The Genetics Podcast

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Eric Fauman, Executive Director and Head of Computational Biology in the Internal Medicine Research Unit at Pfizer. Eric and Patrick discuss facilitating efficient identification of potential drug targets and the role of artificial intelligence in genetics research and drug discovery. Please note that Eric has kindly shared some interesting research that was mentioned in the podcast. It is pasted at the end of the show notes.

In this episode, we’re joined by Noam Baumatz, CEO and Co-Founder of Noga Therapeutics, a company dedicated to developing gene therapies for rare and severe diseases through engineering macrophages. Motivated by his highly personal experience of rare disease, Noam founded Noga to develop the type of gene therapies his daughter was unable to access. He and Patrick discuss his work with parents and families affected by rare disease, the road to effective, financially accessible gene therapies, and Noam’s previous work in traditional Chinese medicine.

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 may be familiar with Dr. Veera’s annual round-up episodes, and more recently, his quarterly appearances on the show. We’re pleased to bring you the latest quarterly roundup, during which Dr. Veera and Patrick walk through the most recent developments in genetics, drug discovery, and precision medicine. In this episode, Dr. Veera and Patrick dive into a wide variety of topics, including: - The evolution of skin color in humans - The potential of a novel tau isoform for Alzheimer’s treatment - Protective mechanisms of tomoregulin-1 against herpes simplex virus - The discovery of a new noncoding Mendelian disease mechanism linked to cardiac arrhythmias - A comparative analysis of whole genome versus whole exome sequencing for gene discovery. Tune in now, and don’t forget to check out Veera’s substack, GWAS Stories, and his Twitter, @doctorveera. Additionally, we’re excited to invite you to an in-person meetup for The Genetics Podcast during the ASHG Annual Meeting in Denver, CO! Over the years, we’ve had the honor of speaking with leading voices across science, industry, patient advocacy, and policy. Now, we’re bringing this incredible community together face-to-face. Join us on the evening of Thursday, November 7. To RSVP, visit: https://lu.ma/geneticspodASHG.

In this episode, Patrick speaks with Mark Taylor, Head of Strategic Partnerships at LGC Group, about bridging the gap between genomics innovation and equitable healthcare. They discuss Mark's work with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), challenges in scaling precision therapies for the NHS, and strategies for engaging underrepresented populations. Additionally, we’re excited to invite you to an in-person meet up for The Genetics Podcast during the ASHG Annual Meeting in Denver, CO! Over the years, we’ve had the honor of speaking with leading voices across science, industry, patient advocacy, and policy. Now, we’re bringing this incredible community together face-to-face. Join us on the evening of Thursday, November 7. To RSVP, visit: https://lu.ma/geneticspodASHG.