DNA Today: A Genetics Podcast

You did it! DNA Today has been nominated for the Best 2021 Science and Medicine Podcast Award. If you nominated us, check your inbox to see if you were one of the people randomly selected to vote for the show! I was this year and received the email on August 9th. So pause the show now and check to see if you got the email. If you did please go ahead and vote for DNA Today, we need all the votes we can get to defend our title as the best Science and Medicine podcast! This week our host, Kira Dineen, is joined by Kenneth Kovan and Dr. David Berd of BioVaxys, a clinical-stage biopharma company developing antiviral and anticancer vaccine platforms using haptenized viral protein technology. Kenneth Kovan is the Founder, President, and COO of BioVaxys. He has over 30 years of experience in biopharmaceuticals commercial development. Mr. Kovan’s professional background includes several years in technology transfer with Thomas Jefferson University, Strategic Marketing with GlaxoSmithKline, and Global New Product Development with Wyeth-Ayerst Pharmaceuticals. His therapeutic experience includes infectious disease, antivirals, oncology, vaccines, cell/gene therapy, and gene editing. Mr. Kovan has a broad international business background, having launched pharma brands in Latin American and Asia/Pacific markets, and has worked in Europe for several years. David Berd, MD is the Founder and Chief Medical Officer of BioVaxys. He is a medical oncologist with a lifelong record of clinical research in medical oncology and cancer immunotherapy. As National Director for Immunotherapy at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Dr. Berd investigated the application of the AC vaccine to ovarian cancer. Previously, Dr. Berd was Professor of Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, where for 20 years he conducted clinical research on melanoma immunotherapy. He also spent nine years as a research physician at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Over the course of his career, Dr. Berd has published more than 85 original papers in numerous medical journals alongside dozens of editorials, reviews and abstracts. He has ten issued patents dealing with cancer vaccines. Have you been vaccinated for COVID-19? Wouldn’t it be handy to have a digitized version of your vaccine record? States in the US are starting to do just this, with California leading the way. However privacy concerns have been raised about the personal information being kept in a central database. Genobank.io offers digitized vaccine records, without these privacy concerns. Genobank.io ultizes blockchain networks to keep track of your vaccine record without exposing your personal data! On This Episode We Discuss: How the immune system fights cancer Haptenized vaccines and how they work Safety of haptenized vaccines COVID-19 vaccines Anticancer and antiviral vaccines Vaccinations for COVID-19 variants To learn more about BioVaxys, visit their website or check them out on Twitter and LinkedIn. Are you interested in the rapidly growing field of genetics and want to learn more about clinical genetics, molecular genetics, and laboratory science? Then you should check out the Genetic Assistant Online Training Program at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine! By taking part in the program, you will be joining both national and international learners with the same passion for genetics. Interact directly with your Johns Hopkins instructors and fellow students throughout the program. Applications are now being reviewed for the Fall 2021 cohort, and a limited number of spots are still available. Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on September 3, 2021, where I’ll be joined by Dena Goldberg to share advice for starting graduate school for genetic counseling! New episodes are released on the first and third Friday of the month. In the meantime, you can binge over 150 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. All episodes in 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel. See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNApodcast.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com. Do you want to influence change in the genomics market? Lucky for you a new position just opened at Agilent where you can have an impact as a Genomic Software Field Applications Scientist. In this west coast remote-based role you will provide technical consultation, training, and education to enable customers to perform data analysis in clinical laboratory environments. You will partner with sales to serve as the scientific/technical specialist to help drive sales and provide support for customers in diverse clinical settings. Learn more about the position here. Join our host, Kira Dineen, next week on Clubhouse. Dena Goldberg (aka Dena DNA) will be interviewing her about how to prepare and what to expect in grad school for genetic counseling. This is on Thursday August 26th at 4pmPT (7pmET). Dena and Kira will be answering your questions about grad school live! You can tune in by searching for the “Genetic Counseling & The Future of Healthcare” club in the clubhouse app.

