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EIC Podcast on childcare during the pademic with Karen Grimm-Thomas and Philip Sirinides now available
This month, the Evidence-to-Impact Podcast returns to the Pandemic Perspective series and explore the state of the childcare system in Pennsylvania during the pandemic. We discuss the challenges and opportunities to funding, access, and quality for the childcare system.
We spoke to Karen Grimm-…
COVID-19 pandemic may have increased mental health issues within families
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, many families found themselves suddenly isolated together at home. A year later, new research has linked this period with a variety of large, detrimental effects on individuals’ and families’ well-being and functioning.
The study — led by Penn State…
What do I need to know about the J&J COVID-19 vaccine?
The FDA has paused use of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine after six people—out of the almost 7 million people who so far have received the vaccine—developed a rare blood clotting disorder. Experts do not yet know if the J&J vaccine is responsible for the blood clots, so even though six events in…
Data science talk to focus on COVID-19 database available to Penn State faculty
Finding the right dataset can sometimes be a challenge in data science. A new initiative will provide Penn State researchers with access to a trove of COVID-19 data, updated frequently by health care systems around the United States. Penn State faculty can learn how to get access to the database…
Penn State faculty offer tips on avoiding burnout amid pandemic
As employees and students of Penn State face the uncertain circumstances of the pandemic, University faculty offer advice on how to avoid burnout or, if you are already feeling sapped of energy and interest -- how to recover.
According to the World Health Organization, burnout is an…
Nearly 40,000 kids who lost a parent to COVID-19 need immediate support
Approximately 40,000 children in the United States may have lost a parent to COVID-19 since February 2020, according to a statistical model created by a team of researchers. The researchers anticipate that without immediate interventions, the trauma from losing a parent could cast a shadow of…
Treatment and vaccine research and development during the COVID-19 pandemic
Penn State’s Jennifer McCormick discusses randomized and placebo control trials and some of the ethical implications of placebo control trials in the context of vaccine development in this post.
For more, visit the Insights from Experts website — a partnership of Penn State's Social Science…
Data4Action Project Update
As the Centre County COVID-19 Data4Action Research Project moves into phase three, the next round of clinic visits and surveys for the student participants is underway as of April 1, 2021 - please watch for emails with the information. For the community resident participants, scheduling…
COVID-19 Case Rates in Rural & Urban PA
When the COVID-19 pandemic became widespread in the United States, much of the discussion and attention centered on urban epicenters with rapid spread due to the high population density. While rural areas are less populous, other characteristics of rural America make those individuals living there…
When COVID-19 hits home: Understanding the fight with fear
When the first U.S. case of COVID-19 due to community spread was diagnosed in late February 2020, it set off a rapid series of events. As cases surged, many states issued stay-at-home orders, and schools and childcare centers shut down. With such rapid, widespread disruption, it’s no wonder that…
Data4Action Project featured in HHD magazine
Penn State's College of Health and Human Development features the Data 4 Action project in the latest edition of its annual magazine. SSRI, along with the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and Clinical and Translational Science Institute, are providing support for the project. Read the article…
New online course engages middle, high-school students in ‘The Science of COVID-19’
With the coronavirus pandemic disrupting so many aspects of their lives, it is perhaps more important than ever for middle- and high-school students to understand how scientific knowledge is created and how this knowledge is translated into policy. A new and freely available online course created…
Data 4 Action Project Update
The Centre County COVID-19 Data 4 Action Research Project is continuing to study the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in Centre County. After adult community members took an online survey about the impacts of the pandemic , they were presented with an opportunity to take part in follow-up…
Podcast’s new series explains impact of COVID-19 to our society and institutions
The Evidence-to-Impact Podcast, from Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute, asks the question: How can academia and government work together to tackle our country’s biggest problems?
In its newest series, aptly titled “The Pandemic Perspective,” the Evidence-to-Impact…
EIC Podcast on the Centre County Pandemic Perspective - Part 2
The Evidence-to-Impact Podcast is currently publishing a new series called The Pandemic Perspective, in which we examine how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and various aspects of our society, institutions, and other systems have collided, changed, and even collapsed in the last nine months. …
Why Social Science? Because Controlling the COVID-19 Pandemic Depends on Vaccine Uptake
By Caitlin E. Burgdorf, Ph.D., Wen-Ying Sylvia Chou, Ph.D., M.P.H., Anna Gaysynsky, M.P.H., and Christine M. Hunter, Ph.D.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused extraordinary devastation, claiming millions of lives and disrupting the economy and daily life across the globe. From the beginning, the…
New EIC Podcast on the Centre County Pandemic Perspective
The Evidence-to-Impact Podcast's new series, The Pandemic Perspective, examines how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and various aspects of our society, institutions, and other systems have collided, changed, and even collapsed in the last nine months.
This month’s episode features a two-part…
Impacts of the pandemic on school reopening plans
In 2020, as school boards around the country weighed the public health and education concerns brought on by COVID-19, districts developed vastly different reopening plans for the fall.
In this post, Penn State researchers Erica Frankenberg and Katharine Dulaney discuss comparing the proposed…
Registration open for Jan. 26 Recent Topics in Research Methods Seminar Series
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute will present "Data4Action: The Centre County COVID-19 Cohort Study" at its next Recent Topics in Research Methods Seminar Series from 4 to 5 p.m. on Jan. 26.
The Recent Topics in Research Methods Seminar Series features…
Students join research team examining the Covid-19 pandemic in Centre County
The coronavirus pandemic is impacting every aspect of daily life with implications including social, psychological and economic well-being and education achievement.
The Data 4 Action Research Project aims to better understand such spillover impacts of COVID-19 in Centre County by assessing…
Data 4 Action Project Update
The Centre County COVID-19 Data 4 Action Research Project (Data 4 Action) is studying the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in Centre County. Adult residents of Centre County took a survey and were presented with an opportunity to take part in follow-up research studies, including blood, saliva,…
Impacts of the pandemic on opioid-related drug overdose
Opioid-related drug overdose is a leading cause of death and injury in the United States. When we consider individuals who use opioids, social factors including poor access to healthcare, unstable housing and employment, and social isolation may double as risk factors for infectious disease…
Coronavirus Relief & Appropriations Package
Congress recently passed legislation to provide another round of coronavirus relief. The bill also included all FY 2021 appropriations bills to fund the federal government. The president is expected to sign the massive measure in the next few days. All told, the legislation totals more than 5,500…
Impacts of the pandemic teen anxiety
The anxiety, isolation, and uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented emotional challenge. Adolescence is a period of drastic emotional, social, and cognitive development, making this age group particularly vulnerable to the short- and long-term impact of the…
EIC Podcast on examining the delivery of special education services during COVID-19
The Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative Podcast is offering a new series called The Pandemic Perspective, where we examine how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and various aspects of our society, institutions, and other systems have collided, changed, and even collapsed in the last nine months.
For the…