Social Ties Boost Longevity in Female Macaques

In a huge study of female rhesus macaques, a team of researchers led by Michael Platt found those with many close female relatives have a higher life expectancy.

However, the effect fades with age, suggesting older females learn how to “navigate the social landscape” and have less need for social ties.

“In the prime of life, when there is a lot of competition over resources,” Platt says, “having friends, having relatives is really critical. The effort that these females put into building and maintaining a relationship has an impact on their lives and tends to make them healthier.”

Platt, the James S. Riepe University Professor with appointments in the the Department of Psychology in Penn Arts and Sciences, Department of Neuroscience in the Perelman School of Medicine, and Department of Marketing in the Wharton School, teamed on the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, with lead author Lauren Brent of the University of Exeter and Angelina Ruiz-Lambides of the University of Puerto Rico.

Click here to read the full story.

Arts & Sciences News

Hanming Fang Named Inaugural Norman C. Grosman Professor of Economics

An applied microeconomist who integrates rigorous modeling with data analysis, Fang’s research within the field of public economics focuses on health insurance and healthcare markets.

View Article >
Xi Song Named Inaugural Schiffman Family Presidential Associate Professor of Sociology

Song’s research interests include social mobility, occupations, Asian Americans, population studies, and quantitative methodology.

View Article >
Julie Nelson Davis Named Paul F. Miller, Jr. and E. Warren Shafer Miller Professor of History of Art

Davis specializes in the arts and material cultures of 18th- and 19th-century Japan, with a focus on prints, paintings, and illustrated books.

View Article >
Justin Khoury Named Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor of Physics and Astronomy

Khoury’s research interests lie at the intersection of particle physics and cosmology.

View Article >
University of Pennsylvania, Neubauer Family Foundation, and Philadelphia Police Department Partner to Support Police Leadership Education

The first-of-its-kind graduate degree in the U.S. for police leaders launches this fall at the School of Arts & Sciences.

View Article >
Professor of Biology Philip Rea Wins Neal Award for Scientific Journalism

Rea won for the award for Best Technical/Scientific Content for his article “Gliflozins for Diabetes: From Bark to Bench to Bedside,” published in American Scientist.

View Article >