The Health Pulse S2E4: Healthier Living Through Epigenetics Analysis

On this episode, Greg is joined by Dr. Melissa Strong, founder and lead data scientist for IndiOmics. Her background is in molecular biology and epigenetics—or how our environment can affect our gene expression. The idea behind IndiOmics started when Dr. Strong was pregnant with her son and interested in better understanding chemical exposure in utero. The organization’s mission is to educate the public about common chemicals that have the ability to affect us on a cellular level and what we can do to avoid or prevent exposure. Much of its work focuses on endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Participants receive a kit, provide a sample from home and ship the kit to the IndiOmics laboratory. When the results are ready, they can login for a personalized look at what they’ve been exposed to, how it’s affecting them on a molecular level and steps they can take to avoid or prevent additional exposure. For example, they may be able to cut down on EDC exposure by not heating or microwaving plastics. Dr. Strong explains that our gene expression is not set in stone, and our environment and behaviors play a significant role in determining our health. Particularly with EDCs, science has demonstrated the toxicity of even very low levels of chemical exposure. To learn more about what you can do to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals, even if you don’t know your levels, Dr. Strong recommends visiting the Environmental Working Group’s website, www.ewg.org, and referencing the IndiOmics Healthy Living Pocket Guide at www.indiomics.org/pocket-guide. Looking to the future, Dr. Strong is encouraged by younger generations’ awareness around this issue and believes that consumer demand will drive action on the part of manufacturers and regulators alike to further reduce the use of harmful chemicals in consumer products. She also believes that blood tests on endocrine exposures will eventually become a part of routine medical care, empowering more people to understand their exposure levels and take steps to improve their health. All presentations represent the opinions of the presenter and do not represent the position or the opinion of SAS.