DNA Today: A Genetics Podcast

In this episode we are discussing inborn errors of immunity, with a particular focus on chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). Joining us for this episode is rare disease advocate, Felicia Morton, and genetic counselor, Torry Howell.    Felicia Morton, is the Founder and Executive Director of the CGD Association of America . Felicia has been a well-known advocate for the CGD community for more than...

This episode was originally recorded for It Happened To Me: A Rare Disease podcast, where our host Kira Dineen is the Executive Producer. Sometimes Kira joins this podcast as a guest host especially when there will be genetic topics, like in this episode.    This episode was extra special as DNA Today’s Communications Lead Corinne Merlino was the guest! Corinne was also a guest on Episodes 245 and...

Currently, an overwhelming number of DNA samples used for research are from people of European ancestry, making many populations from across the globe underrepresented in genomics research. ( NHGRI ) In this episode, we explore an important issue in healthcare, diversifying genetic research, with two experts from 23andMe   Dr. Ruth Tennen is a product scientist at 23andMe. In this role Dr. Tennen...

We are celebrating the 250th episode of DNA Today and the 10 year anniversary of Orphan Black premiere with Madeline Ashby who was a writer for Orphan Black: The Next Chapter. In our conversation we will dive into some of the genetic concepts explored in the show. Warning there will be spoilers for both the TV show and the podcast!!!   Madeline Ashby (she/her) is an author among many other creativ...

In this episode we are joined by two genetic counselors to explore the experience of being a male in our field.    John Zimmerman, MS, CGC, is a certified genetic counselor at UT Southwestern Medical Center. John completed his genetic counseling training at the University of Minnesota in 2017 and has since worked as a clinical genetic counselor with the UT Southwestern Cancer Genetics Program. Rec...

In this episode we are learning about Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, an X-linked genetic disorder that prevents the breakdown and excretion of ammonia.  When ammonia builds up in the body, it can rise to toxic levels where it affects the central nervous system. This allows ammonia to accumulate in the bloodstream, rising to toxic levels where it affects the central nervous system. OT...

In lieu of this episode, I want to provide you with other DNA Today episodes about DMD.    In Episode #156 I interview Rich Horgan . He opens up about his brother’s experience living with DMD and how it inspired him to start Cure Rare Diseases, which is an organization that focuses on developing personalized treatments for rare diseases.    In Episode #202 I interview two experts about DMD. Geneti...

PART TWO, stream episode #245 before this episode!    Some of our most popular episodes over the years of DNA Today are those that provide insight into the genetic counseling graduate program application process. So much has changed since we recorded those episodes back in 2018-2022 (many programs have removed the GRE requirement, interviews are virtual, etc.) these episodes include #87 #97 #101 #...

Some of our most popular episodes over the years of DNA Today are those that provide insight into the genetic counseling graduate program application process. So much has changed since we recorded those episodes back in 2018-2022 (many programs have removed the GRE requirement, interviews are virtual, etc.) these episodes include #87 #97 #101 #193 and #194 .    That’s why we are revisiting these t...

Step into our time machine as we transport you back to the early heydays of genetic counseling (aka the 70s) with our esteemed guest, Virginia Corson. Virginia is a veteran genetic counselor who has weathered the changing tides of this field over the last 50 years, and she's here to share her incredible journey with us. Virginia has spent the vast majority of her career as a prenatal genetic couns...

We are closing out Pride Month with a recent installment of the PhenoTips Speaker Series. DNA Today’s host Kira Dineen is also one of the hosts of the PhenoTips Speaker Series . This live webinar focuses on relevant genetics topics by featuring discussions with thought leaders and experts in genomic medicine. This episode is the 24th installment of the PhenoTips’ Speaker Series, “Navigating Barrie...

In 2020, a direct-to-consumer DNA test revealed that our guest Richard Wenzel's father was not his genetic father. Moreover, evidence indicates that his conception resulted from a sexual assault of his mother and that his pediatrician (who was also his mother's obstetrician) helped conceal this crime; unfortunately, all involved individuals are deceased. Since that troubling discovery, Richard has...

