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About DNA Science Blog
Geneticist Ricki Lewis blogs from the cutting edge of genomics, including genetic testing, stem cells, gene therapy and more.
Ricki Lewis is a science writer with a PhD in genetics. The author of several textbooks and thousands of articles in scientific, medical, and consumer publications, Ricki's first narrative nonfiction book, "The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It," was published by St. Martin's Press in March 2012. In addition to writing, Ricki provides genetic counseling for parents-to-be at CareNet Medical Group in Schenectady, NY and teaches "Genethics" an online course for master's degree students at the Alden March Bioethics Institute of Albany Medical Center.
Subscribe to this Blog- A Brother’s Love Fights Genetic Disease December 5, 2013Gene therapy has been in the news recently, for awards. The same day that publisher Mary Ann Liebert Inc. honored 12 “pioneers in gene therapy,” one of the youngest patients, 13-year-old Corey Haas, won school-wide and district-wide essay contests, writing about life with sudden vision, thanks to gene therapy at age 8.… Read the restRicki Lewis, PhD
- Why 23andMe is Not for Me — Yet November 27, 2013A year ago I posted Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing: A New View, describing the unveiling of dtc testing at the American Society of Human Genetics meeting back in 2007 – to shock and antagonism – and my change of heart after learning of two friends grateful for their results from 23andMe.… Read the restRicki Lewis, PhD
- Another Blind Boy Sees the Light, Thanks to Gene Therapy November 21, 2013A funny thing happened on the way to this week’s blog post. I’d planned a guest post from a father who very recently observed his young son seeing for the first time thanks to gene therapy. I’d read the father’s blog from a link on Facebook .… Read the restRicki Lewis, PhD
- NextCODE Health Mines deCODE’s Data, and More, to Catalyze Clinical Diagnosis November 14, 2013Like the mythical Phoenix bird reborn from its own ashes, deCODE Genetics, or at least its data, resurfaced in October in the form of a private company, NextCODE Health. The metaphor isn’t perfect, for deCODE still exists as a wholly owned subsidiary of Amgen, which paid $415 million for it at the end of 2012.… Read the restRicki Lewis, PhD
- Tracing African-American Roots Through DNA October 31, 2013AncestryDNA.com recently expanded its coverage of western Africa, enabling African-Americans to trace back to these areas, and to find cousins anywhere in the world. I had the pleasure of sitting down with three of their eight scientists at the American Society of Human Genetics meeting last week in Boston.… Read the restRicki Lewis, PhD
- From Gene Therapy to Chromosome Therapy: The New Gets Old as The Old Becomes New October 24, 2013BOSTON This week is the highlight of my year – the American Society of Human Genetics meeting. I headed straight to the gene therapy symposium yesterday, especially since Corey Haas, star of my book on the topic, was just crowned poster boy for the Foundation Fighting Blindness.… Read the restRicki Lewis, PhD
- Keeping Up With the Hominins October 17, 2013Late Sunday night I had just finished revising chapter 16, Human Origins, in my genetics textbook when the news releases for the upcoming issue of Science came in and turned much of what I’d just written upside down. Homo, traditionally described as a cluster of rather narrowly-defined branches on our family tree — distinct species — might be just one sort o […]Ricki Lewis, PhD
- How Craig Venter Created Life October 10, 2013Last week’s DNA Science post caused an uproar because I suggested that some people might think life begins at a period other than conception. This week’s post continues that theme with how a researcher created life. But not just any researcher – J.… Read the restRicki Lewis, PhD
- When Does a Human Life Begin? 17 Timepoints October 3, 2013On September 24, the direct-to-consumer genetic testing company 23 and Me was granted patent no. 8543339, covering the selection of traits in offspring by genotyping eggs and sperm. (“Gamete donor selection based on genetic calculations.”) An analysis of the ethical issues the patent raises is published today in Genetics in Medicine.… Read the restRicki Lewis, PhD
- A BRCA Journey September 27, 2013The day after PLOS Genetics asked me to blog in relation to Jane Gitschier’s interview with Mary-Claire King, my friend Lisa’s daughter Maya got her BRCA1 test results. It had been a confusing eight months. When Dr. King’s group published their 1990 paper identifying the chromosomal home of breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1, Maya was two years old.… R […]Ricki Lewis, PhD
- A Brother’s Love Fights Genetic Disease December 5, 2013