The Genetics Podcast

Sano Genetics
  • 4.8 (51)
  • Natural Sciences
  • Updated Biweekly

Exploring all things genetics. Dr Patrick Short, University of Cambridge alumnus and CEO of Sano Genetics, analyses the science, interviews the experts, and discusses the latest findings and breakthroughs in genetic research. To find out more about Sano Genetics and its mission to accelerate the future of precision medicine visit: www.sanogenetics.com

  1. EP 241: The hard-won lessons behind Encoded Therapeutics’ Dravet syndrome gene therapy with Salvador Rico [Re-run]

    May 28

    EP 241: The hard-won lessons behind Encoded Therapeutics’ Dravet syndrome gene therapy with Salvador Rico [Re-run]

    This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Salvador Rico, Chief Medical Officer at Encoded Therapeutics. With Encoded’s Dravet syndrome gene therapy program recently reaching major clinical and regulatory milestones, we’re revisiting this conversation on Salvador’s journey into drug development, his work on gene therapy for X-linked myotubular myopathy, and the fundamental challenges and exciting advances shaping the future of genetic medicine. Show Notes 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 01:27 Welcome to Salvador and how he became involved in drug development 11:29 Frustrations and rewards of the genetics field 14:27 Salvador’s study on gene therapy for patients with X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM) 20:13 Risk of liver issues in gene therapy trials and attempts to mitigate them 24:50 Encoded Therapeutics‘ approach to drug discovery and what motivated Salvador to join the team 27:50 Steps towards therapeutic targeting of gene regulatory elements  30:32 Advantages of different methods for drug delivery  32:59 DNA- versus RNA-based therapy   35:24 Insights from approaches in other fields, including psychiatry 37:03 Considerations for using natural history studies 41:00 Expectations and goals for Encoded Therapeutics’ current and upcoming studies 43:45 Closing remarks Find out more Encoded Therapeutics New clinical data

    46 min
  2. EP 240: Hijacking DNA repair machinery to treat Huntington’s disease with Vincent Dion of the UKDRI

    May 21

    EP 240: Hijacking DNA repair machinery to treat Huntington’s disease with Vincent Dion of the UKDRI

    This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Vincent Dion, Group Leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff University. They discuss how repeat expansions drive Huntington’s disease and other neurological disorders, why DNA repair can sometimes worsen these mutations over time, and how CRISPR nickase editing could offer a new way to shrink disease-causing repeats rather than simply silence them. Show Notes 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 01:00 Welcome to Vincent 01:45 Working on origins-of-life chemistry in Stanley Miller’s lab 03:56 Vincent’s path to genetics  06:00 How somatic repeat expansion drives Huntington’s disease  09:40 Therapeutic strategies for Huntington’s disease 15:29 Using gene editing to shrink repeat expansions 18:31 Optimizing CRISPR nickase delivery and expression for repeat expansion editing 25:15 Moving gene editing from academic research toward a first-in-human trial 27:31 Clinical trial challenges for Huntington’s gene therapies and uniQure’s early data 30:47 Epigenetic regulation of repeat instability in neurodegenerative disease 33:14 How basic science breakthroughs like CRISPR become transformative biology tools 34:55 How academic couples navigate the two-body problem when building research careers 39:39 Developing biomarkers to measure whether DNA-targeting therapies are working 42:17 Closing remarks Please consider rating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform!

    44 min
  3. EP 239: What long-read sequencing reveals about Alzheimer’s and ALS with Paul Valdmanis of the University of Washington

    May 14

    EP 239: What long-read sequencing reveals about Alzheimer’s and ALS with Paul Valdmanis of the University of Washington

    This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Paul Valdmanis, Associate Professor at the University of Washington. They discuss the impact of APOE4 on risk in Alzheimer’s disease, how long-read sequencing is uncovering hidden genetic variation in Alzheimer’s and ALS, and what rare variants and cryptic splicing can teach us about neurodegeneration. Show Notes 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 01:00 Welcome to Paul 01:40 Long-read sequencing and ancestry-specific APOE4 risk in Alzheimer’s disease 04:20 Key findings from Paul’s study on a protective APOE4-linked variant in Alzheimer’s disease 10:58 What rare PSEN1 and PSEN2 variants reveal about Alzheimer’s disease biology 14:38 Disease-specific genetic mechanisms in ALS versus Alzheimer’s 17:14 Precision therapies for neurodegenerative disease 18:35 Choosing therapeutic targets in the neurodegenerative disease cascade 20:21 Landscape of ALS and Alzheimer’s therapies  23:48 Lessons from liver-directed gene therapy on microRNA toxicity, cancer risk, and brain delivery challenges 29:12 Using long-read sequencing to uncover tandem repeat expansions missed by conventional genomics 33:26 Findings from a study of long-read sequencing on ancient genomes 38:06 Closing remarks 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 Find out more: APOE study Ancestry study

