Finding Genius Podcast

Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Immunology Faculty Member of the Department of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Kate Jeffrey, joins the show to discuss her work in the field of virology and immunology. In this episode, you will learn: How the gut virome of healthy individuals differs from the gut virome of individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) What the difference is between a symbiont and pathobiont, and how the former can become damaging What genes are triggered by viruses coming from healthy versus unhealthy individuals What complex immune disease are on the rise, and how they are a combination of environmental triggers and genetic susceptibility Microorganisms: trillions of them live in or on us, many of which we need just as much as they need us. But how exactly do they shape and educate our immune systems? And how might the answer differ if we were asking about viruses instead of microbes? These are just a couple of the questions that Dr. Jeffrey explores in her work, along with a close look at the influence of epigenetics on the function of our immune cells. In her lab, a brand-new field of study is under the spotlight: the virome. Dr. Jeffrey says that of the trillions of viruses on earth, we can only identify about 6,000. Although we certainly don't know the extent to which it occurs, we do know that there is evidence that viruses have an impact on the function of immune cells. Dr. Jeffrey explains the process of studying this, which involves extracting viruses from resected sections of inflamed colons from patients with IBD, and testing those viruses in the lab to see how they interact with immune cells such as macrophages, which act as the first line of defense in the immune system. Through this research, they have found that viruses from a healthy gut essentially lead macrophages to be in an anti-inflammatory state, which means all the genes that define a macrophage as being anti-inflammatory are triggered by a virus coming from a healthy gut. To the contrary, viruses from an IBD individual trigger all of the classic inflammatory genes. Dr. Jeffrey expounds on a number of other fascinating topics, so tune in and check out https://jeffreylab.mgh.harvard.edu/ to learn more. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

As a clinical assistant professor of medicine and infectious diseases at Stanford University, Dr. Jake Scott spends his days diagnosing and treating a variety of infectious diseases. He joins the show to discuss the details of this interesting work. Tune in to discover: What was discovered by sequencing the microbiome of the Yanomami, a group of indigenous people who live in the Amazon rainforest, in relative isolation and without exposure to antibiotics Why it is not profitable to develop new, effective, potentially life-saving antibiotics, and how this is hindering companies that have done just that How organisms are so effective at developing resistance to antibiotics When Dr. Scott tells people what he does for a living, most people think his work pertains only to exotic, rare contagious diseases, such as Ebola or COVID-19. In reality, he also deals with very common infections, such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and appendicitis. He also focuses on the diagnosis and management of patients with HIV. In light of the increasing and deadly threat of multidrug-resistant bacteria, one of the most important aspects of his job has to do with "antimicrobial stewardship," which is to protect the antibiotics we currently have by prescribing them as carefully as possible. This means prescribing the right dose of the right type of antibiotic for the right duration. Accomplishing this relies upon the ability to quickly identify the specific pathogen at hand using advanced technology. Dr. Scott explains new types of antibiotics that could hold promise in the fight against drug resistance, and the major challenge in getting these drugs to market and keeping them there. He stresses the importance of raising more awareness about drug resistance and incentivizing companies and research institutions to focus on the development of novel and effective antimicrobial drugs. He also reminds us that the organisms we're trying to fight with antibiotics have been ready to be resistant for millions of years; the mechanism of resistance is quite literally built into these organisms, and they outweigh us by a billion-fold or more. If nothing else, this fact should compel us to do more. Available on Apple podcast: apple.co/2Os0myK

