News

New Commentary Offers Reforms to Regulations That Hindered Seattle Flu Study Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2

January 10, 2022 | by BBI Communications

Public health policy makers cannot move on unless and until a sustainable surveillance system is in place

Dr. Brian Shirts interviewed for 'Conversations That Matter'

January 07, 2022 | by BBI Communications

‘Conversations that Matter’ host Stuart McNish interviews BBI’s Dr. Brian Shirts who articulates the imperative of genetic testing and the services of connecting with family members through ConnectMyVariant.

International Collaboration Leads to New Insights on Fetal Brain Development

November 22, 2021 | by BBI Communications

A Flyer, Lecture, and Meeting on Mouse Brains Spawn 4-Year Study and Expected Future Research

BBI Faculty Conversations: Dr. Heather Gustafson

October 28, 2021 | by BBI Communications

Today we are joined by BBI member Dr. Heather Gustafson, Assistant Professor in the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research at Seattle Children’s Hospital

Looking Back and Projecting Ahead as AVE Celebrates One Year

October 21, 2021 | by BBI Communications

This October marks the one-year anniversary of the Atlas of Variant Effects (AVE) Alliance.

Scientific American Honors UW Cancer Researcher Colin Pritchard

October 20, 2021 | by BBI Communications

UW Medicine’s Dr. Colin Pritchard, a leader in molecular diagnostics for cancer, has received the Catalyst for Precision Medicine Award from Scientific American.

BBI’s Dr. Doug Fowler: Q&A on NHGRI’s Bold Predictions for Human Genomics by 2030

September 21, 2021 | by BBI Communications

BBI’s Dr. Doug Fowler on September 16 presented at a National Human Genome Institute’s (NHRGI) “Bold Predictions”: The clinical relevance of all encountered genomic variants will be readily predictable, rendering the diagnostic designation “variant of uncertain significance (VUS)” obsolete.

NIH Awards BBI Researchers $16 million as Part of ‘Impact of Genome Variation on Function’ Consortium

September 09, 2021 | by Written by Michael McCarthy for UW Medicine Newsroom

The National Institutes of Health has awarded $16 million to UW Medicine scientists and their collaborators to fund two projects within the consortium. The funding is part of a 5-year, $185-million initiative sponsored by the NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute.

Demand for coronavirus tests soars in Seattle amid increased travel, concerns about delta variant

August 19, 2021 | by By Paige Cornwell, Seattle Times staff reporter

The Greater Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network has sent out twice the usual number of its home-based test kits, which are used to track the spread of COVID-19 in the region, said Dr. Lea Starita

Interns Advance BBI’s Work as They ‘Deepen Knowledge and Experience’

August 18, 2021 | by Gailen Greenstein

This year BBI has three undergraduate interns working at the Fred Hutch, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and the UW Medicine: Amira Ellison, Heidi Solis, and Maria E. Benitez-Cortez. Here, each one offers insights into their passions for their work.

New UW Medicine-BBI Study Identifies Association Between Severity of Preeclampsia and Cell-Free DNA

July 28, 2021 | by BBI Communications

A new scientific study led by Brotman Baty Institute members offers insights into pregnant women with preeclampsia and the association between the severity of the condition and high-circulating cell-free DNA.

Hereditary Cancer Project at UW Medicine Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine

July 17, 2021 | by Keith Eldridge, KOMO-TV News

This story briefly explains Dr. Shirts' hereditary cancer study, ConnectMyVariant

Exploring Underlying Causes of Mendelian Conditions Difficult to Solve

July 16, 2021 | by BBI Communications

NIH Funds BBI members to participate in new Mendelian Genomics Research Consortium

‘Leading-Edge’ Technology Enables Scientists to Map Mouse Development

July 01, 2021 | by BBI Communications

New ‘sci-Space’ method, ‘like an intricately folded origami,’ allows measurement and visualization of growth from the moment of conception

BBI Faculty Conversations – Dr. Sarah Baxter

July 01, 2021 | by BBI Communications

BBI member Dr. Sarah Baxter MD, PhD, is Acting Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UW, and Attending Physician in Pediatric Rheumatology at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Two BBI Staff Receive UW ‘Together We Will’ Honors

June 17, 2021 | by BBI Communications

BBI Administrative Director Nola Klemfuss and Research Coordinator Peter Han received the University’s “Together We Will” award for their outstanding contributions during “the extraordinary challenges of 2020.”

Study of Electronic Health Records Demonstrates Value of Data in Referring Patients for Genetic Testing

June 11, 2021 | by BBI Communications

Members of the Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine (BBI) are using electronic health records to identify women with a risk of having a genetic predisposition to breast cancer.

