This month marks the two-year anniversary of 23andMe’s collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). In <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-28361 size-medium alignright" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Therapeutic-300x119.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="119" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Therapeutic-300x119.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Therapeutic.jpg 564w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />July 2018 the two <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/collaboration-with-gsk/">joined forces</a> to focus on increasing the probability of success in drug development by prioritizing candidates validated by human genetics.
<a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/513945v1">Studies</a> show that treatments that have been validated with genetic data are at least twice as likely to succeed when compared to traditional approaches.
Ultimately, the goal of the collaboration is to drive the discovery of novel, genetically validated drug targets to bring new transformational medicines to patients. There are now close to 30 therapeutic targets that have been identified in oncology, immunology, neurology, cardiovascular and metabolic disease. The majority of these preclinical programs are in the target validation phase, and the remainder are in early drug discovery programs.
“Since our inception, 23andMe has strived to help people access, understand, and benefit from the human genome,” said Anne Wojcicki, 23andMe co-founder, and CEO. “We launched our research program more than a decade ago with the idea that we could make a significant impact on drug discovery with a crowdsourced genetic community. The collaboration with GSK accelerates us making that a reality.”
In a significant milestone for the collaboration, GSK and 23andMe have advanced the first joint asset into the clinic, a potential first-in-class cancer treatment that was discovered by GSK and being co-developed by the two companies. GSK and 23andMe were working on similar programs independently prior to the collaboration; GSK’s was chosen to advance to the clinic. The axis was genetically validated by 23andMe using a proprietary algorithm that compares potential drug targets to a unique data set from the 23andMe research platform. This data set comprises detailed genetic information integrated with thousands of phenotypes (non-genetic information) to help uncover genetic patterns, enabling scientists from 23andMe and from GSK to identify potential therapeutic candidates.
The benefit of this exclusive collaboration goes well beyond the programs. The collaboration is bringing together great science, new technology, and outstanding people to steer research where the data shows we can have the most impact. 23andMe brings large-scale genetic resources, antibody and protein engineering, and substantial biology experience and with its 300-year history, GSK provides tremendous expertise and resources to turn new ideas into new medicines and vaccines.
Data studied as part of the collaboration — and for all 23andMe research — is contributed by customers who explicitly opt-in to a separate research consent. 23andMe scientists study the data in-house and share summary statistics, stripped of any personal information. Collaborating with GSK allows 23andMe to much more quickly deliver on what many customers have been asking for — better treatments for diseases where current therapies are inadequate today.
“We give our customers the opportunity to participate in <a href="https://www.23andme.com/research/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">novel research programs</a> across a wide variety of areas,” said Anne. “When we talk with customers who are suffering from a disease, they are hoping our research community can impact their lives, or future lives, by understanding the genetic cause of a disease and possibly finding a treatment.”