Did you know genetic changes account for an estimated 10-15% of all Parkinson’s disease? And these genetic changes can be passed down to family members. That's why Picture Genetics just released Picture PD Aware, an at-home DNA kit that tests for changes in seven genes associated with Parkinson’s disease. Picture PD Aware is easy to order and understand with good looking reports! Plus you are fully supported through live chats, emails and genetic counseling. To order your Picture PD Aware kit over at picturegenetics.com and use code “DNATODAY” for 25% off and free-shipping! Get actionable genetic insights today to benefit your family of tomorrow. Joining our host, Kira Dineen, this week Dr. Dayan Goodenowe. He is the Founder, President, and CEO of Prodrome Sciences Inc., and the Author of Breaking Alzheimer's: A 15-Year Crusade to Expose the Cause and Deliver the Cure, a novel about biomarkers of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and the science and clinical applications of plasmalogens for the therapeutic treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Goodenowe’s primary professional interest is the advancement of precision preventative medicine into mainstream medical practice. The achievement of this goal involves the integration and translation of various scientific and technological fields such as basic biochemistry, biomarker discovery, diagnostic technology, biostatistics, clinical trial design and execution, targeted therapeutic development, epidemiology, and healthcare economics. The prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases is his primary focus. As the founder and CEO of Prodrome Sciences Inc., his primary responsibility is to build a next-generation team of dedicated researchers and other professionals and to work with and continue to grow his team such that Prodrome Sciences Inc. can reach its ultimate goal of saving lives and improving quality of life by implementing our targeted strategy of disease prevention through prodrome detection and treatment. On This Episode We Discuss: Dementia vs Alzhiemer’s disease APOE gene’s role in Alzheimer’s disease Methods to counteract APOE status Correlation between plasmalogens and dementia Plasmalogen’s blood vs brain levels ProdromeNeuro for Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease How do you keep research articles organized? We have struggled with this for years, but have finally found a solution that is simple and easy. It’s called Paperpile! It radically simplifies the workflow of collecting, managing and writing papers. Paperpile allows you to highlight and annotate papers, manage references, share and collaborate and even cite directly in Google Docs and Microsoft Word. Paperpile’s new mobile apps allows you to sync your library to all your devices so you can read and annotate on your iPad, iPhone, or Android device. Start your free 30 day trial today at paperpile.com with promo code “DNATODAY”. Paperpile costs only $36 per year, but with code “DNATODAY” you save 20%! Enter to win one of 10 copies of Dr. Goodenowe’s book, Breaking Alzheimer’s, in our social media giveaway. Visit our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and our host’s LinkedIn to enter. Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on August 20, 2021 with BioVaxys discussing hapentized vaccines! New episodes are released on the first and third Friday of the month. In the meantime, you can binge over 150 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes in 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel. See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNApodcast.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com. Intrigued about genetics? Of course you are, you listen to this podcast! Which is why I think you will be interested in an upcoming webinar on August 11th. In this 3 hour virtual workshop a wide variety of genetic counseling topics will be explored including prenatal genetic counseling (presented by me, Kira Dineen), precision medicine, overview of common genetic conditions, and more! Join us in this collaborative worldwide workshop next week on August 11th! Register here!

