By Elizabeth Owuor
To honor Black History Month, 23andMe is sharing the untold stories of a few of the African-American scientists and figures who contributed to science each of whom made their mark despite great societal and institutional obstacles.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26905" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/BHM-Microscope-300x165.png" alt="" width="300" height="165" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/BHM-Microscope-300x165.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/BHM-Microscope-271x149.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/BHM-Microscope-372x204.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/BHM-Microscope-574x315.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/BHM-Microscope.png 702w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Overlooked, intentionally erased from the history books, or simply discredited. <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/honoring-henrietta-lacks/">Henrietta Lacks</a>, a young African American mother from Baltimore, made her contribution to scientific advancement without ever knowing it. Cells from the tumor that killed her were taken and regrown in labs around the world without her or her family’s permission and became one of the most important cancer cell lines in medical history.
After visiting Dr. Howard Jones at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center in 1947, Lacks underwent a gynecological tumor biopsy and her cells were sent to a neighboring lab &#8211; without her knowledge or consent — where they were later harvested to create HeLa Cells, the first  infinitely reproducing cell line in medicine.
In fact, no one knew of Lack’s essential <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henriettalacks/index.html">contribution to science</a> and the world-at-large until it was finally acknowledged nearly 40 years after her first visit to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. But Lacks isn’t the only African-American to aide scientific advancement without being fully acknowledged or credited. Throughout the ages, other Black figures have helped advance chemistry, genetics, pathology, and other essential scientific fields without getting due credit. In an effort to honor these hidden figures, we’ve collected a short roundup of a few of the overlooked sheroes and heroes whose contributions, even in the face of racial persecution and institutional disenfranchisement, left an important mark on the world of science and beyond.

