TGen Talks

Genomic analysis of a cancer tumor is fairly common these days. Researchers sequence and compare a patient’s non-cancerous DNA with their tumor DNA to identify changes that may allow a patient to receive medicine that specifically targets those changes. But what happens when the tumor comes back? Has the tumor changed? And if so, how? These were questions that intrigued TGen Assistant Professor Fl...

At the Center for Rare Childhood Disorders, it's all about the kids. Center staff dedicate themselves to finding a diagnosis and possible treatments for disorders so rare that many may not even have a name.     In episode 42 of TGen Talks, we go inside the Center with Clinical Director Keri Ramsey, who talks about the parents and kids who come to the Center for answers, and how TGen scientists are...

For TGen’s Dr. Matt Huentelman, leveraging today’s technology to rewrite the playbook on research recruiting and reimagine the scientific landscape involves attracting people to genomic studies in a whole new way. Leaning on a riff from the Doobie Brothers, Huentelman wants to take it to the streets. The Internet — in one form or another — has been around since the late 1960s, yet it’s only been w...

The range of emotions a Helios Scholar at TGen experiences — from application through the program’s end — shifts dramatically as the summer unfolds. The end result, however, is one of accomplishment. 2021 marked the 15th year of TGen’s flagship internship program that has seen nearly 600 alumni gain often career-defining exposure to biomedical research and medicine by working alongside TGen facult...

The range of emotions a Helios Scholar at TGen experiences — from application through the program’s end — shifts dramatically as the summer unfolds. The end result, however, is one of accomplishment. 2021 marked the 15th year of TGen’s flagship internship program that has seen nearly 600 alumni gain often career-defining exposure to biomedical research and medicine by working alongside TGen facult...

With the Delta variant of COVID-19 garnering worldwide attention, it begs the question: When will the pandemic end? This month, on Episode 38, we circle back with David Englethaler, Ph. D., Director of TGen's Pathogen and Microbiome Division, more commonly known as TGen North, for an update on all things COVID-19 related. How much longer will we be dealing with COVID-19? Do we really know where CO...

Hearing the words you have cancer comes as a shock. Hearing that your child has cancer is almost unimaginable. And when you learn that it is a rare form of brainstem cancer known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma or DIPG — a central nervous system cancer that forms from glial cells, the supportive tissue of the brain and spinal cord that affects less than 300 children per year — the questions be...

At TGen, scientists have studied naturally occurring cancer in canines for over a decade. This expertise led to the formation of a company aimed specifically at partnering with veterinarians to identify treatment options for our four-legged friends and bring greater peace of mind to pet parents.   Vidium Animal Health was launched in September of 2020, to provide genomic based precision medicine t...

At TGen's Center for Rare Childhood Disorders, we are committed to developing, refining, and applying the latest tools of genomic medicine to help diagnose and direct treatment for children with rare diseases and disorders. Did you know that there are over 7,000 rare diseases that affect over 25 million Americans? Many of these patients endure a diagnostic odyssey that involves multiple tests and...

It took under a year to develop, test and begin to deploy vaccines against COVID-19. And despite a few hiccups upon arrival, the rollout is underway... and that's great news for a world that's nearing 100 million cases and over 2 million deaths.   Joining TGen Talks to discuss his take on COVID-19 vaccines is Dr. David Engelthaler, Director of TGen North, the Pathogen and Microbiome Division of TG...

Internships provide students an opportunity to learn more about potential career choices and equally important, following the experience, gauge whether that career is right for them. Joining TGen Talks is Josh Niska, MD — a 2007 Helios Scholar at TGen — who explains the value of his Helios internship experience, how it helped shape his career, and how the lessons learned at the bench continue to i...

For 45 students, Summer 2021 could be life-changing … an opportunity to look into the future of biomedical science and see where their own careers could lead them. It’s possible thanks to The Helios Education Foundation and TGen.    For 14 years, these forward-thinking organizations have offered gifted students the opportunity to work on real-life projects as paid interns, side-by-side with skille...

Recent events and social protests have prompted increased dialog, and rightly so, on the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion in America. It's a big topic that covers multiple segments of society. But this edition of TGen Talks will focus on how diversity relates to the fields of science and medicine.   Our guest this month on TGen Talks is Dr. Joseph Mikhael, professor of Applied Cancer Rese...

