<div id="attachment_26752" style="width: 236px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26752" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Brian-JJ-226x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-26752 size-medium" width="226" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Brian-JJ-226x300.jpg 226w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Brian-JJ.jpg 385w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 226px) 100vw, 226px" />Brian, left, and his brother JJ, with whom he recently connected.</div>
&#8220;What&#8217;s going on, my brother?&#8221; said Brian Chavarria. &#8220;Man, it is good to see you.&#8221;
These were Brian’s first words to his newfound biological brother, JJ Peck when they met earlier this year. This life changing moment at the John Glenn International Airport was the culmination of years of ups and downs for Brian, and a lifetime of searching for answers about his biological family. 
Brian Chavarria was born in Dayton, Ohio, but raised in California by his adoptive parents. All he knew of his origins was that as newborn he’d been &nbsp;dropped off on a doorstep in California. He’d been adopted when he was three years old. Life didn’t come easy for Brian growing up in an abusive household in East Los Angeles. He eventually fled that abusive home by bike, and made contact with a foster family he had lived with as a child who took him back in. 
Brian never really knew where he came from or anything about &nbsp;his biological family.
At least not until his wife tried <a href="http://www.23andMe.com">23andMe</a> and then encouraged him to use 23andMe as well. 
“What could it hurt?” he thought.
After years of search unsuccessfully, Brian had given up on finding his birth mother or father. But after four decades of not knowing anything about his birth family — not even their ancestry — his results came back with information not just about his <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">ancestry</a> but also about <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/#toc-dnar">distant cousins</a>. Six months later, he received an email. It was from a first cousin, who sent a message that &nbsp;said: &#8220;This shows you are my first cousin. Tell me your story.”
He shared his backstory, and his cousin messaged back that he would talk to his mom and ask her if she knew anything that would help. Soon thereafter, Brian got another message from his cousin:
“Actually, I think I can fill you in,” his cousin said. 
What followed was something out of Brian’s dreams. After connecting with his cousin, Brian started to learn more about his family, and learn that his family had been looking for him too. He learned that his birth mother had suffered from mental illness, which led to her needing to give Brian up for adoption. 
What he learned next led to him breaking down in tears. His birth mother had passed away in 2015, before he had had a chance to meet her. 
“I was so close, yet so far,” Brian said. 
Then, Brian’s cousin dropped another bombshell. Brian had two brothers and two sisters who had similar troubled childhoods and had been raised by different families. A few of these siblings had been searching for him too. Since connecting with his cousin this past May, Brian has started to build relationships with his biological siblings. Their bond grew so strong that his brother JJ drove to Portland and helped move him back to his home state of Ohio, the place where he was born and where his story began. Since moving to Ohio, he began working with JJ at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center where they are trying to make a difference in the lives of others. 
“It’s a start of a whole new world really. I get to spend it with my brother and it doesn’t get much better than that.”

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

A Reunion Decades in the Making

<div id="attachment_26720" style="width: 304px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26720" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Yadira-2-294x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-26720 size-medium" width="294" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Yadira-2-294x300.jpg 294w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Yadira-2.jpg 618w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 294px) 100vw, 294px" />Yadira Riveria in an undated photo.</div>
Yadira Rivera, a strong independent woman, always told her three young children about the daughter she gave up before they were born.
&nbsp;
Her children — Daniel, Marcos, and Raquel — never forgot that they had another sister out there. They remembered, even after the trauma of losing their mom. Yadira died after being struck by a police car chasing a suspect on the street in front of their home in San Francisco. They were young — 8,9 and 11 — but they remembered their mother’s reflective tone as she told them about having to give up her infant daughter.
&nbsp;
“Whenever she talked about it she got very somber,” said Daniel.
&nbsp;
They learned that Yadira had gotten pregnant at 17, and was forced to give up her baby. Daniel, Marcos, and Raquel always knew their sister was out there somewhere, they just had no idea how to find her.
&nbsp;
“We said ‘we could meet her one day and not even know it was her,’” Daniel said.
<div id="attachment_26727" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26727" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Lucianna-Her-Siblings-300x300.png" alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-26727" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Lucianna-Her-Siblings-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Lucianna-Her-Siblings-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Lucianna-Her-Siblings-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Lucianna-Her-Siblings-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Lucianna-Her-Siblings-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Lucianna-Her-Siblings.png 640w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />On the left, Lucianna, as a young girl, on the right Yadira with her children, Daniel, Raquel, and Marcos.</div>
<h6>The Search</h6>
They always hoped that somehow they might find her. Little did they know that their older sister was looking and wondering too.  

