integrates genetic, clinical, and molecular biology data by use of state-of-the-art computational and statistical […]

Pamela Weiss, MD, MSCE is Associate Director for Clinical Trials the Center for Pediatric Clinical Effectiveness (CPCE) at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Clinical Research Director and attending physician […]

Dr. Wiebe leads studies of how places, policies, and the locations where people spend time have implications for injury risks and health. He is Director of the CDC-funded Penn Injury […]

Dr. Schrauben’s research focuses on the impact of health behaviors and modifiable risk factors in the development and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its complications, and addresses implementation […]

Dr. Mumford is renowned for her research on modifiable dietary and lifestyle factors affecting reproductive health, which has informed guidelines for women, men, and couples. Her work uses couples-based approaches […]

Dr. Naj is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman […]

Dr. Nesoff is a social epidemiologist focused on the intersection of substance use, the neighborhood environment, injury prevention, and health disparities. Her current research uses spatial analysis methods to investigate […]

Mark Neuman, MD, MSc is a practicing anesthesiologist and health services researcher. He is Director of Research Partnerships at the Penn Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI). His research […]

Dr. Ogdie’s research is focused on inflammatory arthritis (IA) including psoriatic arthritis (PsA), axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The mission of her research program is to improve outcomes […]

Beth L. Pineles, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Epidemiology in the Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Pineles’ research in focuses on deimplementation of low-value […]

Dr. Rendle is an interdisciplinary behavioral scientist, with formal training in medical anthropology, epidemiology, implementation science, social work, and cancer prevention. She is a full member of the Abramson Cancer […]

Dr. Schisterman is a national leader in reproductive epidemiology and epidemiological methods. His complementary training in epidemiology and statistics has enabled him to improve study designs; to fuel new methods; […]

Dr. Schneider is an Assistant Professor of Neurology in the Division of Neurocritical Care with a secondary appointment as an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology. She also has a Senior Scholar […]

Dr. Lo Re is an infectious diseases physician and clinical epidemiologist whose areas of interest include epidemiology of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, HIV-viral hepatitis […]

Dr. Lowenthal is a pediatric HIV clinical specialist and epidemiologist whose research work is primarily focused on pediatric global health. Much of her research relates to the care and treatment […]

Dr. Mahmud is a transplant hepatologist and clinical epidemiologist whose research focuses on developing risk prediction tools to improve clinical decision making for patients with chronic liver disease. He is […]

Dr. Margolis’s research work is focused on dermato-epidemiology and, more specifically, the epidemiology and treatment of chronic wounds, atopic dermatitis, and acne. Dermatologic illnesses are highly prevalent and tend to […]

The goal of Dr. McCarthy’s research is to reduce the burden of cancer through improved prevention and screening strategies, particularly for racial/ethnic minorities. Her work seeks to integrate genomics into […]

Dr. Merkel is the Chief of Rheumatology and a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Merkel is an internationally recognized research and clinical expert in vasculitis, […]

Dr. Miano is a critical care pharmacist and epidemiologist whose work aims to reduce harm from adverse drug events in acutely ill patients. His research focuses on understanding the determinants […]

The focus of Dr. Kawut’s research group is the role of the pulmonary vasculature and right-ventricular function in health and disease. His group leads or contributes to epidemiologic studies and […]

Brendan J. Kelly, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology & Microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he works as an infectious diseases physician and molecular epidemiologist. […]

Dr. Ky’s research interests center on translational cardiovascular epidemiology and focus particularly on novel signaling pathways and mechanisms in human heart failure, cardiac remodeling, and cancer therapy cardiotoxicity. Her current […]

Meghan Lane-Fall, MD, MSHP, FCCM is an implementation scientist and practicing anesthesiologist and intensive care physician. She is the Executive Director of the Penn Implementation Science Center (PISCE), Senior Fellow […]

Ebbing Lautenbach, MD, MPH is the Robert Austrian Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and a Professor of Epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine. He also serves as the Chief […]

Dr. Leonard is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics at the Perelman School of Medicine. He serves as a faculty and Executive Committee […]

Dr. Levy works at the interface of epidemiology, ecology, and statistics to understand and control vector-borne and other infectious diseases. For over two decades he has focused his research on […]

James Lewis, MD, MSCE, is Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. He is a Senior […]

Dr. Michael Harhay specializes in the statistical design, analysis, and interpretation of large randomized trials and cohort studies. He has been formally involved in >20 randomized trials to date in […]

Sean Hennessy, PharmD, PhD, uses healthcare data to generate real-world evidence about the health effects of prescription drugs. His team has studied serious health consequences of drug-drug interactions involving high-risk […]

Stefanie N. Hinkle, PhD, is a nutritional and perinatal epidemiologist at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, where she serves in the Departments of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, […]

John H. Holmes, PhD, is Professor of Medical Informatics in Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. He is the Associate Director for Medical Informatics at the […]

Joel M. Gelfand MD MSCE is the James J. Leyden Professor of Clinical Investigation, and Professor (with tenure) of Dermatology and Epidemiology, Director (co-founding) of the Center for Clinical Sciences […]

Elizabeth Howell, MD, MPP is the Harrison McCrea Dickson, M.D. President’s Distinguished Professor; and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of […]

Dr. George’s research is focused on pharmacoepidemiology, with a particular interest in the risk for infections with immunosuppression in patients with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. He has a […]

Jeffrey S. Gerber, MD, PhD, is Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Werner and Gertrude Henle Endowed Chair in the Division […]

