Tom Avril
Philly Inquirer
Philadelphia, PA, United States
Contact Tom
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Tom:
A Jefferson surgeon ran through the Philadelphia Half Marathon route to get a liver for his patient
Adam Bodzin ran more than half a mile to get the liver, dodging racers in the Philadelphia Half-Marathon. → Read More
Can police tell if drivers are stoned? With new ruling in N.J., the debate continues.
Drivers can be impaired by marijuana, but there is no reliable lab test for measuring it. → Read More
Fossil guy finds ‘funky worm’ with a Philly hook
Ben Kligman named his 220 million-year-old find after a funky tune and a mentor at the Academy of Natural Sciences. → Read More
More people got married in the 2nd year of COVID, especially in New Jersey
Nationally, 2021 saw the biggest year-to-year jump in marriages since the end of World War II. → Read More
Why ‘greasing’ the poles has not stopped Eagles fans from climbing
It wouldn't be a Super Bowl in Philadelphia without Eagles Fans prepping to climb. Spoiler alert: the stuff used on the poles is not grease. → Read More
Fetterman’s health issues date back at least to 2017. Here’s an overview.
The senator, who had a stroke on May 13, felt lightheaded Wednesday night and was hospitalized for observation. → Read More
What is myasthenia gravis, the condition that contributed to Jerry Blavat’s death?
Jerry Blavat's primary cause of death was myasthenia gravis. What does that mean? → Read More
‘I’m not gonna lie, it’s scary,’ says 6abc’s TaRhonda Thomas, before surgery for uterine fibroids
The TV reporter said she would be off the air for a couple of months. → Read More
Penn scientists are honored for mRNA research used in COVID vaccines
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman were named to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. → Read More
What to know about the new drug trial for Alzheimer’s
A antibody drug called lecanemab is being tested at more than 100 sites around the world, including the University of Pennsylvania. → Read More
Renovating abandoned houses reduces the rate of gun violence, Penn study finds
Gun crimes went up during the study, but they went up less near houses that got new doors and windows, at a cost of $5,900. → Read More
How DNA sleuths finally identified ‘Boy in the Box’ after more than six decades
Investigators were stymied by a series of obstacles in identifying the "Boy in the Box" who died when DNA science was in its infancy. → Read More
How DNA sleuths identified the ‘Boy in the Box’ after six decades
The boy's body was exhumed on two occasions to extract DNA, in 1998 and 2019. → Read More
Dogs at this Philly shelter started the holidays early with their pick of squeaky toys
Two Northeast Philly families amassed more than 700 toys over the course of a year and are delivering them to a number of shelters this month. The Pennsylvania SPCA in North Philly was the first. → Read More
Penn scientists made a universal flu vaccine using mRNA, and they plan to test it in humans
The vaccine relies on messenger RNA (mRNA), just like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for COVID. → Read More
Why the tourniquet, a relic from the earliest days of medicine, is back amid the gun violence epidemic
The blunt-force devices are back in favor after evidence from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. → Read More
How to put on a tourniquet and stop someone from bleeding to death
Even civilians can save lives by applying the strap-like devices to a bleeding arm or leg. Here's how. → Read More
Missing both legs and arms, he’s racing in the Philadelphia Marathon
Chris Koch, who races on a longboard, has yet to come across another racer who gets around like he does. → Read More
These Philly award-winners tackle problems from inside the brain to outer space
The 2022 Scott Awards are going to scientists at Penn, the Monell Chemical Senses Center, and Doylestown-based Catemer Inc. → Read More
No, the Phillies crowd was not loud enough to register on a Penn State earthquake detector
A Penn State scientist debunks a viral rumor from Game 3 of the World Series. → Read More