DNA Today: A Genetics Podcast

Shenela Lakhani is the Director of Genetic Counseling and Clinical Engagement for the Center of Neurogenetics at Weill Cornell Medical College, in New York City. In this role she studies the genetics of neurodevelopmental disorders and neurological disease of aging and adulthood. Before this role, she was the first certified genetic counselor in Qatar, a country in the Middle East. Shenela established the profession in the country and promoted genetics within the Middle East by speaking at international conferences. In Qatar she helped to establish high-risk breast cancer screening guidelines and a high-risk gastrointestinal clinic while contributing to local testing and screening guidelines. On this episode we explore what it was like to be the first certified genetic counselor in a country and how she was able to start the profession there and make an impact in public health in Qatar. On This Episode We Discuss: Inspiration and Motivation to Move Across the World Challenges of Starting Genetic Counseling in A New Country Common Genetic Disorders in Qatar Genetic Stigma and Public Perspective of Healthcare Genetic Carrier and Newborn Testing in Qatar Adaptations to Counseling in A Different Country Learn more about Shenela Lakhani on her LinkedIn Profile and Weill Cornell’s Center for Neurogenetics website. Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on October 24th, 2019. In this special installment my peers Ale Cantu and Catherine Mayo join me to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the genetics film Gattaca by discussing its relevance today in the field. New episodes are released on the first and third Fridays of the month. See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and iTunes. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.

On this episode Dr. Becky Winslow, a Doctor of Clinical Pharmacy, shares her insight about pharmacogenomics. She is a Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium Member, a Registered Pharmacogenomics Education Provider and a pharmacogenomics implementation specialist as the owner of inGENEious RX, LLC. On This Episode We Discuss: Pharmacogenomics vs Pharmacogenetics Current Understanding of Pharmacogenomics Testing Available General Population Testing Areas of Healthcare Ultized Precision Medicine Approach to Prescriptions Mental Health, Cancer etc. Roadblock to Widespread Use Physicians Ability to Translate Test Results Genetic Counselors Potential Role Future of Pharmacogenomics Check out the first truly anonymous direct to consumer genetic testing company, Secret Sequence. The founders joined me on episode 105 to share about the company and what they offer consumers. For $25 off two or more DNA kits use promo code, “DNAToday” at secretsequence.com. See what else they are up to on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Have questions for them? Give them a ring at 833-Secret3. Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today. New episodes are released on the first Friday of the month with some bonus episode thrown in there. See what else I am up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and iTunes. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.

The genetic podcast crossover series continues with Grey Genetics’ Patient Stories! Host Eleanor Griffith returns as a guest to offer listeners a peek inside her genetic counseling company behind the podcast. Eleanor Griffith is a board certified genetic counselor and the founder of Grey Genetics, a genetic counseling and consulting company. Her clinical experience includes both prenatal and cancer genetics, in both public and private academic hospital settings. She is a member of the Admissions Committee for The Joan H. Marks Graduate Program in Human Genetics at Sarah Lawrence College and a Course Instructor at Sarah Lawrence where she also received her master’s. Eleanor’s previous appearance was on episode 71 of the show back in 2017. She shared her insight on how to have a competitive genetic counseling graduate school application. There are also 2 other episodes of this show (87 and 97) where myself and a panel of other grad school students discuss the application process including the match system, which was brand new for my class. On This Episode We Discuss: Grey Genetics’ Genetic Counseling Services Genetic Counseling Specialities Offered Process from the Patient Perspective. Requirements, Insurance, Self-Pay Genetic Counselor State Licensure for Telehealth Be sure to check out Grey Genetics’ podcast, Patient Stories. Stay updated on Twitter and Instagram. Meet the Grey Genetics network! Learn more about Grey Genetics in this Medium piece. Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today. New episodes are released on the first and third Fridays of the month. See what else I am up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and iTunes. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.