But Lucianna didn’t know she had a sister and two brothers. She was trying to find her mother.
&nbsp;
Adopted by the daughter of the nurse who delivered her as a baby, Lucianna spent years wondering about her birth mother. She didn’t start looking in earnest until about eight years ago. At that time, she found names scribbled on the back of an her adoptive grandfather’s old business card. On it were the names of her birth parents and the the aunt her birth mother lived with in San Francisco.   Lucianna hired a private investigator who found an old address, and Lucianna sent a letter there but never heard back. 

“After I sent the letter I just stopped looking,” she said.

But last year with her daughter Bianca asking more and more questions, and finally asking if they could use 23andMe to find out more about her mother’s ancestry, the search was reignited. Lucianna bought her daughter a kit as well as one for herself. Using other resources, Bianca was able to find Lucianna’s mother’s citizenship papers, divorce records and then her record of death. That last bit of information was a huge blow to Lucianna. She thought that was the end of her search.

“I had to emotionally let go,” she said, realizing that she would never get to meet her birth mom. 

<h6>Finding A Connection</h6>
<div id="attachment_26724" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26724" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ms-9VJNpZ-225x300.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-26724" width="300" height="400" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ms-9VJNpZ-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ms-9VJNpZ-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ms-9VJNpZ-660x880.jpeg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ms-9VJNpZ.jpeg 800w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />In the foreground Raquel, with, Marcos, left, Lucianna and on the right Daniel soon after all meeting in person for the first time.</div>
But just a couple of weeks later, Bianca’s <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">23andMe</a> results came in. Bianca saw that she matched with a man named Daniel, who at first was predicted to be a close cousin. He had also posted on 23andMe that he was looking for more information about his mother’s family who had come to the United States from Nicaragua, but had since passed away. 
Lucianna, who had not initially opted into the DNA Relatives portion of 23andMe, opted in and immediately matched with Daniel, who was identified as a half brother. It was a surprise for both of them.
&nbsp;
Daniel said he hadn’t expected to find any close family when he first tested. He wanted to know more about his mother’s ancestral origins. 

“My twin girls … decided to purchase 23andMe for me as a Christmas present,” Daniel said. “I wanted more information about my Nicaraguan heritage. I had many unanswered questions, and I couldn’t go straight to the source.”
&nbsp;
Daniel said he hadn’t expected to find any close family when he first tested. He wanted to know more about his mother’s ancestral origins. 

“My twin girls … decided to purchase 23andMe for me as a Christmas present,” Daniel said. “I wanted more information about my Nicaraguan heritage. I had many unanswered questions, and I couldn’t go straight to the source.”

“She read my story and commented on how (the information about my mom) resembled her mother&#8217;s mother,” Daniel said.

Although the percentage of shared DNA indicated that Bianca might be a first cousin, Daniel noted her age, the amount of shared DNA and her Nicaraguan ancestry, and deduced that it could only mean one thing. 

“After a few more messages I told Bianca that her mother might be my sister,” he said, still a little stunned by finding his long lost sister.

&nbsp;
<h6>Meeting for the First Time</h6>
Luciana and Daniel were soon on the phone. 

“The first thing he said was ‘I’ve always known you were out there,’” Lucianna said.

Just that idea alone was affirming for Lucianna, knowing that her birth mother loved her and passed that love for her to her children.

Daniel, who was already driving to California with his wife for their 20th anniversary, decided to take a detour to Davis to meet Lucianna and her family. When they first hugged, Daniel said it felt like he was holding onto a piece of his mother.

