An international team of researchers discovered previously unknown genetic mechanisms that lead to myopia, or nearsightedness, including new associations with circadian rhythm.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/myopia-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-26222 size-medium" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/myopia-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/myopia-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/myopia-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/myopia-880x495.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/myopia-1180x663.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/myopia.jpg 1366w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Led by scientists at King’s College London, researchers from University College London, Kaiser Permanente, and 23andMe identified three ways that genetics plays a role in myopia, according to the study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-020-0599-0">Nature Genetics</a>.
“Myopia is an amazingly complex disorder,” <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/researchers-discover-genetic-processes-determine-short-sightedness">said Dr. Pirro Hysi</a>, the lead author of the study and a researcher at King’s College London’s School of Life Course Sciences. “For the first time, we now have enough of the jigsaw pieces that the biology is becoming clear.” 

<h6>Association with Circadian Rhythm</h6>
Myopia, or nearsightedness where far away objects look blurry, affects more than a third of adults in both the UK and the United States. And while researchers have long known that both genetics and environment influence why someone develops myopia, this very large study was able to uncover some unexpected biology. The study found that genes involved in the circadian rhythm — the inner biological clock regulating our 24-hour long sleep and wake cycles — could be an important factor. 
“Changes in the day and night cycles are a possible explanation for the previous observations that myopia is more common in those who spend less time outdoors,” said Professor Jugnoo Rahi, from University College London’s Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health.
In addition, researchers found overlapping associations with genes that play a role in pigmentation of the eyes, hair, and skin. Scientists had previously found that some genetic disorders that affect pigmentation also caused changes to the back of the eye that resulted in more severe myopia, but the strength of the association found in this study was surprising, said to <a href="https://spotlight.kaiserpermanente.org/genetics-of-near-sightedness/">Eric Jorgenson</a>, Ph.D., an investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research and a co-author of the study.
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<h6>Predictive Model</h6>
To make these findings, researchers used data from more than half a million individuals from the UK Biobank, Kaiser Permanente and 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research. Drawing on this very large dataset, the researchers were able to analyze thousands of genetic variants across more than 450 genes. 
Along with the association with genes involved with circadian rhythm, the researchers found an association with the mechanisms by which light signals are transmitted by the retina in the eye to the brain. 
In addition, the many genetic variants the researchers found that are associated with myopia, could be used to better predict nearsightedness. A genetic model based on the identified DNA variants successfully predicted up to 75 percent of myopia in the participants tested.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

New genetic associations for nearsightedness

Early puberty among boys is associated with shorter lifespans, according to a new genetic study by scientists at the University of Cambridge. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Teenage-Boys-.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-28161 size-medium" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Teenage-Boys-.jpg 509w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Teenage-Boys--300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Published this week in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-14451-5">Nature Communications</a>, the study also identified more than 76 genes and gene regions that influence the timing of puberty in boys.
<h6> BMI and Hair Color</h6>
Some of those genetic associations are also linked with measures of obesity, body mass index (BMI), and hair color. The study found that men with red, dark brown and black hair were more likely to have gone through puberty earlier than other men.
 
“The link between early puberty and shorter life expectancy may be partly explained by its negative impact on cardiometabolic health and diseases such as type 2 diabetes,” said co-first author<a href="http://www.mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk/people/felix-day/"> Dr. Felix Day</a> from the<a href="http://www.mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk/blog/genetics-early-male-puberty-shorter-lifespan/"> MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge</a>. “If so, then finding ways to prevent early puberty could help.”
 
<h6>Puberty Timing in Men and Women </h6>
Day is part of a team of researchers who have been studying puberty timing both in men and women. Previous studies have found shared genetic associations between both sexes for the timing of puberty.
 
Traditionally it has been more difficult to study this life stage in boys. As such, most of our previous understanding of the genetic influence on puberty came from studies of women. Studying puberty in women and girls is often easier because it is often easier for a girl to recall her period. For boys remembering milestones that mark puberty like “<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms9842">voice breaking</a>” is often harder to recall. A recent large-scale study of the DNA of 370,000 women identified 389 independent genetic associations. Those associations account for approximately one-quarter of the estimated heritability for puberty.
 
<h6>Longterm Health</h6>
Up until now, genetic studies of puberty timing in men are much fewer and smaller in scale. For this study, the scientists analyzed data from more than 200,000 men of European ancestry. To do that they included data mostly from the UK Biobank, but also data from 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research.   
 
While the associations with BMI may in part explain the link with shorter lifespans, the link with hair color is less clear. Researchers believe the hair color association points toward a connection with a common set of hormonal regulators in the brain. Those regulators play a role in several different traits. 
 
“Our most surprising finding was that some of the genes that regulate puberty timing in boys and girls also determine hair color,” said Dr. John Perry, a senior author of the paper who is also at the MRC Epidemiology Unit.
 
The finding highlights “an interesting common set of hormonal regulators in the brain that regulates both of these seemingly diverse traits,” Perry said.

