Riggs School Research Symposium

John Witte

Title: Using genetics to improve disease screening: an application to prostate cancer

Bio

John Witte is a Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health, Biomedical Data Sciences, and Genetics at Stanford University. He is the Vice Chair of Epidemiology & Population Health and co-Leader of the Population Sciences program in the Stanford Cancer Institute. Before Stanford he was on the faculty at UC San Francisco and at Case Western Reserve University. He is an internationally recognized expert in genetic epidemiology, focused on developing and applying machine learning methods to decipher the genetic basis of cancer and other complex traits. His work has used comprehensive genome-wide studies of germline genetics, transcriptomics, and somatic genomics toward determining who is most likely to be diagnosed with clinically relevant disease and require additional screening or specific treatment. John Witte has mentored over 50 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, serves on the executive committees of multiple graduate programs, and has directed National Institutes of Health funded pre- and post-doctoral training programs in genetic epidemiology for over 20 years.

Abstract

Biomarkers are commonly used to screen for numerous different diseases. For instance, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels are commonly used to screen men for early signs of prostate cancer. However, many of these biomarkers are highly heritable, making it difficult to distinguish between high levels due to genetic predisposition versus high levels due to early-stage disease. In addition to diluting useful prognostic signals, the use of heritable biomarkers puts individuals with naturally elevated biomarker levels at risk of overdiagnosis and overtreatment, unnecessarily exposing them to side effects and imposing avoidable financial costs. To address this, we show how one can use machine learning to perform robust genetic personalization of biomarkers with an application to PSA and prostate cancer. In particular, we demonstrate that the accuracy of prostate cancer screening can be significantly improved by removing “genetic noise” from PSA levels, and that this can further allow for developing a polygenic risk score predictive of aggressive disease. This personalization framework holds promise for improving any non-causal yet heritable disease biomarker.

Lisa Geller

Title: An Unexpected Journey: My Career in Biotech

Bio

Lisa Geller has over 25 years of experience practicing intellectual property law and strategy. She is the principal of Intellectual Property Strategy, LLC, and advises life science and pharmaceutical companies on all aspects of intellectual property including patents, trademarks, and trade secrets, emphasizing both short- and long-term strategies and integration of global intellectual property strategy with business plans. She works with scientists and entrepreneurs to identify inventions, advising on potential pathways to maximize the utility of patents covering inventions, and working with teams to bridge and coordinate the technical and business aspects of a company.

Dr. Geller served as Senior Vice President for Intellectual Property at Frequency Therapeutics and was Head of Intellectual Property at Casebia Therapeutics, Seres Therapeutics, and other innovator companies managing comprehensive intellectual property portfolios. She also served as an Associate General Counsel at Biogen Idec, managing the patent portfolios for drugs in all stages of development, from R&D to commercial blockbuster drugs. Before joining Biogen Idec, Dr. Geller practiced patent law in the law firms of Fish & Richardson P.C. and Wilmer Hale, where her practice included all aspects of patent law including client counseling and licensing, primarily in the areas of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Geller received her Ph.D. in biology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and was a post-doctoral fellow and faculty member in the Department of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. She received her J.D. degree from Boston University School of Law, where she taught a seminar on patent prosecution for 17 years.

Dr. Geller is also on the editorial advisory board of Science and Engineering Ethics and has published on topics related to the interface between social issues and science as well as participating in multiple programs related to supporting diversity in science and law.