Answers from the Lab

Angela Pickart, M.S., CGC, and Emily Lauer, M.S., CGC, explain how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' multigene panel helps identify the cause of hereditary ataxia. Precise diagnosis of this complex movement disorder helps guide patient treatment and family screening.

Show notes
Speaker 3: (00:31)
 Can you tell us a little about yourselves and your backgrounds?

Speaker 3: (01:33)
 Why is genetic counseling so important to our doctors and patients?

Speaker 3: (03:04)
 Can you give a brief overview of hereditary ataxia? 

Speaker 3: (04:24)
 Can you tell us more about Mayo Clinic's suite of molecular tests for various types of ataxia?

Speaker 3: (08:03)
 Are there any additional tests for hereditary ataxia at Mayo Clinic?

Speaker 3: (09:05)

When might a provider consider genetic testing for a patient?

Speaker 3: (10:05)
 Why is genetic testing important, and how are the results used?

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to talk about the evolution of remote diagnostics and how Mayo Clinic’s remote cardiovascular monitoring services empower physicians and patients. 

Specific topics of discussion include:

• How a comprehensive diagnostics ecosystem includes patient data beyond traditional laboratory specimens.
• An overview of Mayo Clinic’s Cardiovascular Services, a collaboration between Mayo Clinic Laboratories and Mayo Clinic’s Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, that enables physicians to remotely monitor patients’ heart functions from anywhere in real time.
• The role laboratorians can play in assessing and adopting new technologies that influence patient care.

Anne Tebo, Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' updated ALDG2 assay helps with the evaluation of patients with suspected autoimmune liver disease. The panel also helps with the evaluation of liver disease of unknown etiology.

Speaker 2: (00:32)
 Could you provide a little bit about you and your background?

Speaker 2: (02:05)
 Can you please give a brief overview of this assay?

Speaker 2: (04:12)
 Which patients should have this testing and when should it be performed? 

Speaker 2: (07:17)
 Could you please go into detail about the changes we've made in this test?

Speaker 2: (11:46)
 How are the results used in patient care?

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to talk about the tick season peak that parts of the United States are experiencing, and how to diagnose and prevent Lyme disease.

Specific topics of discussion include:

• What parts of the United States have a heavy tick and Lyme disease presence.
• How Mayo Clinic identified the second known cause of Lyme disease, Borrelia mayonii.
• Typical and atypical presentations of Lyme disease, and testing options.
• How the laboratory plays a critical role in new test development and health care innovation.
• How to protect yourself and your pets from vector-borne diseases.

Research and discoveries in the biopharmaceutical industry drive health care innovation and lead to new therapies for patients. When laboratories collaborate with biopharma, diagnostic, and biotech companies, it creates an integrated diagnostic ecosystem that can improve global health.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to talk about the role of the biopharma industry and how Mayo Clinic BioPharma Diagnostics is fostering a diagnostic ecosystem.

Specific topics of discussion include:

·       The importance of the biopharma industry working across the spectrum of diagnostics.

·       An overview of Mayo Clinic BioPharma Diagnostics.

·       New collaborations between Mayo Clinic, its diagnostic business lines, and industry partners. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be an excellent tool for enhancing patient care and streamlining efficiencies in the lab. But because of its potential risks, AI must be thoughtfully and responsibly applied, both now and in the future. 

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to talk about how AI is impacting laboratories and pathology medicine.

Specific topics of discussion include:

• How AI and machine learning impacts laboratorians. 
• Examples of how Mayo Clinic is applying AI in its laboratory operations.
• Regulation and reimbursement questions surrounding digital pathology. 
• Potential impacts of new AI developments, such as ChatGPT.
• How pathologists can stay informed and engaged as AI progresses.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, and Elitza Theel, Ph.D., director of the Infectious Diseases Serology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, talk about West Nile virus and why laboratories and the public need to be aware as mosquitoes reemerge.

Specific topics of discussion include:

• Why the mosquito is the deadliest animal in the world.
• Symptoms, testing options, and prevention strategies for West Nile virus infections.
• The importance of testing for West Nile virus.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to discuss broader changes that are unfolding in the national and global diagnostic industry, and what to expect in the coming years.

Specific topics of discussion include:

• Reflecting on Dr. Morice’s recent participation in Executive War College and what’s on the minds of other diagnostic leaders.
• Thinking beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and about the future of diagnostics through a broader aperture.
• Understanding the international healthcare and laboratory medicine industries, and thoughts from Dr. Morice’s recent visit to Singapore.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, and Elitza Theel, Ph.D., director of the Infectious Diseases Serology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, discuss endemic fungal infections that can be found in North America, specifically blastomycosis and histoplasmosis. 

Specific topics of discussion include:

• The basics of Blastomyces and Histoplasma fungi, which can cause serious lung infections.
• The recent blastomycosis outbreak at a Michigan paper mill.
• How these fungal infections are diagnosed in the laboratory.
• The cost-effectiveness of testing for the two pathogens with a single assay, and the importance of test stewardship.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, and special guest Susan Van Meter, president of the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA). In celebration of Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, they discuss the critical role laboratories play in patient care and key legislative issues that impact the profession.

Specific topics of discussion include:

• Increasing understanding and visibility of the role of clinical laboratories.
• Reflecting on the common threads that bind all laboratory professionals together.
• Core lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic that can be applied to future virus outbreaks.
• Current federal legislation priorities for the laboratory industry.