At-Home Genetic Testing: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

G2 Intelligence |
September 2024
Press

Bethany Zettler, MS, CGC is interviewed in this piece about direct-to-consumer genetic testing. “This is the first time in human history that we have access to our genetic data essentially at the push of a button,” says Zettler. This article dives into risks and benefits of at-home genetic testing, including issues of clinical significance, false … Continued

The DNA Test Delusion

Bloomberg |
May 2024
Press

Will DNA tests like 23andMe actually help people live longer and healthier lives? This article dives into the promises and challenges of using DNA tests to improve health. Robert Green comments on his new company, Nurture Genomics, and explains that, “If you combine genetic risk with targeted care and surveillance for those individuals at higher … Continued

NOVA “Secrets in Our DNA” screening and panel discussion

Computer History Museum |
January 2021
Video

Following a screening of the NOVA documentary, “Secrets in our DNA,” the Computer History Museum hosted a panel with science and business experts about personal genetic testing. Click the link below to hear contributions by G2P director Dr. Green.

Secrets in our DNA

NOVA |
January 2021
Video

In this NOVA documentary, G2P director Dr. Green explains what DNA can reveal about our ancestry and health, and at what risk.

FDA stepping up actions against PGx testing, forcing some labs to stop reporting drug information

Genome Web |
August 2019
Press

Researchers led by Robert Green at Brigham and Women’s Hospital looked at whether consumers getting direct-to-consumer genetic testing were using PGx tests to change treatment decisions. Although this study relied on self-reported data from participants, it suggests that less than 1 percent could have made unsupervised medication changes based on their genetic test results.

Should you get a home genetic test?

Harvard health Publishing |
February 2019
Press

More and more people want to explore their own medical data, and a DTC genetic test is one way to begin to understand some aspects of your future health.

Don’t count on 23andMe to detect most breast cancer risks, study warns

New York Times |
April 2019
Press

Nearly 90 percent of participants who carried a BRCA mutation would have been missed by 23andMe’s test, geneticists found. Dr Robert Green comments, “I think people have the right to their own genetic information, but with that right comes a responsibility. If you are going to go around the medical mainstream, read the caveats.”

G2P Newsletter March 2019

March 2019
G2P News

Spring saw accomplishments by team members through numerous projects. G2P officially kicked-off the PeopleSeq consortium in Boston this January! Our very own, Carrie Blout, MS, CGC, was one of 86 Partner’s individuals awarded the Partners In Excellence Award.

Dr. Robert Green on the impact of individual genomic data

Harry Glorikian |
December 2018
Podcast

Harry Glorikian guest this week, Dr. Robert Green, is a professor of medicine and genetics at Harvard Medical School and director of the Genomes To People research program at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. They dig into the individual genome, how genomic data is being used, and the impact … Continued

G2P Newsletter December 2018

December 2018
G2P News

This Fall, G2P has had exciting updates with a new PeopleSeq grant. Our team has traveled from San Diego, Atlanta, and Fort Detrick to Basel, Zurich, and Barcelona, to several conferences, presenting new data from our translational genomics research projects.

Who do you think you are?

O Magazine |
December 2018
Press

At-home genetic testing can  help you understand your biology. But before delving into your DNA, consider the caveats.

Now you can sequence your whole genome for just $200

Wired |
November 2018
Press

With genomic testing running at a low cost, why aren’t more people running toward the shelves to grab direct-to-consumer testing? Read this Wired post featuring Dr. Robert Green to learn more!

Decoding FDA DTC policy

SOUNDROCKET |
November 2018
G2P Blog

Scott D. Crawford, Shawn Fayer, and Robert C. Green directly address and highlight some of the recent FDA movement in the direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing space with a five-post blog compilation.

The future of dieting is here—and it has nothing to do with calorie counting

Vogue |
October 2018
Press

Having genetic information to determine metabolic predispositions can be a powerful tool tool for staying on a nutrition program, says Robert C. Green. “In some cases, people really are motivated by hearing about something from their own DNA. We all know we have to eat better.”

Reset your DNA to slow the clock

Medium |
October 2018
Press

Dr. Robert Green addresses a new epigenetic test that tracks molecular aging claims to show you how to stay biologically young.

BabySeq, MedSeq projects reveal how many people carry genetic risk variants for rare diseases

Brigham Women's Hospital |
October 2018
Press Release

More information on newborn and adult sequencing studies unveiled at the 2018 American Society for Human Genetics Meeting in San Diego, CA. Two projects in which healthy individuals have had their genomes sequenced have revealed that searching for unanticipated genetic results in newborns and adults can unearth far more variants associated with diseases than previously thought, … Continued

Plenary presentation at the Advances in Genome Biology and Technology Precision Health Meeting

AGBT Precision Health Conference |
September 2018
Video

Dr. Robert C. Green speaks at the 2018 Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) Precision Health Conference in San Diego, California about our efforts to gather empirical data on genome sequencing healthy individuals. Watch to learn more about G2P’s MilSeq, BabySeq, MedSeq, PeopleSeq, PGen and REVEAL projects. Click here for more on the conference.

Results of at home genetic tests for health can be hard to interpret

National Public Radio |
June 2018
Press

Rita Steyn, who has a family history of cancer, decided to order a home genetic testing kit to look for certain genetic mutations that might increase her risk for the disease. While this is something many people are doing, consulting a physician is still recommended in order to understand the real risks, and what the … Continued

Privacy and consumer genetic testing don’t always mix

ScienceNews |
June 2018
Press

For a few hundred dollars and a spit sample, you too could take a journey of genetic self-discovery. You may learn some things, but what are you giving away? Before you spit, it helps to know what you’re getting into.

G2P Newsletter April 2018

Genomes2People |
April 2018
G2P News

Spring saw accomplishments by team members and new advances in direct-to-consumer testing. Dr. Kurt Christensen provides compelling detail about econogenomics cost and benefits to genetic sequencing, and Megan Maxwell discusses genetic counseling and the MilSeq project on a podcast.

Genome sequencing for healthy people: Will it be harmful?

Medium |
March 2018
G2P Blog

The second piece of a 2-part blog series authored by Dr. Robert C. Green. An early study found no problems related to unnecessary or harmful medical follow-ups after healthy people received their genome sequencing results. To read the first piece, visit: https://medium.com/@genomes2people/genome-sequencing-for-healthy-people-will-it-be-helpful-b984b94e3d3f

You don’t need a personal genetics test to take charge of your health

Wired |
February 2018
Press

“What you see in the consumer genetics market is that legitimate genetic findings, often from studies with very large sample sizes, are being turned around and marketed to people in a way that implies it’s going to be actionable for individuals,” says Harvard geneticist Robert Green.

Genome sequencing for healthy people: Will it be helpful?

Medium |
February 2018
G2P Blog

The first piece of a 2-part blog series authored by Dr. Robert C. Green. Early results suggest that yes, whole genome sequencing may very well be substantially helpful to a significant number of healthy patients. To read the second piece, visit: https://medium.com/@genomes2people/genome-sequencing-for-healthy-people-will-it-be-harmful-d915cc08e634