We&#8217;re reprinting this interview with Paul Cannon, Ph.D, about treatment for his Parkinson&#8217;s as well as updates on 23andMe&#8217;s research, that was put together by <a href="https://tmrwedition.com/my-pd-journey/">Tomorrow Edition blogger Benjamin Stecher.</a>
<div id="attachment_22380" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22380" class="size-medium wp-image-22380" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-300x235.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="235" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-300x235.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-768x602.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-1024x802.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-880x689.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-1180x924.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul.jpg 2016w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Paul Cannon, Ph.D., 23andMe&#8217;s Parkinson&#8217;s Research Community manager.</div>
Paul, who took the helm of 23andMe&#8217;s research community in 2014, shared with Ben decision to undergo surgery for Deep Brain Stimulation, as a way to treat his Parkinson&#8217;s symptoms.  Below is an excerpt from the interview, or see the full article <a href="https://tmrwedition.com/2018/09/15/interview-with-23andmes-dr-paul-cannon/">here</a>.
<h2>You very recently underwent Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery, how did you come to that decision?</h2>
So obviously it is not a decision to be made lightly, it is brain surgery. I have always had a good response to Sinemet (the primary drug used for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease), but in the last year or so I had been having more severe fluctuations in my response to the drug. That was what essentially moved me towards going through with DBS. I made the decision earlier this year and scheduled the procedure for the summer when the chances of getting a cold or an infection that might interrupt the procedure were diminished. I had the surgery just over three weeks ago.
<h2>What were some of your biggest reservations that went into that decision?</h2>
Well it is a fairly invasive and long procedure. I was awake for parts of it, which is an interesting experience. Also I’m very interested in the closed-loop technology that is being developed for DBS, hopefully the equipment that I got could be adapted to that later. The stimulator itself can be changed, but the electrodes you probably get for life.
<h2>Was there any hesitancy around the fact that many clinical trials list DBS as one of their exclusion criteria?</h2>
That is fairly common, but most disease modifying trials mainly target earlier stage patients. I was diagnosed seven and a half years ago and was symptomatic a good number of years before that, so I would probably be ineligible for many of them anyway.
<h2>What was the day of the surgery itself like?</h2>
The day before the surgery I had my head shaved and they put five screws into my head followed by a CT scan to help position the brain when I was in the operating theater. The next morning I went in for the first procedure to implant the electrodes. I was awake when they put the electrodes into the brain and they listen to the activity of your brain as an indication that they are in the right region. Then they apply a number of stimuli via the electrode and test for impact on motor symptoms (I was off PD medication) as well as speech. They did one side and then the other. I went home the next day with the wires implanted but without the stimulator and battery put in, that was done the following week and was a straight-forward outpatient surgery. I am getting the device turned on and programmed for the first time this week, some 5 weeks after the initial surgery. The reason for the delay between the two is that there is a micro-lesion effect where actually having the surgery itself improves the symptoms. Over time that wears off. I am now back to my regular medication.
<h2>What is it like to be awake while somebody is fiddling around inside your brain?</h2>
It is a little disconcerting I must say, more stressful than I anticipated. The operating staff were great and helped me manage anxiety. They put you to sleep at first and then wake you up once the electrodes are ready to be inserted. I did hear and feel suction at the back of my head, I also had a headache that came up during the procedure. Otherwise it is just lying on your back trying not to think about what is going on behind you. You then go through a simple set of tests as they turn on the stimulation. It takes a couple of hours to do both sides. They then put you back to sleep, sew you up and you wake up a couple hours later.
<h2>Was there anything surprising or unexpected about the surgery?</h2>
I felt pretty good the next day. Though the surgery was tough, once I was in recovery there was very little pain associated with it and very few side effects from it.
One other thing I would stress is from some of the data that has come in recently. DBS used to be reserved more for people in an advanced state. But we are seeing it being done more in younger people and at an earlier state because when you are younger you are more able to withstand the surgical procedure and the associated stress. <a href="https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/779416">There is data</a> that indicates that there is more benefit to having it done earlier and is <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0159340">more cost-effective</a>.
<h2>Moving into your day job, could you give a little background about 23andMe’s involvement with Parkinson’s disease?</h2>
23andMe is a direct to consumer genetics company with a long standing interest in PD. The PD community project was launched over nine years ago. We have been working closely with The Michael J. Fox Foundation and others to build up a sizeable genotyped and broadly phenotyped cohort of people with self-reported PD. Some of the more interesting data in that cohort comes from the self-reported information that has not traditionally been directly associated with PD.
<h2>What have been some of the most surprising findings that have emerged from your time at 23andMe?</h2>
It is less the data and more just the engagement of people with the research process. A high percentage of people have been regularly engaged with what we do, especially in the disease cohorts. It has been impressive, inspiring and humbling at the same time. Without them, it would be much more difficult for us to look at how genetics, along with environmental data, can inform disease risk, progression and response to medication.
<h2>What can you tell us about 23andMe’s recent partnership with GlaxoSmithKline?</h2>
It covers a lot of disease areas to try and identify targets and treatments. In Parkinson’s specifically we are developing a joint program in the LRRK2 inhibitor area. It is very exciting because it brings both of our expertise together to learn from each other and develop better treatments.
<h2>What excites you most about the future of genetic research in PD?</h2>
I think study of PD genetics can lead us to a better understanding of the molecular underpinnings of this disease as well as the variability in presentation, progression and medication response. The question is how best to use that to inform new targets and predict individual treatment responses. We aren’t as interested in telling people if they are fast or slow progressors, what we want focus on now is can we help doctors decide which treatment regime is best for each individual. This will only become more important when truly disease modifying medications become available.
<h2>Could you talk about <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-30843-6.epdf?author_access_token=6AIDrNpmX-bB-r0HJ6kkx9RgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0OBDo5C1_bNghAuVIWDPVVHUk_9FUlokLX3X4Cnhrw5mDqB6Ai9Xi8en2aNX62p0H1yWK9A2ekzAcILwS0wQRTCRvQ62xucB0fc9oJ1frVbJw%3D%3D">a paper you authored</a> that was just released looking at combining genetic data with self-reported data?</h2>
It was a collaboration with Pfizer looking at people with specific genetic mutations and asking whether they differ in terms of self-reported phenotype data. The lack of objective symptom data was mentioned as a concern by one of the reviewers, however most healthcare data today is still self-reported, i.e. the doctor asks you how you feel and records it. In fact the phenotypes that we found associated with the specific mutations were consistent with those found by others in more traditional research cohorts, suggesting that self-reported data can reliably be used to support PD genetics research. But even when we do have objective biomarkers, the ultimate measures are still whether the patient feels and functions better.
Update from Paul on September 14th: “I went in yesterday to have the device turned on and programmed. Currently set at a low level of stimulation, whilst we taper off the dopamine replacement medication. But even at this level I notice a marked improvement in my ability to walk, especially in terms of arm swing etc. so I am hopeful of a very positive journey”

