The Genetics Podcast

On this episode of the podcast Patrick is joined by returning guest Dr Jeff Barrett. Jeff is the the lead statistical geneticist for The COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK). Patrick and Jeff discuss COG-UK's sequencing operation that is tracking viral spread around the UK, how to identify super spreader events from virus data, what is known about re-infection from COVID19, and results from the vaccine trials and what the next year may hold.

On this episode of the podcast Patrick is joined by Dr Jennifer Vena the Scientific Director of Alberta’s Tomorrow Project. Although Jennifer joined ‘ATP’ in 2018, the project itself has been running for over twenty years with research plans that extend through the next fifty years. Patrick and Jennifer discuss the history of the ‘ATP’, its goals for the future, and the role Covid will continue to play including with research studies that are not directly associated with the disease.

Dr Barry Singer is a neurologist who specialises in multiple sclerosis, he is also the host of MS Living Well, a podcast that deals with living with multiple sclerosis. In 2007 Dr Singer created the website MS living well as a resource centre for patients looking to find information about the disease. In this episode, Patrick and Dr Singer talk about how advancements in technology have not only produced advancements from a scientific perspective but also in the doctor patient relationship. For example, Dr Singer reaches thousands of patients through his website, blog, and podcasts providing high-quality information to everyone, regardless of whether they live near a specialist center. Dr Singer also uses voice-to-text technology in his appointments, leaving him free to speak with his patients rather than typing on a keyboard the whole time. From the genetics of MS to trying to understand why women are affected more by auto-immune diseases, this episode draws on Dr Singer’s experience in the field.

Patrick interviews Dr Daphne Martschenko, a postdoctoral research fellow at Stanford University. Daphne’s work has focused on genomics and the American education system. She has published extensively in scholarly journals and mainstream outlets on the topic of education inequity, particularly among young people of color. Patrick and Daphne discuss the history of IQ testing, how genome-wide association analysis and polygenic risk scores are being applied to education, and the ethical issues surrounding gene editing technologies.

Seb Tucknott is an author and patient advocate who was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 2008. In 2015 he founded IBD relief, an online community of others with the condition that also provides resources. Seb joins the podcast to discuss how to view the healthcare system from an outsider's perspective, making lifestyle changes, and his 2019 book 'Tipping the Balance'.

Chief Executive Officer of Health Data Research UK Caroline Cake joins Patrick to talk about accelerating medical research through health data science. The two discuss the potential for research and innovation as well as the complexities of issues like patient privacy. Caroline gives Patrick some insight into the history and goals of HDR UK, one of the world’s top institutions for health data science.

Kat Arney returns to the podcast to discuss her new book ‘Rebel Cell’, which takes an evolutionary look at cancer. Kat talks about the book beginning as an idea while working on her PhD at Cancer Research UK to spending the last few years researching, conducting interviews and undertaking the book writing process. Patrick and Kat also discuss the narrative of a ‘war on cancer’ and the messaging of ‘beating cancer’ rather than managing it. You can find more information about 'Rebel Cell' and buy it here: https://www.rebelcellbook.com/

This week we talk to Steff Di Pardo, a patient advocate and writer who has Ankylosing Spondylitis - which is a chronic autoimmune disease. She talks about the long road to diagnosis, how she started opening up about her condition to friends and family on Facebook, and her decision to bring her refreshing honesty to a wider audience with her blog, Totally Chronic. Steff Di Pardo opens up about her experiences with how her chronic condition has impacted her mental health, being a part of online support networks (on platforms like Instagram) and her new book ‘Just Breathe’ which features short essays on living with a chronic condition.

We talk to Peter about Nightingale Health's work with the UK Biobank, including recent research that shows their blood test could be used predict severe COVID19 well before onset of symptoms. The company's vision includes not just population-scale research like the UKBiobank, but creating a system that is focused on prevention and early detection rather than treatment.

Sonya Abraham is a clinical senior lecturer in rheumatology and a research physician at Imperial College London. We talk to her about BAME representation in clinical research and about her rheumatology research, including the role of the microbiome, and what COVID19 researchers can learn from existing rheumatology research. We talk about why diversity is important in clinical trials, and the COVID19 pandemic's impact in the BAME community. We also discuss with Sonya how people with immune conditions, like Ankylosing Spondylitis, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and others are at greater risk from COVID19, and uncertainties around the impact of common drugs on COVID19 severity. Finally, we discuss why drugs that were originally used in rheumatology are now providing effective for COVID19 treatment.