The Genetics Podcast

Sano Genetics
  • 4.8 (49)
  • 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 222: From genetic risk to gene editing in heart failure with Travis Hinson of the Jackson Laboratory and University of Connecticut

    3D AGO

    EP 222: From genetic risk to gene editing in heart failure with Travis Hinson of the Jackson Laboratory and University of Connecticut

    This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Travis Hinson, Professor and physician at the University of Connecticut and investigator at the Jackson Laboratory. They discuss how genetics is reshaping the understanding of heart failure, why sarcomere biology has become a central target for new gene-based therapies, and how advances in genome editing and preventive genetics could redefine cardiovascular care. Show Notes:  0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 01:00 Welcome to Travis 01:44 Overview of gene editing for inherited cardiovascular disease 05:01 Delivery methods and viral capsid engineering to target heart tissue 07:29 Role of the titin gene in dilated cardiomyopathy and treatment opportunities 10:32 Genetic variants in titin and differences in phenotype 13:51 Promising therapeutic approaches for targeting titin  16:21 Possibility of using a mini titin gene for replacement 17:31 Sarcomere proteins and their role in cardiomyopathy 20:28 Limits of current understanding in heart failure, including cardiac regeneration and congenital heart disease 24:50 Predicting drug-induced cardiotoxicity using stem cell models, animal studies, and digital twins 30:02 How Travis balances clinical genetics at the University of Connecticut with translational research at the Jackson Laboratory (JAX) 32:03 Where genetic testing is used in cardiology today and what’s limiting broader access 35:19 Understanding polygenic risk and unexplained heritability in cardiovascular disease 37:07 Managing inherited cardiomyopathy risk in families after a pathogenic variant is identified 40:36 Genetic testing as a prevention strategy and the public health case for earlier intervention 43:03 Balancing early genetic screening with penetrance, uncertainty, and patient anxiety 45:51 Closing remarks Find out more: Review on cardiovascular gene editing approaches Please consider rating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform!

    47 min
  2. EP 221: How to build a woolly mammoth: Ancient DNA and de-extinction with Beth Shapiro of Colossal Biosciences

    JAN 8

    EP 221: How to build a woolly mammoth: Ancient DNA and de-extinction with Beth Shapiro of Colossal Biosciences

    This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer at Colossal Biosciences. They discuss her path into ancient DNA and evolutionary genetics, how advances in genome engineering are reshaping de-extinction and conservation science, and why restoring lost ecological functions could transform the future of biodiversity. Show Notes:  0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 00:59 Welcome to Beth 01:43 Beth’s path from journalism to ancient DNA research 04:46 Beth’s first project on American bison and near extinction 08:26 How Beth worked on a dodo sample at Oxford and what ancient DNA could reveal 11:09 How de-extinction entered the field and why resurrecting species became a scientific goal 14:54 Why de-extinction efforts could strengthen ecosystems and accelerate species conservation 18:33 How cloning a mammoth works and why genome engineering replaces traditional cloning 25:05 Understanding the genome of a woolly mammoth 28:06 What functional de-extinction means in practice 30:55 Genetic clues behind the woolly mammoth’s coat 33:25 The technical hurdles behind de-extinction 38:23 Building a stepwise path to de-extinction through near-term conservation tools 39:36 Ethics risk management and working with local and Indigenous communities in de-extinction projects 44:59 Scientific and technological breakthroughs needed over the next decade to make de-extinction and biodiversity preservation viable 49:20 Closing remarks Find out more: Colossal Biosciences (https://colossal.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

    51 min
  3. EP 220: Turning human brain physiology into RNA medicines with Graham Dempsey of Quiver Bioscience

    12/30/2025

    EP 220: Turning human brain physiology into RNA medicines with Graham Dempsey of Quiver Bioscience