A microbiologist by training, Sam Minot now works as a computational biologist helping other scientists understand the data between of human microbiome and health connections. In this podcast, he explains Why the complexity of bacteria and viruses is important in how scientists might approach infectious viruses and infectious diseases, Why is it difficult to culture "all" bacteria and what that means for microbiome study approaches, and How approaches that prioritize gene-level impact on human health can lead to microbiome-based therapeutics for diseases like cancer. Samuel Minot is a Staff Scientist with the Microbiome Research Initiative in the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division of the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center. He begins this conversation with a foundational question in microbiology: how do the microbes on us impact our health? He then discusses the complexity of the interaction of bacteria and the viruses that infect them, also called phages. He offers examples of new discoveries constantly upending our picture of what viruses and bacteria can do and ways infectious viruses impact some bacteria and cause disease. As an example, he discusses cholera, which is harmful because of a satellite virus that infects a bacterium: the two together make the disease. He then lays the ground for why it is important to prioritize a gene-level study of our microbiome by describing the impossibility of culturing every bacterium. He describes what functional annotation is and how that concept allows him to identify genes that affect human health and work to understand data at this level. He talks about the big impacts in his field, namely newer findings on how the microbiome influences the treatment of cancer. Studies show that the kinds of microbes in our gut relate to our immune response's handling of different treatments to fight the cancer. In other words, the immune system is poised to respond to cancer treatment based on the microbiome. This is leading to hopeful microbiome-based therapeutic treatments for cancer. For more, see https://www.fredhutch.org/en/research/divisions/vaccine-infectious-disease-division.html and Sam Minot's blog at minot.bio. Available on Apple podcast: apple.co/2Os0myK

As an assistant professor at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Emily Largent focuses primarily on research ethics and issues surrounding Alzheimer's disease. In this episode, you will discover: How the detection of certain biomarkers can determine whether a person is at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease What three primary attitudes/outlooks on the future emerged from a group of people who learned that their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is elevated Whether she thinks the US will reach its goal of finding a disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer's disease by 2025 Over 5.5 million Americans have dementia, and there is still no disease-modifying therapy and no way to reverse or slow the progression of the disease. It is one of the most feared conditions of old age because it affects people's personal identity, sense of self, and personal relationships in a way no other disease can. Largent discusses the key premise of her research, which is that our understanding of Alzheimer's disease is changing in ways that will have a fundamental impact on the lived experiences of those who receive the diagnosis, as well as their family members. Largent is interested in exploring the social, legal, and ethical implications of Alzheimer's disease research and how to translate this research into high-quality bedside care. In addition, she is interested in better understanding how people receive the news that they are (or are not) at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in the future. She expounds on the details of a particular study which aimed to identify the emotional impact of receiving this type of news, and shares some interesting findings. She also discusses the ways in which people respond practically to receiving such news, and explores how it might affect the relationships they have with other people. Tune in to hear the full conversation. To learn more, visit https://www.alz.org/, https://www.nia.nih.gov/, and https://pennmemorycenter.org/. Available on Apple podcast: apple.co/2Os0myK

CEO of Lantos Technologies John Bojanowski, and Chief Audiology Officer at Lantos Technologies Dr. Brian Fligor, join the podcast to discuss 3D ear scanning. In this episode, you will learn: How it is that ear prints could be used as biomarkers, and whether your left ear may be surprisingly different than your right (or vice versa) What the status quo custom ear technology was up until Lantos Technologies entered the market How sounds might be separated in the ear canal of an individual to enhance that individual's hearing experience Lantos Technologies is a company that spun out of MIT about 10 years ago with the goal of improving the standard of care for creating custom-fit devices for the ear. Up until that point, the technology being used was quite literally about 130 years old. Despite encountering unexpected complications in the creation of digital technology for the ear, the technology at Lantos was brought to market and commercialized in 2019. The old technology for custom-fit ear devices relied on making ear molds, which quite literally required pouring a substance into the ear of the customer and waiting until it dried. This was not only inefficient and ineffective, but uncomfortable for the client. At Lantos Technologies, custom-fit devices are made based on a simple 60 to 90-second 3D scan of the ear, which is then uploaded via the cloud and sent to the manufacturer. This allows for personalized solutions for a range of products, including hearing aids, hearing protection, professional audio, and consumer audio. Bojanowski and Fligor discuss the uniqueness of ears—in fact, they even say that an ear print could serve as an excellent biomarker for individual identification. They've scanned over 18,000 ears and have yet to find any two alike—including the left and right ears on one individual. That's right, your right and left ear are not symmetrical, but don't worry, Lantos accounts for this. Among other topics, Bojanowski and Fligor discuss the anatomy of the ear and how it relates to the creation of their technology, some of the most in-demand and interesting applications of their technology, and so much more. Tune in, and visit https://www.lantostechnologies.com/us/. Available on Apple podcast: apple.co/2Os0myK

