Dylan

Todd

MD, PhD

I love my job because I get to help my patients in their families in such a unique and personal way:

On TV and in movies, fictional doctors are often medical detectives, putting together the puzzle pieces to solve rare and serious diseases. Sometimes in these stories, there is a dramatic race against the clock, a mind bending plot twist, or a family secret. Although my day-to-day is not as dramatic as these popular portrayals, there are many similarities in how I help my patients.

Medical genetics is a unique field because we take care of patients of all ages–from newborn babies to older adults, we focus on the health of other family members as well, and we have specialized knowledge of rare and ultra-rare diseases that other providers may never encounter.

Many of our patients have struggled to get a diagnosis with unusual health problems that are hard to completely put together. I love trying to knit those symptoms together and find conditions that explains what is going on. With advances in genetic testing, we are able to help many find an answer. Even for patients that remain undiagnosed, we can still keep trying to look for answers as hundreds of new genetic conditions that are discovered every year.

Once a diagnosis has been made, I help coordinate a plan to keep my patients as healthy as possible. We build plans with the other doctors in the care team to support all parts of the body that may be affected by complex genetic conditions. I love advocating for my patients and families and amplifying their voices/self-advocacy since rare diseases do not always have the same awareness in our culture and media.