Currently, an overwhelming number of DNA samples used for research are from people of European ancestry, making many populations from across the globe underrepresented in genomics research. ( NHGRI ) In this episode, we explore an important issue in healthcare, diversifying genetic research, with two experts from 23andMe Dr. Ruth Tennen is a product scientist at 23andMe. In this role Dr. Tennen develops new genetic health reports with the goal of helping 23andMe customers access, understand, and...
Aug 25, 2023•37 min•Ep. 251
We are celebrating the 250th episode of DNA Today and the 10 year anniversary of Orphan Black premiere with Madeline Ashby who was a writer for Orphan Black: The Next Chapter. In our conversation we will dive into some of the genetic concepts explored in the show. Warning there will be spoilers for both the TV show and the podcast!!! Madeline Ashby (she/her) is an author among many other creative roles and talents. She graduated from the first cohort of the M.Des. in Strategic Foresight and Inno...
Aug 18, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 250
In this episode we are joined by two genetic counselors to explore the experience of being a male in our field. John Zimmerman, MS, CGC, is a certified genetic counselor at UT Southwestern Medical Center. John completed his genetic counseling training at the University of Minnesota in 2017 and has since worked as a clinical genetic counselor with the UT Southwestern Cancer Genetics Program. Recently, he has taken on the additional role of Director of Fieldwork for the UT Southwestern Genetic Cou...
Aug 11, 2023•32 min•Ep. 249
In this episode we are learning about Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, an X-linked genetic disorder that prevents the breakdown and excretion of ammonia. When ammonia builds up in the body, it can rise to toxic levels where it affects the central nervous system. This allows ammonia to accumulate in the bloodstream, rising to toxic levels where it affects the central nervous system. OTC is the most common of the urea cycle disorders. We are joined by three OTC experts with professiona...
Aug 04, 2023•30 min•Ep. 248
In lieu of this episode, I want to provide you with other DNA Today episodes about DMD. In Episode #156 I interview Rich Horgan . He opens up about his brother’s experience living with DMD and how it inspired him to start Cure Rare Diseases, which is an organization that focuses on developing personalized treatments for rare diseases. In Episode #202 I interview two experts about DMD. Genetic counselor Ann Martin who serves as the VP of Community Research and Genetic Services at Parent Project M...
Jul 28, 2023•58 sec•Ep. 247
PART TWO, stream episode #245 before this episode! Some of our most popular episodes over the years of DNA Today are those that provide insight into the genetic counseling graduate program application process. So much has changed since we recorded those episodes back in 2018-2022 (many programs have removed the GRE requirement, interviews are virtual, etc.) these episodes include #87 #97 #101 #193 and #194 . That’s why we are revisiting these topics. We are joined by two newly matched genetic co...
Jul 21, 2023•22 min•Ep. 246
Some of our most popular episodes over the years of DNA Today are those that provide insight into the genetic counseling graduate program application process. So much has changed since we recorded those episodes back in 2018-2022 (many programs have removed the GRE requirement, interviews are virtual, etc.) these episodes include #87 #97 #101 #193 and #194 . That’s why we are revisiting these topics. We are joined by two newly matched genetic counseling students who are starting their graduate p...
Jul 14, 2023•34 min•Ep. 245
Step into our time machine as we transport you back to the early heydays of genetic counseling (aka the 70s) with our esteemed guest, Virginia Corson. Virginia is a veteran genetic counselor who has weathered the changing tides of this field over the last 50 years, and she's here to share her incredible journey with us. Virginia has spent the vast majority of her career as a prenatal genetic counselor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She has written countless publications with original resea...
Jul 07, 2023•35 min•Ep. 244
We are closing out Pride Month with a recent installment of the PhenoTips Speaker Series. DNA Today’s host Kira Dineen is also one of the hosts of the PhenoTips Speaker Series . This live webinar focuses on relevant genetics topics by featuring discussions with thought leaders and experts in genomic medicine. This episode is the 24th installment of the PhenoTips’ Speaker Series, “Navigating Barriers in LGBTQIA+ Genetic Care”. A 2018 Harvard study found that nearly 1/6th of LGBTQIA+ adults have e...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 243
In 2020, a direct-to-consumer DNA test revealed that our guest Richard Wenzel's father was not his genetic father. Moreover, evidence indicates that his conception resulted from a sexual assault of his mother and that his pediatrician (who was also his mother's obstetrician) helped conceal this crime; unfortunately, all involved individuals are deceased. Since that troubling discovery, Richard has dedicated his efforts towards increasing education and awareness among medical professionals about ...
