Session Chair Profile
Health, Biotech & Financial Journalist, Reuters News
Biography
Robin Respaut covers health, biotech and financial for Reuters in San Francisco. Prior to joining the health team, Robin won awards for her reporting on hurricanes Irma in Florida and Maria in Puerto Rico, where she was one of the only national reporters on the island during the devastating storm.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2019 Silicon Valley
Session Synopsis: Historically, genetic testing has only been available to a small number of qualified patients and high-risk families after serious disease has already been detected — largely because of cost and clinical utility considerations. However, family history can be a relatively poor indicator of risk for a variety of reasons and a growing body of clinical evidence suggests that serious Mendelian-inherited genetic conditions (of which there are over 4,000) are far more prevalent in the general population than previously appreciated. As comprehensive genetic testing becomes more affordable and accessible it will also become increasingly available and clinically actionable for healthy individuals in the primary care setting. The day in which we can test for all known inherited genetic conditions for a cost of a few hundred dollars is rapidly approaching and will forever change our approach to preventive medicine.
