Penn Medicine Leaders Among This Year’s Philadelphia Business Journal Healthcare Leadership Honorees
Last week, the Philadelphia Business Journal celebrated the first class of Healthcare Leadership Award honorees recognized as outstanding leaders in Greater Philadelphia’s health care and life sciences sectors. Several Penn Medicine leaders were among the 2026 honorees, including Carl June, MD, L. Scott Levin, MD, and Benjamin Chang, MD, UPHS CEO Kevin B. Mahoney, Kiran Musunuru, MD, PhD, and Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas, MD, PhD.
Philadelphia Business Journal • Carl June • L. Scott Levin and Benjamin Chang • Kevin Mahoney • Kiran Musunuru and Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas |
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What the Heat in 3 World Cup Host Cities Means for Fans
With the FIFA World Cup tournament now in full swing, the risks of extreme heat extend far beyond the action on the field, and experts are keeping an eye on stadiums in three host cities: Miami, Kansas City, and Philadelphia. A spectrum of heat-related illnesses can have varying effects, said Jonathan Bar, MD, director of Emergency Preparedness. He shared warning signs for heat-related illnesses, like heat rash and heat stroke, and other tips for avoiding health complications from heat.
CNN |
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Penn Medicine Community Health Fair Returns to West Philly June 28
Penn Medicine’s annual Community Health Fair will return to the Community of Compassion CDC in West Philly on Sunday, June 28. The event will feature a variety of health screenings and educational resources, free food, raffle prizes, and fun for all ages. Walk-in mammograms on the mobile mammogram van will be offered at the event. Additional screening opportunities will also be available June 24 through July 1 at the Fresh Grocer of Upper Darby before and after the event.
Penn Medicine News & Views • 6ABC |
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These Athletes All Received Heart Transplants. Now They’re Representing Philadelphia at the Transplant Games of America.
The Transplant Games of America, a biennial celebration and competition honoring organ, eye, and tissue donors and recipients, took place over the weekend in Denver. Taking part in the games was Todd French, a teacher from Milford, Delaware. In 2021, French received a heart transplant at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and he has since won Transplant Games medals in golf.
Philadelphia Inquirer |
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Office-Based Screening in Primary Care Has Come a Long Way
Health screenings done in a primary care office can be very valuable, like the test for diabetic eye disease, wrote Jeffrey Millstein, MD, the regional director of Primary Care at Penn and a clinical assistant professor of Internal Medicine. He said eye exams in primary care can ensure people who may not always prioritize their eye health still catch conditions that can worsen if not caught and treated early.
Philadelphia Inquirer |
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Weight-Loss Drugs May Improve Outlook for Breast Cancer
New studies are fueling optimism about GLP-1 drugs’ potential role in cancer prevention and treatment. Elizabeth McDonald, MD, PhD, a professor of Radiology and practicing breast radiologist in the Abramson Cancer Center, who presented one such study at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, explained why her team became interested in investigating GLP-1 drugs for breast cancer prevention. “We’ve made great strides in terms of reducing breast cancer mortality but ... we really wanted to make some gains in prevention as well,” she said.
Radio New Zealand • CBC • Wall Street Journal • PBS • Chosun Daily • Health Medicine Network • Hearty Soul |
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CAR T Success Hinges on Microenvironment Response in Glioblastoma
CAR T therapy works best when it activates the tumor microenvironment in a specific way, according to a study published this week in Cell. When natural killer cells are activated, survival is extended. But if regulatory T cells and immunosuppressive myeloid cells are increased, that may blunt the therapy’s effects. “We are now working to understand the exact mechanisms underlying response and resistance so we can continue to improve treatment,” said study co-author Dana Silverbush, PhD, an assistant professor of Cancer Biology. Other co-authors were Zev Binder, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Neurosurgery, and Cécile Alanio, MD, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery.
Inside Precision Medicine |
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My Father Lived Into His 90s. He Understood Something Many Successful Men Miss
Echoing lessons learned from his own father, Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD, vice provost for Global Initiatives, said that staying intellectually engaged rather than obsessing over wellness data is one of a few ways he recommends for aging well. “On this Father’s Day, take a walk in the park with your kids or grandkids rather than going to the gym. Read an interesting news article in the morning instead of checking your sleep stats. And let yourself indulge in some ice cream while spending meaningful time with others,” he said.
Fortune |
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Perseverance, Persistence Key to CAR T Success, Say Ross Prize Winners Carl June and Michel Sadelain
Patients, colleagues and peers gathered in midtown Manhattan last week to celebrate Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, and Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, of Columbia University, who shared the 13th annual Ross Prize in Molecular Medicine. The recognition was “a great way for the public to learn more about the value of what was initially basic research and how it can actually affect lives,” June said.
Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News |
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Chester County Chief Medical Officer Reflects on Career Path and Experience in Medicine
William Surkis, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital, spoke with VISTA Today about growing up in a small Manhattan apartment as the only child of a Holocaust survivor, working as tech support for his older neighbors, and volunteering in an ER at the peak of the AIDS epidemic. Throughout his medical career, he’s sought out a variety of experiences, both administrative and clinical, inpatient and outpatient, which now help him connect with his patients and support physicians he works with.
Vista Today |
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Voices in Action: How One Hospital Team Is Helping Shape Patient Care at Chester County Hospital
At Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital the voices of patients and families help guide changes that make care compassionate, coordinated, and effective. The Patient and Family Advisory Committee (PFAC) at Chester County Hospital is a group of 15 former patients, former hospital staff, and community members who meet monthly with hospital representatives to offer real-world insight into how patient care is delivered and experienced across CCH and the Penn Medicine health system. The committee was established in 2017 to strengthen patient-centered care and elevate the voices of those served by the hospital.
Vista Today |
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Applying Prostate Cancer Genomic Risk in the Clinic
Kara Maxwell, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology and Genetics and an investigator in the Basser Center for BRCA, joined the Precision Pathology Podcast, hosted by George Jabboure Netto, MD, chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, to discuss new research in prostate cancer.
Precision Pathology Podcast |
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