Study Finds Health Impact for Early Puberty in Boys

In the largest genetic study of its kind, researchers at Indiana University have identified new genetic associations with squamous cell skin cancer.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/discover_data-e1489600524787.png" alt="" class="size-full wp-image-25113 alignright" width="200" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/discover_data-e1489600524787.png 200w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/discover_data-e1489600524787-150x150.png 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />
The study, involving data from more than 680,000 individuals, including 20,000 people with squamous cell carcinoma, identified new genetic variants associated with the condition. 
The study was a meta-analysis, meaning it included data from many different studies, including data from about 280,000 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research.
<h6>Skin Pigmentation</h6>
While confirming previous findings that genes associated with skin pigmentation are associated with squamous cell cancers, the study also found some additional genes that are associated with cancer progression and immune response, among other things. 
The study identified eight new genetic variants associated with squamous cell cancer, bringing the total known variants associated with this type of non-melanoma skin cancer to 22.
&#8220;We can certainly say there is some genetic overlap between squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma &#8212; the three major types of skin cancer &#8212; but we also found some genes that are specific for squamous cell carcinoma,&#8221;<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200218182206.htm"> said Jiali Han</a>, Ph. D, the lead author of the paper, and a professor and researcher at Indiana University’s School of Medicine.
<h6>Non-Melanoma</h6>
Squamous cells and basal cells are also known as non-melanoma skin cancers. Both usually respond to treatment and rarely spread to other parts of the body, according to the National Cancer Institute. Melanoma is more aggressive, however, and can spread to other parts of the body if it&#8217;s not diagnosed early. Having fair skin, freckles, blue eyes, and brown hair are also risk factors for squamous cell skin cancer.
The research is published online in<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-14594-5#Sec2"> Nature Communications</a>.
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New Genetic Research on Skin Cancer

This week we continue to follow the spread of the coronavirus. There is so much great reporting including what is one of the <a href="https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca">best overviews that we&#8217;ve seen</a> of the numbers and what they all might mean. 
Like most everyone, we will continue to follow the coverage of the outbreak, including an interesting illustration of how the virus hijacks cells that ran this week. We&#8217;re also reading up on some new research on the first migrants to the Americas, Neanderthal children, an experimental drug for Huntington&#8217;s, and a book about DNA testing upending a writer&#8217;s family.

Check them out.
<h6>Earliest Americans</h6>
Our understanding of the populating of the Americas is continuing to expand. The first people to reach the Americas may have come by sea, according to the latest research. They may have <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/08/first-people-americas-came-sea-ancient-tools-unearthed-idaho-river-suggest">arrived 16,000 years ago</a> or 3,000 years earlier than we previously believed. According to a study published recently in Science, radiocarbon dating of charcoal and bone fragments found along an Idaho river are altering what we once thought of the earliest Americans. In essence, they likely came by sea and then up rivers to populate inland areas. Previously scientists believed that the Clovis people were the first to populate the Americas, arriving about 13,000 years ago.
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<h6>Brutish, Short and Cold</h6>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/neanderthal-300x300.png" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-25340 size-medium" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/neanderthal-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/neanderthal-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/neanderthal-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/neanderthal-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/neanderthal-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/neanderthal.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Life may or may not have been nasty, brutish, and short of Neanderthals, but new research shows that it was indeed <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/10/eaau9483">cold and challenging</a>. Researchers from the University of Brisbane in Australia used the enamel of teeth recovered from the bones of two Neanderthal children excavated from a cave in France to piece together some details of their lives. Published in the journal Science, the study found that these children endured harsher winters when compared to teeth of modern human children who lived in Europe about 5,000 years ago. The Neanderthal children were also exposed to lead, which makes this study the <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/10/neanderthal-children-shivered-and-suffered-ancient-europe">earliest known documentation of lead exposure </a>among hominins. 
<h6>Haunted by a Gene</h6>
In a profound article in the<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/health/huntingtons-disease-wexler.html?utm_source=STAT+Newsletters&#038;utm_campaign=35e3fb3f4b-MR_COPY_01&#038;utm_medium=email&#038;utm_term=0_8cab1d7961-35e3fb3f4b-129845433"> New York Times</a>, the reporter Denis Grady tells the story of Nancy Wexler, Ph.D., a noted researcher, and professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University. Wexler has been studying Huntington&#8217;s, a rare and devastating fatal disease. Wexler saw the illness claim her mother&#8217;s life. That pushed her to research the illness, and over the last few decades, she&#8217;s been involved in research of an extended Venezuelan family with Huntington&#8217;s. More recently she&#8217;s revealed that she too suffers from the condition. Her work and the work of others have helped to contribute to the development of an experimental drug by Roche to treat the disease. Her story is also included in a segment of the PBS documentary<a href="https://www.pbs.org/video/nancy-wexler-a-huntingtons-odyssey-u4bvln/"> The Gene: An Intimate Histor</a>y airing in April.
<iframe loading="lazy" width="512" height="332" src="https://player.pbs.org/viralplayer/3039485164/" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" seamless="" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h6>Lost Family</h6>
Regardless of whether or not you’ve taken a DNA test, it’s no secret that taking a DNA test has changed everything for many. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/03/books/review/lost-family-libby-copeland.html">The New York Times</a> published a review this past week on a new book called “Lost Family: How DNA testing is upending who we are,” where author Libby Copeland explores the consequences &#8212; intended or not — of people’s decision to send in saliva samples to have their DNA tested. 
<h6>Hijackers<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CDC-Image-of-Coronavirus-300x168.png" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-28040 size-medium" width="300" height="168" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CDC-Image-of-Coronavirus-300x168.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CDC-Image-of-Coronavirus.png 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></h6>
In a series of fascinating graphic illustrations, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/11/science/how-coronavirus-hijacks-your-cells.html">The New York Times</a> depicts the process of how the spiky-looking novel coronavirus hijacks cells, inserts a snippet of its viral RNA and then causes the infected cell to spread millions of copies of the virus into the human body. But the explainer ends on a hopeful note: The last visual shows how soap molecules destroys the virus by prying it apart.
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Earliest Americans, Lost Families and a Haunting Gene