A month later, a few days from the 40th anniversary of their mother’s death, <a href="https://www.dayton.com/lifestyles/alone-more-centerville-woman-and-family-unite-with-sister-they-always-knew-was-out-there-somewhere/hy2LK54pJtGu2z8NLjQpII/">Lucianna was in Ohio</a> with her children, visiting with Daniel, Marcos, Raquel, and all her new nieces and nephews.

“It’s been beyond belief,” said Daniel.

Lucianna looks so much like their mother that when they first hugged he didn’t want to let go. For Lucianna seeing the photos of her mother for the first time, seeing her eyes instantly connected her. Meeting and getting to know her siblings has transformed her.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Note-to-their-mom-300x169.png" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26728" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Note-to-their-mom-300x169.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Note-to-their-mom.png 640w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />

”This has completely changed my life,” Lucianna said. “I am 53 years old. I feel so different. I feel rooted.”

As they gathered together one evening talking back and forth, Lucianna felt almost like they were all children again.

During the freewheeling conversation the lights kept dimming and Marcos said, ‘Oh it’s just the motion sensor,’ and Lucianna said, “No it’s mom.” 

All of Yadira’s children were finally together like they should be, like she had always wanted.

23andMe Reunites Yadira’s Family

We love what we do every day at 23andMe, and it shows. Today, 23andMe is among the winners of <a href="http://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm">Glassdoor</a>’s annual Employees’ Choice Awards, a list of the <a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/Award/Best-Small-and-Medium-Companies-to-Work-For-LST_KQ0,43.htm">Best Places to Work in 2019</a>. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/BP19-Logo-Verical-English-ALT.png" alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-26737" width="214" height="278">
&nbsp;
This award is unique because unlike other awards, there is no self-nomination or application process. It’s based entirely on reviews from our employees who voluntarily and anonymously offer their feedback about working at 23andMe on the Glassdoor website. To determine the winners of the awards, Glassdoor evaluates all <a href="http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/index.htm">company reviews</a> shared by employees over the past year. 23andMe is on the list for the small to medium sized company, those with 1,000 or fewer employees.
&nbsp;
“I especially appreciate this award because it’s reflective of our 12 years of effort to make 23andMe a place where people genuinely want to be and feel they can thrive,” said Anne Wojcicki, 23andMe’s CEO and Co-Founder. “It is a pleasure for me to come to work every day and share a mission with so many great people. We will continue to develop our environment to make it the most supportive, engaging and welcoming workplace possible for all people. ”
&nbsp;
What rises to the top of the reviews by employees is an appreciation of the company’s mission, its push for diversity in its workforce, and the support employees feel both from the company and their colleagues. 
&nbsp;
As one review states:
&nbsp;
“If you love the intersection between science and tech, you won&#8217;t find anywhere else like 23andMe. People are great to work with, company culture is AMAZING, intelligent but humble, great sense of family and mission between teams, and care of both our customers and our employees.”
&nbsp;
Maintaining that kind of culture has been by design, company officials said.
&nbsp;
“This kind of feedback illustrates that 23andMe has been able to maintain its culture and sense of mission even as it has doubled in size in the last 18 months,” said Mark Lipscomb, Vice President of People at 23andMe. The critical comments are also valuable, helping the company make adjustments to improve. So for example, after seeing anonymous comments from engineers about the need for clearer career paths within the company, senior executives began working to create those opportunities.
&nbsp;
But in general, the positive feedback illustrates that 23andMe employees have a solid drive and passion for 23andMe’s mission to help people access, understand and benefit from the human genome. 
&nbsp;
We also try to have fun while doing that! You can see a bit more about the company on our Glassdoor page.
&nbsp;
By the way, 23andMe is hiring. You can find out more <a href="https://www.23andme.com/careers/">here</a>.
&nbsp;