It’s time to defend our title as the Best 2020 Science and Medicine Podcast! The Podcast Awards Nominations are open! So we need you listeners to get DNA Today nominated at podcastawards.com. We were against very popular podcasts last year, and because of your support we won. To win again, we need all of you to nominate DNA Today in the Science & Medicine category at podcastawards.com by July 31st. If you share your nomination on social media and tag us, we will repost it and give you a shoutout on show! Thank you so much for all your support, let’s win this together! Joining our host, Kira Dineen, this week is Janice L. Berliner. She is the Director of the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling Program at Bay Path University and the Author of Brooke's Promise, a novel that follows a family through their journey and struggles as their love is pushed to the test while learning to live with their daughter’s disease. Janice has been a genetic counselor for more than 29 years, having earned her MS in Human Genetics/Genetic Counseling from the University of Michigan becoming board-certified in 1993. She has served on the boards of directors of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC), and chaired the 2008 NSGC Annual Education Conference. She has also had the opportunity to be part of the hands-on training of a sizable number of genetic counseling graduate students, has served as the Editor-in-Chief of the NSGC quarterly newsletter, on the editorial board of the Journal of Genetic Counseling, and several committees of the NSGC and AGCPD (Association of Genetic Counseling Program Directors). Her second genetics novel is in the works. Did you know there is a genetic counselor that specializes in offering care to those in the adoptee community? Brianne Kirkpatrick co-wrote “The DNA Guide for Adoptees” to provide a resource for those in the adoptee community who are utilizing DNA testing to find biological relatives or to seek out medical information. She also started Watershed DNA to offer personalized genetic counseling to directly support people in the aftermath of a surprise DNA discovery. You can hear Brianne share her insight from her book in episode 103 of DNA Today! Learn more at WatershedDNA.com where you can also book your consultation today with Brianne. On This Episode We Discuss: The inspiration behind Brooke’s Promise Fertility genetic counselors Failure to thrive in newborns Pompe disease Interpreting carrier screening results Resources for parents of babies with genetic disorders Preparing for a career in genetic counseling? Check out Keck Graduate Institute in Claremont, California! At KGI, you will gain the training and development to become an innovative, collaborative, and caring genetic counselor. KGI prepares graduates to be leaders among healthcare professionals dedicated to the delivery of advanced personally-optimized patient care and the translation of applied and clinical science breakthroughs to enhance the quality of life. So if you want to be a genetic counselor, check out KGI at kgi.edu/dnatoday. Want to read Brooke’s Promise? Enter our giveaway to win your own copy! Head over to our Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts to enter our giveaway to win one of five free copies. To learn more about Janice and Brooke’s Promise, visit her ​​website, or check her out on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on August 6th, 2021 with Dr. Dayan Goodenowe about the genetics of dementia! New episodes are released on the first and third Friday of the month. In the meantime, you can binge over 150 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Brand new in 2021, episodes are now also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel. See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNApodcast.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com. The practice of genomic counselling and variant interpretation is advancing at an incredible pace. The University of British Columbia offers an online, flexible graduate certificate for genetic professionals who want to keep up. You will learn to apply the latest methods in clinical bioinformatics, variant interpretation, and genomic counselling. It’s an ideal way to earn CEUs while enhancing your genetic counselling practice. Learn more and register on their website.

COVID-19 variant genotyping is explored with the Director of the UC Davis Genome Center and Healthy Davis Together project.

This marks the 150th episode of DNA Today! Our guests to celebrate this landmark episode of DNA Today are Dr. Euan Ashley, a medical geneticist and cardiologist. And Dr. Stephen Quake, a physics professor, bioengineer and pioneer in microfluidics. A Scotland native, Dr. Euan Ashley graduated with degrees in Physiology and Medicine from the University of Glasgow. He completed medical residency and a PhD in molecular physiology at the University of Oxford before moving to Stanford University where he trained in cardiology and advanced heart failure, joining the faculty in 2006. In 2010, he led the team that carried out the first clinical interpretation of a human genome. The paper published in the Lancet was the focus of over 300 news stories, and became one of the most cited articles in clinical medicine that year. The team extended the approach in 2011 to a family of four and now routinely applies genome sequencing to the diagnosis of patients at Stanford hospital where Dr. Ashley directs the Clinical Genome Service and the Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease. In 2014, Dr Ashley became co-chair of the steering committee of the NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Network. Stephen Quake is a professor of bioengineering and applied physics at Stanford University and is co-President of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub. He holds a B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Mathematics from Stanford University and a doctorate in Theoretical Physics