<h6>Alice Ball: The Collector of Many Firsts</h6>
1892-1916
Chemist Alice Ball didn’t shy away from being a pioneer: the first African American and the first woman to graduate with a Master’s in chemistry from the College of Hawaii (now the University of Hawaii), Ball later went on to be the first female chemistry professor at her alma mater.
But Ball was already accomplishing firsts long before graduating. A native of Seattle, she was born in 1892, at a time when women — particularly women of color — were denied access to education and employment. Ball earned her undergraduate degrees in pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacy from the University of Washington, before pursuing her graduate work in Hawaii. During the course of her career, she pioneered a treatment for leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, that was eventually coined the “Ball Method” due to its highly effective treatment of the symptoms of this vexing disease. The first injectable treatment of its kind, Ball’s treatment used oil from the chaulmoogra tree, which had previously only been used topically with mixed results. Medical professionals relied on Ball’s invention for 20 years before a new treatment was introduced.
Sadly, Ball wasn’t given full credit for her groundbreaking invention until decades after it was made available to the public. Her untimely death at 24 due to chlorine poisoning in her lab contributed to this, but so did the fact that the president of her university initially took credit for work. Although long overdue, Alice Ball was finally remembered by history in 2010 when the University of Hawaii declared February 29th “Alice Ball Day,” erecting a statue in her honor.
<h6>Dr. James Bowman: The Science Renaissance Man</h6>
1923-2011
Segregation may have hindered James Bowman from pursuing his dream of becoming an Army medical officer, but it didn’t stop the trailblazer from forging his own path in medicine and genetics despite the many obstacles erected by a racist society.
A 1943 biology graduate of Howard University, Bowman stayed remained at the university to secure his medical degree as part of the of the U.S. Army Medical Corps. He later interned at the Freedmen’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. and completed his residency in pathology at Chicago’s St. Luke’s Hospital from 1947 to 1952.
Always one to continually expand his knowledge base through research, Bowman moved to Iran in 1955 to study G6PD deficiency, a rare genetic disorder also known as  favism, that is linked to episodes of anemia and affects one in ten African American men. After successfully diagnosing an Iranian patient with the condition, he took his penchant for research and scientific rigor around the world. From 1961 to 1962, Bowman studied genetics at the Galton Laboratory at University College London and then later settled at the University of Chicago, where his scientific work took him to Uganda, Mexico, Ghana and other nations.
Eventually publishing more than 90 scholarly papers on human genetics, Bowman was also a fierce advocate for African-Americans. He was instrumental in ensuring that governmental and medical institutions considered bioethics and consent when testing on historically marginalized populations.
<h6>Marie M. Daly: The Chemistry Pioneer</h6>
1921-2003
The first black woman to receive a doctorate in chemistry in the United States, Marie M. Daly dedicated to spreading knowledge and conducting research. Daly pioneered innovative work on the relationship between chemistry and the human body. Inspired by her father who was hindered from completing his chemistry degree at Cornell University due to poverty, Daly received her bachelor’s degree with honors from Queens College in New York. She went on to receive a graduate degree at New York University, supporting her studies via work as a lab assistant.
After completing her master’s degree on an accelerated timeline, Daly began her doctoral studies in chemistry at Columbia University. She studied under the tutelage of Dr. Mary L. Caldwell, a celebrated female scientist who was dedicated to supporting other women in the field.
Ever the curious mind, Daly studied how the body digests food while at Columbia. Ultimately, she completed her doctorate in 1947 and became the first black woman in that nation to procure a chemistry Ph.D. But Daly didn’t stop her groundbreaking research there. After completing a seven-year research program at the Rockefeller Institute of Medicine, the scientist returned to her alma mater to investigate the relationship between clogged arteries and high cholesterol. In partnership with her colleague, Dr. Quentin B. Deming, Daly was responsible for revealing that dietary choices affect heart health and the circulatory system.
<h6>The Importance of Diversity in Genetic Research</h6>
Did you know that Africans and African Americans make up less than 4 percent of individuals included in genetic studies, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-018-0261-x#Sec1">according to a recent study</a>? The fact that these individuals face <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/black-health.htm">many serious</a> health outcomes and could benefit from the insights gained from genetic inquiry makes the present situation even more untenable. What’s more is that Africans and people of African ancestry are more genetically diverse than all the world’s populations combined. That’s why diversity in genetic research is so crucial. Insights for one group benefit all of us. And that’s not all, the need for diversity also extends to the scientists who conduct research. Ensuring that the scientific community looks more like the world around us will enable us to account for a wide-variety of perspectives. More diverse perspectives in the science community means better scientific research, and potentially more precise scientific advancements.
Know of any other hidden figures in the realm of scientific advancement? Join the conversation by commenting below.