BBI ‘Catalytic Collaboration’ Grant Leads to ‘Extraordinary’ Progress in Research for Directing Treatment of Multiple Myeloma Patients

June 01, 2021 | by BBI COMMUNICATIONS

“Although recent advances have led to a surge in the number of therapies available to treat Multiple Myeloma, it remains a challenge to identify which treatment a patient is most likely to respond to.” Dr. David Coffey, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

BBI Faculty Conversations: Dr. Sarah Leary

June 01, 2021 | by BBI Communications

BBI member Dr. Sarah Leary is an attending physician in the Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Seattle Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine

Student-led project improves COVID-19 testing efficiency

May 28, 2021 | by BBI Communications

Old protocol ‘required instruments that cost as much as my condo and required pretty specialized training to run,’ research coordinator says.

Pediatric Sequencing Symposium: A Q&A with Dr. Ghayda Mirzaa, Dr. Tim Cherry, and Dr. Samuel Huang

May 26, 2021 | by BBI Communications

On May 19, The Brotman Baty Institute and Seattle Children’s co-hosted a one-day Pediatric Sequencing Symposium. Sessions ranged from the genomics of pediatric epilepsy disorders, to extended family outreach after finding hereditary cancer risk.

BBI ‘Catalytic Collaboration Grant’: Bringing Precision Medicine to Pancreatic Cancer

May 13, 2021 | by BBI Communications

NOTE: The Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine (BBI), in fulfilling its goal to create a community of investigators across its three founding institutions, awards grants each year to advance basic science and translational research related to precision medicine.

FiveThirtyEight: How To Make Sure Your Kid Isn’t A Superspreader

May 11, 2021 | by Maggie Koerth, Sinduja Srinivasan and Anna Rothschild

BBI's Dr. Helen Chu provides insights on the effects of COVID-19 on children.

BBI ‘Catalytic Collaboration Grant’ funded in 2019 Leads to Promising Genetic Diagnoses of Rare Diseases

May 03, 2021 | by BBI COMMUNICATIONS

“There is a need for better tools to identify a precise genetic diagnosis in individuals when conventional testing approaches have been exhausted.” – Dr. Evan Eichler, Professor of Genome Sciences, UW School of Medicine

Brotman Baty Institute Collaborates with Illumina and GeneDx on Whole-Genome Sequencing Study to Support Families of Children with Developmental Differences

April 28, 2021 | by BBI Communications

The project, SeqFirst, will provide early access to whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to 100 children suspected of having developmental differences at the point of diagnosis.

BBI’s Jay Shendure and Helen Chu Brief Washington Governor Jay Inslee on Progress on COVID-19

April 19, 2021 | by BBI COMMUNICATIONS

BBI’s Scientific Director Dr. Jay Shendure and Principal Investigator Dr. Helen Chu briefed Washington Governor Jay Inslee on Friday (April 16th) on the institute’s work regarding the Seattle Flu Study, progress on studying COVID-19 transmission and variants, and other issues.

Lasting Impressions: BBI’s Lea Starita and Doug Fowler Reflect on the 2021 Mutational Scanning Symposium

April 08, 2021 | by BBI Communications

BBI co-hosted with the Center for the Multiplex Assessment of Phenotype on April 5, 6, and 7 the fourth annual Mutational Scanning Symposium with global experts sharing their expertise. The Institute's Drs. Lea Starita and Doug Fowler share their observations.

Scientists Launch ‘Herculean’ Project Creating Atlas of Human Genome Variants

April 01, 2021 | by BBI Communications

An international consortium of geneticists, biologists, clinicians, mathematicians, and other scientists is determined to take the study of the human genome to the next level – creating a comprehensive atlas of genetic variants to advance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.

BBI Faculty Conversations: Dr. Tina Lockwood

April 01, 2021 | by BBI Communications

BBI Faculty Conversations: A recurring profile of BBI members from our partner institutions: UW Medicine, The Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, and Seattle Children's.

BYU researches hereditary cancer

March 29, 2021 | by Fox 13 News - Salt Lake City

This story provides information on the risk of hereditary cancers and BBI's ConnectMyVariant project.

Coronavirus pandemic, one year later: A look back at key players, events during the crisis

March 11, 2021 | by CBS News

BBI's Dr. Helen Chu is the only researcher interviewed for this story on CBS News: This Morning

BBI Faculty Conversations: Dr. Gavin Ha

March 01, 2021 | by BBI Communications

BBI Faculty Conversations. Check back in soon for more chats with BBI members from our partner institutions. Get an inside view of their work and where they think the field of precision medicine is heading.

Snohomish School District to Participate in BBI-UW Medicine COVID-19 Study

February 21, 2021 | by BBI Communications

Students, teachers, and staff in Snohomish School District schools will be participating in a COVID-19 testing project with researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine to gain new insights into the transmission of the virus in schools and classrooms.