Jun 23, 2023•37 min•Ep. 242
With Father’s Day coming up this Sunday, it’s only fitting that this week’s guest is famous for coining the phrase, “You are (or are not) the father!” We sat down with the one and only Maury Povich live in NBC’s Stamford Studios (where Maury has his own show on the network) for a discussion about paternity testing! Maury is a household name and an icon in the world of talk shows. For over 30 years, he has been bringing the truth to light and resolving some of the most challenging and sensitive i...
Jun 16, 2023•20 min•Ep. 241
Joining us for this episode is Sneha Dave , Founder and Executive Director of Generation Patient , an organization that facilitates events, online programs, and advocacy initiatives for young adults living with chronic and rare conditions to ensure that they have the opportunities and resources to thrive. Sneha Dave (she/her) graduated from Indiana University in May 2020 where she majored in chronic illness advocacy as well as journalism. She created the Generation Patient and its program the Cr...
Jun 09, 2023•31 min•Ep. 240
We are joined again by Janice Berliner joining us again on DNA Today. She was a guest on Episode 152 where we talked about her debut novel, Brooke’s Promise. In this episode we are chatting about her second novel, In Good Conscience, which features genetic counseling! Aside from being a novelist, Janice Berliner is a board certified genetic counselor with more than 32 years of experience. In her roles as both a clinician and as the Director of the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling Program ...
Jun 02, 2023•47 min•Ep. 239
We want to take a moment to express our appreciation to all our incredible listeners. We have been enjoying getting to know some of you through our Patreon . As a patron you can gain benefits that take your DNA Today experience to the next level including our exclusive monthly club, behind the scenes podcast views, input on future episodes including interview questions, one on one mentorship with me, physical merch, and more! Speaking of our patrons, we want to give a special shoutout to some aw...
May 26, 2023•54 min•Ep. 238
We are in the final days to sign up to our Patreon to still be eligible for our bonus physical gift , DNA Today merch! This is on top of the annual physical gift you will get if you end up picking our Chromies tier level. And yes I had a ton of fun coming up with the tier names. The top merch asked for by listeners are t-shirts, mugs, stickers, thermoses, and lanyards (mostly to wear during conferences). By becoming a patron you can influence which physical gift we end up picking and you will ge...
May 19, 2023•40 min•Ep. 237
If you are listening to a genetics podcast, then I know you are a nerd that also likes reading genetic books and watching genetics movies and shows. There aren’t many genetics clubs out there for nerds like us, so we launched a Patreon where we could do just that! This is the benefit that was asked for the most when we were designing our Patreon was an exclusive monthly club where we chat about a genetics book or movie or we focus on mentorship in becoming a genetic counselor (like application/i...
May 12, 2023•40 min•Ep. 236
If you are one of the listeners that tune into DNA Today every week, then you definitely know by now we have launched our Patreon. This is where you can not only get bonus content from DNA Today, you can get early access to episodes before the public. You also get to influence the content of the show, this includes episode topics and guests plus pitching questions I ask during interviews, and of course I will give you a shoutout when I ask your question. Oh and if you sign up by May 25th you get...
May 05, 2023•37 min•Ep. 235
Congratulations to everyone who matched with a genetic counseling program last week! Special shoutout to our Communications Lead, Corinne Merlino, for matching with the University of Pennsylvania! Check out DNA Today Episode #101, Genetic Counseling Match Day , to prepare you to start grad school. We also provide advice for applicants that didn’t match in this cycle and offer inspiration to apply next round. In the spirit of recent matches, upcoming graduation, and DNA Day we thought it was time...
Apr 28, 2023•47 min•Ep. 234
We are officially launching our Patreon next week on DNA Day, April 25th! To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA and 20th anniversary of the completion of the human genome. By becoming a Patreon supporter you can receive benefits like joining our exclusive genetics book/movie club, mentorship sessions with me, even being on an episode of DNA Today! If you sign up as a Patreon supporter in the next month (by May 25th) we will throw in an extra physical gift, a ...
Apr 21, 2023•38 min•Ep. 233
We are thrilled to be launching our Patreon very soon. It might be on a genetics holiday, I’ll let you figure that one out. In the meantime we would appreciate your insight on what you want from the Patreon. It’s your last chance to fill out our survey so that we will offer the benefits you want. You can access the 60 second survey here . Maybe you really want DNA Today merch or would love to have one on one mentorship with me. Maybe you have your own idea! Whatever your thoughts are, get them i...