275 days ago, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission in China reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia … a novel coronavirus was eventually identified and labeled COVID-19.   Since that time, over 200,000 Americans have died and over 7.1 million have tested positive for the disease. Globally, the number of deaths has reached 1 million with more than 33 million citizens testing positive.   Our guest...

Immune cells, also known as white blood cells, help the body fight infection and disease. Now, scientists and clinicians at TGen and City of Hope are using immune cells in combination with chemotherapy drugs to tailor personalized treatments for cancer patients. Specifically, they're using a mathematical formula to predict who might respond best to this type of therapy.    This month on TGen Talks...

Following the lifting of social restrictions and individuals returning to work, the medical profession has seen a recent spike in COVID-19 cases. This month on TGen Talks, Tyler Delaughder, D.O., a TGen clinical research coordinator and recent graduate of Midwestern University, shares his interpretations of the medical issues surrounding COVID-19.     Dr. Delaughder provides insight on the progres...

For nearly 6 months, COVID-19 has raised numerous questions and concerns, as well as having led to global disruption. In addition to testing, TGen was an early adopter in tracking the virus to learn how it mutates and spreads. Joining TGen Talks to discuss what we've learned is Dr. David Engelthaler, co-director of TGen North, the Pathogen and Microbiome Division of TGen located in Flagstaff, Ariz...

What can a few drops of blood tell scientists about how one’s immune system reacted to COVID-19? If you’re TGen North’s Dr. John Altin, you hope a lot.   In this episode of TGen Talks, Dr. Altin discusses a new study entitled the COVID Immunity Study whereby citizen-scientists diagnosed with, and subsequently recovered from, COVID-19 can contribute a few blood spots that will enable Dr. Altin to i...

The COVID-19 coronavirus continues to affect lives on a daily basis. Businesses, churches, schools, and other public facilities are closing. Sporting events and meetings are canceled daily. News reports tell us how hospitals are grappling with limited testing capabilities. There seem to be more questions than answers, and if ever there was a time for answers, it is now. Joining TGen Talks to discu...

Our DNA tells the story of who we are genetically. But when we develop cancer, our tumor DNA tells a different version of that story. At Ashion Analytics, a subsidiary of TGen, a patient's tumor sample undergoes testing in a CLIA-certified laboratory —through its flagship test, GEM ExTra— to understand how the story changed and how Ashion can help treating physicians identify actionable steps to h...

The human body contains trillions of individual cells, and inside each resides a unique genetic code. Single-cell RNA sequencing enables researchers to study the mechanics of individual cells and identify the processes underlying disease states — valuable information that helps predict disease susceptibility, or resistance, to drug therapies.     This is particularly important in the study of canc...

Over the past decade, cancer treatment has gone from a one-size-fits-all approach to a targeted and personal approach known widely as Precision Medicine.   Among the leaders at TGen pushing the boundaries of this new frontier is Dr. Sunil Sharma, Deputy Director of TGen Clinical Sciences, Professor, and Division Director in the Applied Cancer Research and Drug Discovery division.   Dr. Sharma is a...

Experts aren’t sure why some people accumulate fat in the liver while others do not, but they all agree it’s a serious health issue. One type, known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease — or NAFLD — is a collection of liver conditions affecting people who drink little to no alcohol. It’s also the most common form of chronic liver disease and is tied closely to diabetes. In episode 21 of TGen Talks,...

Don't let the word rare fool you. Roughly 1-in-10 individuals in the world are affected by a rare disease, and our Center for Rare Childhood Disorders is on a mission to find diagnoses and treatments for these individuals and families.   In episode 20 of TGen Talks, Center co-director, Keri Ramsey, explains the advances science has made in genetic sequencing and how we've applied it to help our pa...

The offer of help to a family friend created a serendipitous chain of events that led Dr. Nick Banovich to study Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). IPF is a type of lung disease that scars the lungs and as it worsens makes it for the lungs to take in enough oxygen. In episode 19 of TGen Talks, Dr. Banovich explains how the right collaboration and today's technology make it possible to examine in...