    This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Graham Dempsey, CEO and co-founder of Quiver Bioscience. They discuss Graham’s path into neuroscience and biotech, how Quiver is building genetically validated programs in pain and neurodevelopmental disorders, and what recent advances in RNA-based therapies could mean for the future of neurological disease. Show Notes:  0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 00:59 Welcome to Graham 01:29 The motivations and mission driving Quiver Bioscience 04:34 Quiver’s approach to targeting the brain for neurological disease 06:58 Nav1.7 as a lead pain program and the mechanisms of pain signaling 12:11 Patient population and unmet need in chronic pain  13:37 The Dup15q neurodevelopmental program and recent clinical progress 17:29 How the company chooses which diseases to pursue and why genetically validated pain and epilepsy programs lead the pipeline 20:10 Modeling pain in a dish and how cellular electrophysiology reveals disease and drug effects 27:42 Lessons from building a biotech company 29:53 Today’s biotech climate and why Graham is optimistic  31:56 Emerging delivery technologies that could unlock the next wave of oligonucleotide therapies 33:51 How molecular shuttles cross the blood–brain barrier and the advantage of a dual target approach 37:05 Graham’s path from aspiring sports medicine doctor to building light-based platforms in neuroscience 40:15 Graham’s early exposure to biotech leadership and a formative encounter with Roy Vagelos 42:09 Closing remarks Please consider rating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform!  Find out more: Quiver Bioscience (https://www.quiverbioscience.com/)

    43 min
  4. EP 219: A global effort to decode frontotemporal dementia with Arabella Bouzigues of GENFI

    12/23/2025

    EP 219: A global effort to decode frontotemporal dementia with Arabella Bouzigues of GENFI

    This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Arabella Bouzigues, Coordinator of the Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia Initiative (GENFI) and postdoctoral researcher. They discuss the scale and structure of GENFI as a global collaboration and what longitudinal data is revealing about genetics and biomarkers in frontotemporal dementia. Show Notes:  0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 01:00 Welcome to Arabella  01:30 Background and structure of the Genetic Frontotemporal Initiative (GENFI) consortium 02:48 Scale of the GENFI cohort and the breadth of longitudinal data collected 06:06 Clinical signs and progression of frontotemporal dementia (FTD)  10:08 How genetic variants map onto different clinical forms of frontotemporal dementia 12:11 Biomarkers in genetic FTD and the challenge of separating neurodegeneration from lifelong brain differences 19:36 Mutation-specific cortical microstructure patterns in FTD and what MRI reveals at the earliest stages 23:04 Why combining genetics imaging fluid and digital biomarkers is essential for early detection and trials in FTD 25:39 How the GENFI consortium is run across more than 50 sites worldwide 30:42 How urgency and unmet need drive strong collaboration in the FTD community 33:11 Promising developments in FTD therapeutics 36:39 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:  GENFI (https://www.genfi.org/)

    38 min
  5. EP 218: Cardiovascular genomics and the future of preventing heart failure with Krishna Aragam of the Cleveland Clinic

    12/18/2025

    EP 218: Cardiovascular genomics and the future of preventing heart failure with Krishna Aragam of the Cleveland Clinic

    This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Krishna Aragam, Section Head of Cardiovascular Genomics and Precision Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. They discuss Krishna’s early experiences in population research and how they shaped his approach to genetics, the major discoveries transforming cardiovascular genomics from monogenic to polygenic risk, and how new insights into heart failure and population-specific variants are redefining the future of clinical care. Show Notes:  0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 00:59 Welcome to Krishna  01:40 How a gap year in India deepened Krishna’s interest in health and population genomics 06:16 Key advances that reshaped cardiovascular genomics from rare variants to polygenic risk 09:18 Where cardiovascular genomics stands today across coronary disease, cardiomyopathies, and arrhythmias 14:25 Factors that make heart failure challenging for genomics  17:32 How monogenic variants and polygenic load shape risk in dilated cardiomyopathy 23:03 What genetics reveals about the roots of heart failure and why precise phenotypes matter 26:12 Using genetic risk to guide earlier treatment and prevent progression to heart failure 30:37 Subclinical markers and imaging strategies to track progression toward heart failure 32:04 Key research findings on an ancestry-specific genetic driver of dilated cardiomyopathy 41:21 Genetic signals highlighting the role of inflammation in coronary artery disease 43:11 Building a clinical genomics engine that connects discovery to cardiovascular care 47:14 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:  Genetic variants underlying DCM: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11631752/  Ancestry-specific CD36 study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02372-2

    49 min
  6. EP 217: Building a genomic passport for every family: Insights from tech leader and rare disease parent Lisa Gurry of GeneDx

