Best Watson Institute For International Podcasts (2024)

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EP 143: Harnessing human data in drug development with Jakob Steinfeldt, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Pheiron 36:17

11m ago36:17

36:17

0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 01:00 Welcome to Jakob and background on Pheiron 02:14 What made Jakob decide to start Pheiron, what the company does, and how his scientific background inspired him to found a start-up 5:24 Jakob’s excitement and inspiration around the power and potential of machine learning 07:07 Cardiology and heart failure as …

1
South Africa, 30 years after apartheid: part 1 32:28

1d ago32:28

32:28

This spring marked the thirtieth anniversary of the election of Nelson Mandela as South Africa’s president and the end of apartheid, the system of legalized racial segregation that had existed in South Africa for decades. Around the same time as that anniversary, there was another momentous event in the country: South Africans went to the polls in …

1
EP 142: From genome to bedside: How genetics is transforming modern medical practice with Dr. Andrea Gropman 42:45

3d ago42:45

42:45

0:00 Introduction 1:40 Andrea’s background and how she got into the field of genetics, neuroimaging, and metabolic disorders 4:00 Insights into Andrea’s clinical practice, including the diverse families and patients she serves and her approach to clinical decision-making 6:30 How genetics and genomics have changed the diagnostic journey in the last…

1
EP 141: Bringing genomics to the clinic with Lori Orlando, Associate Prof at Duke University 43:24

10d ago43:24

43:24

0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 01:00 Welcome to Lori Orlando 03:00 Lori’s career: From mathematical modelling to genetics and family history 05:11 The study that revealed 20% of the general population is at a higher risk of disease than average and needs preventative care 07:36 The first five diseases that Lori started analysing through informa…

1
EP 140: The future of Electronic Health Records and data analysis with Ben Goldacre 52:51

17d ago52:51

52:51

0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 1:00 Welcome to Ben Goldacre 02:22 Ben’s open data projects at the Bennett Institute and the challenges they aim to tackle 04:03 Using Electronic Health Records (EHR) to help the National Health Service improve care 06:18 The importance of software development within healthcare data and how to manage salary scales…

1
EP 139: Rare disease breakthroughs using tRNA with Michelle Werner, CEO of Alltrna and CEO-Partner of Flagship Pioneering 44:42

24d ago44:42

44:42

0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast. 01:00 Welcome to Michelle. 02:00 Sstop codon diseases and how are they characterised 03:45 Diseases caused by premature stop codons in haploinsufficient genes. 04:35 The role of transfer RNA technology in finding solutions for premature stop codon diseases. 06:16 How Alltrna is engineering tRNAs which can bind to…

1
The surprising results of India’s election 28:49

1M ago28:49

28:49

On June 4, results came in from the largest democratic election in history. Over 640 million people voted in India’s election, which took place at over one million polling places across the country over the course of six weeks. Many predicted that India’s prime minister Nerandra Modi and his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would dominate th…

1
The expulsion of politics? What the UK’s Office of Budget Responsibility tells us about the limits of technocracy 43:02

2M ago43:02

43:02

When it comes to governing our economy, estimates rule the day. We want to know what effect a policy might have on the government’s budget, on economic growth, on employment…in the next 1 year, 5 years, 10 years…you get the idea. If you want to make (or critique) public policy, you better have numbers to back it up. To get those types of estimates,…

1
EP 138: Personalised medicine using microbiome models with Dr. Almut Heinken 40:22

1M ago40:22

40:22

0:00 Introduction 1:45 Almut’s research experience, including two recent publications on genome-scale metabolic reconstruction human microorganisms Genome-scale metabolic reconstruction of 7,302 human microorganisms for personalized medicine APOLLO: A genome-scale metabolic reconstruction resource of 247,092 diverse human microbes spanning multiple…