from the University of Oxford. Dr. Quake has invented many measurement tools for biology, including new DNA sequencing technologies that have enabled rapid analysis of the human genome and microfluidic automation that allows scientists to efficiently isolate individual cells and decipher their genetic code. Dr. Quake is also well known for inventing new diagnostic tools, including the first non-invasive prenatal test for Down syndrome and other aneuploidies. His test is rapidly replacing risky invasive approaches such as amniocentesis, and millions of women each year now benefit from this approach. He was also the fifth person in the world to have their genome sequences and his genome was the subject of clinical annotation by a large team at Stanford Hospital led by Dr. Ashley. On This Episode We Discuss: The first clinical interpretation of a human genome Genome sequencing technologies The cost of sequencing a genome Understanding the genomic code The future of precision medicine Dr. Ashley’s book, The Genome Odyssey Want to read the Genome Odyssey? Enter to win your own copy! Head over to our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to enter to win a free book! Be sure to follow Dr. Ashley and Dr. Quake on Twitter! How do you keep research articles organized? We have struggled with this for years, but have finally found a solution that is simple and easy. It’s called Paperpile! It radically simplifies the workflow of collecting, managing and writing papers. Paperpile allows you to highlight and annotate papers, manage references, share and collaborate and even cite directly in Google Docs and Microsoft Word. Paperpile’s new mobile apps allows you to sync your library to all your devices so you can read and annotate on your iPad, iPhone, or Android device. Start your free 30 day trial today at paperpile.com with promo code “DNATODAY”. Paperpile costs only $36 per year, but with code “DNATODAY” you save 20%! Want to become a genetic counselor? Looking for ways to engage with the field and boost your resume for grad school applications? Then you should check out Sarah Lawrence’s “Why Genetic Counseling Wednesday Summer Series”! Every Wednesday this June Sarah Lawrence is hosting this series where you can interact through Zoom with genetic counselors from different specialties for an hour and a half. You can sign up at SLC.edu/DNAtoday to register to level up your resume for applications in the fall. Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on July 2nd, 2021! We’ll be joined by Dr. Richard Michelmore and Dr. Brad Pollock who will be discussing COVID-19 variants. New episodes are released on the first and third Friday of the month. In the meantime, you can binge over 150 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. All episodes in 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel. See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNApodcast.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.

Sponsoring this cystic fibrosis series is Picture Genetics, a unique DNA testing service, with tests designed for every stage of life -- including family planning. With a Picture Parenting carrier test, you can uncover genetic conditions that may be passed on to your kids such as cystic fibrosis. Unlike other companies, this is a clinical grade test where physicians and genetic counselors are involved. It’s easy to order and understand with good looking reports! To order your Picture Genetics test, go to picturegenetics.com and use code “DNATODAY” for 25% off and free-shipping! Get actionable genetic insights today to benefit your family of tomorrow. On the third and final episode of our cystic fibrosis podcast series, our host Kira Dineen is joined by Gunnar Esiason who shares about his experience as a patient with CF. Gunnar is a cystic fibrosis and rare disease patient leader, who is passionate about early stage drug development, patient empowerment and health policy. He is a second-year MBA student at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He is also working towards a Master of Public Health degree at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. His first year course work included a First-Year Project with a health insurance start-up. Prior to Tuck, Gunnar received a BA form Boston College in 2013, worked on an enteral feeding product at a medical nutrition company, and was appointed to the board of directors at the Boomer Esiason Foundation. Gunnar maintains the roles of patient advocate and director of patient outreach at the Boomer Esiason Foundation, named after his NFL quarterback father. He has consulted on clinical trial development, a real world evidence population health study, and a cystic fibrosis-specific mental health and wellness screening tool. On This Episode We Discuss: Gunnar’s diagnosis and journey with CF The anatomy of a CF care team CF awareness and treatments around the world Balancing CF with school, work, and relationships How COVID-19 had affected CF patients Connecting and interacting with people in the CF community You can learn more about Gunnar and his story on his website and check out this article reflecting back on Gunnar and Boomer Esiason’s Sports Illustrated cover. Be sure to follow Gunnar on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Don’t forget to enter our cystic fibrosis giveaway of the book, “Breath From Salt”. The author, Bijal P. Trivedi, was on our first episode of the cystic fibrosis podcast series. Head over to our Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook to enter to win a free copy! Stay tuned for the 150th DNA Today on June 18th! New episodes are released on the first and third Friday of the month. In the meantime, you can binge over 150 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Brand new in 2021, episodes are now also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel. See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNApodcast.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.