By Jey McCreight &amp; Ava Daniel
To honor Women’s History Month, 23andMe is sharing stories of a few female scientists who contributed to the field of genetics, each of whom made their mark despite great societal and institutional obstacles.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-28112" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHM-BlogPost-300x157.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="157" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHM-BlogPost-300x157.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHM-BlogPost-768x402.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHM-BlogPost-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHM-BlogPost-880x461.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHM-BlogPost-1180x618.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHM-BlogPost.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Nowadays most people have heard of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin">Rosalind Franklin</a>, the X-ray crystallographer who along with Watson and Crick famously contributed to the discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA. But for years her contribution was not recognized. It took a concerted effort to draw attention to her important contribution, making her a classic example of the hidden woman in science.
The reality is that women have been contributing to scientific research for hundreds of years, but institutionalized sexism has long prevented them from getting the credit they deserve. The field of genetic research is no exception. Here we would like to do our part in setting the record straight by highlighting some of the women who made important discoveries that built the foundation for modern genetics research.

<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janaki_Ammal">Janaki Ammal, Ph.D.</a> (1897-1984) </h6>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-24284" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Microscope-Icon-192x300.jpg" alt="" width="192" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Microscope-Icon-192x300.jpg 192w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Microscope-Icon.jpg 456w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 192px) 100vw, 192px" />An Indian botanist and cytologist who studied the variation in chromosome number, or ploidy, across a wide range of garden plants. This led to many insights into how species and varieties of plants evolved. She was the first woman to attain a Ph.D. in botany in the US, and the Janaki Ammal Award of Taxonomy was created in 1999 to encourage students and scholars to pursue this field of work.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Auerbach">Charlotte Auerbach, Ph.D.</a> (1899-1994)</h6>
A German Jewish geneticist who was a pioneer in studying what causes genetic mutations. She authored a total of 91 papers and was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Society of London. She was also a recipient of the 1976 Darwin Medal.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Chase">Martha Chase, Ph.D.</a> (1927-2003)</h6>
An American geneticist credited with confirming DNA as the genetic material of life. She and Alfred Hershey created and performed the notable Hershey-Chase experiment, which proved that DNA, not protein, held and transmitted genetic information. Hershey was awarded a Nobel Prize for the achievement, but Chase was not.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Maynard_Daly">Marie Maynard Daly, Ph.D.</a> (1921-2003)</h6>
An African American biochemist. She was the first Black woman to earn a doctorate in biochemistry in the U.S. She is most notable for her research involving the creation of proteins, as well as histones, which are the proteins that help package DNA into chromosomes. Watson cited Daly’s research as having contributed to research into the structure of DNA.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Oakley_Dayhoff">Margaret Oakley Dayhoff, Ph.D.</a> (1925-1983)</h6>
An American physical chemist and pioneer in the field of bioinformatics. She was one of the first scientists to integrate mathematics, computation, and biochemistry. She is known for originating point accepted mutations (PAM) and creating the one-letter code for amino acids &#8211; those As, Ts, Cs, and Gs.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_Lederberg">Esther Lederberg, Ph.D.</a> (1922-2006) <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-171" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/23chromosomes1-300x214.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="214" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/23chromosomes1-300x214.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/23chromosomes1.jpg 435w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></h6>
An American microbiologist who pioneered the field of bacterial genetics. She developed the microbial technique of replica plating, which can be used to investigate antibiotic resistance. Lederberg also discovered the ? bacteriophage, a virus frequently used as a tool in genetics experiments, as well as bacterial F-plasmid, a piece of DNA that gives bacteria the ability to transfer DNA to each other. She also founded and directed the Plasmid Reference Center at Stanford University.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_F._Lyon">Mary Frances Lyon, Ph.D.</a> (1925-2014)</h6>
A British geneticist best known for her discovery of X-chromosome inactivation. This is a process by which one X chromosome is inactivated in some female mammals, including humans. <a href="http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/dox/calico.html">Calico cats</a> are a fantastic visual representation of the phenomena. A Cambridge graduate, she was the recipient of over a dozen notable awards in the field of genetics for her work.
<h6>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_McClintock">Barbara McClintock, Ph.D.</a> (1902-1992)</h6>
An American maize cytogeneticist who discovered transposable elements. These are DNA sequences that can change position within a genome, and their discovery helped illustrate how genes affect physical characteristics. McClintock also demonstrated fundamental genetic ideas like recombination, crossing-over, and the role of telomeres and centromeres. She is the only woman who has received an unshared Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Sager">Ruth Sager, Ph.D.</a> (1918-1997)</h6>
An American geneticist known for pioneering the field of cytoplasmic genetics. She is credited with discovering the transmission of genetic traits through chloroplast DNA, which is found in plants. She also conducted groundbreaking cancer genetics research on tumor suppressor genes in the early 1970s.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nettie_Stevens">Nettie Stevens, Ph.D.</a> (1861-1912)</h6>
An early American geneticist credited with the discovery of sex chromosomes (X and Y). She was the first American woman acknowledged for her contributions to science. Her work expanded the fields of modern genetics, cytology, and embryology.
Know of any other women in the realm of scientific advancement? Join the conversation by commenting below.