1
EP 137: Mavis Machirori on promoting equity, diversity, and social justice in genomics research 41:40

2M ago41:40

41:40

0:00 Intro 1:30 Mavis’ career arc, from starting as a midwife to researching medical innovation and technology with an emphasis on advocacy and equity 7:00 Systemic issues that are easily overlooked in medical research and advancements Webinar: Participant Diversity: Increasing the Impact of Biomedical Research Webinar 10:00 Addressing Eurocentrici…

1
A former police officer (and public health expert) on the opioid crisis and public safety 17:57

2M ago17:57

17:57

For this week’s show, we’re sharing an episode of “Humans in Public Health,” a podcast from The Brown School of Public Health. It makes a great follow-up to our episode earlier this month about Rhode Island’s first-in-the-nation legally approved proposal for a safe injection site (also known as an overdose prevention center) and how such programs w…

1
What should the Supreme Court’s role in our politics be? 35:57

2M ago35:57

35:57

At the Watson Institute, the beginning of summer means commencement festivities, moving trucks, and bittersweet goodbyes. In American politics, the beginning of summer means something very different: the approach of the Supreme Court's summer recess and, with it, the handing down of the Court’s final decisions from this term. This year’s cases will…

1
EP 136: Developments in ring chromosome 20 research and advocacy with Allison Watson 40:57

2M ago40:57

40:57

0:00 Introduction 2:00 Allison’s personal journey to researching epilepsy and ring chromosome 20 syndrome 4:00 Biggest challenges families face with ring chromosome 20 syndrome 11:00 Incidence and prevalence of r(20) syndrome, and how we can improve data reliability 21:00 Applying next generation sequencing to r(20) syndrome gene research 29:00 Eng…

1
EP 135: Integration of newborn sequencing programs into healthcare systems with Dr. Ingrid Holm 41:16

2M ago41:16

41:16

0:00 Introduction 1:30 Ingrid’s initial interests in genetics, paediatrics, and newborn screening 2:45 How the original BabySeq project, a pioneering newborn sequencing program got started, how it’s going, and the launch of BabySeq2 8:45 Lessons from BabySeq1 and goals for BabySeq2 10:30 Potential societal and long-term considerations for those inv…

1
How American firearms fuel violence in Mexico 34:03

2M ago34:03

34:03

Mexico, like the United States, has a gun violence problem. It has one of the highest murder rates in the world, and most of those murders come from firearms. In 2019, for example, almost 70% of the country's 35,000 murders involved firearms. But unlike the U.S., Mexico doesn’t have tens of thousands of licensed firearms dealers. It has two. So how…

1
EP 134: Prenatal genetic testing and the future of AI in genetic counselling with Kira Dineen, host of DNA Today 40:44

2M ago40:44

40:44

0:00 Introduction 1:00 The backstory of how Kira first started DNA Today in 2012, when she was still in high school! 3:30 Some of Kira’s favourite topics she has discussed on DNA Today, including the legacy of Henrietta Lacks, and the story of a Glee actress with down syndrome 10:00 Kira’s best practices for podcasting, from over 10 years of experi…

1
EP 133: Insights into pharmacogenomics and increasing diversity in genomics research with Dr. Emma Magavern 39:17

2M ago39:17

39:17

0:00 Introduction 2:00 The value of an English Literature degree in designing and analysing research studies in medicine 3:45 Emma’s entrance to pharmacogenomics and her transition from practising physician to genetics research 6:00 How the East London Genes and Health program is increasing representation of diverse populations, namely South Asians…

1
Harm reduction, overdose prevention, and the future of treating America’s overdose epidemic 35:05

3M ago35:05

35:05

In February of this year, Providence became the first city in America to approve opening a state-sanctioned overdose prevention center. Sometimes known as safe injection sites, these are facilities where people can bring illegal drugs and consume them under the supervision of trained volunteers and health professionals. It’s one of the boldest expe…

1
Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy citizenship abroad 34:33

