PGRN Membership Spotlight
May Member Spotlight - Dr. Yuan Ji
1.
How long have you been a member of PGRN,
and how did you first join PGRN?I first got involved with PGRN twenty years back during my graduate studies while working on my PhD thesis under Dr. Richard Weinshilboum, who led the NIH-PGRN PPII Program at the Mayo Clinic. When the New PGRN IV was established in July 2015, I eagerly joined as a founding member.
2. What is your current position/role, and what do you enjoy most about it?
I hold the role of Section Chief of Molecular Genetics and Genomics at ARUP Laboratories, a respected national nonprofit and academic reference laboratory. At ARUP, we offer a comprehensive range of genetic testing services, covering various genetic conditions, including pharmacogenetics. Additionally, I serve as an associate professor of clinical pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine where I teach and mentor pathology trainees including laboratory genetics and genomics fellows.
3. How has PGRN helped your career in pharmacogenomics?
I consider PGRN an indispensable community for all involved in pharmacogenomics, spanning from research discovery and clinical testing to guideline creation and database development. Being part of this community has greatly enriched both my clinical practice in PGx testing and my professional development. Here, I have the opportunity to learn from the best (researchers, pharmacists, and clinical laboratory directors) in the field. At the same time, I contribute my own insights and experiences, having traversed both research discovery and clinical testing realms throughout my career journey.
4. What do you see as the most exciting advances in pharmacogenomics over the next 2-5 years?
In the next 2-5 years, significant progress is expected in overcoming the obstacles to clinical pharmacogenomics implementation. Notably, various professional societies and working groups, including the Association of Molecular Pathology PGx Working Group—where both myself and several PGRN members deeply involve—are actively developing guidelines and recommendation documents. This collaborative effort aims to standardize clinical PGx testing practices across laboratories, foster greater collaboration among stakeholder societies, and pinpoint clinical gaps in PGx for further attention.
Another anticipated evolution in pharmacogenomics is the transition of many clinical laboratories from targeted genotyping-based PGx testing to Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based platforms. This shift will occur as NGS becomes more cost-effective and technologically adept for handling the complexities of several challenging pharmacogenes.
Personal questions
5. If there are no restrictions to travel, where would you like to go in the next 3-6 months?
I'm eager to journey back to China and explore numerous places where traditional Chinese customs are still upheld. After residing in the US for more than two decades, I have developed a profound fascination for the history, philosophy, and even the traditional Chinese medicine embedded within the Chinese culture. I am keen to delve deeper into these aspects during my visit.
6. When you’re not working, how do you enjoy spending your time?
I enjoy my homemade mocha coffee while immersing myself in a good book. Crafting dumplings is my ritual for recharging and reconnecting with my Zen spirit—a skill I have cultivated since childhood, growing up with a Northeastern Chinese background.
May Trainee Member Spotlight - Wendy Wang
About 1 year. My PI, Andrea Gaedigk, suggested that I join for the PGRN conference in 2023.
2. What is your current position/role, and what do you enjoy most about it?
My current role is Research Associate. I help support PGx genotyping projects from internal PIs, which are mostly clinicians from diverse specialties interested in the genetic component of drug metabolism, and external partners utilizing our lab’s expertise like other academic institutions, the CDC (GeT-RM), and several biotech companies. I’ve also been able to help make educational materials for community outreach initiatives and our in-house PGx implementation efforts. I really enjoy that I get to do and learn about a diversity of topics; every day looks very different. Some days I’m on the bench running samples or validating new technologies. Other days, I’m doing more analysis, organizing projects, and going down literature rabbit holes. I’m also blessed to be working with an incredibly talented and supportive team.
3. How has PGRN helped your career in pharmacogenomics?
I’m still fairly new, but it was fun meeting different people and getting to know their research at the PGRN conference last year. This year, I’m excited to present my first poster!
4. What do you see as the most exciting advances in pharmacogenomics over the next 2-5 years?
Long-read sequencing becoming more developed and accessible for clinical PGx testing. Our favorite gene, CYP2D6, is so important but also frustratingly complex. Long-read sequencing, especially tuned for CNV determination, could solve a lot of problems for the use CYP2D6 to inform medication choice/dose.
5. If there are no restrictions to travel, where would you like to go in the next 3-6 months?
One of the moons of Saturn would be pretty cool, but if we’re talking Earth only – Taiwan has always been a dream of mine. My family immigrated to the U.S. when I was very young, and we had not had the chance to go back since.
Eating, going to concerts, hiking disc golf courses with my husband, taking pictures of my cats, and following Formula 1 racing.