    12/11/2025

    EP 217: Building a genomic passport for every family: Insights from tech leader and rare disease parent Lisa Gurry of GeneDx

    Summary:  This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Lisa Gurry, Chief Business Officer of GeneDx. They discuss her path from two decades at Microsoft to leading one of the most influential genomics companies, GeneDx’s mission to deliver the fastest rare disease diagnoses, and how large-scale data, newborn screening, and AI are shaping the future of precision medicine. Show Notes:  0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 01:00 Welcome to Lisa and her career path leading to joining GeneDx   03:27 The core components of GeneDx and how they drive early rare disease diagnosis 06:18 Insights from early genomic newborn screening pilots 11:37 The clinical impact and economic benefits of newborn genomic screening 14:27 How GeneDx combines data, AI, and clinical expertise to improve genomic interpretation 17:44 A vision for a lifelong genomic passport and how it could guide care across every stage of life 20:42 How GeneDx Infinity is unlocking new therapeutic possibilities in genetically linked autism 22:48 How advocacy communities guide patient identification and connect families to opportunities 26:00 Lessons from 23 years at Microsoft that Lisa now applies to leading GeneDx 30:39 How Truveta emerged from the COVID crisis to build a shared-data platform for population-scale health insights 32:13 What excites Lisa most about leading GeneDx and where she sees the biggest opportunities ahead 34:59 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

    34 min
  7. EP 216: Four decades of advancing Duchenne research with Jeffrey Chamberlain of University of Washington

    12/04/2025

    EP 216: Four decades of advancing Duchenne research with Jeffrey Chamberlain of University of Washington

    This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Jeffrey Chamberlain, Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, co-founder of Kinea Bio, and Director of the Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center of Seattle. They discuss the early breakthroughs that revealed the structure and function of the dystrophin gene, how those insights led to the creation of micro-dystrophin and systemic AAV delivery in Duchenne, and the major scientific and clinical challenges the field must now solve. Show Notes:  0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 00:59 Welcome to Jeffrey 01:33 Early discovery of the dystrophin gene and how it shaped Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) research 09:07 Efforts to map dystrophin and develop practical diagnostic techniques 12:04 How research in Jeffrey’s lab gradually led to the creation of micro-dystrophin  20:15 How micro-dystrophin and AAV delivery converged into a viable systemic gene therapy strategy 27:23 Current successes and safety challenges in systemic AAV gene therapy for neuromuscular disease 34:44 Prospects and limitations of gene editing for Duchenne and emerging alternatives to AAV micro-dystrophin 44:57 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

    47 min
  8. EP 215: Vectorized RNAi and the next frontier of gene silencing with Rachel Salzman of Armatus Bio

    11/27/2025

    EP 215: Vectorized RNAi and the next frontier of gene silencing with Rachel Salzman of Armatus Bio

    Summary:  This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Rachel Salzman, CEO of Armatus Bio. They discuss the promise of vectorized RNAi for autosomal dominant diseases, the key scientific and clinical hurdles in gene therapy, and Rachel’s lessons from two decades in the field. Show Notes:  0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 01:00 Welcome to Rachel 01:35 Background of Armatus Bio and the mechanism behind its vectorized RNAi platform 05:31 Advantages of vectorized RNAi over conventional RNAi approaches 08:07 How microRNAs work and how engineered versions enable highly specific gene silencing 10:28 Current preclinical progress at Armatus and next steps toward first-in-human trials 14:06 Lessons on making smart risk decisions in rare disease drug development 17:26 Reflections on two decades of progress, setbacks, and realities in gene therapy 22:07 Hemophilia as a case study in gene therapy missteps and overlooked patient and market realities 25:21 Challenges around product purity and the need for financial innovation 29:23 Why AAV purity is so difficult to achieve and where pre-competitive collaboration could drive improvement 33:32 Rachel’s path from veterinary medicine to gene therapy through a family genetic diagnosis 35:58 Founding the Stop ALD Foundation and advancing lentiviral gene therapy into first-in-human use 39:58 The future potential of vectorized RNAi  42:00 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

    44 min
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4.8
out of 5
49 Ratings

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
    222
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sano Genetics
  • Show Website
    The Genetics Podcast

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