News

Announcing the New Director of the Lurie Autism Institute

By Eileen McCann

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Eric M. Morrow, MD, PhD, as Founding Director of the Lurie Autism Institute (LAI), a collaboration between Penn Medicine and CHOP. Beginning September 1, 2026, Dr. Morrow will lead the Institute’s mission to advance groundbreaking autism research and care across the lifespan.

Penn Genetics Celebrates Klaus Kaestner PhD MS, the 20th EASD Albert Renold Prize Recipient

By Eileen McCann

Penn Genetics is proud to celebrate  Professor Klaus Kaestner, named the 2026 recipient of the Albert Renold Prize, in recognition of his outstanding scientific achievements and enduring impact on diabetes research.

Professor Kaestner will present his Albert Renold Prize Lecture at the upcoming EASD Annual Meeting.

Please join us in congratulating Klaus Kaestner on this exceptional honor and international recognition of his contributions to the field of diabetes research!

Kaestner Lab Publishes New Open-Access Article in Nature Communications

By Eileen McCann

The Department of Genetics is pleased to announce that the Kaestner Lab has published a new open-access research article in Nature Communications titled:
“Villification of the intestinal epithelium is driven by Foxl1 through activation of PDGFRα and BMPs.”

The article features authors Guoli Zhu and Galina Rozenberg of the Kaestner lab in the Department of Genetics.

Penn Genetics and Neurology Researcher Featured in Science Translational Medicine

By Eileen McCann

New study links gene therapy and dietary stress to liver disease in XLMTM mode.

James J. Dowling MD PhD - Professor of Genetics & Neurology

New Science Study Explores Ancient Human–Neanderthal Relationships

By Eileen McCann

The Tishkoff Lab has a newly published Science paper that reveals evidence that ancient interbreeding was strongly biased toward Neanderthal males and females with predominantly modern human ancestry, based on DNA patterns on the X chromosome. The study has drawn major media attention, including coverage in The Washington Post.

Dr. Yana Kamberov’s Research on the Evolutionary Genetics of Human Sweat Featured in New Book

By Eileen McCann

Humans are the sweatiest primate, and the only mammal that relies primarily on sweating as the main mechanism for thermoregulatory cooling. In his new book “Hotwired: How the Hidden Power of Heat Makes Us Stronger”, #1 New York Times bestselling author Bill Gifford highlights Penn Genetics researcher Yana Kamberov’s seminal discoveries on the genetic and developmental bases for the evolution of humans’ exceptional sweating capabilities.