Why do certain medications work for some patients but not for others? Environment and lifestyle play a part, but scientists are now beginning to understand that DNA is also a key factor. That’s why precision medicine, which involves tailoring treatments to meet individual patients’ needs, could very well be the future of healthcare, resulting in less guesswork and fewer complications.

In this episode, Baratunde is joined by Dr. Rick Kittles, a pioneering geneticist and professor at City of Hope’s Comprehensive Cancer Center; Dr. Julie Johnson, Dean of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy; and Roxane Gay, also a doctor (of rhetoric and technical communication!) and author of critically-acclaimed books like Hunger and Bad Feminist. They discuss the intersection of genetics and disease treatment and prevention, what the lack of diversity in data sets means for underserved populations, and why we’ll all benefit when we stop treating healthcare like it’s one-size-fits-all.