Kimothy Smith, DVM, PhD, VP of Pathogen Detection Systems at Nephros, Inc, discusses water-borne diseases, water filters, and more. Dr. Smith earned a BS in biochemistry and earned his Doctorate in veterinary medicine from Oklahoma State University. He holds a PhD in molecular epidemiology from Louisiana State University. Podcast Points: Pathogen detection explained—an overview What environments are ideal for bacteria to grow? What could be lurking in your plumbing, and how to detect it? Dr. Smith talks about the core technology of Nephros, and how they got their start in filtration systems that provide barriers to many water-borne pathogens, such as Legionella, and others. He goes on to explain some of the newer technologies developed by the company and his personal role in their pathogen-detection systems—to help with mitigation, and to clear potential problems. He explains that certain plumbing and pipes, and the age of buildings, etc., can contribute to bacteria and pathogen growth. Dr. Smith gives an overview of just how important it is for workers to take care and exercise caution when opening up plumbing systems, because there is always an opportunity for bacteria to find a way in, and potentially multiply. Continuing, the pathogen expert discusses heavy metals, and environments that are ideal for bacteria and pathogenic growth. Expanding on his thoughts and knowledge, Dr. Smith discusses the specifics of buildings, and pathogen entry potential. He explains the importance of testing, and mitigation practices—from chemical to thermal treatments, as well as filtration. Dr. Smith goes on to explain seasonal changes and weather/flooding events that could also play a role in bacteria growth and the risks to human health.

Shawn Patrick O'Brien, chief executive officer of Genomind (genomind.com), discusses anxiety, mental health, and genetic connections. Before his work began at Genomind, O'Brien founded Key BioPharma Partners, LLC, a private consulting firm focused on biopharma, and he served as president and CEO of multiple influential pharmaceutical and bioscience companies. Podcast Points: How can genetic testing help improve drug treatment outcomes for mental health patients? How many people suffer from mental health issues over their lifetime? Do some drugs work better than others for a particular patient? O'Brien discusses the background of Genomind, and why the company was created. He talks about the company's founder, Dr. Ronald Dozoretz, MD, who sadly passed away recently due to Covid-19. Dr. Dozoretz's career as a psychiatrist focused on building mental health centers, working to improve patient outcomes, and decrease costs. O'Brien states that according to the CDC, by the end of the decade, depression will be the largest healthcare cost. Genomind seeks to bring real solutions to mental health care. As O'Brien explains, as many as 50% of the total population will need mental health services at some point in their lives. Genomind has developed a system of testing that can eliminate the trial and error of care, by providing genetic testing of 24 different genes which can elucidate which drugs are suitable for the individual and which will be ineffective, how they will metabolize a type of drug, and how that drug will be distributed throughout their body, etc. This valuable information can assist health care practitioners to prescribe medications that will work for their patients, and eliminate the long journey of trial and error that many patients go through en route to finding a successful path to treatment through medication. The Genomind CEO talks about the ways they have adapted their company's models to facilitate the current Covid-19 period. He discusses particular drugs and drug profiles, detailing therapy and treatment. O'Brien explains that many patients may be currently taking drugs that will simply never work for them, but genetic testing will help correct this. Wrapping up, O'Brien provides an overview of new emerging data in his field, and how drugs are incorporated with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), etc., and he talks about his personal story with his son that motivated him to work with Genomind helping others improve their lives.

