Empowering Women Through Genomics with Dr Stasa Stankovic

This episode went live on World Menopause Day.

Menopause is an inevitable aspect of life for half of the global population, but one that requires far more study. New genomic insights could empower women with better reproductive choices and insights into likely future health.

In this episode, I talk with Dr Stasa Stankovic. She has a PhD in Genomic Medicine from Cambridge University, and is on a mission to reshape the future of women's health by developing, and eventually commercialising, prediction tools and next generation therapeutics for female reproductive disorders.

We discuss the complexities of female reproductive health, particularly focusing on ovarian ageing and menopause. We also explore the genetic factors influencing menopause timing, and the importance of understanding reproductive health beyond fertility.

Stasa shares her collaborative work on large-scale genomics, using samples from the UK Biobank to conduct genome-wide association studies (GWAS). These have highlighted many genes associated with menopause and thus pave the way for potential new diagnostic techniques and therapeutic interventions to give women greater control of their reproductive health.

Menopause affects every woman, but also indirectly impacts husbands, partners, colleagues and friends. The work Stasa and her colleagues are doing will have implications not just for women but for all of us.

“We need to empower women with knowledge.” – Stasa Stankovic

You’ll hear about:

01:37 - Stasa's area of research
04:14 - Why the science behind menopause is so important
07:36 - The ovarian reserve and what that means
12:26 - Contributing factors to menopause
17:24 - The key findings of the genome-wide association (GWAS) study
21:21 - Getting the right targets for intervention
27:05 - The challenge of finding animal models for menopause
28:22 - Turning lab science into commercial science
31:40 - Stasa on the choices that women have
38:38 - Is gene intervention possible?

Connect with Stasa:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stasa-stankovic-93723a137/ 

OvartiX - https://ovartix.com/ 

 
Connect with me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdavison100/ 

If you need any lab equipment:

Grant Instruments: https://www.grantinstruments.com/ 

Grant Instruments on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grant-instruments-cambridge-ltd/ 

Chapters

• 1:37 Stasa's area of research
• 4:14 Why the science behind menopause is so important
• 7:36 The ovarian reserve and what that means
• 12:26 Contributing factors to menopause
• 17:24 The key findings of the genome-wide association (GWAS) study
• 21:21 Getting the right targets for intervention
• 27:05 The challenge of finding animal models for menopause
• 28:22 Turning lab science into commercial science
• 31:40 Stasa on the choices that women have
• 38:38 Is gene intervention possible?