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

An Interview with 23andMe’s Parkinson’s disease program Manager Paul Cannon

Justin was only two when he was abandoned on the steps of a theater in Seoul, South Korea, while his five year-old sister, Renee, was found the next day at a market with a note in her pocket.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/siblings-2-300x269.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26535" width="300" height="269" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/siblings-2-300x269.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/siblings-2.jpg 480w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
&nbsp;
&#8220;This girl is an orphan,” the note read.
&nbsp;
The siblings wouldn’t see each other again for 34 years, reuniting half a world away using 23andMe.
&nbsp;
“We matched,” <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2018/09/oregon_adoptees_dna_test_leads.html">Justin told at the Oregonian</a>. “Out of one in a million. Maybe even more.”
&nbsp;
Justin was too young to even know he had a sister, while Renee never forgot that she had a younger brother, she just never thought they would see each other again.
&nbsp;
Take a moment to see the siblings reunite. Make sure you have a tissue handy.
<iframe loading="lazy" width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YaL9tGeQjQ8" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Siblings reunite using 23andMe

Spit, iHeartRadio’s newest Podcast with 23andMe is among the top podcasts for a reason.
<div id="attachment_26513" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26513" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/217_WesandAlex_JohnLegend_7_17_2018-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-26513 size-medium" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/217_WesandAlex_JohnLegend_7_17_2018-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/217_WesandAlex_JohnLegend_7_17_2018-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/217_WesandAlex_JohnLegend_7_17_2018-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/217_WesandAlex_JohnLegend_7_17_2018-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/217_WesandAlex_JohnLegend_7_17_2018-1180x787.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Anne Wojicicki, John Legend and Baratunde Thurston in conversation for the podcast Spit.</div>
Hosted by the writer, comedian and cultural critic,<a href="http://baratunde.com/"> Baratunde Thurston</a>, the four episodes so far offer unscripted conversations with an eclectic mix of artists, scientists, and thinkers, on how DNA testing is changing perspectives about identity, family, and race.
Listening to Spit feels a bit like eavesdropping on frank intimate conversations. Whether it’s<a href="https://www.johnlegend.com/"> John Legend</a> talking with 23andMe CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki about his ancestors who were slaves, or<a href="https://falloutboy.com/"> Fall Out Bo</a>y singer<a href="https://www.instagram.com/petewentz/"> Pete Wentz</a> speaking with Dr.<a href="http://www.genomes2people.org/about/director/"> Robert Green</a> of the Broad Institute, whether genetics is deterministic, the themes are wide-ranging and fascinating.
“Genetics is wild and interesting,” Wentz said during his free-flowing conversation with Dr. Green.
<div id="attachment_26512" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26512" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/KatherineTyler_PeteWentz_Spit_2018-3663-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-26512 size-medium" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/KatherineTyler_PeteWentz_Spit_2018-3663-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/KatherineTyler_PeteWentz_Spit_2018-3663-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/KatherineTyler_PeteWentz_Spit_2018-3663-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/KatherineTyler_PeteWentz_Spit_2018-3663-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/KatherineTyler_PeteWentz_Spit_2018-3663-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/KatherineTyler_PeteWentz_Spit_2018-3663.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Pete Wentz talking with Baratunde Thurston for the Podcast &#8211; Spit 2018. Photo: Katherine Tyler, for iHeart Radio</div>
Growing up in Middle America, Wentz, whose family originally came from Jamaica and has mixed Portuguese and Jewish roots, said he grew up feeling like “a mutt.” Learning more about his DNA would offer him a chance to explore his family’s origins.
“Since we have this technology why wouldn’t you want to find out?” Wentz said.
As a new parent, Wentz also was curious about the health side of testing and what a person could learn about risks or traits that they might pass on to their children.