Elizabeth Owuor

African Americans Who Contributed to Science

We’ve always known that getting enough sleep is important and can have a significant impact on one’s health, but scientists have just begun <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-17852 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Empty-Bed-285x300.jpg" alt="" width="285" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Empty-Bed-285x300.jpg 285w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Empty-Bed.jpg 675w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 285px) 100vw, 285px" />to unravel the genetics behind why some people are more prone to sleep problems. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. About 30 percent of adults report short term problems, while about 10 percent report chronic insomnia. It’s also the second most common mental disorder.
Recently, 23andMe collaborated with researchers from <a href="https://www.vu.nl/en/news-agenda/news/2019/jan-mrt/brain-cells-involved-in-insomnia-identified.aspx">VU University Amsterdam</a> and <a href="https://nin.nl/">Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience</a> on one of the largest genome-wide analysis studies to identify genes associated with insomnia. Published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0333-3">Nature Genetics</a>, the study used data from more than 1.3 million consenting research volunteers from the <a href="https://research.23andme.com/">23andMe</a> database and the <a href="https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/">UK Biobank</a>.
“Our study shows that insomnia, like so many other neuropsychiatric disorders, is influenced by 100’s of genes, each of small effect,&#8221; said Guus Smit, a VU-University neurobiologist involved in the study. &#8220;These genes by themselves are not that interesting to look at. What counts is their combined effect on the risk of insomnia. We investigated that with a new method, which enabled us to identify specific types of brain cells, like the so-called medium spiny neurons.”
<h6>Study Size</h6>
The sheer size of this research cohort enabled us to ask questions about genetics of insomnia and its relationships with other conditions and sleep-related problems individuals may face. With this large dataset, researchers were able to identify 202 genome-wide significant loci involved in insomnia. They were also able to show the involvement of specific cell type — striatal medium spiny neurons, hypothalamic neurons and clastrum pyramidal neurons &#8212; and specific cortical and subcortical tissues — some of which have been implicated previously in the regulation of reward processing, sleep and arousal in animal studies, but have never been genetically linked to insomnia in humans.
&#8220;This study is an immense step forward in understanding the genetic background of insomnia, made possible by the unprecedented increase in cohort size,&#8221; said Vladimir Vacic, Senior Scientist, Computational Biology at 23andMe and co-author on the paper. &#8220;Our results underline that insomnia is a serious condition, sharing genetics with psychiatric disorders and increasing the risk of metabolic syndrome phenotypes.&#8221;
What researchers found particularly interesting was the low genetic overlap between insomnia and other sleep-related traits. Findings show that insomnia is more genetically similar to psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety and <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/massive-new-study-finds-shared-genetic-basis-for-psychiatric-disorders/">major depressive disorder,</a> and personality traits such as neuroticism. It has less in common with sleep traits like <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/rise-and-shine/">morningness</a>, which describes the ease of getting up in the morning, and daytime dozing, snoring or excessive napping.
Finding key brain areas and cell types implicated in the neurobiology of insomnia and related disorders help us better understand how insomnia affects humans and may provide novel avenues for treatment.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Genetics of insomnia more similar to psychiatric conditions than to other sleep traits