Jey McCreight

Women Who Advanced Genetic Science

Much like when I hesitated over opening my health results, I, surprisingly, also felt a mix of nerves and anticipation about learning my ancestry results. 
After all, DNA has the power to bust through family myths and long-held identities of who we are. 

<h6>Opening Up My Ancestry Results</h6>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Amanda-Percentages.png" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-28118 size-full" width="283" height="512" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Amanda-Percentages.png 283w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Amanda-Percentages-166x300.png 166w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 283px) 100vw, 283px" />I was raised knowing I had deep roots in the American South and German ancestors that moved from Prussia to Buffalo, NY in the 1800s. But mostly, I was raised passionately Scottish. How Scottish? My parents took photos of my brother and me as babies in wee kilts. My brother went to a bagpipe camp and played in a bagpipe band. We helped organize the local Highland Games and we even made a pilgrimage to Scotland to view headstones and church plaques that had our last names carved into them. 
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Fortunately, my 23andMe Ancestry Composition results confirmed that I was indeed partly Scottish, but it also showed I had an equal percentage of English, German, and Irish ancestry. There were even small amounts from regions in Scandinavia,  Spain, and Portugal, as well as western Asia and northern Africa. 
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I was surprised to see that my 23andMe is even able to pinpoint the very regions in some countries that my genetic ancestors most likely lived as well as a timeline of when ancestors lived in those countries. 
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Indeed, the Scottish and German ancestors were the most recent immigrants to America so in some ways, it made sense that those cultural identities held the most weight in my family lore. But, having never identified with the other heritages felt like a slight to those branches of the family tree. There is a unique satisfaction in having a more complete picture.
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<h6>My DNA Relatives</h6>
As my DNA had revealed surprises in where my family is from, I braced myself to learn who I was related to via the site’s DNA Relatives feature. 23andMe even warns you about this before you opt-in to participate in DNA Relatives, letting you know you might learn something unexpected.
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My results didn’t reveal any family secrets, fortunately. They did, however, help us solve one family mystery. More on that in a minute.
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DNA Relatives connects you to other 23andMe customers, who have also opted-in and with whom you share DNA, looking at how much DNA you share and the length of the segments of DNA, 23andMe can predict how closely you are related. 
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But beyond the first few close family members, I knew on my DNA Relatives list, 23andMe matched me to literally hundreds of much more distant relatives, I don’t know at all. I recognized hardly any last names. 
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But I wanted to learn more about these genetic cousins, so starting with those who shared the most DNA with me, I clicked through names in the hopes that they had filled out their profiles, listing birthplaces or surnames I might recognize.
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In one profile, I discovered someone who had listed the last name I’d heard before. It was a name that was bounced around in family discussions as the possible last name of my great-grandmother who was adopted. Sure enough, my DNA relative listed my nana’s birthplace as a birthplace for his family members. 
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I messaged him through 23andMe and it turns out his great-grandfather and my great-grandmother were brother and sister. He even had photos of the two together, arm and arm in front of their childhood home as adults. We had always assumed that she had no ties to her birth family after what was likely a traumatic separation from her parents. But clearly, that wasn’t the whole story. It gave me joy learning that she and her brother had had a relationship during their adulthood. 
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Amanda-Timeline.png" alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-28117" width="600" height="220" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Amanda-Timeline.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Amanda-Timeline-300x110.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></h6>
<h6>Exploring More</h6>
Within the first week of opening my results, other DNA relatives seeking answers to mysteries in their own family trees were sending me messages. Just like me, they were looking for information to fill in the connections in their family trees. One woman, who said a certain branch of her family refused to accept her as a relative, was able to find a common ancestor with me that proved her relation to them.
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As a result of these discoveries, and the rush of finding answers to mysteries that may have endured for centuries, I began pulling down old family bibles that listed births, marriages, and deaths to paint a fuller picture of extended family trees. I soon fell down the rabbit hole of genealogical research – finding evidence of both slave owners and abolitionists, loyalists and patriots fighting against each other in the Revolutionary War. I know from our own family stories that we have ancestors who were members of the original 13 colonies as well as others who immigrated through Ellis Island. 
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Some believe DNA testing might be used as a way to further an “us vs. them” mentality. But what I found was quite the opposite. I suddenly felt related to everyone and living in a world where everyone feels like family is a good feeling. 
Amanda McCorquodale is a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in Gourmet, Miami Magazine and Mental Floss. She previously worked as an associate editor at the Huffington Post and as an Arts and Culture Editor at the Miami New Times. She lives in New York with her family. This is the third and last part of the series. You can read <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-and-you/23andme-how-to/taking-the-leap-into-my-dna-part-i/">Part I here</a>, and <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-customer-stories/taking-a-leap-into-my-dna-part-ii/">Part II here.</a>