3M ago34:33

34:33

When you think of high-end luxury commodities, you might imagine yachts, private jets, or even whole islands. But in the last few years, another commodity has started to receive a lot of attention from the world’s wealthiest people: citizenship. With enough money, people can buy their way into becoming a citizen of a growing list of countries aroun…

1
EP 132: From mammoths to genome editing, trailblazing genetics with Dr. George Church 47:41

3M ago47:41

47:41

0:00 Introduction 1:00 George’s upcoming big projects, including developing full recycling, renewing energy, creating bioweather maps, and harnessing citizen science 6:45 Progress in engineering viral resistance in humans, including thoughts from pre- and post- pandemic 11:00 A swapped genetic code that prevents viral infections and gene transfer b…

1
EP 131: The potential of somatic genomics in drug discovery and development with Jake Rubens 44:57

3M ago44:57

44:57

0:00 Intro 0:40 Jake’s experiences as a serial entrepreneur starting five companies with a basis in genomic science 5:30 Opportunities for research and drug development in the realm of somatic science 9:20 Somatic evolution and how it provides valuable insights into disease mechanisms 12:30 Advantages and disadvantages of studying germline genome-w…

1
A new history of the Sandinista Revolution 42:47

3M ago42:47

42:47

In the 1970s in Nicaragua, left-wing rebels, calling themselves the Sandinista National Liberation Front, fought to overthrow their country’s dictator. It worked. The Sandinistas led a coalition that took over the government in July 1979, in what became known as the Sandinista Revolution. However, within a few years, the Sandinistas faced a violent…

1
EP 130: Quarterly insights into noncoding variants and GWAS with Dr. Veera Rajagopal 51:56

3M ago51:56

51:56

Show Notes: 0:00 Introduction 1:20 How polydactyl mutations can inform research on non-coding variant mechanisms The importance of low-affinity binding between transcription factors and targets How these lessons can help us improve our understanding of drug and target discovery See Veera’s January round-up for more information: https://www.gwasstor…

1
EP 129: Patient advocacy for genetic ALS and FTD with Jean Swidler, Executive Director of End the Legacy 38:44

3M ago38:44

38:44

0:00 Introduction 0:45 Jean’s personal experiences with family members with genetic ALS 10:00 Jean’s thoughts on the barriers and facilitators to providing treatment for those with genetic ALS 13:20 Insights into C9orf72, a common genetic determinant of ALS, and how it can also be associated with FTD 16:10 Jean’s experiences as an active advocate f…

1
What happened to the ‘American dream’? 32:24

4M ago32:24

32:24

Here’s a depressing fact: it takes longer to travel from Boston to Los Angeles today than it did 50 years ago. Getting to the airport, getting through the airport, the flight itself — just about every part of the process takes longer than it once did. According to New York Times senior writer David Leonhardt, this is just one example of the stagnat…

1
EP 128: Parkinson’s disease and precision medicine with Drs. James Beck and Ignacio Mata 50:18

4M ago50:18

50:18

0:00 Introduction 1:05 Insights into the PD GENEration’s (a programme from the Parkinson's Foundation) milestones and progress points for the upcoming year 3:30 The shifting attitudes and perspectives of neurologists and healthcare workers at the PD GENEration 5:50 Insights into Nacho’s work with the genetics of Parkinson’s disease 10:20 Barriers a…

1
How asset managers came to own everything and you failed to notice 53:11

4M ago53:11

53:11

Listeners of the Rhodes Center Podcast have probably heard of companies like Black Rock, State Street and Vanguard. You’ve also probably heard how, through ETFs and other investment products, these types of investment firms own a staggering share of the world’s biggest companies (20-25% of the S&P 500 by some estimates). But in this episode, you’ll…

1
EP 127: Insights into precision medicine, fatty liver disease, and minimally invasive diagnostic tools with Dr. Mazen Noureddin 39:10

4M ago39:10

39:10

0:00 Intro 0:25 Mazen’s lifelong commitment to furthering the field of precision medicine in liver disease research, fueled by a personal connection of his grandmother developing MASH cirrhosis 2:30 Breakthroughs in the field of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) since the beginning of Mazen’s career 5:30 The potential…

