Episode 6: Dr. Aimée Dudley: Patients + Researchers = Strength

PNRI Science: Mystery & Discovery

“One thing that is surprising to people is that there's a lot of creativity in science. There are a million different ways to answer a question.” - Dr. Aimée Dudley

In this episode of PNRI Science: Mystery and Discovery, PNRI CEO Jack Faris interviews PNRI’s Senior Investigator and Interim Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Aimée Dudley, about how her lab harnesses the awesome power of yeast to pinpoint which genetic variants cause disease. Her lab’s research is used by physicians across the nation to diagnose critically ill newborns with urea cycle disorders. She works closely with physicians and patient families to accelerate the research needed for accurate diagnoses.

Aimée Dudley, PhD, is a PNRI Senior Investigator and Interim Chief Scientific Officer and an affiliate faculty member in the University of Washington’s Department of Genome Sciences and faculty member in the Molecular Engineering Graduate Program and the Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program. She also serves as an Editor-in-Chief at PLoS Genetics. She earned a PhD in genetics from Harvard Medical School, and was an Alexander Hollaender Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. George Church’s laboratory at Harvard Medical School.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• [2:44] Meet Aimée Dudley
• [8:15] A day in the life of a scientist
• [12:10] Myths and misunderstandings about rare diseases
• [20:12] Distrust of scientist is a critical problem
• [24:25} The future––sequence a newborn’s DNA?
• [36:47] Aimée’s journey into science
• [41:56] The team: scientists, clinicians, and parents

In this episode, Aimée delves into the mindset of a scientist and the creativity in the process. She explains how yeast can reveal genetic discoveries about human health, and takes us into the world of rare disease research that brings together scientists with physicians and patients to quickly build the strength of the research to transform healthcare.

The Dudley Lab embodies PNRI’s spirit of intellectual freedom to drive medical breakthroughs. We provide the freedom for scientists to follow where the science leads, and that culture creates incredible discoveries.

To learn more about Aimée check out her lab webpage: pnri.org/dudley-lab. Join us for our Rare Disease Day scientific symposium on 2/28/25!

Connect with PNRI, ask our scientists questions, or come on a lab tour! pnri.org/about/connect

This podcast is hosted by PNRI CEO Jack Faris and his daughter Anna Faris.

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