People are empowered by the notion that they can learn about risk, said Dr. Green. But he added that there is a certain irony about genetic testing in that many go into this believing that genetics is somehow deterministic, but it’s not.
From his research, Green said one of the biggest comprehension hurdles for people in thinking about genetics is what risk and probability mean.
“That’s the change I see,” he said. “Removing the thinking that ‘you will get this’ to ‘you have a slightly higher or lower probability of getting this.’”
These kinds of surprises popped up in each of the podcasts.
<div id="attachment_26523" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26523" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/melissa_etheridge_podcast_20180620_077-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-26523" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/melissa_etheridge_podcast_20180620_077-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/melissa_etheridge_podcast_20180620_077-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/melissa_etheridge_podcast_20180620_077-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/melissa_etheridge_podcast_20180620_077-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/melissa_etheridge_podcast_20180620_077-1180x787.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Musician Melissa Etheridge talking about family during Spit podcast. Photo: © Matthew Eisman for iHeartMedia. All Rights Reserved</div>
During the conversation between singer Melissa Etheridge, who has several adopted children, and filmmaker<a href="https://www.thankyouforcomingmovie.com/"> Sarah Lamm</a>, who just completed a film following her search for her sperm donor father, the two talked about family, and what that means.
&#8220;I think we&#8217;re going through this on a worldwide thing, this sort of blood idea, of blood and family, and mine and my tribe, and how that&#8217;s being blown apart by stuff like this,” said Etheridge. “The truth is family is family. You can make family. Family is love, that&#8217;s the bond we have. Blood is a whole other story. It&#8217;s interesting, it&#8217;s great, but it&#8217;s a whole thing.&#8221;
DNA testing can trigger all sorts of conversations, said Tracy Keim, 23andMe’s vice president of consumer marketing and brand.
“Topics like family, identity, race, and how we’re connected with the rest of the world are all influenced by DNA,” she said.
Last month we wrote about the<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/a-new-survey-on-attitudes-about-race-and-genetics/"> interesting conversation on race</a> between the singer<a href="https://www.wyclef.com/"> Wyclef Jean</a> and Northwestern University professor<a href="https://www.polisci.northwestern.edu/people/core-faculty/alvin-tillery.html"> Alvin Tillery</a>. Tillery shared his own harrowing story of surviving a lynching attempt as a 9 year-old in New Jersey in the 1980s. Working with 23andMe on<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/a-new-survey-on-attitudes-about-race-and-genetics/"> a recent survey</a>, Tillery is looking specifically at how DNA testing is impacting people’s perceptions of race. One f
<div id="attachment_26514" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26514" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/RachelKaplan_23andMeWyclefJean2018-5843-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-26514 size-medium" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/RachelKaplan_23andMeWyclefJean2018-5843-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/RachelKaplan_23andMeWyclefJean2018-5843-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/RachelKaplan_23andMeWyclefJean2018-5843-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/RachelKaplan_23andMeWyclefJean2018-5843-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/RachelKaplan_23andMeWyclefJean2018-5843-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/RachelKaplan_23andMeWyclefJean2018-5843.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Baratunde Thurston (left), Wyclef Jean and Al Tillery. Photo: Rachel Kaplan</div>inding from the study is that people have a much more nuanced understanding of race than Tillery thought they would.
Wyclef’s takeaway was that the science of DNA could help bring people together by emphasizing how much they have in common — humans are 99.5 percent similar genetically.
“We have so much more in common than you could even imagine,” he said.
We encourage you to have a listen to iHeartRadio’s Spit, with 23andMe. Below are the four episodes so far. There will be more to come. 
<ul>
<li>Episode 1: How Are We All Related, with John Legend and Anne Wojcicki</li>
<li>Episode 2: Does Race Really Exist Or Did We Create It, with Wyclef Jean and Alvin Tillery</li>
<li>Episode 3: What Does It Mean to Be “Family,” with Melissa Etheridge and Sara Lamm</li>
<li>Episode 4: How can science change the stories we’ve grown up with? Exploring Identity, with Pete Wentz and Dr. Green. </li>
</ul>