TOPMed: Q&A with BBI’s Dr. Debbie Nickerson, PhD

February 10, 2021 | by BBI Communications

February 10 marked the first public release of data from the international Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program, one of the world’s largest genome sequencing projects ever conducted. BBI’s Debbie Nickerson and her researchers have and will continue to play a significant role.

BBI Faculty Conversations: Dr. Tim Cherry

February 01, 2021 | by BBI Communications

BBI member Tim Cherry is an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetic Medicine and a Principal Investigator at Seattle Children’s Research Institute in the Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine

Researchers Map Human Cell Atlases During Development

January 15, 2021 | by BBI Communications

Researchers in Seattle have mapped gene expression and DNA accessibility within individual cells across 15 fetal tissues. The findings are presented in back-to-back publications in the November 13, 2020 issue of the journal Science.

Brotman Baty Institute’s Helen Chu named ‘Washingtonian the Year’

January 15, 2021 | by BBI Communications

Dr. Chu led the team that discovered first COVID-19 case of community spread in the United States.

Blood cell mutations confound prostate cancer liquid biopsy

November 04, 2020 | by UW Medicine Newsroom

Unrelated mutations, when present in the blood, can lead to false positive results in men with advanced prostate cancer who are undergoing liquid biopsies. Such tests, which look for variants in the cell-free DNA that tumors shed into the blood plasma, help determine suitable treatment options.

Tests Show Genetic Signature of Virus That May Have Infected President Trump

November 01, 2020 | by By James Glanz

The White House did not take basic steps to investigate its outbreak. We worked with geneticists to sequence the virus that infected two journalists exposed during the outbreak, providing clues to how it may have spread.

Can digital devices help detect flu, COVID-19 infection?

September 15, 2020 | by UW Medicine Newsroom

Researchers at UW Medicine in Seattle and Apple Inc. will launch a study to learn if physiological measurements from Apple Watch, like heart rate or blood oxygen, can be used to detect signs of acute respiratory infections, such as influenza and COVID-19, early.

UW announces COVID-19 testing program for students, faculty and staff across all three campuses

September 14, 2020 | by BBI Communications

The Husky Coronavirus Testing program is powered by the Seattle Flu Study – the group that was the first to report community spread of COVID-19 in the United States.

UW labs are racing against the pandemic

September 01, 2020 | by BY ELEANOR LICATA | PHOTOS BY DENNIS WISE

February 2020 might seem a lifetime ago, but that’s when UW Medicine researchers were the first to report community spread of the novel coronavirus in the United States.

How a Group of Seattle Scientists Revealed Covid-19′s Stateside Spread

July 23, 2020 | by Benjamin Cassidy, Seattle Met magazine

Collaboration, serendipity, and a whole lot of brainpower

How UW Medicine responded to the pandemic

July 14, 2020 | by Brotman Baty Communications

At the end of 2019, Chinese health officials confirmed they were treating dozens of pneumonia cases with an unknown cause. It was a new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. UW Medicine researchers and clinicians prepared as cases began to spread across the globe.

SCAN DATA UPDATE: Latest Reports Show COVID-19 Declining; Infections Found Across King County, Most Still Susceptible

May 05, 2020 | by BBI Communications

The number of COVID-19 infections in King County has been on the decline since the end of March, according to two recent reports from the Bellevue-based Institute for Disease Modeling (IDM) and the Greater Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network (SCAN).

Letter to The Editor: Early Detection of Covid-19 through a Citywide Pandemic Surveillance Platform

May 01, 2020 | by BBI Communications

This letter from several BBI members, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, articulates the Seattle Flu Study as an effective model surveillance system for tracking COVID-19

UW Scientists Develop Technique that Can Track Gene Activities as Cells Grow and Adapt

April 13, 2020 | by BBI Communications

The dynamics of gene expression across the genome can be characterized as a cell develops, and as it responds to challenges.

Helping Public Health Leaders Track the Spread of Coronavirus

March 23, 2020 | by BBI Communications

SCAN works in partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County to help public health leaders respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The Problem with Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Tests

March 10, 2020 | by Heather Cheng, M.D., Ph.D.

Despite caveats in ads and on packages, users can fail to understand their limitations

Dr. Jay Shendure: The 2020 Leaders in Health Care Gold Award Winner for Achievement in Medical Research

February 26, 2020 | by Bill Conroy and Rob Smith

Shendure serves as a professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington and as the scientific program director at the Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine

UW Professor Tina Lockwood Is Working to Improve Health Care for All Via DNA Research

February 05, 2020 | by Bill Conroy, Seattle Business Magazine

Daring Women Q&A: Dr. Tina Lockwood heads a working group that is applying genetic tools to advance the detection and diagnosis of cancers and other diseases

Seattle-based genome scientist gets to ‘play with DNA’

January 29, 2020 | by Michelle Archer, Seattle Times Explore

Meet Lea Starita, a Seattle-based genome scientist who is working to understand how our individual genes impact our health. Here, she answers some questions about her work.

