ASRM Today: Genetics - Season Three Reflection

This week host Jeffrey Hayes reflects on what was learned this season.

Welcome to ASRM Today, a podcast that takes a deeper dive into the current topics in reproductive medicine. This season, we've taken a journey exploring the role of genetics in our professional and everyday lives. This season has been informative to me, and in this journey I learned along with you, the listener, about the multitudes of genetic research and application.

This season, for example, we traced the roots of modern genetics back to Gregor Mendel and his pea plants, exploring how classical genetics evolved into molecular genetics with the discovery of DNA structure. We dove into one of the most groundbreaking tools in science, CRISPR-Cas9. We explained how it works, its medical potential, and the complex ethical questions it raises.

We learned how mutations cause inherited diseases, how carrier screening works, and how genetic counseling supports patients and families. We examined how genetics influences fertility, IVF, and embryo screening, like PGTA, as well as the ethical concerns around selecting embryos based on genetics. And we looked into the biology of aging, telomeres, DNA repair, and longevity genes, and how scientists are working to slow or reverse aging through gene therapy and cellular reprogramming.

My most important takeaways from this season are Genetics is not destiny. Provides a blueprint, but environment, behavior, and chance all play major roles. That model organisms matter.

Tiny creatures can unlock massive discoveries. That gene editing is powerful and dangerous if misused. Ethics must guide innovation.

From reproduction to aging, each advance comes with serious societal questions. And that we're in a genomic era. Medicine, agriculture, and even how we think about identity are being reshaped by genetics.

I'd like to thank all my guests this season that came on and spent time with us in explaining their viewpoints on genetics. I hope that you enjoyed this season-long investigation. Please rate, subscribe, and review the show on whatever your podcast platform of choice is.

Until next time, I'm Jeffrey Hayes, and this is ASRM Today. This concludes this episode of ASRM Today. For show notes, author information, and discussions, go to asrmtoday.org. This material is copyrighted by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and may not be reproduced or used without express consent from ASRM.

ASRM Today series podcasts are supported in part by the ASRM Corporate Member Council. The information and opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of ASRM and its affiliates. These are provided as a source of general information and are not a substitute for consultation with a physician.