Get a shoutout on the podcast by nominating DNA Today for the Quill Podcast Awards for the “Best Health Podcast”. Share your nomination on social media and tag us. In return, we will thank you personally on the show, you can also comment on our posts on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Nominate in this form! Sponsoring this series is Picture Genetics, a unique DNA testing service, with tests designed for every stage of life -- including family planning. With a Picture Parenting carrier test, you can uncover genetic conditions that may be passed on to your kids such as cystic fibrosis. Unlike other companies, this is a clinical grade test where physicians and genetic counselors are involved. It’s easy to order and understand with good looking reports! To order your Picture Genetics test, go to picturegenetics.com and use code “DNATODAY”for 25% off and free-shipping! Get actionable genetic insights today to benefit your family of tomorrow. To continue our cystic fibrosis podcast series, Dr. Shuling Guo joins our host Kira Dineen, to discuss drug discovery efforts in cystic fibrosis. She is the VP of Antisense Drug Discovery at Ionis Pharmaceuticals – the leader in RNA-targeted drug discovery and development. Shuling is an Ionis veteran of over a dozen years (first and only industry job). Shuling received her Ph.D. in Molecular Cancer Biology from Duke University and had her postdoctoral training at HHMI/UCLA. At Ionis, Dr. Guo oversees drug discovery efforts in hematological, metabolic, ocular, pulmonary and renal disease areas as well as research efforts in noncoding RNA field; managing activities from target identification and target validation to the selection of human development candidate. In addition, she is involved in clinical development of antisense therapies. Her achievements include leading the research efforts for transthyretin (familial amyloid polyneuropathy, completed phase 3 clinical trial & under NDA), TMPRSS6 (beta-thalassemia and hereditary hemochromatosis, phase 1 clinical trial), and ENaC (cystic fibrosis, preclinical development). Want to become a genetic counselor? Looking for ways to engage with the field and boost your resume for grad school applications? Then you should check out Sarah Lawrence’s “Why Genetic Counseling Wednesday Summer Series”! Every Wednesday this June Sarah Lawrence is hosting this series where you can interact through Zoom with genetic counselors from different specialties for an hour and a half. It kicks off on June 2nd! Register today on Sarah Lawrence’s website to level up your resume for applications in the fall. On This Episode We Discuss: Defining cystic fibrosis (CF) How CFTR protein functions in the lung, difference in lung of CF patients Current drugs on the market for CF Research and development on a drug through Ionis Antisense medicine and how it works in the body Other respiratory diseases that could benefit from this treatment The timeline for FDA-approval and commercial availability of this drug For more information about Ionis’ new cystic fibrosis drug development (IONIS-ENAC-2.5Rx), check out their press release here. You can learn more about Ionis on their website and follow Dr. Shuling Guo on LinkedIn. Don’t forget to enter our cystic fibrosis giveaway of the book, “Breath From Salt”. The author, Bijal P. Trivedi, was on our first episode of the cystic fibrosis podcast series. Head over to our Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook to enter to win a free copy! Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on June 4th, 2021! We will be joined by Gunnar Esiason, patient advocate, for the third and final episode of our CF series! New episodes are released on the first and third Friday of the month. In the meantime, you can binge over 150 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Brand new in 2021, episodes are now also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel. See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNApodcast.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.

