The Genetics Podcast

This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Andres Moreno-Estrada, population geneticist and head of the Human Evolutionary Genomics Lab at LANGEBIO in Mexico. They discuss the creation and insights of the Mexican Biobank, the genetic diversity of Latin America, ancient human migration, and the role of locally-led research in shaping public health and scientific equity.Show Notes: 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast00:58 Welcome to Andres 01:56 Andres’ motivation to pursue genetics03:01 How and why Andres established the Mexican biobank with genotyping of more than 6,000 people07:25 Surprising findings on ancestry and regional similarities from the Mexican biobank09:26 Links between Indigenous ancestry, BMI, and disease-related traits12:36 Reconstructing population history from the Mexican biobank20:16 Tracing a single ancient contact between South America and Polynesia through shared Indigenous DNA21:58 Collaborative genomics efforts across Latin America and the launch of a regional Human Cell Atlas 26:39 How biobanks can inform national health decisions and why prioritization is the missing link in Mexico32:10 Public health applications of genetic data and the need for local and regional biobanks35:17 How ancient DNA reveals early cultural mixing and the deep roots of Mexico’s Day of the Dead traditions39:12 Closing remarks and a call for support and investment in locally-led science across Latin America and beyondFind out moreMoreno Lab (http://www.morenolab.org/)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

Summary: This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Frank Gleeson, co-founder and CEO of Satellos. They discuss Satellos’ novel approach to treating Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by targeting muscle stem cell regeneration, how this fills a critical therapeutic gap, and the promising results of their early clinical trials. They also touch on what it takes to advance drug development and secure funding in today’s biotech landscape.Show Notes: 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast01:00 Welcome to Frank and the origin story for Satellos and its focus on muscle stem cell regeneration to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)14:03 Counteracting degeneration in DMD and associated mechanisms16:08 Current therapeutic focuses in DMD, including gene therapy and exon skipping to increase expression of dystrophin24:28 Satellos’ drug development strategy, safety-first design, and early clinical findings in adults with DMD35:54 The study design and number of patients for Satellos’ phase 2 trial40:12 Frank’s recommendations for how biotechs can raise funding in today’s climate 44:38 Advantages of Frank’s career path across business and venture capital to biotech46:52 Closing remarks  Find out moreSatellos (https://satellos.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

Summary: This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London and co-founder of Zoe. They discuss surprising insights on heritability from decades of twin research, the profound impact of the microbiome on health and disease, and the effect of diet on the gut microbiome. Show Notes: 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast00:58 Welcome to Tim and his journey from clinical medicine to pioneering twin studies and uncovering the heritability of diseases and traits07:20 Exploring missing heritability and why twin studies and GWAS offer different answers10:37 What a global mega twin registry could reveal about epigenetics, environment, and disease13:40 Findings from a twin microbiome study and how that evolved into a new chapter in Tim’s research career16:50 The profound impact of the microbiome on health21:08 Evolution in microbiome research techniques, microbe-diet associations, and the need for longitudinal studies 27:00 Potential reasons why fecal transplant did not turn out to be as effective as predicted28:53 The importance of balance in the gut microbiome and how it can be involved in cancer and the drug response35:54 Barriers to translating microbiome science into healthcare  38:38 The impact of microplastics and ultra-processed foods on the microbiome 41:27 Moving away from diversity measures for evaluating the microbiome and towards a more comprehensive score metric44:36 Closing remarks with information on Tim’s upcoming book as well as Zoe products and appFind out moreZoe (https://zoe.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

Summary: This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Daniel Geschwind, Professor, Senior Associate Dean, and Associate Vice Chancellor of Precision Health at UCLA. They discuss the circuitous career path that led Daniel to building a biobank that provided the foundation for autism genetics, the complexity of the molecular and genetic aspects of autism, and how gene therapies could advance treatment. Show Notes: 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast00:59 Welcome to Daniel and how he transitioned from being a chemistry teacher and consultant to an academic clinician05:51 How a year filming ski movies helped Daniel decide what he wanted to do after college07:29 How Daniel got started in autism research and established a biobank that built the foundation for autism genetics11:38 Our current understanding of autism on the molecular and genetic levels18:04 The spectrum nature of autism and how it correlates to molecular and genetic differences 25:13 The potential convergence of variants of autism on common pathways and corresponding therapeutics31:18 Evidence for the early developmental etiology of autism and the complexity of the genetic aspect35:56 The developmental window for gene therapies in autism and the need for concurrent training   38:41 Successes and barriers to data sharing and collaboration, and the importance of biobanks and functional mapping51:40 Developing computational tools for a network approach to transcriptomes55:28 Closing remarksPlease consider rating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bp2_wVNSzntTs_zuoizU8bX1dvao4jfj/view?usp=share_link

Helen O’Neill, a molecular geneticist and founder of Hertility Health, chats about her unique insights into genetics sparked by being an identical twin. She shares her firsthand experience during the CRISPR baby controversy and discusses the persistent public skepticism around gene editing. O’Neill highlights her research on embryo viability through genetic screening and the potential for newborn genome sequencing to revolutionize early diagnosis. Additionally, she reveals how Hertility Health is transforming women’s access to fertility care.

