The Genetics Podcast

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 of The Genetics Podcast, you may be familiar with Dr. Veera’s annual round-up episodes, and more recently, his quarterly appearances on the show. We’re pleased to bring you the latest quarterly roundup, during which Dr. Veera and Patrick walk through the most recent developments in genetics, drug discovery, and precision medicine. In this episode, Dr. Veera and Patrick dive into a wide variety of topics, including: - The evolution of skin color in humans - The potential of a novel tau isoform for Alzheimer’s treatment - Protective mechanisms of tomoregulin-1 against herpes simplex virus - The discovery of a new noncoding Mendelian disease mechanism linked to cardiac arrhythmias - A comparative analysis of whole genome versus whole exome sequencing for gene discovery. Tune in now, and don’t forget to check out Veera’s substack, GWAS Stories, and his Twitter, @doctorveera. Additionally, we’re excited to invite you to an in-person meetup for The Genetics Podcast during the ASHG Annual Meeting in Denver, CO! Over the years, we’ve had the honor of speaking with leading voices across science, industry, patient advocacy, and policy. Now, we’re bringing this incredible community together face-to-face. Join us on the evening of Thursday, November 7. To RSVP, visit: https://lu.ma/geneticspodASHG.

In this episode, Patrick speaks with Mark Taylor, Head of Strategic Partnerships at LGC Group, about bridging the gap between genomics innovation and equitable healthcare. They discuss Mark's work with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), challenges in scaling precision therapies for the NHS, and strategies for engaging underrepresented populations. Additionally, we’re excited to invite you to an in-person meet up for The Genetics Podcast during the ASHG Annual Meeting in Denver, CO! Over the years, we’ve had the honor of speaking with leading voices across science, industry, patient advocacy, and policy. Now, we’re bringing this incredible community together face-to-face. Join us on the evening of Thursday, November 7. To RSVP, visit: https://lu.ma/geneticspodASHG.

Join us at our first in-person podcast event! We will be hosting a reception during the ASHG Annual Meeting in Denver, CO. The event will be held on the evening of Thursday 7 November. ​Please submit your information in this form (https://lu.ma/geneticspodASHG) to signify your interest in attending!

This week Patrick is joined by Paul Wille, Director of Product Development at Abeona Therapeutics. They discuss the use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) as a vector for gene therapy delivery, outline its limitations and benefits, and hone in its potential in the context of genetic eye disorders. Paul also shares his journey from academia to industry and emphasizes the importance of building on existing technologies to advance the field. Additionally, please consider joining us at our first in-person podcast event! We will be hosting a reception during the ASHG Annual Meeting in Denver, CO. The event will be held on the evening of Thursday 7 November. ​Please submit your information in this form (https://lu.ma/geneticspodASHG) to signify your interest in attending!

Dr. Mike Snyder, a pioneer in personalized medicine and Director of the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford, discusses the revolutionary impact of wearable technologies on early disease detection. He shares insights on how proactive health monitoring can predict illnesses even before symptoms arise. The conversation also highlights the challenges of integrating advanced diagnostics into mainstream healthcare, emphasizing the importance of transitioning from reactive to preventive models, and the promise of AI in improving health outcomes.

This week, Patrick welcomes President and CEO of The Jackson Laboratory, Lon Cardon. They discuss the rise of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and how they changed the face of genetics research and why Lon took the plunge and moved from academia to industry in an era when it was an unpopular choice. Plus, they cover the future of disease taxonomy and why data sharing remains vital to the field of genetics.

This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Nadav Ahituv, the Director of the Institute of Human Genetics at the University of California, San Francisco. Patrick and Nadav discuss his research on gene regulation, including his intriguing work on bats and their unique metabolic adaptations – and what that means for human health. They also discuss the evolution of our understanding of genetics, from ancient DNA insights to the mechanisms driving human traits, and how these discoveries could pave the way for future therapies.

In this episode Patrick is joined by Marco Quarta, Co-founder and CEO of Rubedo Life Sciences, and previously Director of Bioengineering in Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University. Since childhood Marco had the dream of ‘curing’ ageing and his work at Rubedo focuses on understanding cell senescence, with the goal of developing novel therapies for age-linked diseases. Join Marco and Patrick as they discuss his transition from academia to founding multiple companies, why not all senescent cells are equal, and how understanding the processes behind cell ageing could help extend human healthspan.

In this episode, we’re joined by Martin Borch Jensen, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Gordian Biotechnology and President of Norn Group, a non-profit dedicated to accelerating research and development of therapies targeting the biology of ageing. Patrick and Martin discuss the phenomenon known as the “ageing problem,” how understanding biological age could crack the code on age-related diseases, and the challenges of building a company in a field with no business model blueprint.

In this episode, we’re joined by Tony Cox, CEO of UK Biocentre. After spending more than 20 years at The Wellcome Sanger Institute, where he worked on the Human Genome Project, Tony moved to UK Biocentre in January 2020 – just before the world was turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization pivoted to play a key role in the UK’s response effort, and under Tony’s leadership the center sequenced 33 million DNA samples in just two years. Patrick and Tony discussed receiving a phone call from the UK government, scaling from sequencing 1,000 to 100,000 samples per day, and how to manage producing five tonnes of cardboard waste on a daily basis.