Genetics

Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD

Guest: Dale Sandler, PhD, MPH

Rising rates of breast cancer are of concern to everyone in medicine. To what can we attribute this disturbing trend? For answers, host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo welcomes Dale Sandler, PhD, MPH, chief of epidemiology at the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and principal investigator of the NIEHS Sister Study, a bold initiative to evaluate 50,000 sisters of women with breast cancer, measuring a confluence of environmental factors against their disease risk.

Host: Maurice Pickard, MD

Guest: Robert Klitzman, MD

Dr. Robert Klitzman, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Columbia speaks about the need for more genetic counselors to help with families of Huntington's disease, breast cancer, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and familial polyposis. People can order genetic testing and disease ancestry search directly on the internet. Many physicians have not been able to keep up with developments of the genome but will be asked to be knowledgeable about this exploding field. Dr. Maurie Pickard hosts.

Host: Maurice Pickard, MD

Guest: Robert Klitzman, MD

Dr. Robert Klitzman, associate professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University, discusses how to prepare patients and their families to deal with the complex issues that arise in families that have inherited Huntington's disease. Join host Dr. Maurice Pickard for this important discussion.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD

Guest: Masha Gessen

Blood Matters: From Inherited Illness to Designer Babies is the work of Moscow-based author and journalist, Masha Gessen. Ms. Gessen discusses her book, based in part upon her experience as a carrier of the BRCA gene, with host Dr. Michael Greenberg.

Host: Gary Kohn, MD

Guest: Andrew Flood, PhD

The risk association between diabetes and colorectal cancer: what is the mechanism driving the correlation? What methods are used to study the relationship? Dr. Andrew Flood, assistant professor of epidemiology, University of Minnesota, and adjunct investigator at the National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics discusses the relationship and his research with host Dr. Gary Kohn.

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD

Guest: Nehama Dresner, MD

What is the psychological impact on patients faced with difficult obstretic and gynecology-related situations? Dr. Nehama Dresner, associate professor of clinical psychiatry, behavioral sciences, and obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, addresses situational depression and anxiety plaguing these patients with host Dr. Lauren Streicher.

Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD

Guest: Joseph Muenzer, MD

Previously, patients could only receive palliative care for symptoms associated with Hunter syndrome, a rare but serious genetic disorder that inhibits the body’s ability to break down specific complex carbohydrates. Now, a new enzyme therapy is making it possible to prevent Hunter syndrome manifestation, typically occurring as early as year two, which dramatically improves long-term quality of life. How quickly do patients show improvement with enzyme therapy? What are the most common side effects? Join host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill for an interesting conversation with Dr. Joseph Muenzer, professor of pediatrics and genetics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and one of the world’s leading experts on Hunter syndrome.

Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD

Guest: Joseph Muenzer, MD

Hunter syndrome is a rare but serious genetic disorder that inhibits the body’s ability to break down specific complex carbohydrates. Initial onset symptoms include inguinal hernias, recurrent otitis, and the common cold, frequently manifesting concurrently as part of a multi-system failure sometime after the first year of life. Because many of these symptoms are common in infants, physicians often do not suspect Hunter syndrome, yet treatment for the disease is much more effective when administered early in its progression. How can we minimize the delay typically associated with diagnosis of Hunter syndrome? Dr. Joseph Muenzer, professor of pediatrics and genetics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and one of the world’s leading authorities in Hunter syndrome research, joins host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill to share his expertise.

Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD

Guest: Joseph Muenzer, MD

Hunter syndrome is a rare but serious genetic disorder that inhibits the body’s ability to break down specific complex carbohydrates. What are the prinicipal symptoms that would lead a primary care physician to consider Hunter syndrome? Dr. Joseph Muenzer, professor of pediatrics and genetics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and one of the world’s leading authorities in Hunter syndrome research, joins host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill to share his expertise.

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD

Guest: Steven Stryker, MD

There is a dramatically uneven distribution of risk among women for colorectal cancer, the second most common cancer in America. Low-risk women have only five percent lifetime odds of developing the disease, while moderate and high-risk subsets are much more vulnerable. What accounts for this risk? The evidence points to a series of genetic and environmental factors, along with other known syndromes. Dr. Steven Stryker, professor of clinical oncology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, joins host Dr. Lauren Streicher to evaluate common predispositions to this devastating disease.