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Slice of Healthcare

#492 - Peter Donnelly, CEO & Co-Founder at Genomics

·22 min·2 clips
Genetic testing can now find medically actionable risks in 70% of healthy 40-year-olds, up from just 1-2%.
The episode features an interview with Sir Peter Donnelly, CEO and co-founder of Genomics. Donnelly begins by outlining his background as a Rhodes scholar and academic mathematician who shifted into genetics, leading major projects like the HapMap and UK Wellcome Case Control Consortium. He founded Genomics in 2014 to translate scientific discoveries into healthcare applications. The company has built one of the world's largest genetic data resources and develops algorithms for drug discovery and disease risk prediction. Donnelly highlights that genetic testing can now identify medically actionable risks in about 70% of healthy 40-year-olds, a dramatic increase from 1-2% previously. He discusses how this enables targeted prevention, such as earlier mammograms for women at high genetic risk for breast cancer. The conversation explores barriers to adoption, including healthcare incentives and data privacy concerns. Donnelly notes partnerships with life insurers, where aligning interests can promote prevention. He details collaborations with pharmaceutical companies like Vertex for drug target validation and GSK for patient stratification in clinical trials. The episode concludes with Donnelly's vision for genetic data becoming integrated into health records over the next decade, influencing prevention, treatment decisions, and behavior nudges.

As heard by us

A clear, measured look at using genetic risk to bring prevention earlier.

Genomics comes across as a practical case for moving healthcare further upstream, using genetic risk to guide screening and prevention before illness becomes harder to manage.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Want a clear case for using genetic risk to start screening at the right time?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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