This episode launches DNA Today’s Cystic Fibrosis Podcast Series! Over the next three episodes of the podcast we will be exploring cystic fibrosis’ history, patient experience and ongoing drug development. Sponsoring this series is Picture Genetics, a unique DNA testing service, with tests designed for every stage of life -- including family planning. With a Picture Parenting carrier test, you can uncover genetic conditions that may be passed on to your kids such as cystic fibrosis. Unlike other companies, this is a clinical grade test where physicians and genetic counselors are involved. It’s easy to order and understand with good looking reports! To order your Picture Genetics test, go to picturegenetics.com and use code “DNATODAY” for 25% off and free-shipping! Get actionable genetic insights today to benefit your family of tomorrow. To kick off this series our host Kira Dineen is joined by Bijal P. Trivedi, an award-winning journalist specializing in longform narrative features about biology, medicine, and health. She is the Senior Science Editor at National Geographic. Trivedi has just completed her first book, Breath from Salt: A Deadly Genetic Disease, a New Era in Science, and the Patients and Families Who Changed Medicine Forever. Bill Gates reviewed Breath from Salt on his blog and recommended it as one of the top five books for 2020. The book was also on the Longlist for the 2021 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. ​ Trivedi’s writing has been featured in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2012, National Geographic, Scientific American, Wired, Science, Nature, The Economist, Discover, and New Scientist. Her work has taken her from the Mexico-Guatemala border where she covered the use of genetically modified mosquitoes for fighting the dengue virus to the behind the scenes at Massachusetts General Hospital where she watched trauma surgeons test hypothermia to save pigs with life-threatening injuries to Moscow’s Star City where she blasted off with space tourism entrepreneurs on the “Vomit Comet” for astronaut training. She also edited the NIH Director’s Blog and, prior to that, helped launch the National Geographic News Service in partnership with the New York Times Syndicate, which she wrote for and edited. Her undergraduate fascination with biochemistry and molecular biology at Oberlin College compelled her to pursue a master’s degree in molecular/ cell/developmental biology at UCLA. Her love of writing drew her to journalism rather than to a lab bench—and to a second master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. ​ Trivedi has focused on long-form feature stories on complex scientific topics from genetic testing and art authentication to the carbon footprint of our diet and genetically modified mosquitoes. Her New Scientist story “Slimming for Slackers” won the 2006 Wistar Institute Science Journalism Award. “Life on Hold,” also written for New Scientist, won the 2005-2006 Michael E. DeBakey Journalism Award. “The Rembrandt Code,” published in Wired, was tagged “Outstanding story on any subject: Print” by the South Asian Journalists Association. Trivedi co-authored “A Guide To Your Genome” that won the 2009 National Institutes of Health “Gold” Plain Language Award. Most recently, her feature “The Wipeout Gene” was selected for The Best American Science and Nature Writing: 2012. Trivedi taught in New York University’s graduate Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program from 2007-2012. On This Episode We Discuss: Overview of cystic fibrosis Major cystic fibrosis medical advances and “firsts in medicine” Revolutionary techniques utilized to find the cystic fibrosis gene, CFTR Original gene therapy trials obstacles Two types of CFTR genetic mutations and the effects on the protein Genetic registry to speed up clinical trials Drug research and development to treat cystic fibrosis Venture philanthropy to innovatively fund pharmaceutical research and development Want to read Breath From Salt? Enter our giveaway to win your own copy! Head over to our Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Stay tuned for the next installment of DNA Today’s Cystic Fibrosis Podcast Series on May 21st! New episodes are released on the first and third Friday of the month. In the meantime, you can binge over 145 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Brand new in 2021, episodes are now also produced with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel. See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNApodcast.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.