23andMe Named One of the Best Places to Work

In less than a year 23andMe has surpassed its annual goal in recruiting individuals for the<a href="https://www.23andme.com/global-genetics/"> Global Genetics Project</a>, which will help diversify our research database and drive inclusion of understudied populations. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-300x300.png" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25983" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-768x768.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-880x880.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-980x980.png 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01.png 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
This rapid recruitment came despite many of the participants coming from communities for which 23andMe previously had few or no reference data. 
Launched in early 2018, the Global Genetics Project aims to enroll more than 10,000 people over two years from communities in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas, who are not currently well represented in genetic research. The data will help diversify 23andMe’s database and thus improve results for our customers. It will also boost genomic studies in underrepresented populations worldwide.
“We’re encouraged by how quickly we have been able to recruit so many participants,” said Joanna Mountain, Ph.D., 23andMe Senior Director for Research. “Part of 23andMe’s mission is to ensure that everyone, no matter their ancestry, benefits from the insights being gained from the human genome.”
<h6>Improve Results </h6>
23andMe has undertaken this initiative primarily to improve results we provide to our customers from different ethnic groups, but also to help diversify the genetic research we do. Currently, <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v475/n7355/full/475163a.html">more than 90 percent</a> of research into the genetics underlying health conditions is on individuals of European descent alone.
The Global Genetics Project is not the only effort 23andMe is undertaking to improve diversity in research; we are also collaborating with individual academic researchers working with even more understudied communities across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. 23andMe’s<a href="https://research.23andme.com/populations-collaborations/"> Populations Collaborations Program</a> has already helped researchers collect data from populations in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola. Next year our team will announce new collaborations with scientists working with other underrepresented communities in Africa.
<h6>Diversity Initiatives</h6>
The Global Genetics Project and the Populations Collaboration Program are part of a years-long effort to improve diversity in our genetics research. This effort goes back almost eight years, to when 23andMe launched its<a href="https://www.23andme.com/roots/#toc-Roots-into-the-future"> Roots into the Future</a> initiative. For that work, 23andMe enrolled 10,000 African Americans interested in participating in genetic research, to garner more insights into health conditions among African Americans. Then in 2016, 23andMe created the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/africa-project/">African Genetics Project</a>, to study people with recent African ancestry. More recently our researchers have been working with the National Human Genome Research Institute on an<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/african-american-sequencing-project/"> African American Sequencing Project</a>, to create a new reference panel for health studies by qualified researchers around the world.
The Global Genetics Project is part of this same effort to improve diversity in genetic research, so that more people can benefit from future scientific breakthroughs. These efforts will enrich not only our understanding of human genetic diversity, but also yield insights relevant to individuals from some of the communities who are underrepresented in genetic research.
Check out the landing page <a href="https://www.23andme.com/global-genetics/">here</a> to learn more.