This episode launches a new series within the show: crossover episodes! I’m teaming up with other genetics podcast to invite hosts of other shows to join me on DNA Today and sometimes I’ll be a guest on their show as well. Kicking off this new series is Dr. Patrick Short, the CEO of Sano Genetics. He is experienced in genomics research with a focus on large-scale genome sequencing projects and rare disorders. Previously he was at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and the University of Cambridge in England. We explore current understandings of genetics of autism and Sano Genetics’s studies. On This Episode We Discuss: Sano Genetics’ for Patients, Consumers and Researchers Eligible Participants For Sano Genetics' Studies Underlying Autism and Mathematical Ability Current Understanding of Autism Genetics Genetic Testing for Autism University of Cambridge’s Autism Research Studies Largest Study of Psychological Sex Differences and Autistic Traits This episode is one part of our conversation, to hear the other half of our conversation check out their podcast, “The Genetics Podcast”. On that episode, Dr. Patrick Short interviews me about genetic counseling and cytogenetics. Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today next week on Friday September 6th. New episodes are released on the first Friday of the month with some bonus episode thrown in there, like this one! See what else I am up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and iTunes. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com. This summer I was interviewed on a few podcasts including In EyeSight talking about impact social media’s impact on the rare diseases community and on Dr. Mara Karpel’s Your Golden Years sharing about genetic counseling and testing.

This episode launches Secret Sequence as the new sponsor for the show! Joining me on the episode are the founding team of Secret Sequence, Jason Corbiere and Austin Maier. On This Episode We Discuss Genetic Privacy: - Secret Sequence’s Genetic Testing Kits - Data Security of Genetic Tests - Major Data Breaches - GEDmatch’s Role in Identifying the Golden State Killer - Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) - Data Privacy Responsibility of Genetic Testing Companies (DTC and medical grade) - Continued Explosion of Direct To Consumer Genetic Testing (100 million consumers by 2021) - Kira’s Experience with Secret Sequence Genetic Testing Kits For $25 off two or more kits use promo code, “DNAToday” at secretsequence.com. See what else they are up to on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Have questions for them? Give them a ring at 833-Secret3. Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today or go back and listen to over 100 other episodes! New episodes are released on the first Friday of the month with some bonus episode thrown in there. See what else I am up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and iTunes. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.

Listeners, I have a big favor to ask from all of you. The Podcast Award nomination season has begun! It’s a people’s choice type of award. In order to be in the running I need listeners like you to nominate the show. DNA Today was nominated back in 2015 and 2016. It would be such an honor to be nominated again. In order to be in the running though, I need 2 minutes of your time. It’s very simple… Go to PodcastAwards.com and enter “DNA Today” for the Science and Medicine category. That’s it! Now this closes July 31st, 2019. Don’t forget, if you can please go nominate the show if you enjoy listening! It really helps to increase visibility so other people can also benefit from learning through the show. Thanks in advance! I really appreciate the support for the show. The Camden Opioid Research Initiative has a three pronged approach as outlined below. 1) A biobank for blood and brain samples taken from people who have died from overdose as well as family members who are interested in donating. 2) A prospective clinical study of chronic pain patients to determine the interplay between genetic and biological risk factors for opioid addiction. 3) A clinical study of people currently being treated for opioid addiction to investigate what treatments work best for different genetic makeups. Three scientists from the project join me: Dr. Stefan Zajic, the scientific lead on the project. Dr. Kaitlan Baston, the director of Addiction Medicine at Cooper University Health Care. Dr. Russ Buono, a Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. On This Episode We Discuss: -Types of Genetic Testing for Opioid Susceptibility -Non-Genetic Factors to Opioid Dependence -Brain Biobank of Opioid User Tissues -Brain Differences of Opioid Users -Potential Uses of Opioid Genetic Research Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today. New episodes are released on the first Friday of the month. With a few bonus episodes here and there. See what else I am up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and iTunes. Questions/inquiries can be sent to Kira Dineen at info@DNApodcast.com.