Amanda McCorquodale

Taking a Leap Into My DNA: Part III

By Janie F. Shelton, Ph.D., MPH, Senior Scientist at 23andMe
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As a woman in tech, articles about Silicon Valley’s bad behavior often catch my eye. Alongside the descriptions of the ping-pong tables, gluten-free snacks, and the on-tap craft beer, are stories that describe the underside of tech culture that is often just as hostile to women as the broader corporate world.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/509Z-23_original-540x742-1-218x300.jpeg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-28091 size-medium" width="218" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/509Z-23_original-540x742-1-218x300.jpeg 218w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/509Z-23_original-540x742-1.jpeg 540w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 218px) 100vw, 218px" />
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Being an innovative company doesn’t always translate into creating an innovative work culture. Fortunately, there are places that do both. I know because I work at one — a groundbreaking biotech company that embraces gender diversity. For <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day">International Women&#8217;s Day</a>, I want to highlight what gender parity looks like in business. 

<h6>Comparing Percentages</h6>
With recent evidence that gender equity in leadership improves the <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/_division_assets/images/special-editorial/iif-2019/whenwomenlead_.pdf">bottom line and so much conversation about the value of creating a culture where this is possible, </a>it’s worth taking a look at a company with a workforce almost equally split between men and women and with 42 percent of leadership roles occupied by women. Even more dramatic is that 60 percent of the vice president and above positions at 23andMe are occupied by women, and, of course, we are led by a woman. 
Only about 5 percent of the S&amp;P 500 companies have women CEOs, and women occupy just 26 percent of the executive or senior management positions at those companies.  The numbers for tech companies are worse. 
A recent study done on diversity in tech by the <a href="https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/statistics/reports/hightech/index.cfm">U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission</a> found that tech companies employed fewer women than the nation as a whole and that fewer women served in leadership roles. The numbers from that six-year-old study found that only about 20 percent of women were in leadership roles at tech companies. Looking at the private sector in general, women served in 29 percent of the leadership roles. 
<h6>Stalled Progress</h6>
It’s instructive to look at gender equity not just because of what it means for women, but for what it means for diversity more broadly. While some statistics show <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/gender-equality/women-in-the-workplace-2019">modest improvements</a> for women in the last decade, we’re still far away from true equality in opportunity for women. 
A World Economic Forum report found that gender parity efforts in the United States were “<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/12/gender-gap-report-gender-parity-how-to-speed-up-progress/">stalling</a>.” Estimates are that compensation for women across a wide range of sectors won’t reach parity with men until <a href="https://www.wraltechwire.com/2020/01/02/world-faces-100-year-wait-for-gender-parity-us-even-longer-report/">2120</a>. 
With a few exceptions, the picture isn’t much better in Silicon Valley which has seen greater wealth creation than any region in history.
<h6>My Story</h6>
I stuck my toe in the water of tech at the age of 35, when I was 5-months pregnant. Perhaps not the best time to be looking for a job, but what I encountered was a culture welcoming of women, and parenthood. 
In fact, when I had finished with negotiations and accepted the job offer I was wincing when I told the 23andMe HR director I was expecting. She immediately responded with, “Congratulations! We love babies and children and hire a lot of pregnant people. Here are some of the great benefits I’d like to tell you about&#8230;” 
Fast-forward several years, I was promoted while out on maternity leave with my second daughter. I found this remarkable because it happened to my colleague too. It might be a commentary on the sad state of affairs for how women expect to be treated during pregnancy and maternity leave, but the impact is you are signaling to women at the company that yes, you can have a child and yes, you can also be a valued colleague entrusted with increasing responsibility.
<h6>The Whole Person</h6>
A culture that welcomed the “whole-person” at work was so different,  that I started to ask leaders to take their formula and shout it from the rooftops. But then I decided that I wanted to shout it from the rooftops. 
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Creating culture starts and ends with your values, but when women aren’t represented in leadership, how do those values get established? Here are a few observations about how 23andMe built a workplace that is welcoming to women by welcoming the “whole-person.” This is particularly important for women, who in traditional corporate culture have to hide who they are outside of work and their responsibilities at home or risk their career. 
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Here are a few things we do at 23andMe that I believe support women: 
<h6>Give challenging projects to women, and then let them take credit for their success. </h6>
23andMe signed some amazing deals in the past two years that were executed by majority-female teams. One of the most important agreements the company has ever entered into came together because of the women that made it happen, all while raising very young children.
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Giving visibility into other women succeeding not only gives credit where credit is due, but it shows other women — and men — in the company that yes you can have a family and be a critical asset to the company. 
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<h6>Recruit VPs who care about work-life balance. </h6>
At 23andMe, 42 percent of director-level positions and above are held by women. Not only that, many people in leadership roles are parents. If you want to have a family and be an executive, it is challenging to imagine how you might do that unless you see it done. 
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That matters because you want your employees to see a path forward. You want them to feel inspired to work hard to get to the next level. People naturally want to achieve and do well. But the demands of the home can create feelings of shame and underachievement in the workplace. It is liberating, inspiring, and motivating to see a VP leaving at 4 pm on some days to pick up his or her kids. It&#8217;s refreshing to see a VP take the afternoon for a field trip with his or her child&#8217;s class. And those leaders support employees doing the same. 
As Sheryl Sandberg says in her book Lean In, if you are a person in a higher-level role, “leave loudly.” 
Again the message should be that, yes you have to get your job done, but that doesn’t mean you neglect your responsibilities at home. 
<h6>When times get tough, have your team members’ backs. </h6>
People get married. They have children. They get divorced. They get sick. They lose parents. Support them through this. At 23andMe, I have heard our founder and CEO talk about this as an underlying management philosophy. 
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Why does this matter for gender equity at work? Because women shoulder much of the <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/women-double-emotional-labor-men-article-1.3834039">emotional and physical labor</a> of keeping families together. If you treat people well during these major life events, you acknowledge and welcome the whole person in the workplace. And, by the way, this approach helps everyone who has a full life and commitments outside of work. It&#8217;s not just for people with children. 
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<h6>Celebrate pregnancy and welcome children. </h6>
<div id="attachment_28106" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28106" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-300x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-28106 size-medium" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-768x768.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-880x880.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-1180x1180.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-574x574.jpg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-980x980.jpg 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom.jpg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />An employee&#8217;s son, testing out the kids&#8217; room at 23andMe&#8217;s office.</div>
Anne Wojcicki, the CEO, and co-founder of 23andMe loves kids. She brings her kids into the office. She encouraged the creation of a fun kid-friendly space in our headquarters where we have games and a play structure for our kids when they are visiting. There are also several very well appointed “mother’s rooms,” where we can breastfeed or pump. And Anne has never been so excited to talk to me as when I was pregnant. She is so happy when people have babies. She encourages you to bring them into the office. And wait for the show stopper – she personally offered to babysit for me. Let me repeat that last one. The CEO of my company offered to babysit my child. 
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Now, if you are a CEO, don’t worry, you don’t have to babysit anyone’s kids. Company leaders set an example that can reach all the way down the organization to foster gender equity. Supporting women during and just after pregnancy, when they are most vulnerable and most at-risk for leaving, pays off in the long run. It builds deeper commitments from those women and retaining talent. It’s the kind of whole-person positivity that makes one actually feel good about their job and the place they work. 
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Creating and nurturing culture is hard. But intentional steps to welcome the whole person into the workplace adds more value than you might think. Not just for women, but for everybody. 
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When a male engineer recently told me why he came to 23andMe instead of going to Google or Facebook he said he got sick of the bro culture. He wanted more work-life balance. 
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Instead of adding another perk like laundry service or a sushi bar to get an edge on hiring during boom-times in Silicon Valley,  tech companies should optimize for woman-positive, whole-self work culture. 
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I’ll take it.

