This week Patrick is joined by Dr Kaja Wasik, CSO and co-founder of Variant Bio. Prior to Variant Bio, Kaja co-founded Gencove, a spin-out from the New York Genome Center and an innovator in low-pass whole genome sequencing and imputation. In this episode Patrick and Kaja discuss Variant Bio's approach to using human genetic data for novel drug development and their model for engaging deeply with communities who donate genetic samples and offer a share in the companies revenues.

This is the first episode in a mini-series on 'Precision Pioneers' - stay tuned for more episodes in this area.

Precision Pioneers EP 1: Variant Bio CSO Kaja Wasik on the power of human genetic diversity in drug development

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

Natural Sciences

Science & Medicine

Science

Life Sciences

In this episode, we are excited to welcome George Church, Professor at Harvard Medical School and MIT, and Co-founder of Eugit Therapeutics, Colossal Biosciences, Arrived AI, and eGenesis. He is also the Director of PersonalGenomes.org, the world's only open-access information hub for human genomic, environmental, and trait data, as well as an IARPA BRAIN Project and the NIH Center for Excellence in Genomic Science. If that weren’t enough, George was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world in Time Magazine’s 2017 Time 100 list. In 2022, he was featured among the most influential people in biopharma by FiercePharma, where he was listed among the top 8 most famous geneticists in human history. All to say, you won’t want to miss this episode with a genetics superstar!

EP 132: From mammoths to genome editing, trailblazing genetics with Dr. George Church

In this episode, we welcome Jake Rubens, a seasoned genomic science entrepreneur and co-founder of Quotient Therapeutics. Tune in to hear Jake discuss the potential of somatic genomics (genes that are present in any cell in the body except for germline cells) in therapeutic development. As the founder of several companies, including Tessera and Sana Therapeutics, Jake offers his unique perspective on the advantages of utilising insights from somatic genome sequencing to understand disease mechanisms and discover new drug targets. He also shares valuable lessons from his robust entrepreneurial journey!

EP 131: The potential of somatic genomics in drug discovery and development with Jake Rubens

Join us as we welcome back Dr. Veera Rajagopal, a discovery scientist at Regeneron with an interest in human genetics and drug target discovery in neuroscience and psychiatry. If you’re a regular listener of The Genetics Podcast, you are likely familiar with Dr. Veera’s annual round-up episodes. This year, we are excited to announce quarterly episodes with Dr. Veera, where he and Patrick walk you through the latest developments in genetics, drug discovery, and precision medicine throughout the year.​​ This quarter’s episode will focus on non-coding variants and the future of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Tune in now, and don’t forget to check out Veera’s substack, GWAS Stories, and his Twitter, @doctorveera.

EP 130: Quarterly insights into noncoding variants and GWAS with Dr. Veera Rajagopal

In this episode, Patrick welcomes Jean Swidler, the Founder, Executive Director, and Chair of End the Legacy. End the Legacy is a patient-led organization dedicated to articulating and supporting the needs and interests of the genetic ALS and FTD communities. If you are interested in patient advocacy or keen on learning about recent therapeutic developments for those with neurodegenerative conditions, you will want to listen to this episode!

EP 129: Patient advocacy for genetic ALS and FTD with Jean Swidler, Executive Director of End the Legacy

Join us as we welcome two familiar faces, Dr. James Beck, Chief Scientific Officer at Parkinson's Foundation, and Dr. Ignacio “Nacho” Mata, Professor at the Cleveland Clinic and Coordinator of the Latin America Research consortium on the Genetics of PD (LARGE-PD).


This pair first appeared on Episode 69 of The Genetics Podcast in September 2021 to discuss the genetics of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and the future of precision medicine. Nearly 60 episodes later, Drs. Beck and Mata are back to walk us through updates in the field of PD and precision medicine, increasing diversity in genetic studies, and the potential for prediction and prevention of PD. 


You won’t want to miss this insightful episode featuring two of the preeminent experts in Parkinson’s disease and precision medicine.

Precision Pioneers EP 1: Variant Bio CSO Kaja Wasik on the power of human genetic diversity in drug development

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