Understanding Familial Aortic Aneurysms: Diagnosis and Genetic Testing
A bulge in the aortic wall can pass through families and risks rupture; CT, MRI and ultrasound imaging plus genetic testing help find relatives who need monitoring.
Brandon Colby, MD
MD · MBA
Physician specializing in genetic analysis and personalized preventive medicine, and author of Outsmart Your Genes.
About Brandon
Brandon Colby is a physician-expert in the fields of genetic analysis and Personalized Preventive Medicine. He holds an MD from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, an MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, and a degree in Genetics from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Colby is the author of the book Outsmart Your Genes and has developed numerous technologies that improve the analysis, interpretation, and actionability of genome sequencing data. He is an Affiliate Specialist of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), an Associate of the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM), and a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC).
Education
- BA in Genetics with Honors, University of Michigan · 2000
- MD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine · 2004
- MBA, Stanford University Graduate School of Business · 2007
Affiliations & Memberships
- Affiliate Specialist, American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG)
- Associate, American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM)
- Member, National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC)
Articles by Brandon Colby, MD are reviewed for accuracy by Sequencing's medical and scientific team. This page is for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Articles by Brandon
Flurbiprofen Response: CYP2C9 and NSAID Metabolism
Variation in CYP2C9 changes how quickly flurbiprofen is cleared, which can alter pain relief and side-effect risk; pharmacogenetic testing is described here.
TARDBP-Related FTLD: Symptoms and Inheritance
Passed on in an autosomal dominant pattern, this form of frontotemporal lobar degeneration follows TARDBP mutations that let toxic TDP-43 build up in nerve cells.
Gefitinib Efficacy: EGFR Testing Benefits and Limits
Before starting gefitinib for non-small cell lung cancer, tumor tissue is checked for the EGFR mutation; cost, sample size and false results are real limits.
Unraveling the Mystery of Genetic Non-Acquired Premature Ovarian Failure
Ovaries that stop working before age 40 affect about 1% of women; FMR1, BMP15 and GDF9 mutations are implicated, and FSH and estradiol levels support diagnosis.
Understanding, Diagnosing, and Using Genetic Testing for Glibenclamide Response
Also called glibenclamide-responsive hyperinsulinism, this disorder stems from KCNJ11 or ABCC8 mutations that raise insulin and risk hypoglycemia and seizures.
Hatipoglu Immunodeficiency Syndrome: Signs and Tests
Frequent pneumonia, bronchitis and sinusitis with slow growth point to weakened immunity in Hatipoglu immunodeficiency syndrome, which DNA analysis confirms.
hnRNP G: Gene Regulation and Linked Conditions
Within the hnRNP family, this protein regulates alternative splicing and mRNA stability, and mutations have been linked to cancers and neurological conditions.