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Paired Ends: Toby Bloom, Liying Zhang, Michelle Lamendola-Essel

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The New York Genome Center has a number of new hires (see story, this issue).

Toby Bloom is the center's deputy scientific director of informatics. She joins the NYGC from the Broad Institute, where she was director of informatics for the Genome Sequencing Center. She holds a PhD in computer science and engineering from MIT.

Liying Zhang is interim director of the NYGC's CLIA-certified laboratory. Zhang is currently the director of the diagnostic molecular genetics laboratory at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and has a certificate of qualification from New York state in molecular oncology and in molecular genetics. She holds an MD from Peking University and a PhD from Johns Hopkins University.

Michelle Lamendola-Essel, who is also certified by New York state, has been hired as senior clinical laboratory technician and will be responsible for running the CLIA lab on a day-to-day basis. Previously, she was lead molecular scientist at Enzo Biochem, and has also held positions at Acupath Laboratories.

The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.