Women in tech: a look inside the culture of 23andMe

We&#8217;re still following the march of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html">Coronavirus across the globe,</a> but we&#8217;re also taking a break from the outbreak.
Last week&#8217;s shortlist of good reads includes a story about gene editing, something on the rats of New York, and a vivid story comparing the care of twin sisters for breast cancer in the UK and the US.  
<h6>Vision Quest</h6>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/eye.001-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-25671 size-medium" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/eye.001-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/eye.001-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/eye.001-880x660.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/eye.001.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />So far scientists have tested the gene-editing technique known as CRISPR by first removing the cells from the patient’s body, editing them, and then infusing them back into the body after the work was done. Now, scientists are using CRISPR to fix a genetic defect inside a patient’s’ bod, to <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/04/811461486/in-a-1st-scientists-use-revolutionary-gene-editing-tool-to-edit-inside-a-patient">correct a rare genetic condition</a> that can lead to blindness. The condition, known as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), slowly destroys cells in the retina necessary for vision.  Most people living with this condition are functionally blind. In this groundbreaking study, researchers are infusing CRISPR-carrying virus into LCA patients’ eyes. They hope that CRISPR will cut out the genetic mutation that causes LCA and restore some vision. 
<h6>UpTown Rats<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/ignatzmouse-e1583434687759.png" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-3679" width="300" height="284" /></h6>
Luring rats with bacon, peanut butter, and oats may not sound like a typical day in the life of a scientist, but it was a crucial first step in a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00501-x">new study</a> of rat genomes. In the study, scientists sequenced the genomes of 29 Manhattan rats. They found that particular DNA changes — in genes associated with diet, behavior, and mobility — had become more common in rats from New York City. These changes gave them a leg up in the Big Apple. As scientists start looking for genetic signatures of these so-called &#8220;selective sweeps&#8221; in rats from other cities, a word of caution. According to one exterminator, rats near Boston &#8220;prefer Dunkin&#8217; Donuts pastries and Slim Jims&#8221; over peanut butter. Just another example of rats adapting to their environment.
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<h6>A Tale of Two Sisters</h6>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doctor-going-over-results-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-27700 size-medium" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doctor-going-over-results-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doctor-going-over-results-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doctor-going-over-results-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doctor-going-over-results-880x495.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doctor-going-over-results-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doctor-going-over-results.jpg 1365w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
They are twins actually, Nancy and Nora. One lives in the UK, one in the US. Both are being treated for breast cancer. In great detail in this piece in the <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m808">British Medical Journal,</a> and in an interview with <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/akw4p5/one-twin-got-cancer-in-the-uk-the-other-got-it-in-the-us">Vice</a>, the story offers a pretty good case study on the two health systems. It’s not really a story about the quality of the actual care. The story is about the burden on patients in the US, even with good insurance, to cover costs, and negotiate with providers.