The Podcast Spit

Today is<a href="https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112sres550ats/pdf/BILLS-112sres550ats.pdf"> National Celiac Awareness Day</a>, meant to raise awareness of the about <a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/celiac-disease">three million Americans with celiac disease</a>, and most — like Charlie, a paleontologist and 23andMe customer — spend years not ever being diagnosed. 

Charlie recently shared <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QMp7MV-jwE">his story</a> with us, with the hope that we can raise awareness to those living with celiac.

 
<iframe loading="lazy" width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2QMp7MV-jwE" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">?</iframe>

Today is also significant because September 13th is the anniversary of the birth of<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Gee"> Dr. Samuel Gee</a> in 1839, who identified the link between the symptoms of celiac and diet. Despite his pioneering work more than a century ago, researchers are still trying to fully understand this severe autoimmune disease that can damage the small intestines and lead to the inability to absorb nutrients from food.

The condition, which runs in families, is challenging to diagnose and impacts about 1 percent of the population. While there is promising research on the disease, right now the only known treatment for celiac is a gluten-free diet. In part because of those dietary recommendations, celiac is sometimes confused with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which impacts about <a href="https://www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/non-celiac-gluten-sensitivity/">18 million Americans</a> or six times the number of individuals with celiac.

Last year, 23andMe began offering a genetic health risk report on<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/new-23andme-report-celiac-disease/"> celiac disease</a>* that looks at two genetic variants — rs2187668 and rs7454108 — that are linked to the HLA-DQ2.5 and HLA-DQ8 haplotypes. A haplotype is a group of genes inherited together from a single parent. People with one or both of these two haplotypes account for about 95 percent of all of celiac disease cases, so if you have celiac disease, it’s likely you have one of these variants.

But it’s important to note that having one of these variants doesn’t mean you will develop celiac disease. Although 15 to 30 percent of all people have one of these risk haplotypes, only about 3 percent of people with one of these haplotypes develop celiac disease. If you don’t have one of these haplotypes it is unlikely that you will develop celiac disease.

Here are some helpful links to find out more about celiac:

<ul>
<li><a href="https://celiac.org/">Celiac Disease Foundation</a></li>
<li><a href="https://nationalceliac.org/">National Celiac Association</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.beyondceliac.org/">Beyond Celiac</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.aoecs.org/">Association of European Coeliac Societies</a></li>
</ul>

*The Celiac Disease genetic health risk report (i) is indicated for reporting of the rs2187668 variant in the HLA-DQA1 gene, which tags the HLA-DQ2.5 haplotype; and the rs7454108 variant near the HLA-DQB1 gene, which tags the HLA-DQ8 haplotype, (ii) describes if a person has variants associated with an increased risk of developing celiac disease, and (iii) is most relevant for people of European descent.

