EP 197: From biobanks to breakthroughs: Linking genomics to drug discovery with Heiko Runz of insitro

<p><strong>Summary: </strong></p><p>This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Heiko Runz, medical geneticist and VP of Neuroscience at insitro. They discuss Heiko’s path into therapeutic genetics, how collaboration and data integration across biobanks led to his discovery of a protective variant for age-related macular degeneration, and the role of cell-based models in drug discovery.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Show Notes: </strong></p><p><strong>0:00 </strong>Intro to The Genetics Podcast</p><p><strong>00:58</strong> Welcome to Heiko</p><p><strong>01:41 </strong>Heiko’s career path and how he became interested in medical genetics and therapeutic development</p><p><strong>05:49 </strong>Connecting the dots across biobanks for genetic discovery</p><p><strong>08:23</strong> Heiko’s discovery of a potential gene target for age-related macular degeneration</p><p><strong>15:29 </strong>The challenge of biobank recontact and why it’s essential for follow-up studies</p><p><strong>...