Researchers to study COVID-19 effects on maternal, child health during pregnancy
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has awarded Penn State College of Medicine $3.9 million through May 2025 to study the impact COVID-19 has on pregnancy. The researchers will conduct a multi-site study to examine the health outcomes for pregnant women and their infants…
CATS Safety Now Live for Biosafety Protocols
CATS Safety is a web-based system that allows for a more streamlined process to submit, review, and approve the use of regulated and biohazardous materials in research and instruction (as defined in Penn State Policy RP11). CATS Safety joins existing systems, CATS IRB and CATS IACUC. …
Kraschnewski named director of Clinical Translational Science Institute
Dr. Jennifer Kraschnewski has assumed the role of director of Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute effective Feb. 7.
Kraschnewski will be leading the CTSI along with associate directors Susan McHale, Nikolay Dokholyan and Christopher Sciamanna.
Kraschnewski takes over the…
Researchers examine link between residential and school segregation
School segregation has remained a hot-button political issue since Brown vs. Board of Education, a landmark 1954 decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the justices ruled that state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional. New research from a Penn State…
Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction in SSRI opens seed grant proposals
The Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA), part of the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State, has announced an invitation for its Level 2 Seed Grants program.
Applications for the program are encouraged to build upon the University’s distinctive…
Joint Lerner/PRI brief on rural working-age adults' health vs. urban workers
Self-rated health is considered a strong predictor of chronic disease risk and premature mortality. This brief by Shannon M. Monnat, Syracuse University, and Danielle Rhubart, PRI associate at Penn State, analyzes data from the National Wellbeing Survey (NWS), a sample of approximately 4,…
'Family Foundations' parenting program helps families weather the pandemic
For nearly 20 years, Penn State Research Professor Mark Feinberg has been developing and sharing Family Foundations, a course for couples expecting their first child that focuses on how to work as a team, communicate, and solve problems. New research shows that couples who took Family…
Social science policy and communication strategies workshop
Interested in how to get your work into the hands of policymakers? Want to know how to frame your science to increase its value by decision makers and engage directly with leaders about your science?
The Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative (EIC) at Penn State is hosting the virtual workshop…
College students' sense of belonging related to mental health during pandemic
Among the many challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented to the higher education community, one of the most serious is arguably the toll on college students’ mental health. Penn State researchers have found that students’ sense of belongingness in a higher education institution not only…
Penn State professor to serve President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition
David Conroy, professor of kinesiology at Penn State, was recently named to the 2022 President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Science Board.
The board is charged with providing scientific expertise, supporting implementation of programs, and developing reports for the…
Shenk named AAAS Fellow
Congratulations to PRI Associate Mary Shenk, one of five Penn State faculty members named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific society.
Story in Penn State News.
Crowley elected to Board of Global Alliance for Behavioral Health & Social Justice
Max Crowley, associate professor of human development and family studies & public policy and director of the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative at Penn State, was recently elected to the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health & Social Justice Board of Directors.
Formed in 1924 as the American…
Can wearable technology predict the negative consequences of drinking?
“How much have you had to drink?” might seem like a simple question, but it is not always easy to answer. Although there are general guidelines about responsible alcohol consumption, a person’s level of intoxication depends not only on the number of drinks they consume but also on the alcohol…
Connection to racial identity may boost body image in Black youth
Adolescence can be a time filled with anxiety and insecurity about body shape and size, but a new Penn State study found that for Black youth, having a strong racial identity may help stave off these worries.
The researchers found that among Black youth between the ages of 11 and 19 with high body…
Center for Socially Responsible AI awards seed funding to seven projects
The Penn State Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence (CSRAI) recently announced the results of its second seed funding competition, awarding more than $96,000 to advance seven interdisciplinary research projects that feature researchers from 11 colleges and…
Why Social Science ? - Because It Can Help Us Build an Effective Infodemic Response
By Anna Harvey, President, Social Science Research Council
The World Health Organization defines an infodemic as the spread of “false or misleading information in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak. It causes confusion and risk-taking behaviors that can harm…
Examining the opioid epidemic through the lens of crime data
The opioid overdose epidemic in the United States remains a critically important public health issue that continues to worsen as time goes on. The estimated death toll in 2021 has reached the historical high of 100,000 overdose deaths from all drugs…
How can body weight affect the mortality risk of excessive drinkers?
While research has long shown a higher risk of death linked to alcoholism for people with overweight, a new study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence has found that people with underweight who drink excessively may be at an even higher risk of dying from heart disease,…
Positive parenting and parenting satisfaction among post-9/11 veteran fathers
Most military and veteran families thrive, but research largely ignores the role of fathers.
A recent Penn State study with a large sample of post-9/11 veteran fathers examined factors that were associated with positive parenting. Positive parenting includes providing a heathy environment, being a…
Penn State social sciences research expenditures receive top ranking
Penn State social sciences are among the top universities in the nation in research expenditures, according to the latest National Science Foundation rankings of Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) research expenditures, released in January 2022.
The rankings,…
Family Symposium examines intersection of physical environment and family health
Penn State’s 29th annual Symposium on Family Issues, “Environmental Impacts on Families: Change, Challenge, and Adaptation”, examined the role of the physical environment in family relationships, behaviors, and well-being, with a focus on disasters, climate change, and the built environment.…
Penn State research ranks 22nd nationally in total research expenditures
Penn State’s research enterprise ranks 22nd in the country in total research expenditures, according to the latest National Science Foundation rankings of Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) research expenditures, released in January 2022.
The rankings, for the…
How do the effects of childhood abuse extend into middle age?
Childhood sexual abuse can lead to depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease and other health problems later in life. Not all abused children experience these problems, however, and researchers are working to understand whose health is affected and why.
In a new article in the journal…
Minority acceptance of combo flu-COVID vaccine higher than for COVID alone
Acceptance of a combination influenza-COVID-19 vaccine among minority individuals is higher than for the COVID-19 vaccine alone, according to new research led by Penn State. The results suggest that bundling COVID-19 vaccines or boosters with influenza vaccines may be a convenient option to…
Parent-child separation book published
"Parent-child separation: Causes, consequences and pathways to resilience", the 12th volume in Penn State’s National Symposium on Family Issues book series, was recently published. The book is edited by PRI Director Jennifer Glick, PRI associate Valarie King, and former SSRI Director Susan M.…