Author: Greg Richter

Greg is a news manager who covers Medicine, Public Health, Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems. He graduated from Rowan University, where he also worked in its Office of Media and Public Relations and also had a brief stint as its mascot for the opening of its medical school. Since then, he has lived in Philadelphia for eight years and worked in Penn Medicine’s Office of Communications, most recently as a senior medical communications officer. When not covering news at Drexel, he’s trying out a new recipe or trying to decide if he actually enjoys running. Follow him @DrexelGreg or view his blog posts here. Contact Greg at gdr33@drexel.edu or 215-895-2614.

Health & Medicine by Greg RichterDec 20, 20219:00 am

Drexel Researchers Develop and Employ Cell-Based Approach to Studying Mechanisms of Gulf War Illness

Thirty years ago, George H.W. Bush was the U.S. President, and the United States was in a two-month war: Operation Desert Storm. A total of 154 U.S. service members died and approximately 250,000 returned home suffering from a host of chronic symptoms, ranging from memory deficits, mood disorders, gastrointestinal problems, to headaches and sleep disorders. These health problems, caused by exposure during battle to chemicals such as pesticides, nerve agents and certain prophylactic drugs, continue to plague these veterans — a diagnosis known as Gulf War Illness.

Health & Medicine by Greg RichterDec 8, 20219:00 am

A ‘Vicious Cycle’ of Nonfatal Overdoses Causes ‘Alzheimer’s-like’ symptoms, Drexel Team Suggests

Deaths skyrocketing from the nation’s opioid crisis overshadows another growing nightmare for communities and families across the United States: the long-term health effects of nonfatal opioid overdoses. In a new review paper in International Journal […]

Health & Medicine by Greg RichterNov 8, 202112:14 pm

Could an 80-year-Old Drug Cure Alzheimer’s Disease?

Herbert B. Allen, a professor and chair emeritus in the College of Medicine, offers a bold challenge to colleagues: consider whether penicillin could help prevent Alzheimer’s, and when combined with a disperser, whether penicillin may slow progression of the disease — or maybe even stop it altogether.

Health & Medicine by Greg RichterOct 14, 20218:34 am

how philadelphia Reacted when the pandemic hit

Reflecting on how Philadelphians reacted when the pandemic first hit may help us learn to be better prepared for changes in this pandemic, as well as other health crises down the road.

Health & Medicine by Greg RichterMay 17, 20211:02 pm

Q+A: How Can We Persuade Organ Donors to Vaccinate Against COVID-19?

More than 150 million Americans – 46% of the country – has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 36% of the country’s population is fully vaccinated. Despite very rare side effects, public health officials consider vaccines to be effective at preventing severe illness and be the ticket to something resembling pre-pandemic life.haryha

Health & Medicine by Greg RichterApr 22, 202112:12 pm

The Pandemic Will End, but We’re Probably Stuck with the Coronavirus

Many scientists believe that SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, will become “endemic.” It will seasonally circulate in a similar fashion to the other common respiratory viruses, such as those that cause the common cold or flu. If this bears out, there will not be a true end to the pandemic (with accompanying ticker tape parade down Broad Street), but a gradual transition, to an illness that we will have to live with.

Health & Medicine by Greg RichterMar 15, 20212:09 pm

How should we support living organ donors during a worldwide pandemic?

Transplant programs and potential donors have faced hard questions about risk tolerance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These are some of the questions that researchers from Drexel University’s College of Medicine and Dornsife School of Public Health posed to prior and prospective organ donors across the United States.

Health & Medicine by Greg RichterFeb 19, 20211:36 pm

What do COVID-19 Case Numbers Really Mean and What Numbers are Useful?

If you’re frequently trying to make sense of the number of local and national COVID-19 cases and deaths from the CDC’s tracker or other places, but are unsure what it all means, you’re not alone.

Community & Society by Greg RichterJan 22, 202110:24 am

Is the United States Honoring its ‘Melting Pot’ Identity?

Three recent papers from researchers in Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health, discuss continued inequalities and growing challenges faced by many immigrants in the U.S. They also offer opportunities for a creative refocus of present efforts to help close these gaps.

Health & Medicine by Greg RichterNov 17, 20203:56 pm

Drexel Medicine and Public Health Experts on the Pulse of COVID-19

As the world continues to grapple with the ongoing pandemic, Drexel University’s College of Medicine and Dornsife School of Public Health experts sorted out what the research community has learned thus far and what questions […]