Fast Recruitment for 23andMe’s Global Genetics Project

The latest episodes of<a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-spit-29676456/"> Spit</a>, iHeartRadio’s podcast with 23andMe, includes more intelligent and raw conversations with artists, thinkers, and scientists across a variety of topics. This next batch of episodes take a different turn looking at the influence of genetics and personal experiences around emotional wellbeing, addiction, and family.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26715" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Spit-Podcast-300x168.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="168" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Spit-Podcast-300x168.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Spit-Podcast.jpg 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Hosted by the writer, comedian and cultural critic,<a href="http://baratunde.com/"> Baratunde Thurston</a>, the podcast continues to probe into the ways genetic science is changing how we see the world and the issues many of us wrestle with every day. And the show stays true to its fearless march into difficult territory with conversations that attempt to break the stigma around mental health and addiction.
<div id="attachment_26712" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26712" class="wp-image-26712 size-large" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="682" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-1180x786.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx.jpg 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Spit podcast host Baratunde Thurston, left, with addiction specialist Dr. Adi Jaffee, Ph.D., center, and Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx.</div>
<h2>All About Addiction</h2>
Baratunde’s frank discussion<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1422827494"> about addiction</a> with former Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, and Adi Jaffe, Ph.D., an addiction specialist, and author, gets personal fast. Both men share their own stories of troubled childhoods, and falling into addiction, and they hash out the many ways both nature and nurture contribute to addictions. Sixx kicked a punishing addiction to heroin while Jaffe, who also lectures at UCLA, once had drug problems of his own.
While the first part of the conversation touches on the science, Baratunde takes things deeper into the biology of addiction during the second part of this podcast by engaging with two academics from UC San Diego, School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry —<a href="https://profiles.ucsd.edu/Abraham.Palmer"> Abraham Palmer</a>, Ph.D., and Sandra Roige, Ph.D. Palmer and Roige have recently published papers using data from 23andMe that offered insight into addiction, most recently on<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/the-genetics-of-alcoholism/"> alcoholism</a>, and before that on something called<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/wait-new-genetic-research-impulsivity/"> “delay discounting”</a> — a tendency to overvalue immediate rewards over future ones, which is also associated with impulsivity and addiction. The researchers emphasize that genetics is not deterministic and environment plays a critical role in addiction, but genetics matters too. It matters not just in one’s tendency toward addiction, but also in how someone’s body reacts to alcohol or drugs, or a person’s tolerance or their inability to quit.
<h2>Mental Health Awareness</h2>
For the podcast on mental health, Baratunde sits down with<a href="https://drgailsaltz.com/"> Gail Saltz, Ph.D</a>., a professor of psychiatry and a psychoanalyst, and singer and songwriter<a href="http://www.mikeshinoda.com/"> Mike Shinoda</a> of the band<a href="https://linkinpark.com/"> Linkin Park</a>. Shinoda has become an advocate for mental health awareness after the death of his close friend and Linkin Park bandmate Chester Bennington, who died last year of an apparent suicide. Shinoda poignantly asks Dr. Saltz:
“Is there more we can do? And if so, how?”
<div id="attachment_26710" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26710" class="wp-image-26710 size-large" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-1024x688.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="688" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-1024x688.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-300x202.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-768x516.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-880x591.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-1180x793.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />On the left, Professor Gail Saltz, PhD, with Baratunde Thurston, center, and Mike Shinoda of the band Linkin Park.</div>
During their conversation with Baratunde, Saltz and Shinoda talk about combating the stigma of mental illness, and resources for those battling depression or helping others in a mental health crisis. Together they explore some of the genetic and environmental factors that influence anxiety, depression and other behavioral issues. 23andMe has been working on a study on the genetics of<a href="https://www.23andme.com/depression-bipolar/"> major depression and bipolar disorder</a>. In August of 2016, researchers from 23andMe, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Pfizer, published<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/08/01/large-dna-study-using-23andme-data-finds-15-sites-linked-to-depression/"> a landmark study</a> on the genetic connection between genetics and depression. The study, the largest of its kind to date, identified 15 genetic regions that were linked to depression, but the work is ongoing.
<h2>We Are Family</h2>
In the podcast on family, the conversation takes a lighter turn as Baratunde poses the question of whether people would be more unified if they understood we are all “related.”
<div id="attachment_26711" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26711" class="wp-image-26711 size-large" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />From left to right Darren Criss, his brother Chuck, writer AJ Jacobs and Spit podcast host Baratunde Thurston. Photo: Katherine Tyler for iHeartRadio</div>
For this discussion he sat down with<a href="https://ajjacobs.com/"> AJ Jacobs</a>, a humorist and the author of the book “It’s All Relative,” along with the brothers Darren and Chuck Criss of the band Computer Games. Jacobs, who is a friend of 23andMe, talked about trying to create a global family tree to illustrate how we are all related. A few years ago he helped organize a “global family reunion,” and he talked about what he saw as the talked about one moment during the event when everyone at the event and those tuning in online started singing the song, “We Are Family.”
“It was quite moving,” he said.
The Criss brothers talked about their own family, and not really connecting with their distant relatives until they were older. But they also talk about how they feel family-like connections to many of those with whom they work, connections that have nothing to do with genetics.
“We are surrounded by people in our lives we consider cousins,” said Darren. “They feel closer to us than blood family.”
You can find these or any of the<a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-spit-29676456/"> Spit</a>, podcasts at <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-spit-29676456/">iHeart</a>, or on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/spit/id1422827494?mt=2">iTunes</a>.

