#229 Pharmacogenomics with Avni Santani

DNA Today: A Genetics Podcast

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This week we’re chatting about an emerging area of genetics, pharmacogenomics! Pharmacogenomics (PGx), one of the core elements of personalized medicine, is a field of research that studies how a person’s genes affect how they respond to medications. Its long-term goal is to help doctors select the drugs and doses best suited for each person.

Joining us for this conversation is Avni Santani PhD, FACMG, Chief Medical Officer of Veritas Genetics, a LetsGetChecked company, which delivers tailored at-home healthcare solutions to 300+ organizations. Dr. Santani holds a Master’s degree in Medical Molecular Genetics from the University of Aberdeen and a PhD in Genetics from Texas A&M University. She holds specialty board certifications in Clinical Molecular Genetics and Clinical Cytogenetics from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

On This Episode We Discuss:

Pharmacogenomics and other similar terms

The state of genetic testing today and how it has changed in the last ten years

Why it is helpful to have pharmacogenomic testing information when figuring out the best drugs to prescribe

Steps of drug metabolism that gene variants can affect

How gene variants can impact the drug response (drug reception, uptake, and breakdown)

If testing can provide information on the dosage of drugs to prescribe and how this varies between people

Types of conditions/diseases where genetic testing results can be applied (behavioral health, cardiovascular health, and pain management)

The role of testing in determining personal risk levels of becoming addicted to pain medications

Genes that LetsGetChecked’s myPGx test analyzes

The frequency at which gene variants found through this testing help narrow down which drug or dose to prescribe

If you want to learn more about pharmacogenomics, head over to the LetsGetChecked website.

Be sure to follow our guest, Avni Santani, on Twitter; LetsGetChecked on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube; and VeritasGenetics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on March 31st, 2023, where we’ll be diving deeper into pharmacogenomics (PGx) with James Fettig who will provide an overview of PGx for cancer! New episodes are released every Fridays. In the meantime, you can binge over 225 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel.

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