How useful is a genetics report from a company like 23andMe to my health? How do we separate hype from reality as these companies ramp up direct-to-consumer ads, social media, and celebrity influence campaigns? Our guests, Jeremy Berg and Mylynda Massart, discuss how the heavy consumer pitch can cloud medical practice, science, and understanding and the road ahead for medical education as personal genomics becomes increasingly relevant in the clinic. You don’t want to miss Pitt Medcast’s first-ever live taping—from the 2019 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C. Our guests: Pitt’s Jeremy Berg is associate senior vice chancellor for the health sciences, former director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and editor and chief of AAAS's Science family of journals. Mylynda Massart is an assistant professor of family medicine at Pitt. She practices primary care with a special interest in genetics. Interview by Elaine Vitone. Produced by Elaine Vitone and Luisa Garbowit. Our executive producer is Erica Lloyd. Music by Lee Rosevere, from the Free music Archive.
How useful is a genetics report from a company like 23andMe to my health? How do we separate hype from reality as these companies ramp up direct-to-consumer ads, social media, and celebrity influence campaigns? Our guests, Jeremy Berg and Mylynda Massar