It’s February, which means the largest family discovery conference of the year is almost upon us. This year, 23andMe will be returning to Salt <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-02-20-e1550710822368-283x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-26896 size-medium" width="283" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-02-20-e1550710822368-283x300.jpg 283w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-02-20-e1550710822368-768x814.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-02-20-e1550710822368-830x880.jpg 830w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-02-20-e1550710822368.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 283px) 100vw, 283px" />Lake City, Utah for <a href="https://www.rootstech.org/">RootsTech 2019. The visit offers</a> us a chance to showcase some of the new improvements to our ancestry service, as well as highlight 23andMe’s privacy protections, and the science around the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and their impact on risks for certain types of cancer
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The event will host keynote speakers daily and hundreds of classes centered on discovering family connections through the latest technology, DNA, people, and sources. 23andMe will be hosting several speaking sessions on topics ranging from genetic data privacy, an introduction to our BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) report, to a deep dive on our Ancestry Composition report. 
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We’ll be joining 15,000 in-person attendees from all over the world, thousands of online viewers, and 300 vendors in the Expo Hall to celebrate family discovery, consumer empowerment and genetics. Come see us at Booth 1105 to speak with 23andMe product experts, purchase 23andMe kits, check out our new Ancestry book, or to just hang out! 
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For those who can’t make it to the conference, our session at 1:30pm MT on Saturday, March 2, “Leading with Science at 23andMe” presented by Sarah Laskey, Health R&amp;D Scientist, will be livestreamed <a href="https://www.rootstech.org/salt-lake">here</a>. During this session, Sarah will walk through how research works at 23andMe and how you can contribute to scientific discoveries. 
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Hope to see the rest of you in Salt Lake City. 
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<h6>23andMe Agenda</h6>
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Speak-BRCA-262x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-26897 size-medium" width="262" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Speak-BRCA-262x300.jpg 262w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Speak-BRCA.jpg 376w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 262px) 100vw, 262px" />Wednesday, February 27 </h6>
Time: 3:00pm  
Room: 355 F
Title: Do You Speak BRCA?
Speaker: Ruth Tennen
Description: BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that can impact a person&#8217;s chances of developing certain cancers, including breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer. In this session, we&#8217;ll discuss the science behind these genes, how they&#8217;re passed down through families, and 23andMe&#8217;s Personal Genetic Service.
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<h6>Thursday, February 28 </h6>
Time: 4:30pm 
Room: 355 C
Title: Protecting Your Privacy at 23andMe<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/privacy-300x300.png" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25170" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/privacy-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/privacy-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/privacy-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/privacy-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/privacy-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/privacy.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Speaker: Adriana Beach  
Description: 23andMe gives you control over your genetic information. We want you to decide how your information is used and with whom it is shared, and we take great care to design our product with privacy in mind. In this session, we&#8217;ll discuss how you can control your information and how we protect your privacy.
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<h6>Friday, March 1 </h6>
Details: (3) 15-min talks followed by 15-min Q&amp;A
Time: 8am 
Room: Ballroom G
Title: Power Hour on New Reports and Updates from 23andMe!
Speakers: Hilary Vance, Alison Kung, and Danielle Hayes
Description: Discover what you can learn about your health through 23andMe. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-300x297.png" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26832" width="300" height="297" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-300x297.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-768x759.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-1024x1012.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-880x870.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-1180x1166.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square.png 1212w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
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<h6>Saturday, March 2 </h6>
Time: 11am (3-5 mins presentation time)
Room: Main stage
Speaker(s): Shirley Wu
Description: At 23andMe, we believe that DNA can change lives. Our mission is to help people access, understand, and benefit from the human genome. One way we tackle this mission is by providing information on health risks, health risks that could affect your family, and wellness information directly to consumers. During this session, 23andMe&#8217;s Director of Health Product Shirley Wu will discuss how genetics can impact one&#8217;s health, and how consumer participation in research has fueled hundreds of genetic discoveries. 
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Time: 12pm (45 mins, followed by Q&amp;A) 
Room: Lunch 2  
Title: 23 Reasons to Connect with Friends and Relatives at 23andMe
Speaker: Samantha Esselmann
Description: From learning more about what ancestry your inherited from your parents, to comparing your Neanderthal-ness with friends, 23andMe offers a variety of ways for customers to connect, share, and compare their results. In this lunch session we&#8217;ll explore the various reports and tools 23andMe offers and show examples of how they can be used to to answer a variety of questions. 
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Time: 1:30pm (45-50 min preso followed by 10-15 min Q+A)
Room: Ballroom G
Title: Leading with Science at 23andMe<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Microscope-Icon-192x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-24284" 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" />
Speak: Sarah Laskey 
Description: 23andMe customers who participate in research are helping to advance scientific knowledge in revolutionary new ways. Each discovery helps pave the way for advances in medicine. Since 2010, 23andMe has published over 110 papers in peer reviewed journals. In this session, we&#8217;ll walk through how research works at 23andMe and how you can contribute to scientific discoveries. 
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<h6>Family Discovery Day </h6>
Details: This is a day when portions of the conference will be free to the public, and families with children aged 8 and older are welcome to join. There will be a special Family Discovery Day (FDD) general session, specific class sessions geared towards children and families, and fun activities in the Expo Hall and around the convention center.
Type of activity: Craft and build your own DNA souvenir to take home! 
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23andMe Returns to Salt Lake City for RootsTech 2019