Apr 14, 2023•38 min•Ep. 232
Have you heard? We are launching a Patreon! For those that are not familiar with Patreon, it’s a platform that allows creators (like podcasters) to offer their followers more content, experiences, and even gifts. We have an exciting list of ideas on what we will offer you listeners, but we want you to make the final decisions on which benefits we end up offering you. So get your votes in through our survey. It only takes 60 seconds to fill out. Thank you SO much!! In this episode, we explore the...
Apr 07, 2023•38 min•Ep. 231
As you may have heard, we are launching a Patreon! For those that don’t know what Patreon is, it’s a platform that allows creators (like podcasters) to offer their followers more content, experiences, and even gifts. We have a survey that will be open for a limited time so get your input in now so we can provide the benefits you want. Maybe that’s a one-on-one Zoom with me for mentorship or a genetics book/movie club or an appearance on the podcast! Let us know so we can make sure to offer it. T...
Mar 31, 2023•33 min•Ep. 230
We have an exciting announcement, we are launching a Patreon! For those that are not familiar with Patreon, it’s a platform that allows creators (like podcasters) to offer their followers more content, experiences, and even gifts. In order to provide what YOU want, please take 60 seconds to fill out our survey . By filling out the survey not only are you influencing what benefits we will offer, but you will be the first to know when we will launch! Can’t thank you all enough for your listenershi...
Mar 24, 2023•40 min•Ep. 229
Update: One of our recurrent guests genetic counselor and fellow podcaster Laura Hercher had a couple important thoughts after listening to our episode we want to share. Laura has been a guest on Episodes 157 & 191 where she has shared her insight on abortion bans including Texas SB 8 and the overturn of Roe v. Wade. “I understand the reasons for moving our language away from terms like ‘lethal’ or ‘incompatible with life’, but we are also now faced with multiple states where only a lethal anoma...
Mar 17, 2023•39 min•Ep. 228
In this episode, we are exploring limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD). Joining us for this conversation are two experts, Dr. Louise Rodino-Klapac, and genetic counselor Livija Medne. Dr. Louise Rodino-Klapac is the Executive Vice President, Head of R&D and Chief Scientific Officer at Sarepta Therapeutics who has 15 years of experience researching and studying LGMD. She is renowned for her work in molecular genetics and gene therapy. Her pioneering research is the foundation for five of our inv...
Mar 10, 2023•31 min•Ep. 227
Can rapid whole genome sequencing (WGS) be utilized in the NICU setting? We explore in this podcast episode! Joining us for this episode is Dr. Hong Li , a clinical geneticist at Emory University. Our other expert is a recurring guest, world-renowned geneticist Dr. Madhuri Hegde . She serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Global Lab Services at PerkinElmer Genomics , a global leader in genetic and genomic testing focused on rare diseases, inherited disorders, newbor...
Mar 03, 2023•46 min•Ep. 226
Last episode we learned about non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for recessive conditions through BillionToOne’s UNITY Screen . Jen Hoskovec , Senior Director of Medical Affairs at BillionToOne , is back for this episode where we are exploring NIPT for fetal antigen. Jen is BillionToOne’s Senior Director of Medical Affairs. Jennifer Hoskovec , MS, CGC, joined BillionToOne as the Senior Director of Medical Affairs in July 2020. As a certified genetic counselor with over 17 years of clinical exp...
Feb 24, 2023•38 min•Ep. 225
In this episode we are learning about UNITY Screen non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for recessive conditions. Joining our host Kira Dineen are two experts from BillionToOne , the CEO Oguzhan Atay and the Senior Director of Medical Affairs, Jen Hoskovec . Stay tuned for our part two about their new fetal antigen NIPT! Oguzhan Atay , PhD, BillionToOne co-founder, has led the company since its inception and raised more than $200M in funding including from venture capital funds and investors who...
Feb 17, 2023•38 min•Ep. 224
Happy Rare Disease Month! With over 10,000 rare diseases , reaching a diagnosis is a long and arduous process for the 300 million people affected by a rare disease worldwide. Advancements in technology, bioinformatics, and improved collaboration hold the promise to end or reduce this diagnostic odyssey; however, valuable diagnostic data still remains siloed and fragmented within healthcare systems. To illuminate the ways in which interoperability can be harnessed to drive diagnosis, DNA Today ho...
Feb 10, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 223
We are kicking off Rare Disease Month by talking about Wilson’s disease , a rare, inherited disorder that causes copper to accumulate in the liver, brain, and other vital organs. It is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern and left untreated, Wilson’s disease can be fatal. Joining us for this episode is Naseem Amin, the CEO of Orphalan , which develops and commercializes treatments for orphan/rare diseases. In this episode we are exploring Wilson’s disease and the FDA-approved treatment, C...
Feb 03, 2023•40 min•Ep. 222