    40 min
  4. EP 238: Uncovering epistatic interactions in complex disease with machine learning with Bin Yu of UC Berkeley

    May 7

    EP 238: Uncovering epistatic interactions in complex disease with machine learning with Bin Yu of UC Berkeley

    This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Bin Yu, CDSS Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor at UC Berkeley. They discuss how different statistical approaches, from linear models to random forests, can be used to study complex genetic traits, recent findings on epistasis in cardiomyopathy, and how improving robustness and reproducibility can lead to more reliable scientific conclusions. Show Notes 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 01:00 Welcome to Bin 01:47 Linear models as the foundation of genetic analysis 05:34 Using random forests and stability to identify gene–gene interactions beyond linear models 11:05 How iterative feature weighting in random forests improves detection of gene interactions 13:10 Using GWAS to prioritize features in high-dimensional genetic data 15:06 Applying stable interaction models to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in UK Biobank 20:47 Biological insights from gene–gene interactions in cardiomyopathy and evidence for indirect epistasis 23:25 Scaling discovery of epistatic interactions with better data and integrated experimental validation 27:21 The predictability, computability, and stability (PCS) framework for data science 30:06 How Bin’s early life during the Chinese Cultural Revolution shaped her  32:54 Balancing AI-driven productivity with human reasoning and scientific thinking 35:23 Developing the ability to read people through observation, listening, and real-world interaction 38:03 Closing remarks Find out more: Epistasis in cardiac hypertrophy study https://vdsbook.com/

    39 min
  5. EP 237: How genetics and environment shape neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's with Sarah Marzi of King’s College London

    Apr 30

    EP 237: How genetics and environment shape neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's with Sarah Marzi of King’s College London

    This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Sarah Marzi, Senior Lecturer at King's College London and group leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute. They discuss the impact of genes and environment on neurodegenerative disease, including: how APOE genotype shapes microglial function, how cell type-specific epigenomics of postmortem brain tissue is revealing the role of microglia and oligodendrocytes in Alzheimer's disease, and how pesticide exposure drives selective dopaminergic neuron loss and neuroinflammation in Parkinson's. Show Notes 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 00:59 Welcome to Sarah 02:13 Environmental contributions to Parkinson’s disease and ALS 05:01 The role of microglia in Alzheimer’s disease and findings from a study on APOE variants in a mouse model 12:50 APOE4 effects on lipid accumulation, microglial activation, and vitamin D receptor signaling  14:20 Building a multi-omic atlas of the Alzheimer’s brain 18:01 Overview of the pathological cascade of events in the Alzheimer’s brain 20:31 Anti-amyloid therapies, early intervention, and combination treatment strategies  22:24 Rotenone exposure and microglial immune activation in Parkinson’s disease 29:24 Dopaminergic neuron vulnerability to pesticide exposure and mitochondrial dysfunction  31:04 Familial Parkinson’s genes, polygenic Alzheimer’s risk, and genetically targeted clinical trials 33:13 Polygenic risk and microglial cell state regulation in Alzheimer’s disease 34:13 Defining cell states in single cell RNA sequencing 35:30 Oligodendrocyte epigenetic and transcriptional changes in Alzheimer’s disease 37:23 Sarah’s most memorable hiking adventures 38:58 Closing remarks Find out more: Alzheimer’s APOE microglia xenotransplantation study Rotenone exposure Parkinson’s study

    40 min
  6. EP 236: Fixing access and design in rare disease drug development: Insights from experts and patient advocates

    Apr 23

    EP 236: Fixing access and design in rare disease drug development: Insights from experts and patient advocates

    This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Lindsey Wahlstrom, Co-Founder and Chief Momatologist of Rona’s FUN LAB, Jimi Olaghere, sickle cell disease patient advocate and early CRISPR gene therapy trial participant, and Rachel Smith, Vice President and Head of Rare and Genetic Diseases at Parexel. They discuss the realities of developing and delivering advanced therapies in rare disease, how funding models, regulation, and trial design shape access and outcomes, and why embedding patient experience early is critical to building therapies that are not only effective but scalable, accessible, and meaningful for patients and families. Show Notes:  0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 01:00 Welcome to guests and what Rare Disease Day means to them 08:09 Balancing hope with funding, pricing, and access in advanced therapies 11:48 Why patient access must be built into drug development from day one 14:20 Patient engagement, community readiness, and the realities of trial participation 17:49 Why early patient input is still inconsistent and often treated as a checkbox 23:20 Designing trials around what actually matters to patients and families 26:53 Navigating regulators, payers, and trial design constraints in rare disease therapies 36:02 Redefining success in gene therapy around access, scalability, and real patient benefit 43:27 Closing remarks

