MD · MBA
Physician specializing in genetic analysis and personalized preventive medicine, and author of Outsmart Your Genes.
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).
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.
Discover how genetic testing aids in diagnosing sex reversal, enabling early intervention, targeted treatment, and informed family planning while advancing research.
Lighter-than-expected blond or brown hair has been traced to HPS6 gene mutations, including two reported in a Saudi family with oculocutaneous albinism.
Dark or light skin coloration characterizes pigmentation 7; family history, examination and skin biopsy help, while gene testing pinpoints the mutations involved.
TPC2 controls melanosome pH and size, shaping the dark or light hair seen in SHEP9, and gene testing is described for diagnosis and family planning.
Siblings with albinism can differ in skin, hair and eye color, as one Indonesian study found; visual examination and DNA analysis are both used to assess it.
Wide phenotypic range makes this variation hard to identify by examination alone, so DNA analysis is used to confirm variants, with cost and privacy noted as limits.
Population studies in Kalinago, African and Native American groups show how ancestry shapes skin color, and DNA analysis identifies the variants behind it.
Neuroendocrine tumors of the small bowel can cause bleeding or obstruction; imaging, endoscopy and biopsy confirm them, and gene testing can flag inherited risk.