With Father’s Day coming up this Sunday, it’s only fitting that this week’s guest is famous for coining the phrase, “You are (or are not) the father!” We sat down with the one and only Maury Povich live in NBC’s Stamford Studios (where Maury has his own show on the network) for a discussion about paternity testing!   Maury is a household name and an icon in the world of talk shows. For over 30 yea...

Joining us for this episode is Sneha Dave , Founder and Executive Director of Generation Patient , an organization that facilitates events, online programs, and advocacy initiatives for young adults living with chronic and rare conditions to ensure that they have the opportunities and resources to thrive.   Sneha Dave (she/her) graduated from Indiana University in May 2020 where she majored in chr...

We are joined again by Janice Berliner joining us again on DNA Today. She was a guest on Episode 152 where we talked about her debut novel, Brooke’s Promise. In this episode we are chatting about her second novel, In Good Conscience, which features genetic counseling!   Aside from being a novelist, Janice Berliner is a board certified genetic counselor with more than 32 years of experience. In her...

We want to take a moment to express our appreciation to all our incredible listeners. We have been enjoying getting to know some of you through our Patreon . As a patron you can gain benefits that take your DNA Today experience to the next level including our exclusive monthly club, behind the scenes podcast views, input on future episodes including interview questions, one on one mentorship with...

We are in the final days to sign up to our Patreon to still be eligible for our bonus physical gift , DNA Today merch! This is on top of the annual physical gift you will get if you end up picking our Chromies tier level. And yes I had a ton of fun coming up with the tier names. The top merch asked for by listeners are t-shirts, mugs, stickers, thermoses, and lanyards (mostly to wear during confer...

If you are listening to a genetics podcast, then I know you are a nerd that also likes reading genetic books and watching genetics movies and shows. There aren’t many genetics clubs out there for nerds like us, so we launched a Patreon where we could do just that! This is the benefit that was asked for the most when we were designing our Patreon was an exclusive monthly club where we chat about a...

If you are one of the listeners that tune into DNA Today every week, then you definitely know by now we have launched our Patreon. This is where you can not only get bonus content from DNA Today, you can get early access to episodes before the public. You also get to influence the content of the show, this includes episode topics and guests plus pitching questions I ask during interviews, and of c...

Congratulations to everyone who matched with a genetic counseling program last week! Special shoutout to our Communications Lead, Corinne Merlino, for matching with the University of Pennsylvania! Check out DNA Today Episode #101, Genetic Counseling Match Day , to prepare you to start grad school. We also provide advice for applicants that didn’t match in this cycle and offer inspiration to apply...

We are officially launching our Patreon next week on DNA Day, April 25th! To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA and 20th anniversary of the completion of the human genome. By becoming a Patreon supporter you can receive benefits like joining our exclusive genetics book/movie club, mentorship sessions with me, even being on an episode of DNA Today! If you sign u...

We are thrilled to be launching our Patreon very soon. It might be on a genetics holiday, I’ll let you figure that one out. In the meantime we would appreciate your insight on what you want from the Patreon. It’s your last chance to fill out our survey so that we will offer the benefits you want. You can access the 60 second survey here . Maybe you really want DNA Today merch or would love to have...

Have you heard? We are launching a Patreon! For those that are not familiar with Patreon, it’s a platform that allows creators (like podcasters) to offer their followers more content, experiences, and even gifts. We have an exciting list of ideas on what we will offer you listeners, but we want you to make the final decisions on which benefits we end up offering you. So get your votes in through o...

As you may have heard, we are launching a Patreon! For those that don’t know what Patreon is, it’s a platform that allows creators (like podcasters) to offer their followers more content, experiences, and even gifts. We have a survey that will be open for a limited time so get your input in now so we can provide the benefits you want. Maybe that’s a one-on-one Zoom with me for mentorship or a gene...

We have an exciting announcement, we are launching a Patreon! For those that are not familiar with Patreon, it’s a platform that allows creators (like podcasters) to offer their followers more content, experiences, and even gifts. In order to provide what YOU want, please take 60 seconds to fill out our survey . By filling out the survey not only are you influencing what benefits we will offer, bu...