Demystifying Genetics

When Genes Guide Care: BRCA, Rapid Testing and Real Choices. Demystifying Genetics with Mary-Anne Young (Favourite Genes BRCA1&2).

Dr Matt Burgess talks with Mary-Anne Young about the real-world impact of genomics on healthcare and genetic counselling. They cover BRCA1/2 history, rapid testing, integration with oncology, and using polygenic risk to personalise care.The episode explores family systems and counselling techniques, ethical issues around returning research findings, workforce diversity, and practical steps to implement genomic advances in clinics.Listeners will get a concise look at how genomics is changing patient care, communication with families, and the direction of the genetic counselling profession.

When Genes Meet Heart: Inside Cardiac Genomics. Demystifying Genetics with Jodie Ingles (Favourite Gene: MYH7)

Host Matt Burgess talks with Dr Jodie Ingles, a leading cardiac genetic counsellor and researcher, about inherited heart conditions, supporting families after sudden cardiac events, and translating genomic discoveries into clinical care.
The episode covers variant classification, health equity, the evolving role of genetic counsellors, and the importance of mentorship and practical changes needed to bring genomic testing into everyday practice.

Huntington’s Unlocked: Ethics, Exclusion Testing & New Gene Therapies. Demystifying Genetics with Sandra Peacock (Favourite Gene: HTT).

Genetic counsellors Matt and Sandra explore Huntington disease, prenatal and lab-based testing ethics, and how lab genetic counsellors act as gatekeepers. They discuss exclusion testing, the challenges of writing clear lab reports, and recent advances in gene therapy.The episode also covers the growing role of AI and automation in genetic labs, the evolving responsibilities of lab GCs, and how testing impacts life choices like career planning and family decisions.

From Mistake to Mastery: A Genetic Counsellor’s Story. Demystifying Genetics with Rachel Vanneste (Favourite gene SHH)

Host Matt Burgess talks with Canadian genetic counsellor Rachel Vanneste about lessons learned from early-career mistakes, the unexpected charm of the sonic hedgehog gene (SHH), and how sales and business skills are shaping modern genetic counselling.
They discuss counselling in a second language, career pivots across clinic, industry and labs, the case for embedding genetic counselling in primary care, and the importance of volunteering in the profession.

Telehealth, Mainstreaming & the Modern Counsellor. Demystifying Genetics with Dawn Allain. (Favourite gene - GNAS)

Host Matt Burgess speaks with Dawn Allain, a genetic counsellor and leader at Ohio State University, about how genetic counselling has evolved. They discuss telehealth, mainstreaming of genetic testing, and how education and competency-based training must adapt for today’s genomic era.
The episode also covers leadership and mentorship in the profession, specialty practice areas like imprinting disorders, and emerging topics such as pharmacogenomics and epigenetics — highlighting where the field has been and where it’s going.

Reinventing Clinical Trials: How Sano Genetics Puts Patients First

Host Matt speaks with Dr. Patrick Short, scientist and CEO of Sano Genetics, about building a patient-centered genomics company, the challenges of designing and recruiting for clinical trials, and the evolving role of diagnostics in precision medicine.
They discuss Short’s research into non-coding DNA, the practical and ethical questions around predictive and newborn screening, gene therapy prospects, and lessons from his personal family experiences that shape the company’s patient-first approach.

Hidden Codes: Hereditary Melanoma, CDKN2A and the Families Behind the Genes

Dr. Aideen McInerney-Leo explores hereditary melanoma (CDKN2A), diagnostic disclosure in Turner syndrome, mainstreaming genomics, gene therapy, and the expanding role of genetic counsellors in research and patient care.
Through clinical stories, family perspectives and practical takeaways on testing and screening, this episode highlights how research and clear communication improve outcomes — with a personal note on the therapeutic craft of bead-making.

Who Is a Genetic Counsellor? Redefining Identity in Genomics

Host Matt chats with American genetic counsellor Dr Lisa Schwartz about the evolving professional identity of genetic counsellors, the role of networking and qualitative research (including authors' positionality), and how clinical training translates into lab, policy and education roles.
They also swap stories about travel, outdoor winery concerts, Stevie Nicks, their dogs, and advances in genetics such as Duchenne research, while discussing how training and definitions may need to change as the profession grows.

Jewish Ancestry & Genetics: Carrier Screening, Community and Choice

Host Matt Burgess interviews Gidon Schwartz from Jnetics, a UK charity offering pre-conception carrier screening and partnering with the NHS to increase access to BRCA and carrier testing for people with Jewish ancestry.
They discuss why ancestry matters for certain recessive conditions, how testing and outreach have evolved, ethical and identity challenges around asking about ethnicity, and where to find resources and genetic counseling.

From Clinic to TikTok: Dena DNA’s Journey Demystifying Genetics

Host Matt Burgess interviews genetic counsellor and content creator Dena Goldberg (Dena DNA) about her path from clinical genetics to social media, her work educating the public on Lynch syndrome and cancer genetics, and how storytelling makes complex science accessible.
The episode also covers Dena’s personal experiences with infertility and an undiagnosed medical condition, her tips for self-advocacy in healthcare, and how authentic content can empower patients and combat misinformation.