AI therapy seals comfort seniors at Penn Presbyterian
When nursing professor and nurse scientist Pamela Cacchione first saw Paro robotic seals at a conference, she thought they were “ridiculous.” But after interacting with them, she realized they could be a great tool to soothe elderly patients on the acute care unit where she works.
She launched a research study at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center — and the preliminary results are in: the fuzzy robots reduced both agitation and pain symptoms. Plus, the adorable plush seals bring positive energy to everyone working on the unit.
Philly could see innovation ~with~ inclusion
With millions in federal funding due to pour in and a collaborative spirit across the ecosystem, there’s a real opportunity in Philly right now for equitable growth, says Margaret Berger Bradley, VP of strategic initiatives at Ben Franklin Technology Partners.
One factor is the EDA Tech Hub proposal, which brought together stakeholders across the region and identified strengths in the precision medicine industry. But there’s lots more coming into focus for the Philadelphia, she says — and it’s time to seize the moment.
➡️ Read more about why this is the moment for collaboration and equity in Berger Bradley’s guest post
News Incubator: What else to know today
• Why does in-person work and physical space matter? It’s been proven that proximity to colleagues influences collaboration and the sharing of ideas, writes Technical.ly CEO Chris Wink. [Technical.ly]
• The Philly-based Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics announced its 2024 class of fellows. This cohort will contribute to work in applied mathematics, computational science, and data science. [SIAM]
• Mural Arts announced a big new Digital Accelerator Program, funded by a two-year grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, which is investing $45 million to support tech initiatives at arts organizations across the country. [Mural Arts]
• Know a local tech leader who is constantly bringing people together and sharing information? Nominate them for the 2024 RealLIST Connectors List. Nominations are being accepted until April 12. [Google Forms]
🗓️ On the Calendar
Sarah Huffman is a 2022-2024 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.
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