On This Episode We Discuss: Services WatershedDNA Offers Motivation Behind Writing “The DNA Guide for Adoptees” Differences in Genealogical Research for Adoptees Compared to General Population Preparing to Meet New Biological Family Members Advice for DNA Testing Adoptee Related Searches DNA Testing for Children/Minors to Find Biological Relatives Insight for Adoptee’s Seeking Medical Information via DNA Testing Non-DNA Methods to Search for Lost Biological Relatives My Heritage’s DNA Quest Project for Adoptees Listen to episode #80 with My Heritage’s Rafi Mendelsohn to learn more. Since recording this project has expanded to offer more free kits! Resources for the Adoptee/Donor Community Facebook Groups: DNA Detectives and Adoption Search and Reunion AdopteeRightsLaw.com Look out for our “The DNA Guide For Adoptees” book giveaway in the next couple days on social media (links below)! Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today. New episodes are released on the first Friday of the month. See what else I am up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and iTunes. Questions/inquiries can be sent to Kira Dineen at info@DNApodcast.com.

Seth Rotberg, a rare disease patient advocate and motivational speaker, joins the show to share his perspective on Huntington Disease (HD). From 2011 – 2015, Seth served on the boards for the HDSA National Youth Alliance (NYA) and HDSA Massachusetts Chapter to continue his efforts in the HD community. He became the President of the HDSA NYA in 2012 and HDSA Massachusetts Chapter in 2013, where he led a group of dedicated volunteers to plan and execute fundraising and educational events. Seth is still an active member of the Huntington Disease community and currently sits on the Board of Trustees for the Huntington’s Disease Youth Organization (HDYO). As a member of the working board, he connects young people to the proper social, emotional, and educational resources needed when coping with HD. His hope is to be a mentor for young people who face adversity by sharing how taking control of his HD journey has given him opportunity, fulfillment, and hope. On This Episode We Discuss: -How Huntington Disease Affects the Body and Mind -Seth’s Journey with Huntington Disease -Seth’s Family’ History and Experience with Huntington Disease -Genetic Testing Process and Seth’s Advice -Importance of a Support System -Inspiration Behind Seth Becoming a Patient Advocate To read and hear more from Seth check out his website, follow him on Twitter, watch his TED Talk and listen to his own podcast, Rare Unplugged. Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today. New episodes are released on the first Friday of the month. See what else I am up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and iTunes. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.