<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/fh/">Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH)</a> is one of the most common genetic conditions, which is associated with very high levels of “bad” cholesterol. Elevated levels of cholesterol can lead to a higher risk for early cardiovascular disease, and, in turn, an increased risk for heart attacks.
Even though FH is relatively common — affecting about 1 in 250 people worldwide — awareness of the condition is very low. That combined with the lack of symptoms, means that people with FH often go undiagnosed. 
In fact, as many as <a href="https://thefhfoundation.org/about-us/who-are-we">90 percent of people</a> with FH don’t know they have it. If left untreated, men with the condition have a 50 percent chance of having a heart attack by age 50, while untreated women with the condition have about a 30 percent risk of a heart attack by age 60,<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12732381"> according to published studies.</a>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WS-FH-1024x536.jpg" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-26893" width="1024" height="536" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WS-FH-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WS-FH-300x157.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WS-FH-768x402.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WS-FH-880x461.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WS-FH-1180x618.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WS-FH.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<h6>A Positive First Step for FH </h6>
Today 23andMe added a new <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry">Genetic Health Risk</a>* report on FH* which can tell individuals about their risk of developing high cholesterol associated with the condition. Given its expertise as the leading research and patient advocacy organization for the FH community, the FH Foundation provided input on the patient journey, the report’s content and associated educational resources. 
This new report could give an early warning for people who otherwise wouldn’t know of their risk, given the lack of awareness around the condition. Because there are few physical signs or symptoms, many people don’t know they have FH and how it can affect their cholesterol levels. However, when diagnosed early in life, the condition can be treated effectively to substantially reduce the risk of heart attack.
“Nine out of ten people born with familial hypercholesterolemia in the United States are undiagnosed, leaving them at risk for heart disease in the prime of life. Unlike many genetic conditions, FH is highly actionable.  Early diagnosis and appropriate medical treatment save lives,” said Katherine Wilemon, Founder and CEO of the<a href="https://thefhfoundation.org/"> FH Foundation</a>, a global research and advocacy organization. “The new 23andMe report, will not find everyone with an FH mutation, but it can be a positive first step for prevention by providing early detection for those who have one of the FH variants reported on.”
<h6>A New Genetic Health Risk Report for Familial Hypercholesterolemia </h6>
23andMe’s new Familial Hypercholesterolemia Genetic Health Risk report looks at 24 variants in the LDLR and APOB genes linked to the condition that have been shown to increase one’s risk of elevated levels of LDL cholesterol, and as a result, aggressive and premature cardiovascular disease. 23andMe’s report looks at some of the more common variants in people of European and Lebanese ancestry, as well as people from the “Old Order Amish” community. The variants in the report are also found in people of other ethnicities. Our team of scientists conducted an extensive review of the currently available peer-reviewed publications on the genetic variants associated with FH. We determined that those included in this report are among some of the more common in certain populations and well-studied.
“Through this report, 23andMe is providing individuals with potentially life-saving information about their risk for high LDL cholesterol levels associated with FH. We are grateful for the input from the FH Foundation on the patient journey and how we can continue to educate individuals about their risk for this often undiagnosed genetic condition,” said Arin Assero, Director of Advocacy at 23andMe.
<h6>FH and LDL </h6>
People with FH have very high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) — so-called “bad cholesterol.” This is because genetic variants, or mutations, associated with the condition decrease the liver&#8217;s ability to remove excess LDL cholesterol from the blood. The result is often much higher LDL levels in the bloodstream. This in turn can lead to cardiovascular disease and a higher risk for heart attack. Other factors influence a person’s chances for heart disease or high cholesterol such as smoking, diet, exercise, and weight. However 23andMe’s report focuses specifically on genetic factors for FH and its influence on the risk for high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.
Importantly, since FH is an inherited condition, each child of a person with FH has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the disorder so it is essential to screen parents, siblings and children of a person diagnosed with FH. This will aid in finding others who may have inherited the condition. 
<h6>Limitations</h6>
There are limitations to the 23andMe report. It looks at  only a few select variants of the more than 1,000 associated with the condition. About 30-35 percent of people who are of European descent with a variant linked to FH have one of the variants in this report. In the case of individuals with FH of Lebanese ancestry, about 80 percent have one of the variants in this report. About 15-20 percent of Latinos and people of East Asian ancestry with a variant linked to FH have one of the variants in 23andMe&#8217;s report. 
Given the report’s limitations, many 23andMe customers will receive a 0 variant result. This does not mean they have no risk for the condition. It also doesn&#8217;t mean they should forgo regular screening for cholesterol particularly if they have a family history of high cholesterol or early heart disease. In addition, the report is unable to detect if a person has two copies of a variant. Having two copies of a variant  is associated with the more severe form of FH called homozygous FH. The FH Foundation can provide more resources on FH. It can also serve as a care navigator for individuals with a <a href="https://thefhfoundation.org/fh-genetic-test-results">positive or negative</a> test result.
There are currently effective treatments that can lower the risks associated with FH. However, early detection is critical. 23andMe and the FH Foundation are committed to raising awareness of familial hypercholesterolemia. We are working to advocate for access to early detection and treatment.

