Dennis Drayna, Ph.D., is a human geneticist who has identified mutations in several genes that cause communications disorders, particularly stuttering. With so much to cover, we divided his episode into two parts. Here, in part 1, we discuss Dr. Drayna’s research into the genetics of stuttering, including the use of family- and population-based genetic methods. In part 2 to follow, we continue to explore stuttering research and delve into Dr. Drayna’s perspectives about research and research training at the NIH. We’ll also discuss his lab’s ground-breaking work on how genetic variation affects the sense of taste, and how population-specific genetic factors can influence preference for menthol in cigarettes, a common flavor additive that is particularly popular among African American smokers.

Dennis Drayna, Ph.D., is a Senior Investigator in the Section on Systems Biology of Communication Disorders at NIH's National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Learn more about Dr. Drayna and his research at https://irp.nih.gov/pi/dennis-drayna