ReFlections Volume 44, September 2018

We’re pleased to introduce a new author: Akhilesh Pandey, Senior Underwriter – Research and Manual Development, who is based in RGA’s Mumbai office. He has written a comprehensive and detailed review on the natural history, pathophysiology, and genetics of hepatitis B.

Dr. Paul Davis, MB.BS (Hons), FRACP, Chief Medical Officer, RGA Australia and one of RGA’s most experienced medical directors, presents an erudite perspective on the evolving clinical definition of myocardial infarction over time and the implications for insurers providing living benefit coverage for this condition.

The growing importance of understanding genetics in cancer is highlighted in an article on the subject by Dr. John J. Lefebre, BSc (Hons), MD, FRCPC, Medical Consultant, RGA International. Dr. Lefebre, based in Toronto, is another highly respected RGA medical director who in his article describes various types of mutations associated with multiple cancer types and provides a quick review of basic genetics.

During 2018, the 20th anniversary year of the Longer Life Foundation (LLF), we are pleased to bring you another in the series of interviews with former grant recipients from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. In this edition, we profile Stephen T. Oh, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Oh specializes in research on myeloproliferative neoplasms, and he kindly sat down with us to provide insight into these disorders, which are not uncommonly encountered during insurance underwriting and claims.

We are also pleased to announce that two new webcasts – one by Dr. Georgiana Pascutiu, Medical Director, Global Support Team, and one from Eric Westhus, Ph.D., Data Scientist, Global Research and Data Analytics – are now directly accessible to you for viewing at your convenience. Please see page 27 for details.

In this Issue