The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is  not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. The Familial Hypercholesterolemia genetic health risk report is indicated for reporting of one variant in the APOB gene and 23 variants in the LDLR gene and describes if a person has variants associated with an increased risk of developing very high LDL cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease.  The majority of the variants included in this report have been most studied in people of European and Lebanese descent, as well as in the Old Order Amish.

23andMe Offers a New Report on Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Your body mass index (BMI) is calculated as your weight divided by your height squared. BMI is often used to assess if someone is underweight, overweight, or at a healthy weight.
We calculated the average BMI for 23andMe research participants in each US state:
<h6>Average BMI of 23andMe participants by US state</h6>

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="565" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BMI-IN-America-Map-1024x565.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27982" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BMI-IN-America-Map-1024x565.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BMI-IN-America-Map-300x165.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BMI-IN-America-Map-768x423.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BMI-IN-America-Map-880x485.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BMI-IN-America-Map-1180x651.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BMI-IN-America-Map-271x149.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BMI-IN-America-Map-372x204.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BMI-IN-America-Map.jpg 1560w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
 
The average BMI of 23andMe participants in every US state is over 25, which is in the range described by the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) as overweight. According to the CDC, the states with the highest prevalence of obesity in 2014 were Arkansas (AR), West Virginia, WV), and Mississippi (MS).
This discovery was made possible thanks to 23andMe customers who participated in research.
<h6>Scientific details</h6>
The findings are based on responses from 230,000 23andMe customers who participated in research. We selected the top five states with highest BMI by evaluating the 95 percent confidence intervals for the average BMI estimates. Each of the states listed had a lower bound of at least 27.9. While BMI is often used as a screening tool, it is not diagnostic of overall health or body fat mass. In addition, the 23andMe database may not be representative of the general population.
<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/prevalence-maps.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Obesity Prevalence Maps</a>
Keep in mind that 23andMe research insights are preliminary and are meant for informational purposes only.

BMI across the USA

Many African Americans can relate to the years of frustration Paul Mosley had trying to track back his family history.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Paul-Mosley-e1549909372876-300x245.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26653" width="300" height="245" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Paul-Mosley-e1549909372876-300x245.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Paul-Mosley-e1549909372876-768x628.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Paul-Mosley-e1549909372876-1024x838.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Paul-Mosley-e1549909372876-880x720.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Paul-Mosley-e1549909372876-1180x965.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Paul-Mosley-e1549909372876.jpg 1809w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />

For Paul, there was always a certain point where the trail ended. Like many African Americans, Paul’s search came up empty.

The U.S.&#8217;s history of slavery severed his connections to the past. Instead of being able to find ancestors’ names in old birth and death records, or Census records, many African Americans must resort to combing through slaveholder property records, or slave auction logs. Even rarer, are those records or even oral histories to give people like Paul a way to trace their family ties back to Africa.

“I became angry every time I would see someone saying their family tree traced back to Ireland, Italy or some other country, and I couldn’t find my family because of slavery,” he said.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Pauls-AC-300x263.png" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26881" width="300" height="263" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Pauls-AC-300x263.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Pauls-AC-768x673.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Pauls-AC-1024x897.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Pauls-AC-880x771.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Pauls-AC.png 1032w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />

Using paper records, Paul had been able to trace his ancestry to about 1870, but he couldn’t go back any further. So after he received 23andMe as a gift, he eagerly awaited for what he might learn through DNA. While he knows his ancestors were forcibly brought here from Africa because of slavery, he’s always wanted to know more about his family’s origins.