Rats, CRISPR, and Twins

By Rachael Rifkin
Identical twins Audrey Bell and Cynthia McFadden, and their younger sister Stephanie, knew that using 23andMe to explore their DNA would give them insight into their ancestry and shared genetics, but they never expected it would also unearth clues to a 75-year-old unsolved mystery.
<div id="attachment_28054" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28054" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_1316-300x215.jpg" alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-28054" width="300" height="215" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_1316-300x215.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_1316-768x550.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_1316.jpg 844w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Twins Audrey and Cynthia, with their sister Stephanie in the middle.</div>
Audrey was the first to dive into her DNA with 23andMe. She wanted to see the DNA differences between her triplets, two are identical and the third is fraternal. But her 23andMe Ancestry Composition report surprised her because she didn’t see any Italian ancestry. It was a shock. The family’s last name is Palmadesso, so their Italian heritage was part of the sisters’ identity. They’d all grown up hearing that her dad’s family was Italian and Irish. 
It wasn’t until Cynthia got her 23andMe reports a few months ago, and opted-in to view her DNA relative connections, that the mystery started to deepen for the sisters. 
<div id="attachment_28060" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28060" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/New-York-Daily-News-Article-290x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-28060 size-medium" width="290" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/New-York-Daily-News-Article-290x300.jpg 290w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/New-York-Daily-News-Article.jpg 700w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 290px) 100vw, 290px" />A New York Daily News article about the kidnapping.</div>
<h6>Not Italian</h6>
Just like her sister, her report didn’t show any Italian ancestry. Instead, it showed she had Irish, Scottish and Spanish ancestry. She also matched with someone she’d never heard of, a 79-year-old man named Tommy Martin. The two share 22 percent of their DNA. That’s the same percentage Cynthia would share with a grandparent or uncle. Cynthia was so surprised by these findings that she asked Audrey to opt-in to view her DNA relative connections to see if she matched with Tommy. She did. 
The sisters had no idea who Tommy was or how they were related. 23andMe cautions customers about the possibility of <a href="https://you.23andme.com/public/unexpected-relationships">uncovering something unexpected</a>. The sister’s reports certainly fell into that category. At first, they hypothesized that their father, who passed away in 2017, was the child of an unknown affair, and that Tommy was their grandfather. Then they connected with Tommy and his half-sister Mary. As communicated back and forth with Tommy and his sister, a different and much more complicated story began to emerge.
<div id="attachment_28062" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28062" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-300x300.png" alt="" class="wp-image-28062 size-medium" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-768x768.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-880x880.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-1180x1180.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-980x980.png 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Photos of the brothers as young children with Tommy on the right.</div>
<h6>A Kidnapping </h6>
Audrey and Cynthia realized that based on his age, Tommy was clearly an uncle, not their grandfather. When they learned why he tested with 23andMe in the first place, the sisters were stunned. Tommy was searching for his younger brother, Gerald “Jerry” Martin, who was kidnapped in 1945.
Tommy and Mary told the twins what happened. He was six, and his brother Jerry was 4 when it happened. The brothers were riding their bikes in Manhattan when a woman approached them. She asked the boys if they wanted some candy. Both said yes. The woman told Tommy to wait while she and Jerry went to buy some. Tommy never saw Jerry again. 
<h6>Looking for Leads</h6>
Audrey, Cynthia and Stephanie wanted to learn more. They found an article on the kidnapping. At first, police suspected Tommy and Jerry’s biological mother was somehow involved. There had been lingering issues with the dissolution of her relationship with Tommy and Jerry’s father, who the children lived with. But the police determined she wasn’t involved. Apart from those early suspicions they had few leads and the trail quickly went cold.  
For years, the boy’s father, Harold, checked in with the police department to see if there was anything new about his Jerry. Detectives never found anything solid.
While 23andMe predicted that Cynthia and Audrey were Tommy’s nieces, it was unclear if the twin’s father, who they knew as Richard Rocco Palmadesso, was, in fact, Tommy’s missing brother, Jerry. The sisters suspected that he was, but couldn’t be sure.
