How to Answer: What do you know about Tay-Sachs disease?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Medical Research - Genome job interview.
16. What do you know about Tay-Sachs disease?
How to Answer
When an interviewer asks a question like 'what do you know about.....' or 'are you familiar with.....,' he is not trying to trick you or make you feel put on the spot if you don't know the answer. Although a research company such as Company ABC may deal specifically with genome research, there may be several research projects going on at once. Knowing what areas you have the most knowledge in and what your strengths are will help the interviewer find a place that may be a better fit for your education and skill level.
1st Answer Example
"Tay-Sachs is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. The parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive condition each carry one copy of the mutated gene, but they typically do not show signs and symptoms of the condition."
2nd Answer Example
"Tay-Sachs disease is a rare inherited disorder that progressively destroys nerve cells (neurons) in the brain and spinal cord. Infants with Tay-Sachs typically appear normal until the age of 3 to 6 months, when their development slows and muscles used for movement weaken. Affected infants lose motor skills such as turning over, sitting, and crawling and develop an exaggerated startle reaction to loud noises. As the disease progresses, children with Tay-Sachs experience seizures, vision and hearing loss and intellectual disability."