The Genetics Podcast

• EP 191: Uncovering hidden histories and health insights from the Mexican Biobank with Andres Moreno-Estrada of LANGEBIO

  This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Andres Moreno-Estrada, population geneticist and head of the Human Evolutionary Genomics Lab at LANGEBIO in Mexico. They discuss the creation and insights of the Mexican Biobank, the genetic diversity of Latin America, ancient human migration, and the role of locally-led research in shaping public health and scientific equity.Show Notes: 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast00:58 Welcome to Andres 01:56 Andres’ motivation to pursue genetics03:01 How and why Andres established the Mexican biobank with genotyping of more than 6,000 people07:25 Surprising findings on ancestry and regional similarities from the Mexican biobank09:26 Links between Indigenous ancestry, BMI, and disease-related traits12:36 Reconstructing population history from the Mexican biobank20:16 Tracing a single ancient contact between South America and Polynesia through shared Indigenous DNA21:58 Collaborative genomics efforts across Latin America and the launch of a regional Human Cell Atlas 26:39 How biobanks can inform national health decisions and why prioritization is the missing link in Mexico32:10 Public health applications of genetic data and the need for local and regional biobanks35:17 How ancient DNA reveals early cultural mixing and the deep roots of Mexico’s Day of the Dead traditions39:12 Closing remarks and a call for support and investment in locally-led science across Latin America and beyondFind out moreMoreno Lab (http://www.morenolab.org/)Please consider rating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bp2_wVNSzntTs_zuoizU8bX1dvao4jfj/view?usp=share_link

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• EP 190: Targeting regeneration to tackle Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy with Frank Gleeson of Satellos

  Summary: This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Frank Gleeson, co-founder and CEO of Satellos. They discuss Satellos’ novel approach to treating Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by targeting muscle stem cell regeneration, how this fills a critical therapeutic gap, and the promising results of their early clinical trials. They also touch on what it takes to advance drug development and secure funding in today’s biotech landscape.Show Notes: 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast01:00 Welcome to Frank and the origin story for Satellos and its focus on muscle stem cell regeneration to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)14:03 Counteracting degeneration in DMD and associated mechanisms16:08 Current therapeutic focuses in DMD, including gene therapy and exon skipping to increase expression of dystrophin24:28 Satellos’ drug development strategy, safety-first design, and early clinical findings in adults with DMD35:54 The study design and number of patients for Satellos’ phase 2 trial40:12 Frank’s recommendations for how biotechs can raise funding in today’s climate 44:38 Advantages of Frank’s career path across business and venture capital to biotech46:52 Closing remarks  Find out moreSatellos (https://satellos.com/)Please consider rating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bp2_wVNSzntTs_zuoizU8bX1dvao4jfj/view?usp=share_link

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• EP 189: From genetic heritability in twins to gut health with Tim Spector of King’s College London and Zoe

  Summary: This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London and co-founder of Zoe. They discuss surprising insights on heritability from decades of twin research, the profound impact of the microbiome on health and disease, and the effect of diet on the gut microbiome. Show Notes: 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast00:58 Welcome to Tim and his journey from clinical medicine to pioneering twin studies and uncovering the heritability of diseases and traits07:20 Exploring missing heritability and why twin studies and GWAS offer different answers10:37 What a global mega twin registry could reveal about epigenetics, environment, and disease13:40 Findings from a twin microbiome study and how that evolved into a new chapter in Tim’s research career16:50 The profound impact of the microbiome on health21:08 Evolution in microbiome research techniques, microbe-diet associations, and the need for longitudinal studies 27:00 Potential reasons why fecal transplant did not turn out to be as effective as predicted28:53 The importance of balance in the gut microbiome and how it can be involved in cancer and the drug response35:54 Barriers to translating microbiome science into healthcare  38:38 The impact of microplastics and ultra-processed foods on the microbiome 41:27 Moving away from diversity measures for evaluating the microbiome and towards a more comprehensive score metric44:36 Closing remarks with information on Tim’s upcoming book as well as Zoe products and appFind out moreZoe (https://zoe.com)Please consider rating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bp2_wVNSzntTs_zuoizU8bX1dvao4jfj/view?usp=share_link

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• EP 188: Cracking the code of autism through genetics with Daniel Geschwind of UCLA

  Summary: This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Daniel Geschwind, Professor, Senior Associate Dean, and Associate Vice Chancellor of Precision Health at UCLA. They discuss the circuitous career path that led Daniel to building a biobank that provided the foundation for autism genetics, the complexity of the molecular and genetic aspects of autism, and how gene therapies could advance treatment. Show Notes: 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast00:59 Welcome to Daniel and how he transitioned from being a chemistry teacher and consultant to an academic clinician05:51 How a year filming ski movies helped Daniel decide what he wanted to do after college07:29 How Daniel got started in autism research and established a biobank that built the foundation for autism genetics11:38 Our current understanding of autism on the molecular and genetic levels18:04 The spectrum nature of autism and how it correlates to molecular and genetic differences 25:13 The potential convergence of variants of autism on common pathways and corresponding therapeutics31:18 Evidence for the early developmental etiology of autism and the complexity of the genetic aspect35:56 The developmental window for gene therapies in autism and the need for concurrent training   38:41 Successes and barriers to data sharing and collaboration, and the importance of biobanks and functional mapping51:40 Developing computational tools for a network approach to transcriptomes55:28 Closing remarksPlease consider rating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bp2_wVNSzntTs_zuoizU8bX1dvao4jfj/view?usp=share_link

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• EP 187: Rethinking germline gene editing and revolutionizing women’s fertility with Helen O’Neill

  Summary: This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Helen O’Neill, molecular geneticist, founder of Hertility Health, and associate professor at University College London (UCL). They discuss how Helen’s experience as an identical twin sparked her interest in genetics, her firsthand account of the CRISPR baby controversy, and why stubborn perceptions and sensational headlines continue to cast a shadow over the gene editing field, despite major scientific progress.Show Notes: 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast00:59 Welcome to Helen and an overview of her career path and how being an identical twin sparked her interest in genetics04:57 Technology shifts in embryonic and fetal biology over the span of Helen’s career06:44 Helen’s firsthand account and reflections on the 2018 CRISPR baby controversy11:56 Evolution of gene editing in the face of a stubborn perception of it15:17 Findings from Helen’s recent study on the impact of genetic screening on embryo viability and the case for genome editing in IVF patients20:09 The stalled progress of germline genome editing in the context of regulation and public opinion 24:08 How newborn genome sequencing could transform early diagnosis and reproductive decision-making26:13 The origin story for Hertility Health and how it’s transforming women’s access to fertility care32:14 The strong impact of personalized health recommendations 33:19 Challenges in using genetics to diagnose women’s health conditions and the vision for a longitudinal biobank35:54 Future directions in Helen’s work on women’s health and genome editing37:21 Closing remarks Find out moreHertility Health (https://hertilityhealth.com/)Please consider rating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bp2_wVNSzntTs_zuoizU8bX1dvao4jfj/view?usp=share_link

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