DNA Day and Match Day (for genetic counseling grad programs) are only one week away! To celebrate we have two exciting announcements. Announcement #1 Our host Kira Dineen will be live on Instagram with Dena DNA on Saturday April 24th, 2021 at 12pmPT/3pmET to celebrate both genetic holidays. Come with your genetics questions including genetic counseling graduate school questions! Head over to our Instagram for more info (@DNAradio), and maybe a giveaway… Announcement #2 We teamed up with Jackson Laboratories and Million Women Mentors CT to create a resource guide to help students and teachers learn about the importance of genetics in our everyday lives. The guide includes genetics lessons with worksheets to help engage students in genetics. It will be available on Monday April 19th (at DNApodcast.com under the “Resources” tab) in anticipation for DNA Today on April 25th. Join our celebrations on social media using #CTDNADay! DNA Day Podcast Recommendation: Stream Episode 46 of DNA Today that celebrates DNA Day including the history of the day, activities, and careers in genetics. Our guest on this episode is Jo Bhakdi, the founder and CEO of Quantgene. His work in machine learning, sequencing technology, and DNA extraction procedures defines the cutting edge of genomic diagnostics, early disease detection, and precision medicine. Prior to Quantgene, Jo founded i2X, an investment framework that composes low-risk Venture Capital portfolios across large numbers of technology startups. The i2X platform laid important foundations for advanced analytics in both financial and biotechnology applications, such as the Quantgene machine learning platform. Bhakdi holds a Masters in Economics and Psychology from Tubingen University, one of Germany’s leading academic institutions, with a focus on financial theory and statistics. He kicked off his career at WPP and Omnicom, where he held Strategy and Executive Director positions. On This Episode We Discuss: Overview of whole exome sequencing (WES) Technology for WES Whole exome sequencing (WES) vs whole genome sequencing (WGS) vs gene panels When to order WES Disorders diagnosed through WES Turn around time for WES results US insurance coverage and cost of WES Limitations of WES Future of WES, possibly replacing newborn screening or whole genome sequencing Learn more about whole exome sequencing here. You can check out Quantgene through their website. Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on May 7th, which launches our Cystic Fibrosis Series in honor of May being the awareness month. New episodes are released on the first and third Friday of the month. In the meantime, you can binge over 145 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Brand new in 2021, episodes are now also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel. See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNApodcast.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.

Greenwood Genetics Center’s Ray Louie and Kellie Walden join the show to discuss epigenetics. Dr. Ray Louie is an Assistant Director in Greenwood’s Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory. His background is in large scale genetic screening in model organisms and in solid tumor genetics and radiobiology. Dr. Louie is interested in the diagnosis of Mendelian disorders and in the identification of novel genes involved in neurodevelopmental delay and hydrops fetalis. Kellie Walden is Greenwood’s Director of Diagnostic Development and a genetic counselor by training. She oversees areas of growth for the labs including new test offerings and industry contracts. She also continues to be involved in marketing activities for the Diagnostic Lab. Kellie is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors. EpiSign is the first clinical assay validated to detect unique epigenetic signatures and methylation abnormalities for recognized genetic conditions. Right now, EpiSign tests for over 40 conditions that have signatures. Version 3 will be launching in the spring with even more conditions! This test was developed by London Health Sciences Centre in Ontario, and our lab at the Greenwood Genetic Center performs the bench work and the data is analyzed by the team in Canada. The National Human Genome Research Institute named EpiSign one of the 10 most significant advances in genomic medicine in 2019! On This Episode We Discuss: Defining epigenetics Epigenetic disorders (Prader–Willi, Angelman, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome) Testing for epigenetic conditions through EpiSign Indications to order epigenetic testing Variant of Uncertain Significance (VUS) clarification with EpiSign Current research on epigenetic conditions New versions of EpiSign Calculating biological age with epigenetics Learn more about Greenwood Genetic Center’s EpiSign here. You can also check out their incredibly popular genetic counseling visual aids. Enter our giveaway on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to win a pair of bluetooth, noise canceling headphones from Greenwood. Giveaway ends on April 11th. Ray and Kellie showcased how complex pediatric genetics can be, so it’s understandable that people are often confused about the role genetics play in health conditions. The genetic counselors over at Advanced Tele-Genetic Counseling (ATGC) specialize in areas of genetics like pediatrics. So if you find yourself having questions about your own genetics, or want to know more about adding the expertise of AT-GC’s certified genetic counselors to help support your own practice, reach at AT-GC.com. You can also hear Elizabeth Turner on Episode #143 where she shares more about telehealth and what ATGC has to offer. Stay tuned for the next episode of DNA Today on April 16th, which explores whole exome sequencing with QuantGene’s Jo Bhakdi! New episodes are released on the first and third Friday of the month. In the meantime, you can binge over 140 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Brand new in 2021, episodes are now also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel. See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNApodcast.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.