Raising Awareness Of Celiac Disease

By Marybie Arias, 23andMe Intern 
23andMe welcomes Genetics Clubs in colleges across the country to an exclusive National Screening and Filmmaker Q&amp;A with Sarah Lamm, the director of the new documentary  <a href="https://www.thankyouforcomingmovie.com/">Thank You For Coming</a> set for October 2018. 
23andMe’s Genetics Club leaders are invited to host a free screening of the film at their college or university, giving a chance for fellow club members, students, and faculty to see the movie and participate in the discussion with Sarah. 
<div id="attachment_26503" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26503" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ThankYouForComing001jpg-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="size-large wp-image-26503" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ThankYouForComing001jpg-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ThankYouForComing001jpg-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ThankYouForComing001jpg-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ThankYouForComing001jpg-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ThankYouForComing001jpg-1180x787.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Filmmaker Sarah Lamm in a scene from her new documentary, Thank You For Coming.</div>
The hope is that club members can use this event as an opportunity to engage with their community and participate in a meaningful conversation about genetics.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.thankyouforcomingmovie.com/">Thank You For Coming</a> is a film about one woman’s journey to find her biological father after learning, at the age of 29, that she was donor-conceived. Part genealogical detective story and part comedy, the film offers a bittersweet meditation on the heartbreak of loss and the hope of friendship. Thank You For Coming tells a story about nature, nurture, and one woman&#8217;s desire to connect with her roots. Here is a link to the<a href="https://www.thankyouforcomingmovie.com/"> trailer</a> and more info.
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For this event, 23andMe will provide a free screening for your club as well as  marketing materials to help you spread the word in your university or local community college. 
&nbsp;
To participate all you need to do is sign up for a <a href="https://education.23andme.com/genetics-club/">23andMe Genetics Club</a> on your campus. Whether your interest is in biology, history or even film, as long as as you’re interested in exploring more about DNA you can sign up. To learn more go to  <a href="https://education.23andme.com/genetics-club/">https://education.23andme.com/genetics-club/</a>
&nbsp;
23andMe Genetics club mission is to empower U.S. college students to cultivate a deeper understanding of themselves through genetic information and be educated about the latest scientific research. 
Marybie is a 23andMe summer intern and a second-year student at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. She plans to transfer to the University of California at Berkeley or Santa Clara University next year and hopes to major in Business Administration.

Marybie Arias

23andMe Genetics Clubs Get Exclusive Screening of New Film

By Marybie Arias, 23andMe Intern
From birth, sisters, Marsann and Marsine have always stood out, and they’ve done it together. Born premature and in each others&#8217; arms these twins shared more than just a birthday, they a deep connection to their family history.
<div id="attachment_26500" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26500" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/DSC_0082-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="size-large wp-image-26500" width="1024" height="683" />Marsine (left) with her twin sister Marsann.</div>
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From an early age they were both drawn to family stories and talk of their ancestors, an interest they have been able to explore by using 23andMe’s ancestry features. 
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“We would try to hear the stories from the elders to get more information about other relatives,” said Marsann with her sister’s agreement. 
&nbsp;
That’s why they pulled out all the stops for a massive family reunion over the summer in Arizona. Over a weekend in late July, the sisters invited dozens of relatives — many of whom they found with the help of 23andMe ancestry features — to what can only be described as a gala reunion — complete with a red carpet, cameras, delicious food and multiple fun activities for the family. The twins spent months planning this the reunion and inviting their far-flung relatives to spend time with family. 
&nbsp;
“(It) really brought our family closer together, and gave the younger children some sense of connection to something greater, their identity,” said Marsine. 

The reunion was the product of years spent tracing their family history. The twins often worked using paper records, but they hit a dead end when tried to go back beyond 1850. It is something faced by many African American families trying to trace their ancestors who were sold into slavery. This dead end is what prompted the sisters to do a DNA test with 23andMe. They wanted to find additional relatives and trace their roots back to Africa. 
&nbsp;
Testing with 23andMe, and using the DNA Relatives tool, also offered the twins new family connections, and they got a few additional surprises along the way. 
They discovered that their grandmother was half Native American and half European, something they didn’t know. The sisters speculated that their grandmother likely hid her European ancestry in part because she married an African American man and in Alabama at that time, mixed marriages were not only illegal, but it could also put one’s life in danger. 
&nbsp;
Along with the shocking ancestry results, the twins matched with more than 1000 close and distant relatives on 23andMe DNA Relative tool. But the sisters went a step further than just matching with relatives through 23andMe, they insisted wanted more proof that they were related, using paper records when they could find them or taping their mother. And once they made confirmations, they often took steps to meet the newly found family members. 
&nbsp;
Just to keep track and stay in touch Marsine started a facebook group page for family members they found using 23andMe DNA Relatives too! Now the group has more than 175 members. 
&nbsp;
Bringing this sprawling family together for the reunion was the culmination of all their work, and it connected everyone to their family’s rich history.
&nbsp;
Fresh off the success of one reunion, the twins are already planning on another — this one in Dallas in 2020. By then the sisters hope to have a few more family members and more stories to share.
&nbsp;
“By the next reunion, we will have some new faces to invite and introduce to the lesser known side of their family at that event,” said Marsine.
&nbsp;
Marybie is a 23andMe summer intern and a second-year student at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. She plans to transfer to the University of California at Berkeley or Santa Clara University next year and hopes to major in Business Administration.