Dr. Getz is a pediatric cancer epidemiologist whose research aims to improve outcomes for children and young adults with cancer. Her research has focused on understanding the occurrence and subsequent […]

Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH, is George A. Weiss University Professor, Professor in the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) and the School of Nursing, and Director of the UPenn Prevention Research […]

Dr. Gmuca is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and a pediatric rheumatologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Biostatistics, […]

Dr. Gross is board certified in infectious diseases and epidemiology and is Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology in the Division of Infectious Diseases, with a secondary appointment in the Division […]

Vice Chair of Diversity and Inclusion, Department of Medicine Associate Director of Diversity and Outreach, Abramson Cancer Center Advisory Dean, Dr. Helen O. Dickens House, Perelman School of Medicine Ruth […]

James Guevara, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Pediatrics & Epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and an attending physician at the Children’s Hospital […]

Scott D. Halpern, M.D., Ph.D. is the John M. Eisenberg Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, and a practicing critical care […]

Dr. Hamedani’s research focuses on the relationship between visual impairment, age-related eye disease, and cognitive and neuropsychiatric outcomes in older adults, with the broader goal of understanding the population health […]

Dr. Denburg’s research focuses on bone and mineral metabolism in childhood kidney diseases, including chronic kidney disease (CKD), glomerular disease, and urinary stone disease. In particular, she has pursued translational […]

Dr. Farrar has been involved in clinical research for more than 30 years, with a major focus on the study of the efficacy of pain therapeutics and on novel methodology […]

Dr. Feldman’s key research addresses the epidemiology of kidney diseases – particularly, disease management from chronic kidney dysfunction to end stage – and he leads several related, major national clinical […]

Dr. Fisher is a pharmacoepidemiologist with a particular interest in optimizing the diagnosis, prevention and management of opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts. He currently serves as the chair of the […]

Currently Dr. Furth is the principal investigator of a National Institutes of Health multi-center observational cohort study in progressive chronic kidney disease in children (CKiD). This study, now in its […]

Dr. Chen is a senior environmental epidemiologist who focuses on perinatal and pediatric outcomes and a variety of exposures: lead, mercury, cadmium, DDT, isoflavones, flame retardants, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), air […]

Jason D. Christie, MD, MSCE, is the Chief of the Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division; The Paul F. Harron Jr. Family Chair; and a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology […]

Dr. Cohen’s primary research interest is in the area of hypertension. Her research program focuses on better understanding physiology-driven pharmacologic effects of antihypertensive medications in complex and high-risk disease states […]

Michael David, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is the director of the MRSA [methicillin-resistant S. aureus] […]

M. Kit Delgado, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Epidemiology and an attending physician in the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center emergency department, the Level I trauma […]

Dr. Dember is a nephrologist and clinical investigator with a major focus on interventions to improve outcomes in end-stage kidney disease. She is a national leader for multicenter clinical trials […]

Dr. Baker’s research in rheumatology focuses on body composition, skeletal muscle health, obesity, metabolic health, disease activity assessment, and disease progression among patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. His work […]

Dr. Kurt Barnhart is the Vice Chair for Research and the Director of the Women’s Health Clinical Research Center in the Perelman School of Medicine. He received his medical degree […]

Dr. Bewtra is a clinical epidemiologist whose research has focused on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) for more than a decade. She has investigated IBD’s natural history, outcomes and related medication […]

Dr. Bisson is committed to using clinical and translational research to answer important questions in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and tuberculosis (TB); he focuses primarily on the application of […]

Dr. Bittermann’s research interests center on the science that underlies liver transplantation practices. She has multiple publications on the impact of organ allocation policies on transplant center behaviors and recipient […]

Dr. Bogner investigates how medical co-morbidity – such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic medical conditions – modifies response to depression treatment. Based on findings from patient interviews, Dr. […]

Heather H. Burris, MD, is an attending neonatologist at CHOP Newborn Care at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She studies social and environmental […]

Dr. Caniglia is a perinatal and HIV epidemiologist who works to improve health outcomes among pregnant people and their children, and among people with HIV. Her work utilizes methods for […]

Dr. Castillo’s work focuses on the development and application of innovative epidemiological methods to understand, control, and eliminate infectious diseases. He conducts research on zoonotic diseases in Latin America where […]

Dr. Angela Aherrera is an environmental epidemiologist in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Her research largely focuses on environmental […]

Dr. Amaral’s research focuses on improving equitable access to care and long-term health outcomes for children, adolescents, and young adults with chronic kidney disease and transplantation. She currently leads three […]

Dr. Anderson is professor of epidemiology and medicine at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB); vice chair for research in the Department of Epidemiology at The UAB School of […]

Dr. Aplenc is a Professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics with a secondary appointment in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics. His research focus is in pediatric […]

LauraEllen Ashcraft is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology. Dr. Ashcraft has PhD in Social Work (2021) with a focus on implementation science in chronic pain management in primary care settings […]

In a recent Undark feature, Dr. M. Kit Delgado, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, discusses how behavioral science and nudge theory are transforming health care decision-making.

Can cash incentives make roads safer? A Penn Medicine study led by Dr. M. Kit Delgado reveals how rewards and feedback can significantly cut down handheld phone use while driving.

Penn Medicine researchers are developing AI-powered tools to help clinicians interpret conflicting clinical trial results, aiming to improve patient care and decision-making.

Joining the DBEI as an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, LauraEllen Ashcraft, PhD, MSW, will support the development of implementation science infrastructure across divisions.