Virtual Patients, Real-World Training News / July 14, 2026 Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, New York University and Penn’s Linguistic Data Consortium have received a two-year, $4 million grant from the Wellcome Trust to develop a scalable, AI-powered platform for training mental health clinicians. STELLAR — short for Steering-Vector Enhanced LLM Agents for Realistic Digital Twins in Mental... Read More
Unearthing New Cancer Treatments From Fungi News / July 8, 2026 Penn Engineers led by Xue ‘Sherry’ Gao have developed a gene-editing tool built specifically for fungi, unlocking a hidden library of molecules — including some with early anti-cancer promise — from one of biology’s most overlooked kingdoms. Researchers have spent decades — and billions of dollars — sequencing animal and... Read More
How Sea Stars Build Materials That Can See News / July 6, 2026 When engineers think about protective materials, like those used in packaging and support, they usually think about strength, stiffness and durability. But what if those same materials could also sense their external environment? That question emerged unexpectedly for Ling Li, Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, when his lab... Read More
America 250: Penn’s Mark on History News / July 1, 2026 As the country celebrates its semiquincentennial, an overview of Penn’s role in the evolution of the country. Read More
Penn Engineers Study Asthma on Human Lung-on-a-Chip Technology News / June 22, 2026 Researchers at Penn Engineering have developed an asthma-on-a-chip that recreates the physical forces of airway constriction during an asthma attack. The study reveals how mechanical stress can drive tissue stiffening and abnormal blood vessel growth, opening new pathways for understanding asthma and developing future treatments. Read More
Q&A: Juneteenth and the Emancipation Proclamation News / June 19, 2026 Penn Today spoke with Marcia Chatelain of Africana Studies and Kermit Roosevelt of Penn Carey Law about the history of the Emancipation Proclamation and the impact of Juneteenth throughout the American story and today. Read More
Artificial Versus Real Grass: How the Difference Changes the Game News / June 15, 2026 In conversation with Penn Today, mechanical engineer, tennis player and soccer fan Paulo Arratia discusses the material differences between natural grass and synthetic turf. Read More
Innovation & Impact Podcast Episode 12: Driving the Future with Benedetto Vigna News / May 26, 2026 Episode 12 of the Innovation & Impact podcast features Benedetto Vigna, CEO of Ferrari, whose career spans from engaging in cutting-edge semiconductor research to leading one of the world’s most iconic brands. In this episode, host Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering and Professor in Mechanical Engineering and... Read More
AI in the Physical World: Helping Robotic Arms Solve Problems Using Tools News / May 12, 2026 When Tianyu Li, a doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM), and George Jiayuan Gao, former master’s student in Robotics and current research engineer at Dyna, set out to study how robots might better interact with the physical world, they weren’t just thinking about smarter machines, they were... Read More
Penn FoQuS 2026 Advances Quantum Connections News / May 7, 2026 The third annual Penn Forum on Quantum Systems (Penn FoQuS 2026), hosted by Penn Engineering’s Center for Quantum Information, Engineering, Science and Technology (QUIEST), drew nearly 200 researchers, students and industry leaders to the Singh Center for Nanotechnology on April 20, 2026, marking the event’s largest and most institutionally diverse... Read More