Happy Genetic Counseling Match Day! Today we are celebrating the genetic counseling graduate program match day by discussing how to prepare and what to expect during the first year. We also provide advice for applicants that didn’t match in this cycle and offer inspiration to apply next round. In a way this is a follow up episode from the application process discussions. If you are thinking about or planning on applying to genetic counseling grad schools check out those episodes. Episode 87 was the first part of this conversation where we discussed how to gather the experience and classes to have a competitive application. We also surveyed over 50 incoming genetic counseling students (enrolling Fall 2018) who went through the last application process, which was also the first time the Match System was used. In episode 97, the panel discussed the second portion of the application cycle: interviews, ranking, and matching. On This Episode We Discuss: Classes to Take to Fulfill Prerequisites before Enrolling Managing the Finances Loans, Financial Aid, Budgeting, and Jobs Extra Steps for International Students Healthcare, Visa, Moving Finding Housing and Roommates First Year Classes Rotations Disability and Genetic Counseling Thesis Student Mentor Program The Panel Karl Krahn is a first year genetic counseling student at Sarah Lawrence College. He earned his BS in Biology from the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada at the end of 2017. During his undergraduate career, Karl performed research in bioethics at UFV and research on food systems in Nairobi, Kenya at Aga Khan University. He volunteered at a genetic counseling office and was a mentor for his community’s youth mentorship program. His professional interests include, oncology, variant research, and, his personal favourite, the murky waters of how athletic performance is intertwined with genetics. Maria van Noordenne is from British Columbia, Canada. She earned her BS in Psychology (with a Biology focus) and a minor in Statistics, as well as her MS in Cognition and Brain Sciences from University of Victoria in 2017. She spent time her time volunteering at a transition house crisis line and at medical genetics in Victoria General Hospital. She also worked as a crisis counselor at a youth shelter in addition to contracting research projects, including a few months in Nunavut, Canada. She is excited to be completing her first year of genetic counseling at Sarah Lawrence College. Ashlyn Enokian is a first year genetic counseling student from Brighton, Michigan. She earned her BS in Biology and a minor in Criminal Justice from Grand Valley State University in 2017. Her journey into the field of genetic counseling began with advocacy work through Crisis Text Line and Help Pregnancy Crisis Aid. She worked as a genetic counseling assistant in cancer genetics at Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital, pediatric genetics at the University of Michigan, and laboratory genetics at Progenity, Inc. Her professional interests include fertility, neurogenetics, and strategies to increase diversity in the field. She acts as a student representative of Sarah Lawrence College’s Class of 2020 and is a genetics graphic design intern at My Gene Counsel. Kira Dineen hosts DNA Today: A Genetics Podcast (and radio show), which was founded in 2012 and features over 100 episodes interviewing genetic counselors, patient advocates and other genetic experts. The show was nominated in the 2015 and 2016 Podcast Awards. She also hosts other healthcare podcasts including Advancing Dentistry and Insight Says: A Mental Health Podcast. Kira is the Communications Lead at My Gene Counsel, a digital genetic counseling company. She is also a member of National Society of Genetic Counselors’ Digital Ambassador Program (aka #NSGCGenePool). Kira received her in Bachelor's of Science degree in Diagnostic Genetic Sciences with a concentration in Cytogenetics at the University of Connecticut, and has a certification as a cytogenetic technologist. Along with Ashlyn, she is a student representation in Sarah Lawrence College’s Genetic Counseling Class of 2020. Interested in getting in contact with a current student at a specific school? Shoot us an email (info@DNApodcast.com) and we will work our networks to connect you. Don’t hesitate, we love networking with fellow future genetic counselors! Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on May 3rd, 2019 with patient advocate and motivational speaker Seth Rotberg who shares his experience with Huntington Disease in honor of awareness month. New episodes are released on the first Fridays of the month and sometimes there are bonus episodes, like this one, on other Fridays! See what else I am up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and iTunes. All questions, comments, and inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.

This show is a landmark episode, number 100! I want to sincerely thank all you listeners, new and old, for tuning in. It’s been such a fantastic experience over the last 7 years to share news and interviews with you all and learn along with you. I hope you’ve enjoyed listening to the shows as much as I have have enjoyed recording and producing them. Author Carl Zimmer joins me to discuss new and old hereditary concepts. He writes the Matter column for the New York Times and has contributed to The Atlantic, National Geographic, Time and Scientific America. He has won the Stephen Jay Gould Prize among many other honors for his journalism. Zimmer teaches science writing at Yale University. His books include Parasite Rex, Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea, Microcosm: E. coli and the New Science of Life, and his latest, She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity which we discuss on this episode. She Has Her Mother’s Laugh has been named the 2018 science book of the year by the Guardian and Amazon. It was also included in 2018 book lists on The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Review, Mental Floss, Science Friday among others. On This Episode We Discuss: Early History of our Understanding of Hereditary Ever Changing Definition of Hereditary Types of Hereditary including Vertical vs. Horizontal Percentage of Shared DNA (or lack thereof) between Relatives Human Interest in Ancestry Learn more about Carl Zimmer on his website and stay updated with his writing by following him on Twitter and Facebook. You can also check out his book, She Has Her Mother’s Laugh on Amazon as well as the book he mentioned, “The Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life” by David Quammen. If you are interested in joining a genetic counseling book club check out Book Zebras! Their April book is Resurrection Lily by Amy Byer Shainman who I interviewed back in episode 25 of the show. If you enjoy this show, you might also be interested in the other healthcare podcasts I host and produce, Advancing Dentistry Podcast and Insight Says: A Mental Health Podcast. They are both monthly podcast where I interview experts in their respective fields. Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on May 3rd, 2019. New episodes are released on the first Friday of the month. See what else I am up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and iTunes. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.