That first step in learning more came when he opened up his <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/#toc-ancestry-composition">23andMe Ancestry Composition</a> report.

<h6>West Africa</h6>
“I logged in, and the tears started to well up in my eyes because my results showed that almost 90 percent of my ancestors traced to West Africa and the shores of the Transatlantic Slave Trade,” Paul said.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Pauls-Breakdown-300x205.png" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26884" width="300" height="205" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Pauls-Breakdown-300x205.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Pauls-Breakdown.png 539w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
His results showed that he was 91 percent Sub-Saharan African, and his DNA connected him to 15 populations in West Africa – with the largest percentages coming from Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The emotional reaction surprised him, he said. He hadn’t expected the profound impact it had on him.

“These results placed my family on those slave ships,” he said. “For the first time in my 55 years of life … I now have confirmation that I have a direct connection to the Motherland. I feel like an orphan who has reconnected with his biological family.”

23andMe Helps Customer Connect to West Africa

If even the idea of a boat trip triggers a bit of nausea, you may be able to partly blame it on your genetics.
23andMe scientists have identified more than 413 genetic variants associated with motion sickness — that queasy feeling some of us get riding in cars, planes or traveling on the sea.
23andMe now offers a report on a customer’s genetic predisposition for motion sickness. Using data from more than 480,000 customers who’ve participated in research, 23andMe’s new report analyzes a customer’s genetic data against variants associated with motion sickness. On top of using genetic factors the report also takes into account non-genetic factors such as a customers age, sex, and ancestry, and then reports back whether a customer is more or less likely to experience motion sickness.

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1080x1080-Motion-Sickness-1024x1024.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-26858" width="1024" height="1024" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1080x1080-Motion-Sickness-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1080x1080-Motion-Sickness-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1080x1080-Motion-Sickness-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1080x1080-Motion-Sickness-768x768.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1080x1080-Motion-Sickness-880x880.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1080x1080-Motion-Sickness-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1080x1080-Motion-Sickness-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1080x1080-Motion-Sickness-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1080x1080-Motion-Sickness-980x980.png 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1080x1080-Motion-Sickness.png 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
The sensation comes, in part, from one’s body trying to maintain balance. To keep our balance, we all rely on signals from multiple sources, both visual and physical, as well as signals from the vestibular system in our inner ear. When those sensory signals conflict — say our vision tells us we are sitting still, but we can feel ourselves moving in a car or on a boat — it can trigger feelings of nausea or dizziness. A person’s genetics may make them more or less susceptible to feeling motion sickness.
While seemingly trivial, it’s not for those who experience severe cases. And motion sickness has been found to be associated with several other more serious conditions. 23andMe previously published a<a href="https://academic.oup.com/hmg/article/24/9/2700/2385879"> study</a> that confirmed associations with such conditions as migraines, vertigo, and morning sickness.
This report, as well as the now more than two-dozen<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/#toc-traits"> other trait reports</a> we offer within the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/"> Health + Ancestry</a> Service, are meant to give customers a bit more insight into the fascinating world of genetics. They also add to the understanding of how your DNA and environment interact to help influence all the many things that are part of who you are.