This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Giles Yeo, geneticist and author of Gene Eating: The Science of Obesity and the Truth About Dieting and Why Calories Don't Count: How We Got the Science of Weight Loss Wrong. Giles and Patrick discuss the genetic, neural, and evolutionary drivers of obesity, the advancements in safe and effective obesity drugs, and the narratives around calorie counting and ultra-processed foods.Show Notes: 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast00:59 Welcome to Giles and an overview of recent advances in obesity treatment04:28 How incretin-based therapies such as GLP-1 receptor agonists have enhanced our understanding of obesity 06:46 Unexpected effects of GLP-1-based therapies on neurodegenerative disease and addiction09:39 Relative safety and potential side effects of GLP-1-based therapies11:18 The gap in genetic characterization of individuals with different responses to GLP-1-based treatment13:10 Competition and demand in the market for obesity drugs15:46 Targeting comorbidities and genetic and neural components of obesity 19:09 Evolutionary aspects of obesity and how modern world factors can increase risk24:26 The role of choice in dietary habits26:29 The spectrum of genetic influences on body weight29:50 Next frontiers in obesity research and opportunities from genetic advances32:52 The controversial premise of Giles’ second book on why calorie counting misses the point in improving diet and health37:43 Giles’ nuanced perspective on ultra-processed foods44:46 Future avenues for Giles’ research, including mapping genetics and neural circuits underlying obesity46:05 Giles’ writing process and plans to write a third book   48:55 Closing remarks

This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Madhuri Hegde, SVP and Chief Scientific Officer of Revvity. They discuss Revvity’s advances in ultra-rapid clinical-grade sequencing, opportunities, challenges, and global inequities in newborn screening, and the dilemma of resequencing versus long-term data storage.Show Notes: 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast00:59 Welcome to Madhuri01:52 Rebranding Revvity as a healthcare company02:51 Advancements in sequencing and Revvity’s projects, including newborn screening tests and clinical ultra-rapid sequencing12:29 Opportunities and challenges for newborn sequencing and global inequity in access17:46 Price of sequencing and data storage versus resequencing considerations21:10 Complexities and nuances of genomic data interpretation23:28 Rethinking data portability and storage across the lifespan26:00 Understanding penetrance and population genetics through lifelong sequencing27:36 Scaling genetic counseling to match advancements and the potential value of chatbots32:45 The promise of proteomics and translating Olink data to the clinic 34:31 Implementing polygenic risk scores in clinical management  37:12 Transitioning from academia to industry and insights into product development38:37 Closing remarksFind out moreRevvity (https://www.revvity.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

Euan Ashley, Chair of the Department of Medicine at Stanford and co-founder of biotech firms, shares insights from his groundbreaking work in ultra-rapid genome sequencing. He highlights a pivotal case of diagnosing a newborn's cardiac condition in just eight hours. Euan discusses the integration of AI and wearables in preventive medicine, as well as the genetics behind elite athletic performance. Additionally, he explores the ethical considerations of widespread genetic testing and the potential of generative AI in developing novel therapies.

This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Kent Rogers, Chief Executive Officer at EveryONE Medicines. They discuss Kent’s journey across every side of the desk in the drug discovery space, EveryONE Medicines’ efforts to develop antisense oligonucleotides for ultra-rare diseases, and the need to adapt regulatory models for n-of-1 therapies.Show Notes: 00:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast00:59 Welcome to Kent and his experiences across every side of the pharma ‘desk’06:00 Challenges of commercialization for ultra-rare disease therapies and the advantage of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) 10:28 EveryONE Medicines’ approach to regulatory bodies12:30 Regulatory feedback and expectations from EveryONE Medicines’ platform-based approach to n-of-1 therapies15:47 Differences in regulatory requirements for rare disease across countries 19:53 Insights from being on different sides of the drug development industry22:40 Differences in healthcare systems across countries that can facilitate or impede drug development26:57 Rationale behind focusing on ASOs for treating rare diseases 28:03 Building EveryONE Medicines and Kent’s approach to leadership33:20 Lessons from Kent’s career37:17 Closing remarks Find out moreEveryONE Medicines (https://www.eomeds.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 Matt Burgess, genetic counselor, host of the Demystifying Genetics podcast, and Adjunct Professor at Bay Path University. They discuss the evolution of genetic counseling, ethical challenges in gene therapy, and Matt’s experiences with his podcast.Show Notes: 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast00:59 Welcome to Matt02:09 Matt’s run-ins with Olivia Newton John while working at Austin Hospital in Melbourne04:34 Matt’s background and path to genetic counseling 06:58 The evolution of the field of genetic counseling over time and the role of counselors12:47 Matt’s work on rare disease AP-4 hereditary spastic paraplegia (AP-4-HSP) and the ethical considerations of gene therapy20:22 Balancing the needs and expectations of individuals and families in counseling 23:06 Rebranding negative connotations of the word “counseling”  26:58 Memorable episodes from Matt’s podcast Demystifying Genetics34:31 Differences in genetic counseling and healthcare in the US versus Australia and the UK40:00 Matt’s current work on writing a novel, starting a company called Rosalind Genetics, and being involved in genetic education42:47 The potential and drawbacks of AI models in the context of genetic counseling and information46:46 Closing remarksFind out moreDemystifying Genetics (https://demystifying-genetics.buzzsprout.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