Genomics and Health Outcomes (with Noor Siddiqui)

Jul 4, 2021 56m 37s 12 insights Episode Page ↗
Spencer Greenberg speaks with Noor Siddiqui about the revolution in genetics research, driven by massive data aggregation, enabling the measurement of high-complexity genetic factors. They discuss ORCID's preconception and embryo screening services, which allow couples to mitigate genetic risks for common diseases in their future children.
Actionable Insights

1. Mitigate Child’s Disease Risk (IVF)

If a preconception genetic screen reveals high risk for a complex condition (e.g., schizophrenia) in a future child, couples can undergo IVF, sequence embryos, and select the embryo with the lowest genetic risk for transfer. This offers a unique opportunity to reduce the incidence of diseases running in the family.

2. Assess Future Child’s Genetic Risk

Couples can use services like ORCID’s preconception screen, which analyzes both partners’ saliva samples, to discover their future child’s estimated genetic risks for common conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer before conception. This provides personalized information to inform reproductive decisions and potential mitigation strategies.

3. Quantify Family Genetic Risk

If you have a family history of a condition, utilize comprehensive genetic testing (sequencing 100% of the genome) to quantify your personal genetic risk and understand its potential contribution to your child’s risk. This offers a more complete picture than limited old-school genetic tests.

4. Prepare for Child’s Health Risks

If genetic testing identifies a high risk for a specific condition in your future child (e.g., type 1 diabetes), being alerted and aware of this risk ahead of time can lead to better health outcomes. This proactive knowledge can help avoid diagnostic delays and reactive responses to emerging symptoms.

5. Prevent Monogenic Diseases (IVF)

For couples identified as carriers for single-gene recessive conditions (e.g., cystic fibrosis), consider preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic defects (PGTM) during IVF. This allows for embryo screening to mitigate the risk of these rare, severe diseases.

6. Estimate IVF Mitigation Potential

Before undergoing IVF for genetic risk mitigation, use a preconception report to estimate how much risk reduction is possible based on the number of embryos you realistically expect to produce (e.g., less than eight embryos over a few cycles). This helps set realistic expectations for the process.

7. Ethical Parenting: Undeserved Bad Luck

When making reproductive decisions with new genetic information, consider the ethical framework of “deserved versus undeserved bad luck.” This can help parents decide whether to actively mitigate their child’s susceptibility to diseases that would constitute undeserved bad luck.

8. Leverage Analogies for Learning

Use analogies as effective teaching tools to quickly grasp new subjects, especially if you have a strong background in the analogous domain (e.g., programming for genomics). However, be cautious not to force analogies or use them for rigorous argumentation, as they may oversimplify or misrepresent nuances.

9. Improve Critical Thinking Skills

Utilize free, interactive programs on clearerthinking.org, such as the rationality test or common misconceptions game, to test and improve your critical thinking, decision-making, and habit formation. These tools are based on scientific research to shift behavior.

10. Quick Stress & Anxiety Relief

Download the free MindEase app (iOS, Android, web) to access scientifically proven, interactive exercises designed to relieve stress and anxiety in under 10 minutes. The app measures your state of mind before and after exercises to show what works for you.

11. Stay Informed with One Idea

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