Dr. Annie Q. Hasan discovered her passion for genetics during her high school years, an interest that has shaped her career throughout a time when genetics was not widely recognized in Indian medical education. Her academic journey began at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in India, eventually leading her abroad to conduct research in New Zealand and the United States. However, her vision was clear: genetics should be integrated into everyday healthcare, not confined to laboratories.
In 2000, upon returning to India, she established genetic diagnostic and testing services in three hospitals. Through her experiences, she recognized a significant gap in medical education concerning genetic counseling. To address this deficiency, Dr. Hasan initiated the first full-time genetic counseling program in India, fostering a new generation of professionals dedicated to bridging the gap between clinicians and patients regarding genetic testing.
Over the years, genetics has gained traction in clinical settings, particularly in pediatrics, oncology, gynecology, and neurology. Despite this growth, patients often question why genetic testing is not part of routine health check-ups. Dr. Hasan points out that while costs have decreased significantly, making tests more accessible is still a challenge. For example, a genetic test that once cost ₹35,000 is now available for under ₹15,000, indicating a positive trend toward incorporating these tests into standard care.
Additionally, pharmacogenomics—the study of how genetics affect medication responses—has been a crucial area of focus. Since 2006, Kamineni Hospitals has utilized pharmacogenomic insights in transplant and cardiac treatments to adjust medication dosages based on individual genetic profiles, enhancing patient outcomes.
Dr. Hasan explains that genetics plays a significant role in many health conditions. Some traits are purely genetic, while others, like obesity, are influenced by a combination of genetics and lifestyle choices. Conditions such as hyperthyroidism also have genetic components, demonstrating the complexity of genetic predisposition in health.
Genetic disorders can also appear unexpectedly due to 'de novo' mutations, which arise during cell division, leading to unique genetic changes in individuals that may not be present in their family history. Additionally, she discusses how carrying a cancer gene does not guarantee cancer development; it simply increases the lifetime risk, influenced by various lifestyle factors and modifier genes.
Advanced technologies like Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) have revolutionized genetic testing, allowing for analysis of an individual's complete set of genes, thus adding both depth and complexity to genetic screenings. The timing of testing is condition-dependent, with specific panels available for newborns, infants, and adolescents.
Despite the challenges in integrating genetics into mainstream healthcare, Dr. Hasan remains hopeful. She believes that genetics will eventually play a central role in every individual's healthcare narrative, improving the quality of life and fundamentally altering our understanding of health and disease.