Spit, The Next Installment

An international team of researchers has found shared genetic underpinnings for alcoholism and several psychiatric disorders including depression, ADHD and schizophrenia.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Empty-Bottles-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26708" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Empty-Bottles-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Empty-Bottles-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Empty-Bottles-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Empty-Bottles-880x660.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Empty-Bottles-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Empty-Bottles.jpg 1182w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
It is the largest genome-wide association study ever done on individuals with diagnosed alcohol dependency. The study led by researchers at Harvard Medical School, Yale, Indiana University, and Washington University, also bolsters <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/the-genetics-of-alcoholism/">other research</a> that has shown shared genetic influences between substance abuse and certain psychiatric disorders. 
“The current estimate is that one in eight Americans suffers from alcohol dependence,” said <a href="https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/alcohol-dependence-psychiatric-disorders-share-genetic-links/">senior author Arpana Agrawal</a>, PhD, a professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “And the gene we identified has a protective effect, but by no means is it the only thing affecting risk of alcohol dependence. We know environmental factors also play a role. We also think the genetic susceptibility to alcohol dependence stems from the small, cumulative effects of a very large number of variants across the genome.”
Along with the genome-wide association study — that included data from more than 50,000 people — this study, using data from <a href="https://research.23andme.com/research/">23andMe</a>, also looked at the genetic correlation between alcohol dependence and 42 different traits. Those traits were as varied as nicotine addiction, major depressive disorder, BMI, and educational attainment to name a few.
But this new study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-018-0275-1">Nature Neuroscience</a>, is unique in that the researchers included data from individuals who were diagnosed for alcohol dependency, and the study included individuals with non-European ancestry. The researchers noted that many genes influence alcohol dependence, but genes that affect how individuals metabolize alcohol play an outsized role. Researchers found that different genetic variants were more important for people with African American ancestry versus those of European descent.
Together the findings offer more insight into the causes of alcohol dependence, a major public health issue. Worldwide alcohol abuse accounts for about 5 percent of the global disease burden, and it is tied to one in 20 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
This study also follows on the heels of a series of studies that have explicitly looked at alcohol use, including both casual consumption and much heavier alcohol use. Both studies found distinct genetic differences between occasional consumption and alcohol abuse. For example, researchers in both studies found that there was a negative correlation between the heavy drinking associated with alcoholism and educational attainment — the number of years of formal education. But there is a positive correlation between educational attainment and more casual or social drinking.
This study, and others, suggest that social drinking is not associated with depression, but problem drinking and alcoholism are. The study also found correlations with smoking, marijuana use, and measures for lower impulse control and higher tolerance for risk taking.
The work in linking these kinds of behavioral traits and psychiatric disorders has been made possible, in large part, because researchers have been able to leverage the massive amounts of de-identified aggregate data from 23andMe, the UK Biobank and several smaller research cohorts. This study also benefited from using data from individuals who were diagnosed with alcohol dependence, but an even larger study could yield more results, the researchers said.
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New Research Shows Shared Genetic Link Between Alcohol Dependence and Psychiatric Disorders

