We explore a remarkable story of genetics, family history, and groundbreaking research with Dr. Susan Liebman and Dr. Elizabeth McNally. Together, they’ve identified a genetic mutation with life-saving implications for families affected by inherited heart conditions, like Dr. Liebman’s own.

Meet Our Guests:

Dr. Susan Liebman is a trailblazing molecular geneticist who uses yeast as a model organism to study prions and human protein misfolding diseases such as ALS and Alzheimer’s. Her research also extends to the prion form of the cancer gene p53. With over 100 publications in leading journals, including Nature, Science, and Cell, and more than $13 million in research funding, her contributions to the field are substantial. Susan began her scientific journey as one of MIT’s early female undergraduates (B.S. 1968) and went on to earn advanced degrees from Harvard (M.S. 1969) and the University of Rochester (Ph.D. 1974) medical schools. In addition to her research, she taught genetics to undergraduate and graduate students for more than 35 years.

Dr. Elizabeth McNally directs the Center for Genetic Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and is the Elizabeth J. Ward Professor of Genetic Medicine. She is a practicing cardiologist with expertise in cardiovascular genetics. As a clinician, she developed practices for integrating genetic information into cardiovascular care. She has a special interest in neuromuscular diseases like muscular dystrophy and their accompanying cardiovascular complications.

Episode Highlights:

- Family Medical History: Dr. Liebman shares the powerful backstory behind “The Dressmaker’s Mirror” and how a century-old family secret shaped her journey in genetic research and advocacy.

- Discovering the FLNC Mutation: Dr. McNally discusses the process of uncovering this mutation in Dr. Liebman’s family, highlighting the challenges and breakthroughs in genetic testing and the importance of tracking family medical history.

- Genetic Screening and Personalized Medicine: The guests examine the future of genetic testing, including the ethical complexities and benefits of population screening for high-risk groups, like Ashkenazi Jews, who have a higher frequency of the FLNC mutation.

- Preventive Care in Cardiology: Dr. McNally shares insights on integrating genetic data into cardiology, from identifying cardiomyopathy risks to offering personalized care for patients.

- Barriers to Genetic Testing: They address why only a small percentage of cardiomyopathy cases are referred for genetic testing and discuss ways to increase access and education around genetic testing’s role in heart health.

- The Future of Gene Therapy: Hear Dr. McNally’s outlook on gene therapy advancements for actionable genes, including the latest on FLNC’s addition to the ACMG list of actionable genes.

Enter Book Giveaway!

You can win a free copy of “The Dressmaker’s Mirror”! Head over to DNA Today’s social media to enter the giveaway. You can also enter the Goodreads giveaway for additional opportunities. Can’t wait to see if you won? Buy a copy of the book through the publisher (with code RLFANDF30) or on Amazon.

More Info

You can learn more about the author Dr. Susan Liebman, on her website here. If you are interested in booking her as a speaker check out her Media Kit here, you can reach out to our host Kira Dineen (info@DNAtoday.com) as she is also her Book Launch Agent!

Keep up with Dr. Elizabeth McNally on X @EMMcNally.

References

Golbus JR, Puckelwartz MJ, Dellefave-Castillo L, Fahrenbach JP, Nelakuditi V, Pesce LL, Pytel P, McNally EM. Targeted analysis of whole genome sequence data to diagnose genetic cardiomyopathy. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2014 Dec;7(6):751-759. doi: 10.1161/CIRCGENETICS.113.000578. Epub 2014 Sep 1. PMID: 25179549; PMCID: PMC4270910.

Dellefave-Castillo LM, Cirino AL, Callis TE, Esplin ED, Garcia J, Hatchell KE, Johnson B, Morales A, Regalado E, Rojahn S, Vatta M, Nussbaum RL, McNally EM. Assessment of the Diagnostic Yield of Combined Cardiomyopathy and Arrhythmia Genetic Testing. JAMA Cardiol. 2022 Sep 1;7(9):966-974. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2022.2455. PMID: 35947370; PMCID: PMC9366660.

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