The DNA of a Family Reunion

For years, many people who are at higher risk for bone fractures — a complex and costly healthcare problem that affects more than nine million people worldwide annually — have heard a familiar refrain: to consume more calcium and vitamin D.
Now, using anonymized 23andMe data from consenting customers, a team of international researchers has identified 15 genetic variants related to increased fracture risk. Their study also went a step further, using genomic information on other risk factors to examine their causal role in developing fractures. They found that only bone mineral density and muscle strength are correlated with susceptibility to bone fractures.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-26497" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="1024" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-768x768.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-880x880.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-1180x1180.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-574x574.jpg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures-980x980.jpg 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fractures.jpg 1732w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<h2>Bone Mineral Density</h2>
Contrary to the long-considered “gold standard” for fracture prevention, the researchers determined that vitamin D and calcium do not directly decrease fracture risk. Instead, the team’s results show that the most valuable interventions should focus on increasing bone mineral density and muscle strength.
“One of the most important insights from our work for patients at risk of osteoporosis is obtaining robust evidence from the genetic studies that ‘widespread’ vitamin D and calcium supplementation is unlikely to be effective for the prevention of fracture,” said Fernando Rivadeneira, Genetic Epidemiologist from Erasmus MC and the lead author of the study.
However, researchers caution that there are limitations to their finding. For instance, some groups may be underrepresented this study, as the majority of individuals in the study cohort were of European ancestry.
The study was co-led by researchers from Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and McGill University in Montreal, Canada. It analyzed de-identified data from more than 500,000 individuals, including 23andMe customers who consented to participate, making it the first and largest genome-wide association study for fracture risk. The work builds on <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/fragile-bones-and-genetics/">previous research by scientists at McGil</a>l.
<h2>Diet and Exercise</h2>
Despite the findings, the scientists said individuals should not use this study to change their medical regimes.
“Patients using osteoporosis medication should not discontinue their supplements before consulting with their treating physicians,” said Rivadeneira. &#8220;Procuring a healthy diet, remaining physically active, and getting 15 minutes of sun exposure every day are the main pillars of sustainable bone health.”
Beyond the genetic associations identified, the study also marks an important milestone for investigating genetic relationships with known interventions for different conditions. The scientists hope to use this study as a model for research into other health risks.

New Clues on Vitamin D and Bone Fractures

Some of the same genes associated with cannabis use are also associated with risk-taking personality types and psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia, according to a new large-scale genetic study.
&nbsp;
The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-018-0206-1">study</a>, conducted by a team of scientists who are part of the <a href="https://www.ru.nl/bsi/research/group-pages/substance-use-addiction-food-saf/vm-saf/genetics/international-cannabis-consortium-icc/">International Cannabis Consortium</a>, is the largest genome wide association study to date that looks at the use of cannabis.
&nbsp;
The researchers found that people who are at a higher genetic risk for schizophrenia are also more likely to use cannabis. The study also identified 35 different genes associated with cannabis use with the strongest associations in the gene CADM2.
&nbsp;
“CADM2 has already been associated with risky behaviour, personality and alcohol use,” said Jacqueline Vink of <a href="https://www.ru.nl/bsi/">Radboud University</a>, and the study’s lead author.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Cannabis-use-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-26491" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Cannabis-use-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Cannabis-use-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Cannabis-use-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Cannabis-use-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Cannabis-use-1180x787.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />For this study, the researchers were able to look across more than a million genetic variants and found a genetic overlap between cannabis use and the use of tobacco and the use of alcohol. The researchers also saw an overlap between a higher likelihood for the use of cannabis and an increased risk for schizophrenia. There was a similar overlap between cannabis use and personality types that were prone to more <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/genetics-associations-personality-traits/">risky behaviour</a> or were more extraverted. This means that genetic variants impacting cannabis use partially impact other psychological or psychiatric features as well, according to the researchers.
&nbsp;
For this study, the researchers used data primarily from the UK Biobank, as well as association data from 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research. On top of that data the researchers used data from individuals in 16 other smaller study cohorts. In all the study included data from more than 180,000 people. In all the researchers found 35 genes associated with cannabis use, offering more insight into the genetic influences on personality types. The team of researchers was lead by Prof. Vink of Radboud University, and included contributions from researchers at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Australia, as well as scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University, and 17 different research groups from Europe, North America and Australia.
The study showed that the genes increasing the risk of cannabis use partially increase the risk of schizophrenia as well. The researchers used an analysis technique called &#8220;Mendelian randomisation&#8221; to show a causal relationship between a genetic predisposition for schizophrenia and an increased risk of cannabis use. This may indicate that people with schizophrenia use cannabis as a form of self-medication. However, the researchers cannot exclude a reverse cause-and-effect relationship, meaning that a genetic predisposition for cannabis could contribute to the risk of schizophrenia.
&nbsp;
The team that worked on this study are already starting to explore which genes play a role in the frequency of cannabis use and the amount of cannabis used.
&nbsp;
.