By Briana Cameron, Ph.D., 23andMe Scientist, Biostatistics
As the year comes to an end and the temperature starts to drop, your urge for frosty treats like ice cream may also wane. At least, that’s what data from 23andMe research participants shows us: 
<div id="attachment_26665" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26665" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ice-Cream-Consumption-300x206.png" alt="" class="wp-image-26665 size-medium" width="300" height="206" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ice-Cream-Consumption-300x206.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ice-Cream-Consumption.png 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Customers were asked to report on how frequently they had consumed ice cream in the past month, with options ranging from never to two or more times a day. If we look at the week in which a customer answers this question, we can see that, unsurprisingly, customers tend to eat more ice cream in the summer months. Ice cream consumption reaches a low point in January.</div>It may seem obvious that January isn’t the best time to enjoy an ice cream cone, but what about other food? At 23andMe, we ask customers about how frequently they eat a wide variety of foods over the previous four weeks. Customers can answer this survey at any time, allowing researchers to look into how dietary habits may be influenced by season. (To make sure that all respondents were experiencing the same seasons, our Southern Hemisphere customers were excluded from the analysis.)
Evaluating these seasonal patterns, and adjusting for these trends in analyses of nutrition data, allows for more accurate research in this field. 
<h6>Eating Habits</h6>
Diet is an important component in studying many health outcomes, and a more nuanced consideration of how season affects our eating habits may provide researchers with a better understanding of the connection between diet and our health. In addition, understanding how factors such as food availability and cultural influences, which may be tied to season, impact what we eat may help inform policies and programs designed to improve diet quality.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/iStock-917339906-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26667" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/iStock-917339906-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/iStock-917339906-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/iStock-917339906-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/iStock-917339906-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/iStock-917339906-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/iStock-917339906.jpg 1254w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Not all foods follow the seasonal pattern observed in ice cream consumption, however. 
In fact, when looking at the consumption of chocolate and other candy, the pattern reverses: Candy consumption reaches a peak in the winter, with slightly less candy consumption in the summer months. We can also see an increased candy intake right around Halloween, illustrating the power of this survey to detect these small perturbations in typical dietary intake. 
<div id="attachment_26666" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26666" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Chocolate-Consumption-300x206.png" alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-26666" width="300" height="206" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Chocolate-Consumption-300x206.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Chocolate-Consumption-768x528.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Chocolate-Consumption-880x605.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Chocolate-Consumption.png 918w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The plot above shows the mean and standard error bars for the average number of times a day a customer reports eating chocolate or other candy for each week during the year.</div>
Halloween and other holidays can have strong, sharp impacts on our diet, but other factors may be involved as well. Certain foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, may be less readily available during the winter in certain places, which may impact consumption of those foods. In addition, cultural associations may influence how people eat throughout the year; for example, ice cream is often seen as a summer treat, and soup may be thought of as a good meal on a cold winter day.
The 23andMe research model, which is based on a continuous collection of self-reported data over a long period of time, allows for more detailed investigation of behavioral patterns and dietary habits over time. It will be important to understand and adjust for variables related to season, such as the time a customer takes a survey, in order to form a more clear picture of the role of nutrition in leading a healthy life.
&nbsp;

Briana Cameron

23andMe Evaluates Seasonal Dietary Habits

Last month, with autumn in full season, students from the Yale Genetics Club gathered inside Harkness Hall to watch and then discuss the film <a href="https://www.thankyouforcomingmovie.com/synopsis/">Thank you for Coming</a>, a documentary about DNA testing and donor-conceived children.
<div id="attachment_26673" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26673" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Sara-Lamm-Thao-300x215.jpg" alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-26673" width="300" height="215" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Sara-Lamm-Thao-300x215.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Sara-Lamm-Thao.jpg 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Documentary filmmaker Sara Lamm and 23andMe&#8217;s Thao Do at the Yale screening of Thank You for Coming.</div>
&nbsp;
While elsewhere on this beautifully adorned campus with its Gothic-style buildings, students were studying for their midterm exams, inside the hall students were discussing genetics and the meaning of family.
&nbsp;
“(The) screening was such a rewarding experience for me,” said Ava Daniel, sophomore Yale student and founder of the Yale Genetics Club. “The film inspired such thoughtful conversations between my peers and me about the deep familial and cultural themes that accompany genetic testing, which is something we can’t often dive into within a classroom setting.”

The 90 minutes movie follows a filmmaker, Sara Lamm, who discovered at age 29 that her biological father was a sperm donor and not the father that she grew up with. The film follows her on a heartfelt journey as she uses her DNA testing results and historical records to find and connect with her biological father and siblings.
<div id="attachment_26675" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26675" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/At-Yale-Classroom-screening-300x176.jpg" alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-26675" width="300" height="176" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/At-Yale-Classroom-screening-300x176.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/At-Yale-Classroom-screening.jpg 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Inside Harkness Hall for the screening of the film Thank You for Coming.</div>
As part of the 23andMe Genetics Club, Yale Genetics Club students are invited to participate in educational opportunities throughout the year, like this movie screening. Participation in the <a href="https://education.23andme.com/genetics-club/">23andMe Genetics Club</a> is free and the mission is to inspire and support students to have conversations about genetics, and its potential impact in society. 
&nbsp;
“The screening at Yale, and the discussion it sparked, is just the sort of engaging activity these clubs are meant to foster,” said Thao Do, Ph.D., 23andMe Education, and Academia Manager.
&nbsp;
“I love spending time with students,” said Thao, who was at the screening. “They are full of light and energy and hope for the future. They are highly engaged and ask very thoughtful questions. It’s a privilege to be a witness to their beautiful journey of learning.” 
&nbsp;
At the screening, Sara Lamm, the filmmaker and main character of the movie, traveled on a train from New York to Connecticut to join the students for a live question and answer sessions. Although scheduled for a 30 minutes, the students stayed long into the night to ask Sara questions like: What does it mean to be family? Is it genetically-defined or socially-constructed? How will genetics testing influence our society in the future?
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“My mother immigrated to America 34 years ago from South Korea, which is where half of my family still resides,” said Keith Ochwat, Producer of Thank You For Coming. “Sara’s film about reconnecting with family resonates with me because of my shared aspiration and desire to connect and create new family stories.” 
&nbsp;
If you are a college student or educators and would like to bring the film Thank you for Coming to your campus and host your own screening with the director, Sara Lamm, you can contact the film&#8217;s producer directly through the film&#8217;s website.
If you are an active college student or educator at an accredited U.S. institution, join the <a href="https://education.23andme.com/genetics-club/">23andMe Genetics Club</a> to participate in fun educational events like this movie screening. No purchase necessary.
Here&#8217;s a trailer for the film.
<iframe loading="lazy" width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kadIus1tE1A" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

