By Anne Wojcicki
It is with great pleasure that we are announcing an addition to the 23andMe executive team and a new initiative for the company.
Dr. Richard Scheller
Renowned scientist, Dr. Richard Scheller, will be joining 23andMe as our Chief Science Officer and will lead the development of a new research and development group, 23andMe Therapeutics.
The same way we are transforming the way people access and understand their genomes, we hope to transform the way we discover and develop novel therapies. By starting with genetic information and understanding the basics of disease, we hope we can make discoveries that will have a meaningful impact on society.
Dr. Scheller joining is a testament to the power of 23andMe and what our customers have come together to build. 23andMe is the largest database in the world of genetic information, with almost 900,000 customers.
Customers have contributed over 250 million datapoints of information. All that information powers research that helps us understand how to prevent and treat disease.
Our mission is to help people access, understand and benefit from the human genome. With Dr. Scheller joining the team, we believe we will be putting our best efforts into helping customers and society benefit from the human genome.
Participating in research is completely voluntary and customers can opt-in or out at any time.
Over 80 percent of customers chose to opt-in to research and answer questions. We believe we have the potential to be the source of new discoveries that transform the health and lives of our friends and family. Our customers should be proud that they make this research possible.