Scientists Identify Genes associated with Cannabis Use

23andMe’s <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">Ancestry Composition report</a> is an evolving analysis of your DNA that gets more precise over time. A new update offers more detail for people with African and East Asian ancestry.
The update comes thanks to the contributions of our customers and new sources of publicly available data, such as the 1000 Genomes Project. In addition, 23andMe’s own African Genetics Project has allowed for the addition of more diverse reference populations. This, in turn, enables more detailed Ancestry Composition breakdowns for customers with African or East Asian ancestry. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-26486 size-full" title="Sub-Saharian African Ancestry" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AC-33-Africa.001.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AC-33-Africa.001.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AC-33-Africa.001-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AC-33-Africa.001-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AC-33-Africa.001-880x660.jpg 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<h2>Sub-Saharan Africa and Senegambian &amp; Guinean Ancestry</h2>
23andMe researchers have added nine new ancestral regions to Africa and four more to East Asia, creating the most detailed view for customers with African or East Asian ancestry. The most significant part of this update is the additional granularity for Sub-Saharan Africa. This now includes 13 distinct ancestral populations, said David Poznik, a 23andMe Senior Scientist and Population Geneticist.
“Before this update, our Sub-Saharan Africa region had just three subgroups, belying the tremendous genetic diversity within the continent,” David said. “Humans were diversifying In Africa for hundreds of thousands of years before anyone left to colonize other parts of the world.”

