EP 162: The genetics of isolated communities with Professor Jim Wilson of the University of Edinburgh
November 21, 2024
Summary:
This week, Patrick is joined by Jim Wilson, Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Edinburgh. Jim discusses the genetics of isolated populations and the Vikings Genes project, which has led him to work with communities from more than 25 Scottish islands, and how new sequencing programs can dramatically improve health outcomes for these groups. He also touches on mapping Prince William’s mitochondrial DNA, lobbying Westminster to raise awareness of genetic screening, and his Irish Film & Television Awards (IFTA) winning work with the Irish Traveller community.
Show Notes:
0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast
01:00 Welcome to Jim
01:40 The most impactful discoveries of Jim’s work across more than 25 Scottish islands as part of the Viking Genes project
05:00 The increased prevalence of BRCA mutations and founder effects in specific island populations
07:45 Population sizes on the islands Jim studies
09:01 Islander screening today, how Jim and his team are taking genetic screening programs forward, and the impact of founder effects on population health
13:00 Raising awareness of the importance of genetic screening within isolated populations
14:50 How the Jewish community is at the forefront of screening for populations at increased risk of specific genetic conditions
17:19 Factors that cause delays in implementation of screening for at-risk populations
20:29 Mapping Prince William’s mitochondrial DNA and working with Westminster to raise awareness of genetic screening
23:07 Shared ancestries and the deep interconnections within our DNA, revealing how populations are far more intertwined than we often realize.
25:43 Key actionable findings from Jim’s work with isolated Scottish communities (Find the link to the paper below)
29:10 Current knowledge and understanding of global isolated communities
31:27 How the majority of people want to receive genetic results and have knowledge of potential health impacts and actionable findings
33:03 Jim’s IFTA winning work with the Irish Traveller community
35:05 The power of genetics and screening to deliver preventative medicine and improved health outcomes for isolated communities.
39:18 Closing remarks
Find out more:
Viking Genes Project - http://viking.ed.ac.uk
Jim’s latest research papers - https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/persons/jim-wilson/publications/
Preprint: Identification of actionable genetic variants in 4,198 Scottish volunteers from the Viking Genes research cohort and implementation of return of results - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.01.24316571v1
0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast
01:00 Welcome to Jim
01:40 The most impactful discoveries of Jim’s work across more than 25 Scottish islands as part of the Viking Genes project
05:00 The increased prevalence of BRCA mutations and founder effects in specific island populations
07:45 Population sizes on the islands Jim studies
09:01 Islander screening today, how Jim and his team are taking genetic screening programs forward, and the impact of founder effects on population health
13:00 Raising awareness of the importance of genetic screening within isolated populations
14:50 How the Jewish community is at the forefront of screening for populations at increased risk of specific genetic conditions
17:19 Factors that cause delays in implementation of screening for at-risk populations
20:29 Mapping Prince William’s mitochondrial DNA and working with Westminster to raise awareness of genetic screening
23:07 Shared ancestries and the deep interconnections within our DNA, revealing how populations are far more intertwined than we often realize.
25:43 Key actionable findings from Jim’s work with isolated Scottish communities (Find the link to the paper below)
29:10 Current knowledge and understanding of global isolated communities
31:27 How the majority of people want to receive genetic results and have knowledge of potential health impacts and actionable findings
33:03 Jim’s IFTA winning work with the Irish Traveller community
35:05 The power of genetics and screening to deliver preventative medicine and improved health outcomes for isolated communities.
39:18 Closing remarks
Find out more:
Viking Genes Project - http://viking.ed.ac.uk
Jim’s latest research papers - https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/persons/jim-wilson/publications/
Preprint: Identification of actionable genetic variants in 4,198 Scottish volunteers from the Viking Genes research cohort and implementation of return of results - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.01.24316571v1