    45 min
  7. EP 235: Inside Alzheimer’s disease: Blood biomarkers and predicting symptoms with Suzanne Schindler of Washington University

    Apr 16

    EP 235: Inside Alzheimer’s disease: Blood biomarkers and predicting symptoms with Suzanne Schindler of Washington University

    This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Suzanne Schindler, Associate Professor of Neurology at Washington University in St. Louis. They discuss how blood-based biomarkers like p-tau217 are transforming our ability to detect and stage Alzheimer’s disease, how “clock models” can estimate when symptoms may begin, and how combining biomarkers with clinical phenotyping could improve trial design, prognosis, and patient care. Show Notes 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 00:59 Welcome to Suzanne 01:35 Neurobiology of Alzheimer’s disease and how it differs from dementia 06:22 Presymptomatic changes to phosphorylated tau (p-tau) in the brain 07:36 The role of the APOE gene in Alzheimer’s 09:07 Differences in neuropathology in women vs men with Alzheimer’s 10:19 Rare cases where amyloid and tau pathology do not align in Alzheimer’s 12:37 Using plasma p-tau217 trajectories to estimate when Alzheimer’s symptoms may begin 17:30 Using p-tau217 to select clinical trial participants and predict progression timelines 20:59 Overview of therapeutic strategies in Alzheimer’s disease 24:24 Why APOE effects may not appear in p-tau217 measurements 26:30 Combining biomarkers and clinical phenotyping to understand disease progression in Alzheimer’s 30:08 Early-onset vs late-onset Alzheimer’s and differences in clinical presentation 31:45 Expanding beyond p-tau217 to proteomics and multimodal biomarkers for predicting symptoms 33:52 MTBR-tau243 as a more specific marker of tau pathology and Alzheimer’s symptoms 37:31 Expanding biomarkers beyond Alzheimer’s and bringing blood tests into clinical practice 38:49 Closing remarks Find out more: Phosphorylated tau217 study MTBR-tau243 study

    40 min
  8. EP 234: Inside rare disease trial operations: The role of CROs in an evolving landscape with Derek Ansel of Worldwide Clinical Trials

    Apr 9

    EP 234: Inside rare disease trial operations: The role of CROs in an evolving landscape with Derek Ansel of Worldwide Clinical Trials

    This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Derek Ansel, Global Vice President and Therapeutic Strategy Lead for Rare Disease and Oncology at Worldwide Clinical Trials. They discuss how contract research organizations design and run rare disease trials, the challenges of selecting endpoints and patient populations, and how emerging approaches like n-of-1 therapies, regulatory flexibility, and AI are reshaping clinical development.Show Notes 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 00:59 Welcome to Derek 01:38 The role of Contract Research Organizations (CROs) in clinical development 02:41 Why endpoints are the hardest problem in rare disease trial design 05:24 How Derek’s team chooses and operationalizes endpoints in rare disease trials 08:14 Balancing patient selection, signal detection, and trial feasibility in rare disease 11:55 How the FDA’s new guidance for personalized therapies could accelerate rare disease drug development 14:20 Patient engagement, genetic counseling, and decision-making in genetic trials 19:30 Patient and clinician dynamics in genetic subtypes of common disease 23:05 What needs to change to make n-of-1 therapies scalable and accessible 26:12 Where AI is delivering real impact in clinical trials today and where it is heading 31:24 Operational bottlenecks, risk tolerance, and the limits of AI adoption in clinical trials 34:55 Derek’s path from early clinical research roles to genetic counseling and rare disease drug development 38:51 Key areas driving progress in rare disease over the next five years 41:42 Closing remarks Please consider rating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform!

    43 min
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4.8
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About

Exploring all things genetics. Dr Patrick Short, University of Cambridge alumnus and CEO of Sano Genetics, analyses the science, interviews the experts, and discusses the latest findings and breakthroughs in genetic research. To find out more about Sano Genetics and its mission to accelerate the future of precision medicine visit: www.sanogenetics.com

Information

  • Creator
    Sano Genetics
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    241
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sano Genetics
  • Show Website
    The Genetics Podcast

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