The Genetics Podcast

In episode 134, we welcome fellow genetics podcaster Kira Dineen. Kira is most widely known for her award winning podcast, DNA Today, as well as producing a number of other health and science podcasts. Now running for more than 10 years, DNA Today is the winner of the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Best Science and Medicine Podcast Awards. When not podcasting, Kira works as a Prenatal Genetic Counsellor at Maternal Foetal Care in Connecticut where she supports patients with high-risk pregnancies, and is a certified Cytogenetic Technologist. Tune in for a very interesting episode!

Join us as we welcome Dr. Emma Magavern to The Genetics Podcast! In addition to being a medical doctor with an English Literature degree, Dr. Magovern is a Clinical Research Fellow at the Centre of Clinical Pharmacology and Precision Medicine at Queen Mary, Barts, and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Emma also works closely with East London Genes and Health, a program dedicated to increasing engagement in a community that is underrepresented in research. Most recently, she published a paper looking at pharmacogenomics in a British South Asian population. Tune in to this interesting episode!

In this episode, we are excited to welcome George Church, Professor at Harvard Medical School and MIT, and Co-founder of Eugit Therapeutics, Colossal Biosciences, Arrived AI, and eGenesis. He is also the Director of PersonalGenomes.org, the world's only open-access information hub for human genomic, environmental, and trait data, as well as an IARPA BRAIN Project and the NIH Center for Excellence in Genomic Science. If that weren’t enough, George was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world in Time Magazine’s 2017 Time 100 list. In 2022, he was featured among the most influential people in biopharma by FiercePharma, where he was listed among the top 8 most famous geneticists in human history. All to say, you won’t want to miss this episode with a genetics superstar!

In this episode, we welcome Jake Rubens, a seasoned genomic science entrepreneur and co-founder of Quotient Therapeutics. Tune in to hear Jake discuss the potential of somatic genomics (genes that are present in any cell in the body except for germline cells) in therapeutic development. As the founder of several companies, including Tessera and Sana Therapeutics, Jake offers his unique perspective on the advantages of utilising insights from somatic genome sequencing to understand disease mechanisms and discover new drug targets. He also shares valuable lessons from his robust entrepreneurial journey!

Dr. Veera Rajagopal discusses insights into noncoding variants and GWAS, highlighting polydactyl mutations, low-affinity TF binding, lncRNA roles in NDD, CHD2 deletion, Brugada syndrome in SE Asians, and future of GWAS studies on type 2 diabetes.

In this episode, Patrick welcomes Jean Swidler, the Founder, Executive Director, and Chair of End the Legacy. End the Legacy is a patient-led organization dedicated to articulating and supporting the needs and interests of the genetic ALS and FTD communities. If you are interested in patient advocacy or keen on learning about recent therapeutic developments for those with neurodegenerative conditions, you will want to listen to this episode!

Join us as we welcome two familiar faces, Dr. James Beck, Chief Scientific Officer at Parkinson's Foundation, and Dr. Ignacio “Nacho” Mata, Professor at the Cleveland Clinic and Coordinator of the Latin America Research consortium on the Genetics of PD (LARGE-PD). This pair first appeared on Episode 69 of The Genetics Podcast in September 2021 to discuss the genetics of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and the future of precision medicine. Nearly 60 episodes later, Drs. Beck and Mata are back to walk us through updates in the field of PD and precision medicine, increasing diversity in genetic studies, and the potential for prediction and prevention of PD. You won’t want to miss this insightful episode featuring two of the preeminent experts in Parkinson’s disease and precision medicine.

In this episode, Patrick is joined by Dr. Mazen Noureddin, Professor of Medicine and Transplant Hepatologist at Houston Methodist Hospital. Mazen also leads the Houston Research Institute and Houston Liver Institute, and he previously established the Fatty Liver Program at Cedars-Sinai. Known internationally for his expertise in non-invasive testing and biomarkers for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH, previously known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH) and cirrhosis, Mazen has been involved in over 40 clinical studies exploring new treatments for MASH. Don’t miss out on this insightful episode!

In this episode, we welcome Julia Taravella, Executive Director of Rare Trait Hope Fund. She founded the organisation 11 years ago when her two children were diagnosed with aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU), an ultra-rare, autosomal recessive, and fatal neurodevelopmental disease. Tune in to learn about her goals for developing a gene therapy cure for the disease, her experiences as a mother raising two children with a terminal illness, and upcoming research developments for AGU.

This week, we’re joined by Lord James O’Shaughnessy, Member of the House of Lords (UK), and Senior Partner at Newmarket Strategy. In May 2023, Lord O’Shaughnessy led and published a government-commissioned review into the UK clinical trials process, producing key recommendations for policy improvements in R&D innovation. He and Patrick discuss his experience as the Minister in charge of leading the National Health Service through Brexit, and the fundamental importance of integrating R&D into the healthcare system.