Health and Medicine

Researchers from Penn State College of Medicine teamed up with clinicians from Penn State Health St. Joseph and organizers from Penn State Berks and the Penn State Berks Launchbox to determine if a food voucher program they started in 2018 was making an impact on patients' diet and health.

Taking an interdisciplinary approach — and mixing in a little do-it-yourself initiative — a team of Penn State Berks researchers developed a wearable device that can tell the difference between indoor and outdoor lighting. The device could help scientists better understand the health benefits of outdoor lighting and even lead to wearables that could nudge users to get more outdoor time.

Did you know that people who experience stigma toward their drug use are less likely to seek out help? And did you know that opioids are medications prescribed by doctors to treat persistent or severe pain? These are just two of the messages that are part of a Penn State Berks awareness and educational campaign on opioid addiction.

Penn State Berks will hold a series of webinars throughout the month of May for both accepted and prospective students, providing participants with an opportunity to ask questions and connect with campus experts.

Police officers who are repeatedly called to the scene of opioid overdose incidents may be at risk for “empathy fatigue,” according to Penn State Berks researcher Jennifer Murphy, who said additional training may be helpful in preventing emotional burnout.

Penn State's Institute for CyberScience has awarded $367,632 in seed funding for projects designed to use machine learning and artificial intelligence to assist the public good. The grants support projects in 20 different departments and units, 10 colleges and three institutes.