Episodes
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...
Published 04/25/24
Published 04/25/24
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...
Published 04/18/24
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 are likely familiar with Dr. Veera’s annual round-up episodes. This year, we are excited to announce quarterly episodes with Dr. Veera, where he and Patrick walk you through the latest developments in genetics, drug discovery, and precision medicine throughout...
Published 04/11/24
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!
Published 04/04/24
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...
Published 03/28/24
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...
Published 03/21/24
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.
Published 03/14/24
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...
Published 03/07/24
On Rare Disease Day, we’re joined by John Matthews, Chief Medical Officer at ReCode Therapeutics. John and Patrick discuss how ReCode is using lipid nanoparticle technologies to revolutionise delivery of novel mRNA and gene correction therapies to Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) and cystic fibrosis patients. Listen in to find out how ReCode and Sano are collaborating to offer eligible patients free genetic testing to better understand the mechanisms behind DNAI1-related PCD, and much more....
Published 02/29/24
This week we’re joined by Holly Peay, Senior Research Scientist in Bioethics and Genetic Counseling at the Research Triangle Institute (RTI), and Director of the pioneering Early Check Study. Holly and Patrick discuss the Early Check programme, which is offering whole genome screening to newborns and has successfully screened 1,100 babies to date. They talk about the ethical challenges raised by comprehensive newborn screening, the intersection of bioethics, genetics, and genomics, and how...
Published 02/22/24
This week, we deep-dive into the world of genome engineering and yeast organisms with Leslie Mitchell. She’s the Co-founder and CEO of Neochromosome, a synthetic biology company specialising in whole chromosome delivery and highly automated synthesis of complex DNA. Leslie, one of the minds behind the trailblazing Synthetic Yeast Genome Project, discusses the technology behind synthetic chromosome engineering, describes its potential applications, and addresses the challenges of scalability....
Published 02/15/24
Welcome to this episode of The Genetics Podcast as we host Dr. Michael Benatar, a preeminent figure in the fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Michael is a Professor of Neurology, the Chief of the Neuromuscular Division, and the Executive Director of the ALS Center at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. Tune in as he and Patrick discuss research and treatment for presymptomatic gene carriers and other people at risk for ALS, as well as the future of ALS research.
Published 02/08/24
In this episode, we welcome Dr. Nicole Paulk, CEO and Founder of Siren Biotechnology and former professor at University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Paulk's journey from academia to the forefront of industry innovation offers a unique perspective into gene therapy and adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). Join us as we explore the futuristic applications of gene editing!
Published 02/01/24
This week we’re joined by the Director of the Neuroscience Data Science: Discovery & Molecular Group at Johnson and Johnson, and Chair of the UKBiobank Pharma Proteomics Project (UKB-PPP), Chris Whelan. Chris helps lead the UKB-PPP, a project which aims to revolutionise biomarker discovery through tying together genetic and proteomic data and which has so far gathered more than 50k biological samples. Tune in as Patrick and he discuss how proteomics could change the future of drug...
Published 01/25/24
Join Patrick as he welcomes Dr. Matt Nelson, an influential voice in the field of genetics and drug development. Matt is currently the Vice President of Genetics and Genomics at Deerfield Discovery, as well as the CEO of Genscience. Prior to his current roles, Matt spent 15 years at GlaskoSmithKline (GSK) as a Principal Scientific Investigator and the Head of Genetics. Tune in for an interesting discussion on how genetic data has shaped drug discovery and development over the past decade, and...
Published 01/18/24
In this episode we welcome Dr. Wendy Chung, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital and Professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr Chung has dedicated much of her career to uncovering the role of genetics in both rare and common diseases, and translating these findings into healthcare. Beyond her incredible science, Wendy has helped shape policy frameworks that govern the world of genetic medicine, and is now leading the pioneering GUARDIAN Study which has provided...
Published 01/11/24
Join us for our first episode of 2024 as we welcome Dr. Alex Bick, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Genetic Medicine at Vanderbilt University. In this episode, we will explore the impact of clonal hematopoiesis on cancer and cardiovascular health, examine the integration of genomics in healthcare and preventative medicine, and discuss a recent finding from the Million Veterans Program of a modifier variant in APOL1 kidney disease.
Published 01/04/24
In the second instalment of our annual round-up episode, we welcome back Dr. Veera Rajagopal to cover the biggest stories in genetics and precision medicine of the last 12 months.
Published 12/27/23
In this annual round-up episode, we welcome back Dr. Veera Rajagopal to cover some of the biggest stories in genetics and precision medicine from 2023! Veera is a scientist at Regeneron with an interest in human genetics and drug target discovery in neuroscience and psychiatry. He is a prolific writer as well, both on his substack, GWAS Stories, and on twitter, @doctorveera. Join us as Patrick and Veera cover the highlights of 2023, from Veera’s personal achievements to the approval of...
Published 12/21/23
In this episode of The Genetics Podcast, we welcome Dr. Jason, founder and CEO of Empress Therapeutics, a Flagship Pioneering company.
Published 12/07/23
This week on The Genetics Podcast Patrick is joined by David Ochoa, Platform Coordinator at Open Targets. They discuss how the Open Targets platform is enabling game-changing collaboration between academic research and big pharma. Working with partners including Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech and Pfizer, Open Targets powers collaboration between some of the world’s biggest drug development pioneers and most renowned academic institutions with the goal of accelerating...
Published 11/23/23
In this episode of The Genetics Podcast, we welcome Dr. James Field, founder and CEO of LabGenius. Join us as we delve into LabGenius' cutting-edge approach that utilises machine learning, artificial intelligence, and sophisticated robotics to advance antibody discovery and drug development. As a bonus, learn about James’ path from scientist to CEO, and how he created LabGenius.
Published 11/09/23
On this episode of The Genetics Podcast we welcome Dr. Barbara Kraatz Fortini, Associate Professor of Genetics at Keck Graduate Institute (KGI). Tune in to learn about Barbara's research on non-coding variants in colorectal cancer and the interplay between genetics and the environment on lifetime cancer risk. As the Program Director for the MS in Human Genetics and Genomic Data Analytics at KGI, Barbara also shares her insights in genomics education for future scientists, physicians,...
Published 10/26/23
This week, we’re re-sharing one of our favorite episodes from the early days of The Genetics Podcast - one that many newer listeners may not have heard! Tune in as Professor Sir Rory Collins, Founder and Chief Executive of the UK Biobank, talks to us about the origins and evolution of this world-changing project that has catalysed a wave of new discoveries by levelling the playing field in data access. In this inspiring conversation, Professor Sir Rory Collins describes the ‘’If you build...
Published 10/12/23