Professor and virologist Marilyn J. Roossinck describes her work and interesting elements of virus behavior. She tells listeners Why plant viruses became the focus of her research, What she's learned about the host impact on virus diversity, and How her work on persistent plant viruses has changed how she conceives of the larger virus community. Marilyn J. Roossinck, Ph.D. is a professor in plant pathology and environmental microbiology and biology. She's at the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at the Huck Institute of Life Sciences at Pennsylvania State University. She describes for listeners how she first became interested in the field of virology and where that interest took her. Because viruses evolve rapidly, they can be a helpful vehicle for observing evolutionary processes. One of her early studies involved watching virus mutations of RNA viruses, noting the diversity of their populations. She then describes the work she's done with the cucumber mosaic virus. Because the virus infects about 1,200 different species, they could compare virus evolution by starting with clones of the cucumber mosaic virus and see how the exact same virus progressed differently among host plants. Contrary to general thought, they found the virus behavior and diversity was dependent on the host plant. She discusses some other studies including on a virus that has coevolved with the jalapeno and other pepper plants and what that plant virus accomplishes for that plant. She also talks about her work on a virus found in fungi that inhabit geothermal soil and viruses in Costa Rican plants. She explains how this work has caused her to think of viruses differently, as beneficial for the most part. In fact, she says pathogenic viruses are actually quite rare. For more about her work, see roossincklab.com.

Rita Austin looks at human remains from all over the world to try and understand past human experiences and disease processes, particularly for tuberculosis and syphilis. In this podcast, she shares with listeners The interdisciplinary methods of molecular, morphological, and archival studies that inform her work; The history of tuberculosis and syphilis as pathogens; and The stories we can gather from bone lesions, DNA ancestry, and teeth calculus. Dr. Rita Austin is a Predoctoral Research Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution, Museum of Natural History, where she works to evaluate their human biological anthropology collections to better inform destructive sampling decisions made by the museum. She recently obtained her PhD from the University of Oklahoma. She talks about her work in this podcast, explaining the way researchers use methods like DNA ancestry, skeletal studies, and teeth calculus to reconstruct the impact of pathogens in the near and distant past. Her studies have focused specifically on tuberculosis and syphilis and she explains that TB is ancient—we have been evolving with it for millennia. Syphilis on the other hand is much more recent and was first documented in the 1400s; however, there are subspecies that are more ancient and non-venereal. She adds that these diseases still exist today and explains how TB invades the body in more detail. Her work helps scientists better understand these pathogens in the past and how they have changed over time: a better understanding can help us target them now and be prepared for how they may continue to evolve. She also explains one of her overarching interests, namely how cultural practices inform and affect health care. She adds some examples and reminders listeners that one's socioeconomic status affected one's health. People were touched by the plague, for example, due to different socioeconomic situations. She comments that being able to protect one's self from sickness is a privilege. Finally, she shares some interesting examples of how researchers have reconstructed end-of-life circumstances by looking at human remains, including a story about what some nun's teeth told about the ink they used. To find out more about her work, see the University of Oklahoma's Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research page at https://lmamr.org/.

Jessica Young, PhD is a biostatistician in the Department of Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School who joins the show to discuss the ins and outs of her interesting and important work. Tune in to learn the following: How confounding factors in a study can influence the findings of the study, and how/why the gold standard of randomized trials can address this What is meant by the "fundamental challenge of causal inference" and how this explains why assumptions are always necessary in order to claim that a statistical analysis is unbiased Why large subject numbers or data points can't overwhelm biases; why bias is a function of the thing being studied Dr. Young's job is two-fold: she works on both the applications of statistical methods for public health and clinical medicine, and also on the development of methods in these areas. She focuses on causal inference, which is the formal process of understanding how to estimate causal effect from data collected in real-world studies. Through examples including a longitudinal study on nurses starting in the 1970s to present day studies revolving around the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Young discusses confounding factors in studies and the effect they have on interpretations of findings, the importance of randomization, the presence of bias regardless of how statistically significant a finding is, meta-analyses, where she sees the field of biostatistics heading in the near future, and more. To learn about the basics of causal inference, Dr. Young recommends reading The Book of Why: The New Science of Cause and Effect. Visit https://www.populationmedicine.org/JYoung to learn more about her work and publications.