BBI Scientific Impact in 2019

January 27, 2020 | by BBI Communications

Looking back at advances made by BBI members in 2019

Deep Mutational Scanning Symposium & Workshop, Jan. 13 – 14

December 12, 2019 | by Brotman Baty Communications

Symposium will welcome international leaders to Seattle

Deep Mutational Scanning Symposium & Workshop, Jan. 13 – 14

December 12, 2019 | by BBI Communications

Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine (BBI) and Center for the Multiplex Assessment of Phenotype will co-sponsor a two-day Deep Mutational Scanning Symposium & Workshop in Seattle on Jan. 13 and 14, 2020.

Technique shows how individual cancer cells react to drugs

December 06, 2019 | by UW Medicine Communications

sci-Plex profiles gene expression in thousands of individual cells when a sample is perturbed; the technology holds promise for cancer, infection, prenatal medicine and other research.

Brotman Baty Institute Announces Formation of Advisory Board

October 22, 2019 | by Brotman Baty Communications

The precision medicine institute welcomes the counsel of six leaders in business, philanthropy, and medicine.

New study reveals weakness in emerging type of aggressive prostate tumor

August 01, 2019 | by SABRINA RICHARDS, FRED HUTCH NEWS SERVICE

Tumors that turn off androgen receptor may have turned on new drug target

Simpler name for cancer genetic syndrome could save lives

July 26, 2019 | by UW Medicine Communications

Names that label certain cancer risk genes as sex- or organ-specific can dissuade people who need to be tested, according to Nature commentary.

BBI Cell-free DNA Working Group Assesses First Year of Progress

June 26, 2019 | by Michael McCathy, MD

The Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine (BBI) launched its cell-free DNA (cfDNA) working group in 2018, awarding grants for more than a dozen pilot studies to apply a cfDNA assay developed and validated by BBI to address a wide variety of clinical challenges.

Test reliably detects tumor mutations in blood of patients with advanced prostate cancer

June 10, 2019 | by By Michael McCarthy

Sequencing cell-free DNA found in blood plasma could provide patients with advanced disease an alternative to biopsy

Drugs could treat some aneurysms, gene study suggests

June 10, 2019 | by Michael McCarthy

The study shows how genomic analysis can identify drugs that precisely target specific disease-causing mutations.

2 million-cell experiment traces how a mammal grows, cell by single cell

February 20, 2019 | by Allen Research Communications

A new study by researchers at the Allen Discovery Center at UW Medicine has traced that important period of organ formation, cell by cell, in the developing mouse.

Mouse Organogenesis Cell Atlas (MOCA)

February 18, 2019 | by Brotman Baty Communications

A manuscript published by BBI researchers Junyue Cao, Cole Trapnell and Jay Shendure profiled ~2 million cells, derived from 61 embryos staged between 9.5 and 13.5 days of gestation, in a single experiment.

How Machine Learning Is Crafting Precision Medicine

February 11, 2019 | by Roy Smythe Insights Contributor, Forbes magazine

In the last 15 years, an explosion of patient data in the form of genetic information and electronic health records has sharpened the doctor’s picture of the individual patient—and of treatments tailored to their precise needs.

BRCA mutations can be deadly or harmless. Now CRISPR can tell the difference

November 08, 2018 | by Jay Shendure, Greg Findlay, Lea Starita

More than 1 million women have had genetic testing of BRCA1 and BRCA2, genes in which mutations can dramatically increase the risk for early onset breast and ovarian cancer. But for many women the test results have been ambiguous.

NIH visits UW to explain why they want your genome

November 05, 2018 | by Katherine Long, Seattle Times staff reporter

The NIH is asking for volunteers in a project to sequence the genetic material of a million people living in the U.S., making it possibly the largest research project in human history.

Forecasting the shape of flu viruses to come

October 18, 2018 | by Sabin Russell, Fred Hutch News Service

The effort to pick new vaccines to block ever-evolving flu viruses requires both science and serendipity.

Tailor-Made Fish Help Explain Genetic Conditions in Children

October 18, 2018 | by Lindsay Kurs, Seattle Childrens

Genetically engineered fish advance the study of how different genes affect development and cause disease.

Univ. of Washington researchers unveil Prescience, an AI system that predicts problems during surgery

October 10, 2018 | by Clare McGrane, GeekWire

UW Associate Professor Su-In Lee has developed an AI system called Prescience that uses patient data to predict which patients are at risk of hypoxemia, or abnormally low blood oxygen.

Robots grow mini-organs from human stem cells

May 17, 2018 | by UW Medicine Newsroom

An automated system that uses robots has been designed to rapidly produce human mini-organs derived from stem cells.