Prior to the 2024 American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) meeting, GEN’s editorial team spoke with some attendees to find out what they’re most excited about. This year’s meeting, slated for November 5–9 in Denver, CO, takes place during a tightly fought and often contentious election in the United States. We also asked the scientists to share their thoughts on what the outcome might mean for the future of scientific research in the United States and beyond. For this article, we reached out to:
Gilad Almogy, PhD, founder and CEO of Ultima Genomics
Jodi Barrientos, CEO of Ribbon Biolabs
Segun Fatumo, PhD, professor and chair of genomic diversity at Queen Mary University of London
Ada Hamosh, MD, MPH, professor and clinical director in the Department of Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins University
Gail Jarvik, MD, PhD, head of the Division of Medical Genetics and professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington Medical Center
Some of the responses, shared below, have been lightly edited.
GEN: What are you most looking forward to at ASHG this year?
Fatumo: I’m excited to see the latest advancements in genetic and genomic research, especially those focusing on genomic diversity and underrepresented populations. ASHG offers a unique opportunity to discuss collaborative projects that could push the boundaries of genomics research globally, and I’m particularly interested in sessions that explore these topics. I would also look for innovative omics technologies.
Barrientos: I’m really looking forward to hearing the latest on the “Paths from Bench to Bedside.” Coming from a synthetic biology company, we are immersed in driving the impact on human health and wellness by enabling novel and expedited methods for disease prevention, therapeutics, and, in some instances, cures for chronic, inherited diseases. With this being a focus at ASHG, I look forward to seeing, hearing, and meeting those behind the latest scientific findings empowering these paths.
Almogy: Now that we have launched our sequencer, UG 100™, we are excited to meet our users and see how we are enabling them to redefine the scale of their science. By driving down sequencing costs, we are enabling the scientific pioneers to push their research further, and we have a host of very large projects ongoing. We will share a number of posters and abstracts that illustrate this capability. We are also excited to share how customers are using our ppmSeq™ technology in their oncology applications and anticipate several partner announcements showing how they are leveraging the UG 100 to enable their own technologies that power larger-scale experiments and population studies.
Jarvik: Honestly, receiving the 2024 Mentorship Award. After that, catching up with national colleagues and learning new things.
Hamosh: The new science and seeing old friends, as well as making new ones.
GEN: Do you think there will be any surprises this year? If so, what?
Barrientos: It wouldn’t be ASHG without some exciting surprises! I can only assume that the sequencing companies will unveil new and exciting capabilities. There is also such a big emphasis on data and AI, so I look forward to hearing some of the outcomes and impacts in this area, no doubt this will be an enlightening track.
Jarvik: I look forward to strong advances in complex disorder genetics.
Hamosh: Less likely with the pressure to publish and concern. The buzz will be about non-coding RNAs as disease genes.
Fatumo: Surprises? I wouldn’t be really surprised to see innovative approaches to integrating large-scale genomics data from diverse populations into clinical settings. With the global emphasis on inclusivity in genomic research, we may see groundbreaking methods that bridge genetics and clinical translation, potentially reshaping how we address health disparities.
Almogy: We are looking forward to the many positive surprises that machine learning and artificial intelligence will bring to ASHG and our industry in the future. By combining larger-scale science with the power of AI and machine learning, researchers can accelerate discovery by asking completely different questions in their experiments which were previously not possible. We built our technology to enable researchers to create their large-scale datasets at high quality and lower cost.
GEN: We’ll be in Denver during the election week. What are your thoughts on how the results might impact the future of scientific research/biotech?
Jarvik: I am sure that many of us have grave concerns about how the outcome of the election may affect science. Speaking for myself and not any institution I am affiliated with, I very much appreciated the Nobel prize winners who voiced their concerns and supported Harris. I do fear the election results will be hanging over our heads all week.
Hamosh: I can’t talk about it. The contrast is so stark and the implications are overwhelming.
Fatumo: As you know, I am not eligible to vote in the U.S. election but it’s clear that American policy decisions have a significant impact worldwide. Election outcomes that support research funding, particularly in genomics and biotech, could accelerate progress in diverse areas of science. Global collaboration is crucial, and I hope for policies that prioritize inclusivity, cross-border partnerships, and ethical guidelines for emerging genetic technologies.
Barrientos: This is a tough one. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the implications tied to the outcome of the upcoming election cycle. While the candidates representing the most prominent parties have diverse means of wanting to help people and improve health, wealth, and quality of life, these plans cannot be achieved without continued and further investment in the public and private sectors of the scientific community. Regardless of the outcome, one thing is guaranteed—the scientific community is robust and resilient. Our ability to execute with speed and innovation will be up to the chosen candidate to empower. In the interim, we should all focus on what we can control: our ability to exercise our right to have our voices heard and cast our vote, which needs to be done early, given the overlap of the conference!
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