The Genetics Podcast

On this week’s episode of The Genetics Podcast, we’re joined by Jocelynn Pearl, Director of Cancer Cell Therapy at the TAM Center, host of the Lady Scientist Podcast and Co-Founder of LabDAO. Patrick and Jocelynn discuss her move to Mexico to help accelerate the development of new cancer therapies, harnessing the power and potential of decentralized science, and overcoming sky-high gene therapy costs to increase accessibility for patients.Show Notes: 0:00Intro to The Genetics Podcast01:00Welcome to Jocelynn02:03 Jocelynn’s past work at The Institute for Systems Biology 04:55 How Jocelynn approached her transition to biotech from the world of academia10:14 Exploring decentralized science, including how it works and Jocelynn’s involvement to date15:54 What a Decentralized Autonomous Organisation (DAO) is and how this type of organizational structure supports scientific development22:45 The “fast grant” surge and other non-traditional funding methods28:00 Hosting the Lady Scientist Podcast and some of Jocelynn’s favorite moments32:43 Jocelynn’s move to Mexico to serve as Director of Cancer Cell Therapy at the TAM Center36:12 The biggest differences between building out drug development programs in Mexico and the US38:31 Regulatory differences between countries in the context of stem cell therapies42:48 The advantages for cancer therapeutic development in Jocelynn’s current environment46:20Driving down the costs of gene therapies and the impact on accessibility  48:09 Closing remarksFind out moreLabDAO:https://www.lab.bio/ Please considerrating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform!https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bp2_wVNSzntTs_zuoizU8bX1dvao4jfj 

Summary:  This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Eric Adler, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research at Lexeo Therapeutics and Professor of Medicine at University of California San Diego. Eric shares his experience with genetic cardiomyopathy and his work on gene therapy for Danon disease, drawing from both clinical and research perspectives. Additionally, he explores the evolution of the field and the broader challenges faced by cardiovascular patients. Show Notes:  0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 01:00 Welcome to Eric and his efforts in cardiomyopathy at the bench and bedside 03:32 How modeling genetic diseases using pluripotent stem cells lead Eric to studying Danon disease  04:50 Pivoting from basic to translational research using adeno-associated viruses (AAV)-based gene therapy 07:58 Uncovering genetic cardiomyopathies that were misdiagnosed as idiopathic cardiomyopathy 09:55 Treatment, screening, and penetrance of Danon disease 12:30 Recent successes and remaining challenges in cardiovascular disease 19:47 Battling distrust in the medical profession 21:55 Preventative therapy using APOE2 for patients at risk of early Alzheimer’s   25:15 Motivations behind and advantages of Eric’s patient-centered approach to therapeutics 27:24 Balancing regulatory requirements for protocols versus patient needs 29:49 The importance of committed clinical partners for successful trial execution 36:08 Eric’s passion for cooking and how he won a cooking competition 39:02 Closing remarks and Lexeo Therapeutics’ aims for 2025 Find out more Lexeo Therapeutics (https://www.lexeotx.com/) Please consider rating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform!  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bp2_wVNSzntTs_zuoizU8bX1dvao4jfj/view?usp=share_link

