Research at Penn

Each day, in every school at Penn, from labs to libraries, field sites to clinics, researchers are making strides to cure diseases, improve lives, and better understand our world.

“U.S. higher education is a key driver of American competitiveness in the world. Educating, innovating, and providing outstanding clinical care: Penn’s transformative discoveries grow the economy, improve lives, and increase opportunity for people far beyond our campus.”

Penn President J. Larry Jameson

$2B

2025 research budget

5,000+

research faculty

230

research centers & institutes

920

patents issued
A researcher examines fruit flies in study chamber

Brain circuits drive social behaviors in fruit flies

Researchers from the School of Arts & Sciences discovered "wing spreading" in Drosophila santomea, which offers insights into an underrepresented area in sexual reproduction research: female-initiated behaviors.

A flock of seagulls flying over a farmer's field

Efforts to surveil and stop bird flu in its tracks

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine and School of Veterinary Medicine are working on a new vaccine for the H5N1 virus, studying its transmission, and helping Pennsylvania test samples from birds and mammals.

Researcher places muddy baseball under microscope

The science behind baseball’s ‘Magic Mud’

A duo from the School of Arts & Sciences and School of Engineering and Applied Science led research that could crack the code of the mud smeared on baseballs for nearly a century that pitchers profess provides a perfect grip.

Patient examination, evaluation at Penn Dental

Saliva kits for gum disease

A new study from Penn Dental Medicine demonstrates the potential usefulness of saliva tests for tracking periodontitis.

Absent students lead to low teacher morale

Findings from the Graduate School for Education underscore the fact that the effects of absenteeism are cumulative, with each missed day contributing to classroom "chaos."

A tool that can lead to healthier lives

School of Social Policy & Practice’s Jennifer Prah has written a comprehensive framework that takes a worldwide approach to attaining global health goals.

Court no-shows are a systemic problem

Researchers in Penn Carey Law School and the School of Arts & Sciences have found that failure-to-appear plays a central role in criminal case processing in Philadelphia.

Research Digest

Research at Penn: in print

Research at Penn is also a print publication that highlights some of the groundbreaking and innovative research happening across the University’s 12 schools. Featuring original and repurposed stories from Penn Today, Research at Penn is brought to you by the Office of University Communications and is printed twice a year. For more information on Penn’s research ecosystem, visit the Office of the Vice Provost for Research. To request a print copy of Research at Penn, email upnews@upenn.edu.

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