Photo Credit: New York Times
On Monday afternoon we held a tweetchat, #GenCSM, with our amazing co-hosts Georgia Hurst and Amy Byer Shainman and special guest Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD. Sid is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, and his most recent book, The Gene, has been highlighted by Bill Gates and was the topic of much of our discussion. Here are highlights from our exciting and thought-provoking chat! You can also view the full transcript here.
#GenCSM: Q1 What inspired you to write #THEGENE? @DrSidMukherjee
— #GenCSM (@GenC_SM) December 5, 2016
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#GenCSM: A1 (2/6) #Cancer, we now know, is ultimately a #GeneticDisease: #genes are at its very core.
— Siddhartha Mukherjee (@DrSidMukherjee) December 5, 2016
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#GenCSM: A1 (4/6) In #THEGENE, I ask the inevitable converse question: how do #genes maintain the normal behavior of cells & organisms?
— Siddhartha Mukherjee (@DrSidMukherjee) December 5, 2016
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#GenCSM: Q2: What 3 take-home messages do you hope people extract from #THEGENE? @DrSidMukherjee
— #GenCSM (@GenC_SM) December 5, 2016
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#GenCSM: A2 (1/4) The #gene is one of the most powerful & dangerous ideas in the history of #science.
— Siddhartha Mukherjee (@DrSidMukherjee) December 5, 2016
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#GenCSM: A2 (4/4) Most human features are not governed by single genes but by gene plus environment plus chance interactions.
— Siddhartha Mukherjee (@DrSidMukherjee) December 5, 2016
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…then the conversation opened up to questions from other participants.
@SGregg11 #GenCSM I started studying viruses and then got hooked… then went to medical school
— Siddhartha Mukherjee (@DrSidMukherjee) December 5, 2016
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@DNApodcast #GenCSM First, we need establish some standards about genetic testing and counseling…what diseases ? how to disclose info ?
— Siddhartha Mukherjee (@DrSidMukherjee) December 5, 2016
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@BRCAresponder @DNApodcast #GenCSM Prefer to have certified professionals for counseling and testing
— Siddhartha Mukherjee (@DrSidMukherjee) December 5, 2016
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@RodrigoATCG #GenCSM Maybe in a decade. For me, the critical risk is mental illness – schizophrenia
— Siddhartha Mukherjee (@DrSidMukherjee) December 5, 2016
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I hope #thegene gets into college curriculum for ALL students, particularly those in the #humanities https://t.co/h9LiLqhtJL
— Siddhartha Mukherjee (@DrSidMukherjee) December 5, 2016
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@LFPancreaticCan #GenCSM It’s meant to be for ALL people.. the range is wide and broad (and hopefully accessible)
— Siddhartha Mukherjee (@DrSidMukherjee) December 5, 2016
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#GenCSM Goodbye. Have a good day. Post reviews, thoughts and questions about #THEGENE. I do read them and respond (to some)
— Siddhartha Mukherjee (@DrSidMukherjee) December 5, 2016
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#GenCSM #THEGENE @DrSidMukherjee pic.twitter.com/xhSPjze0oq
— #GenCSM (@GenC_SM) December 5, 2016
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Have a question or comment you didn’t get to contribute? Please post in the comments below. Check back for our next tweetchat; we host every two months! While you wait, check out our highlights of previous tweetchats.
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to receive notifications about upcoming discussions and other news. Also please follow our co-hosts @Shewithlynch and @BRCAresponder and our guest, @DrSidMukherjee.