Feeling Woozy Over 23andMe’s New Report on Motion Sickness

Some of the same genes that influence a person’s propensity toward impulsiveness also affect whether or not he or she will use drugs, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
&nbsp;
Published today in the <a href="https://www.jneurosci.org/lookup/doi/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2662-18.2019">Journal of Neuroscience</a>, the study is another in a series of studies done by researchers looking at the genetic underpinnings of behavior, addiction, and psychological disorders. For this work the scientists used data from more than 20,000 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research, making it the largest genetic study of impulsive behavior to date.
<h6>Behavior</h6>
“By studying the genetic basis of normal variation in behavior, we can learn about the role of genetics in complex psychiatric disorders like drug abuse,” said lead author of the study <a href="http://profiles.ucsd.edu/abraham.palmer">Abraham Palmer, Ph.D</a>., a professor of psychiatry and vice chair for basic research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. “Additional studies of younger and more diverse populations could provide additional insights into the genetics and consequences of impulsiveness.”
<div id="attachment_25919" style="width: 209px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-25919" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Abraham-Palmer-photo-199x300.jpg" alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-25919" width="199" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Abraham-Palmer-photo-199x300.jpg 199w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Abraham-Palmer-photo-768x1156.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Abraham-Palmer-photo-680x1024.jpg 680w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Abraham-Palmer-photo-585x880.jpg 585w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Abraham-Palmer-photo-784x1180.jpg 784w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Abraham-Palmer-photo.jpg 1063w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px" />Prof. Abraham Palmer</div>
For this work, and a study Palmer and his team did last year that also looked at another measure of impulsivity called <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/wait-new-genetic-research-impulsivity/">“delay discounting,”</a> the researchers compared genetic data with survey responses on impulsivity and a history of drug use from 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research. The genome-wide association study found variants in the gene CADM2 — previously implicated in risk-taking, alcohol consumption, and cannabis use — associated with impulsivity and drug use. The team also identified an association with a variant in a gene previously implicated in schizophrenia risk — CACNA1I. They also saw an association with something called “negative urgency”— a tendency to act impulsively in the face of adversity.
&nbsp;
<h6>Big Data</h6>
These findings demonstrate how an individual’s genetic makeup may predispose them to engage in risky behavior, including drug use and abuse. Additional studies of younger and more diverse populations could provide further insights into the genetics and consequences of impulsive personality traits, the researchers said.
&nbsp;
The study also shows the potential of large datasets like 23andMe.
&nbsp;
&#8220;Data shared by 23andMe research participants helped make this work possible &#8212; and this is one of several recent publications we&#8217;ve worked on related to personality, behavior and psychiatric conditions,” said Sarah Elson, PhD, Senior Scientist, 23andMe.
“These findings may have potentially significant effects on how we interpret the relationships between genetics and mental health; and, in the future, predict and treat some of these hard-to-understand conditions.&#8221;

Genetic Study of Impulsiveness Reveals Associations with Drug Use

In the largest genetic study of its kind, scientists have identified more than 200 genes associated with depression that could give new insights to researchers looking for treatments to what is the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression">leading cause of disability</a> in the world.
Combining anonymous data from more than two million people who were part of the three different genome-wide association studies on depression, an international team of researchers led by scientists at the University of Edinburgh, identified 269 genes associated with depression.

“These findings are further evidence that depression is partly down to our genetics,” said Professor Andrew McIntosh, of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, who led the research. “We hope the findings will help us understand why some people are more at risk of depression than others, and how we might help people living with depression and anxiety more effectively in the future.”
Published in journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-018-0326-7">Nature Neuroscience</a>, the study, which included data from the <a href="https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/about-biobank-uk/">UK Biobank</a>, 23andMe, and the <a href="http://www.med.unc.edu/pgc">Psychiatry Genomics Consortium</a>, found that many of the strongest associations were on or near genes involved in neurotransmission and response to stimuli that are part of the central nervous system. And the associations further highlight the importance of studying cortical regions of the brain and their role in the condition, according to the researchers.
Trauma, social factors, and life events all play a role in depression, but by understanding the influence genes have and their role in how an individual responds to those external factors, could help in developing more personalized treatments, the researchers said.
This study also found that depression shared genetic associations with neuroticism — a personality type that is characterized as being more fearful and worried. Researchers also found a shared genetic association with smoking. The later association may indicate that depression could lead some people to smoke.

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