This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Versha Pleasant, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan and Director of the Cancer Genetics and Breast Health Clinic at Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital. They discuss ongoing disparities in healthcare, in particular why black women in the US have a 40% higher chance of dying from breast cancer than white women, the impact of the US Educate Act on equality, diversity and inclusion education, and much more. 00:00:00 – Intro to The Genetics Podcast 00:01:52 – Welcome to Versha 00:03:22 – How black women have a 40% higher chance of mortality from breast cancer than white women, and the biggest drivers of this disparity 00:07:09 – Multifaceted approaches to addressing disparities 00:09:10 – Racial health duplicity and increasing access to genetic testing and mammography for black women 00:13:51 – The challenges of using precision medicine to stratify risk in black communities and historical harms in US medical research 00:14:29 – How to design for inclusive studies that effectively represent communities of colour 00:16:13 – Considering universal genetic testing and counseling for black women 00:21:24 – The logistics of making universal testing a reality, and the importance of community education and trust building 00:27:18 – What Versha is focused on next and the big topics she wants to tackle 00:33:24 – The role of community education and diversifying modes of communication for knowledge sharing 00:34:36 – Versha’s perspectives on the US Educate Act and the impact it could have on what doctors of the future are taught 00:40:52 – Versha’s advice to people who would like to pursue a similar career in medicine 00:43:28 – Where Patrick sees genetics evolving in the next ten years and his vision for the future of The Genetics Podcast 00:47:39 – Closing remarks Find out more Universal Genetic Counseling and Testing for Black Women: A Risk-Stratified Approach to Addressing Breast Cancer Disparities: https://www.clinical-breast-cancer.com/article/S1526-8209(24)00338-0/fulltext  Please consider rating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bp2_wVNSzntTs_zuoizU8bX1dvao4jfj/view?usp=share_link 

This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Jonathon Hill, associate professor at Brigham Young University and co-founder and VP of Wasatch Biolabs. Jonathan and Patrick discuss the power of long-read sequencing, how Wasatch Biolabs was created, and how Jonathon has fostered valuable collaborations between academic labs and Wasatch Biolabs.

This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Angela Bradshaw, Director for Research at Alzheimer Europe and honorary lecturer at the University of Glasgow. Patrick and Angela discuss how Alzheimer Europe partners in and support pan-European dementia research, the enormous heterogeneity of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, the future of potential new gene therapies, and the critical role of advocacy organizations for patient communities.

This week on The Genetics Podcast, we’re joined by Hilary Martin, Group Leader in Human Genetics at the world-renowned Wellcome Sanger Institute. Hilary and Patrick discuss her group’s work on neurodevelopmental conditions, the role of common genetic variants in rare disease, and how to untangle the impact of direct and indirect genetic influences on various traits. Find out more Nature paper: Examining the role of common variants in rare neurodevelopmental conditions https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08217-y Genes and Health Project https://www.genesandhealth.org

Happy New Year! In our first episode of 2025, Patrick is joined by Erik Ingelsson, Chief Scientific Officer at Wave Life Sciences. Erik is also the formerr Senior Vice President of Target Discovery at GlaxoSmithKline and a former Professor at Stanford and Uppsala universities. Patrick and Erik discuss Wave’s world-first discovery in RNA editing therapies for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD), Erik’s far-reaching career across academia, big pharma and biotech, and how to be a present parent in the thick of a thriving career.

Join us as we welcome back Dr. Veera Rajagopal, a discovery scientist at Regeneron with an interest in human genetics and drug target discovery in neuroscience and psychiatry. If you’re a regular listener, you may be familiar with Veera’s quarterly appearances on the show, where Patrick and he discuss the latest developments in genetics, drug discovery, and precision medicine. Grab yourself a cup of something warm and tune in as Veera and Patrick close out 2024 with a wrap up covering: Population genomics programs New Alzheimer’s research The impact of genetics on menopause onset Newborn genetic screening Tune in now, and don’t forget to check out Veera’s substack, GWAS Stories, and his Twitter, @doctorveera.

This week we’re joined by Eric Green, Founder and CEO of Trace Neuroscience, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Maze Therapeutics, and Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. Eric and Patrick discuss Eric’s transition from cardiology to the world of entrepreneurship, the role of highly focused biotechs in creating precision therapies, and the development of high-impact gene therapies for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Ness Bermingham, Operating Partner at Khosla Ventures and Chair of the Board at Korro Bio. A scientist-turned-biotech entrepreneur, Ness is passionate about the power of science to tackle some of healthcare’s biggest challenges. Ness co-founded Intellia Therapeutics, a leader in CRISPR gene editing, and Korro Bio, an innovator in RNA editing, driving breakthroughs that translate cutting-edge science into real healthcare solutions. With over 20 years of experience in biotech and healthcare, he’s played a vital role in shaping startups into companies that develop life-changing medicines. Tune in as we dive into Ness’s journey and his insights on innovation in biotech!