These changes are currently available for customers on the company’s latest genotyping chip version. Our team is working to make this update available for all customers soon.
The addition of these new reference populations follows 23andMe’s update earlier this year, which increased the number of countries and regions included in Ancestry Composition from 31 to 151. The company is constantly striving to help customers access, understand, and benefit from the human genome, and the updates are a step forward in achieving these goals.
Three rich data sources made the updates possible: the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/africa-project/">African Genetics Project</a>, for which 23andMe provided DNA kits to individuals with four grandparents born in the same African country; customer-supplied information; and the 1000 Genomes Project, a public repository of diverse human sequences.
For 23andMe, this is just the beginning of a series of updates that will increase the number of populations covered by Ancestry Composition over time. “The Global Genetics Project is an ambitious initiative that will fuel future updates,” said Poznik.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-26482 size-full" title="Global Genetics Project" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/full_world_map.png" alt="" width="2841" height="1509" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/full_world_map.png 2841w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/full_world_map-300x159.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/full_world_map-768x408.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/full_world_map-1024x544.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/full_world_map-880x467.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/full_world_map-1180x627.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2841px) 100vw, 2841px" />“We have a list of around 60 countries that we’ve identified as top priorities,” he said. “These are countries with fairly large populations but that aren’t well-represented in our database. We’re giving away kits to people with ancestries from these countries because we’re eager to collect data that will enable us to improve our product for other people from these regions.”
<h2>Let’s take a deeper dive into this newest update</h2>
23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Composition report enables our customers to dig into the genetic origins of their ancestors. It allows customers to learn from the DNA that makes them who they are today. 23andMe provides two types of insights that delve into different periods: ancestry composition percentages and recent ancestry locations. Your Ancestry Composition report estimates the percentage of your DNA traces to different regions. We do this by comparing thousands of chunks of DNA across your genome to reference populations, individuals with known ancestry from specific regions. By comparing customer DNA segments with reference data, we can find which matches your DNA most closely. For recent ancestor locations, we look for stretches of DNA you may share identically with other 23andMe customers from particular countries. Together, these insights give customers a more complete view of their ancestry.
Thanks to our customers, particularly those who participated in the African Genetics Project, our researchers were able to begin breaking down African ancestry in more detail. 23andMe can now estimate what percentages of your DNA derive from each of 13 populations across the African continent.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-26487 size-full" title="East Asian and Native American Ancestry" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AC-33-East-Asia.001.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AC-33-East-Asia.001.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AC-33-East-Asia.001-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AC-33-East-Asia.001-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AC-33-East-Asia.001-880x660.jpg 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />For details about these populations, visit our customer care webpage (Reference populations)
23andMe has also increased granularity in Southeast Asia, distinguishing four new populations: Chinese Dai, Vietnamese, Filipino &amp; Austronesian, and Indonesian, Khmer, Thai &amp; Myanma.
<h2>When will my report be updated? </h2>
Starting in July, 23andMe began making this update available to customers who were genotyped on the latest version of our genotyping chip (version 5).
Do you have an older version of our chip? Fear not—23andMe is actively working on supporting this update for customers genotyped on older chips. Existing customers will receive notifications on their reports when their results have been recalculated.
<h5>Ongoing Research 
</h5>
These new breakdowns were made possible by our customers&#8217; participation in research. In late 2016, 23andMe launched the African Genetics Project to improve diversity in research and provide better ancestry composition results for customers. More than 1,000 individuals participated in the initiative, leading to an influx of new reference data that helped to diversify our research database and has enabled 23andMe to improve results for customers with African ancestry.
23andMe is now undertaking the Global Genetics Project. As part of this effort, 23andMe is reaching out to thousands of individuals with recent heritage from over 60 countries in Africa, Oceania, Asia, and the Americas. Check out the landing page <a href="https://www.23andme.com/global-genetics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.23andme.com/global-genetics/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1535037961314000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHEKE-k-xKQzlnPEpTtjXvcQwWQwg">here</a> to learn more.
Our reference panels include data from more than 10,000 people around the world, both from publicly available datasets (the Human Genome Diversity Project and the 1000 Genomes Project) and from many 23andMe customers who have consented to participate in research.
<h2>Updated List of Populations in Africa &amp; East Asia</h2>
Sub-Saharan Africa
Congolese
Southern East African
<ul>
<li>Kenya</li>
<li>Rwanda</li>
</ul>
Broadly Congolese &amp; Southern East African
Ethiopian &amp; Eritrean
<ul>
<li>Ethiopia</li>
<li>Eritrea</li>
</ul>
Somali
Sudanese
Broadly Northern East African
Senegambian &amp; Guinean
<ul>
<li>Guinea</li>
</ul>
Coastal West African
Nigerian
Broadly West African
<ul>
<li>Cabo Verde</li>
<li>Cameroon</li>
</ul>
African Hunter-Gatherer
Broadly Sub-Saharan African
East Asia &amp; the Americas 
Chinese
<ul>
<li>Mainland China</li>
<li>Taiwan</li>
</ul>
Chinese Dai
Vietnamese
Indonesian, Thai, Khmer &amp; Myanma
<ul>
<li>Indonesia</li>
<li>Thailand</li>
<li>Cambodia</li>
<li>Myanmar</li>
<li>Malaysia</li>
</ul>
Filipino &amp; Austronesian
<ul>
<li>Philippines</li>
<li>Guam</li>
<li>Northern Mariana Islands</li>
<li>Tonga</li>
<li>American Samoa</li>
<li>Samoa</li>
</ul>
Broadly, Chinese &amp; Southeast Asian
Korean
<ul>
<li>North Korea</li>
<li>South Korea</li>
</ul>
Japanese
Broadly Korean &amp; Japanese
Native American
<ul>
<li>Argentina</li>
<li>Aruba</li>
<li>Belize</li>
<li>Bolivia</li>
<li>Brazil</li>
<li>Chile</li>
<li>Colombia</li>
<li>Costa Rica</li>
<li>Cuba</li>
<li>Dominican Republic</li>
<li>Ecuador</li>
<li>El Salvador</li>
<li>Guatemala</li>
<li>Honduras</li>
<li>Mexico</li>
<li>Nicaragua</li>
<li>Panama</li>
<li>Paraguay</li>
<li>Peru</li>
<li>Puerto Rico</li>
<li>Uruguay</li>
<li>Venezuela</li>
</ul>
Siberian
Manchurian &amp; Mongolian
<ul>
<li>Kazakhstan</li>
<li>Kyrgyzstan</li>
<li>Mongolia</li>
</ul>
Broadly, North Asian &amp; Native American
Broadly, East Asian &amp; Native American
Endnote: All 23andMe customers will soon receive 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Composition update, which will include additional regions in Africa and East Asia.

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