1
From Black Lives Matter to January 6, how ‘Black grief’ and ‘white grievance’ shape our politics 33:28

4M ago33:28

33:28

The last decade has seen the growth of two political movements that appear diametrically opposed: the Black Lives Matter movement and the rise of Donald Trump. But as our guest on this episode explains, these two movements are linked, and can only be understood together. On this episode, Dan Richards talks with political scientist Juliet Hooker abo…

1
EP 126: Patient-led research for ultra-rare disease drug development with Julia Taravella, Executive Director of Rare Trait Hope Fund 39:41

4M ago39:41

39:41

0:00 Introduction 0:25 Julia’s personal experience with ultra-rare diseases within her family 10:25 The importance of increasing accessibility to genetic testing across populations to learn more about ultra-rare diseases 14:00 The origin story of Rare Trait Hope Fund 23:50 Current research and next steps in developing potential gene therapies for a…

1
EP 125: The future of UK Clinical Trial Policy: Innovation, integration, and game-changing legislation with Lord James O’Shaughnessy 45:23

4M ago45:23

45:23

0:00 Introduction 1:25 How Lord O’Shaughnessy became involved in scientific policy making and his path to writing the UK Commercial Clinical Trials Review. 04:05 How Lord O’Shaughnessy pivoted from education to a focus on life sciences 06:38 The biggest challenges Lord O’Shaughnessy faced during his time as Parliamentary Under Secretary for Health …

1
Mark and Carrie Special: 2024 Primaries, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, what’s next for the UK’s Labour Party 29:14

4M ago29:14

29:14

We’ve got a lot of exciting new Trending Globally episodes coming up in the next few weeks and months, but this week we’re sharing an episode of another podcast from the Watson Institute: Mark and Carrie. The show is hosted by political economist Mark Blyth and political scientist Carrie Nordlund. On each episode, they discuss, debate and, occasion…

1
EP 124: How ReCode Therapeutics is pioneering tissue specific delivery of gene therapies for Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia with John Matthews 42:00

5M ago42:00

42:00

0:00 Introduction 01:10 How growing up in Malawi planted the seeds for John’s career in medicine and transition to therapeutic development 04:35 Why John focuses on rare diseases and conditions such as asthma 06:01 What has changed over the last decade in terms of treating and understanding asthma and the progress that genetics has enabled 07:31 Wh…

1
EP 123: The ethics of newborn genome screening: Actionable insights and beyond with Holly Peay, Senior Research Scientist at the Research Triangle Institute 45:34

5M ago45:34

45:34

0:00 Introduction 0:50 Holly’s background and career so far 03:30 Complex decision-making and multiple risk factors: Family history, genetics, phenotypes and beyond 07:05 Changes within the last decade to help people make complex, sometimes subjective, healthcare decisions 09:20 Impact on people: The RTI’s mission and the Early Check Study 13:45 Ne…

1
Ukraine is ‘on the ropes’ two years after Russia’s invasion. What’s next for the Russia-Ukraine War? 29:32

5M ago29:32

29:32

February 24, 2024, marks two years since the beginning of the War in Ukraine. In the war’s first year, Russia’s assault on Ukraine shook the West, while Ukraine's defense of the territory captivated the world. While no less deadly or consequential, the war's second year has looked very different. The war has become a stalemate on the battlefield, a…

1
EP 122: Building genome-scale engineered cells for biotechnology with Leslie Mitchell, Co-founder and CEO of Neochromosome 35:55

5M ago35:55

35:55

Summary: 0:00 Introduction 01:01 How Leslie got into the field of synthetic biology and engineering, and her career journey so far 02:45 What Leslie accomplished during her postdoc and recent transformations in the field of genomics 05:57 The impacts of non-coding regions of the genome and the outcome of deletions 08:20 How long it takes to make ch…

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