<div id="attachment_28061" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28061" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_6189-300x253.jpg" alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-28061" width="300" height="253" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_6189-300x253.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_6189-768x649.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_6189-1024x865.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_6189-880x743.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_6189-1180x997.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_6189.jpg 1242w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The photos of the two brothers with Richard on the left just before he passed away in 2017, and Tommy on the right.</div>
<h6>Family History </h6>
So they turned their attention to what they knew about their father’s parents, Angelo and Isabel Palmadesso. When their dad was 12, his mom died, so Richard was sent to live with his father’s brother. As an adult, Richard didn’t keep in touch with his father, the uncle who helped raise him or his cousins, and he rarely spoke about them. He did, however, stay in touch with the woman who’d been his nanny, Helen Horgan. Later in life, Helen even lived with Richard, his wife, and the twins. She died when Audrey and Cynthia were 10.
With their father and grandparents now dead, as well as Helen, the sisters had few relatives to turn to for answers. They decided to reach out to his uncle’s son. He told the sisters that the whole family knew their dad was not a blood relative. He believed that it was only their father who didn’t know. 
<h6>Is Their Dad the Kidnapped Boy?</h6>
But there was no story of a kidnapping. Instead, the family rumor was that Helen, the nanny, was his biological mother. According to family lore, he’d been taken in because Helen was a single mother. The twins also learned that the family believed Richard’s mother was a madame, and Helen was one of her prostitutes. The family assumed the father was a local gangster who Helen dated. 
Cynthia and Audrey weren’t sure what to believe, but using 23andMe they found that they didn’t share any DNA with their Palmadesso cousins. That left them with two clear facts — they were related to Tommy, but not to the Palmadesso family. But was their dad Tommy’s kidnapped brother?
<h6>A Theory</h6>
The sisters decided to go back and create a timeline of events. They discovered that Jerry was kidnapped in June of 1945, a couple of months before the man their father Richard thought was his father returned from his service in WWII. 
The sisters hypothesized that perhaps Richard’s mother may have lost a baby or felt the need to give her husband a son, and that may have been a motive to kidnap a boy, but they don’t know. They know that Richard’s parents did not have any other children of their own together, although Richard&#8217;s mother did have an older daughter from a prior relationship. 
Perhaps Richard’s mother thought her husband would be assuaged by having a child to raise, but all that was speculation.  The sisters really didn’t know.
And there was also some evidence to suggest their theory isn’t right. For instance, they found a birth certificate for their dad. It listed his birth year as 1943, which would make him two years younger than Jerry Martin. But as the twins point out, it could be a fake birth certificate. After all, their dad’s mom wouldn’t have known how old the kidnapped child was, but the twins simply don’t have evidence to show their theory is true. 
<h6>A New Family Connection</h6>
Meanwhile, Audrey and Cynthia have been getting to know Tommy and his half-sister Mary. 
They visited Tommy in Florida around Thanksgiving and learned he loves many of the same things their dad did. They shared a love of movies, acting and coconut cake, and have similar personalities. There’s also a physical resemblance.
“Our dad was always kind, funny, and silly. Always dreamed of being an actor, but never actually acted in anything,” said Cynthia. “Uncle Tom is very similar. He even had some headshots from when he was younger.”
One unexpected outcome of their investigation is that they’ve gained more insight into the kind of person their dad was. From talking to their cousins and other people in his life who knew him when he was younger, they learned that his parents were both hard on him. He would sit at the table and his mother wouldn’t allow him to talk. Their cousin told them that their dad was quiet and anxious all the time, which is basically the way he was as an adult. 
“Although our dad was very kind and we were close to him, there was always a disconnect with him and family,” Cynthia said. “It now makes more sense why he may have been this way.”
As for Tommy and his family, the kidnapping took a toll on both his parents and Tommy. He remembered that their father cried a lot, and he never stopped believing that his son Jerry was still out there and alive. 
Rachael Rifkin’s <a href="https://www.rachaelrifkin.com/">work</a> focuses on using storytelling and similarities to bridge the gap between generations, cultures, and backgrounds. Her newsletter, <a href="https://us4.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=4f80b2efda61c68e52aec9ae6&#038;id=e0c42f4bd2">Theory of Relative-ity</a>, is about the similarities that run in families, and what we can learn from those similarities.
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