23andMe Sponsors Screening Film at Yale University Genetics Club

23andMe’s commitment to Parkinson’s research is in the company’s DNA. It goes back almost a decade to when we first launched our<a href="https://www.23andme.com/pd/"> Parkinson’s research community</a>, and  for many of us this interest is more than just professional, it’s personal.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Run-DNA-Fox-Trot-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26638" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Run-DNA-Fox-Trot-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Run-DNA-Fox-Trot-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Run-DNA-Fox-Trot-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Run-DNA-Fox-Trot-880x660.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Run-DNA-Fox-Trot-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Run-DNA-Fox-Trot.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
We have both friends and family members who are living with the disease. Last month our Parkinson’s research community manager, Paul Cannon,<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/research-communities/an-interview-with-23andmes-parkinsons-disease-program-manager-paul-cannon/"> shared his experience</a> of undergoing surgery for Deep Brain Stimulation for treatment of his Parkinson’s.
 Paul’s experience and others is what helps motivate the work and efforts like 23andMe’s recent sponsorship of fundraisers like the The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s (MJFF) Bay Area Fox Trot 5k to raise money and awareness for Parkinson&#8217;s research. This year our team — 23andMe Run DNA — of more than 100 employees and their family members raised about $12,000. 

This fun way of getting involved also highlights one of our strongest allies in our efforts in Parkinson’s disease, MJFF. One year ago, the Foundation launched a new Parkinson’s research initiative called<a href="http://foxinsight.org"> Fox Insight</a> in collaboration with 23andMe.
Fox Insight is an online clinical study that collects self-reported data about health experiences from those with and without Parkinson&#8217;s, and aims to transform the search for better treatments for the disease. 23andMe and The Michael J. Fox Foundation have joined forces to help eligible participants add their genetic data to this study, which can allow researchers to create a more holistic understanding of the disease. This folds neatly into 23andMe’s long-standing goals of better understanding, treating and preventing the disease.

In the last year, Fox Insight enrollment has more than quadrupled to over 27,000 people and counting, and we hope that thousands, even hundreds of thousands, more will participate.
To educate people about genetic research and how it could help us overcome knowledge and treatment gaps in Parkinson&#8217;s, MJFF created a new video to explain what genetics is teaching us about the disease. As movement disorder specialist and Michael J. Fox Foundation Scientific Advisor Dr. Susan Bressman puts it,
“Advances coming out of genetic research today offer one of our best chances to develop drugs that will help everyone living with Parkinson’s whether they have a (genetic) mutation (for the disease) or not.”
That’s because insights from genetic research can help scientists better understand how Parkinson’s develops, why it manifests itself differently in some people, and why some individuals who carry a genetic mutation associated with Parkinson’s never develop the disease. Studying both those with and without Parkinson’s illuminates these questions. Take a moment to check out the <a href="https://youtu.be/SwQojrAZV9M">video</a> and learn more about<a href="http://foxinsight.org"> Fox Insight</a>.

Latest Posts — Page 73