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

23andMe and GSK Clinical Trial

A physician, lawyer, and business leader, Okey brings a rich mix of experience to 23andMe. We sat down to learn more about his background, education, and future aspirations in his new role.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28355 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Okey-2-218x300.jpg" alt="" width="218" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Okey-2-218x300.jpg 218w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Okey-2-743x1024.jpg 743w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Okey-2-768x1058.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Okey-2-639x880.jpg 639w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Okey-2-857x1180.jpg 857w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Okey-2.jpg 1065w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 218px) 100vw, 218px" />
Okey began his career as an IP litigator, with stints at Weil, Gotshal &amp; Manges LLP and Kasowitz, Benson, Torres, &amp; Friedman LLP, serving as a partner at the latter. Throughout his career, Okey has practiced medicine at the V.A. Palo Alto Emergency Department, leveraging his unique background to develop broad expertise in clinical medical operations.
Building on this experience, Okey founded and led Zobreus Medical, a StartX-backed company that developed patient-centered digital health solutions for consumers and providers. Most recently, Okey worked as counsel at K&amp;L Gates LLP, and then as in-house counsel and Head of Medical Affairs for Virta Health Corp.  
Okey earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from The Ohio State University and its College of Medicine before completing a family medicine residency at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. He received his J.D. from Stanford Law School.
Okey is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and serves as a Senior Flight Surgeon for the United States Air Force Reserves. Okey is an avid sports fan, and a married, father of three.
<h6>Tell us about your childhood and growing up, as well as your family’s connection to Ohio State University.</h6>
I was born and raised in Columbus, OH, the firstborn of Nigerian immigrants who emigrated as part of the mass exodus of Nigerians in the many years after the Nigerian Civil War. They came to Ohio State for graduate studies.
My father was a professor of political science and black studies, and my mother held various leadership positions at the university. Even though my grandparents were illiterate, my parents were academics (both PhDs) and raised four professional children who went on to become doctors and lawyers. We grew up on Ohio State’s campus and all four children graduated from the university.
<h6>How did you become interested in medicine?</h6>
I remember being interested in math and science at least by the fourth grade and wanting to be a scientist. I think I settled on being a doctor around middle school, probably as a result of the Cosby Show.
<h6>And not only do you have an M.D. but you also received a J.D. Tell us more about your shift to law and what led to that career move?</h6>
Toward the middle of my residency, I started to feel a bit jaded about medicine. I was working in an underserved community (Washington Heights) in an era of increasing consolidation, managed care, and various reimbursement challenges. The joy of practicing medicine was fading and I wanted to work on health care reform.
I set out originally thinking I would do government or policy work, but I ended up being a patent litigator for most of my career. What I didn’t plan for was how relevant the litigation and regulatory skill set I picked up would be for health care leadership. When combined with clinical practice, this has given me a 360 degree perspective on many health care issues.
<h6>You also serve as a Senior Flight Surgeon in the US Air Force. Can you share what you’ve done in this admirable role?</h6>
Around the time I started law school, I was commissioned into the United States Air Force Reserves. After living through September 11, 2001 in Manhattan, I knew I wanted to serve.
I trained as a flight surgeon, which is a fancy term used in the military to describe a physician who is trained to manage critical health care scenarios while in flight, and if necessary, in combat. I thought one weekend a month would be a manageable commitment that would allow me to stay connected to medicine.
But it’s been more involved, and I’ve had two overseas deployments including one in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom during the surge. During that service, I was awarded an Air Medal for Meritorious Achievement While Participating in Aerial Flight — one of the proudest achievements in my career.
<h6>Why did you decide to join 23andMe?</h6>
I was looking for three things in my next opportunity: impact, innovation, and inspiration. I wanted to go somewhere I genuinely felt I could help have a positive impact not only at the company, but on healthcare as a whole. I was looking to join an innovative company that was committed to developing new products and services in creative ways, while continuing to delight on its existing offerings.
And lastly, I desperately wanted to go to a place where I would be inspired every day, working with amazing people with a passion for tackling tough problems.
Somewhere that values what I bring to the table, and where I’m in turn awed by my phenomenal colleagues. 23andMe is such a place. And once I learned more about Anne’s incredible vision, and after I met my future teammates, it was a no-brainer!
<h6>What most excites you about this role?</h6>
I’m excited about playing a role in defining a new category in the delivery of healthcare. While the exact contours remain to be defined, this role will have a substantive impact on shaping that category.
<h6>What are some of the biggest challenges you foresee?</h6>
Defining a new category in healthcare is daunting. There will be naysayers and opponents. There will be entrenched interests who currently benefit from the inefficiencies we seek to address.
But the biggest potential challenge will not be external. It will be whether or not we have the resolve to weather these storms and persist in our determination to bring something better to the table. Given past challenges, and having met many on the leadership team, I have no doubt we will overcome all obstacles.
<h6>What is the best career advice you can share?</h6>
The best supervisors and bosses work for you, and not the other way around. Make sure to push your supervisors to challenge you and give you opportunities above your current skills or experience set. Think about what it is that you want to do next and then ask for projects related to that.
This is how you grow and prepare yourself for more advanced roles.
<h6>What are you passionate about?</h6>
My children are the center of my universe. Everything my wife and I do is aimed toward making the world a little bit better for them. This means proactively contributing to ensuring that they live in a world that’s tolerant, inclusive, and equitable.
As black children, they need to grow up believing &#8212; knowing &#8212; that their skin color isn’t a liability, or worse, a death sentence. That’s not the world we live in now, and nothing that I do will mean anything if that doesn’t change.

Introducing L. Okey Onyejekwe Jr.

Hoping to improve representation in national news coverage, 23andMe joined with seven other companies as a Founding Partner to assist in the launch of iHeartMedia’s BIN: <a href="https://www.iheartmedia.com/press/bin-black-information-network-launches-today-first-its-kind-247-national-and-local-all-news">Black Information Network</a>.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/image001.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-28329" width="300" height="292" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/image001.jpg 319w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/image001-300x292.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
 
The new 24 hour-a-day national and local news audio service will be dedicated to offering objective, accurate, and trusted news that highlights the voice and perspective of Black communities across the country. Launched this week, the service is distributed nationally through the iHeartRadio digital service; locally via dedicated all-news AM/FM broadcast radio stations in 15 markets, with additional markets to be added in the next 60 days; and BIN will also provide the news service for iHeartMedia’s 91 Hip Hop, R&amp;B, and Gospel music stations nationally.
 
23andMe joined as a Founding Partner with seven other companies including Bank of America, CVS Health, GEICO, Lowe’s, McDonald’s, Sony, and Verizon, to help launch the new network.  
 
“23andMe is honored to be part of this important iHeart initiative, giving the Black community a strong, informed voice and providing those outside the community with a deeper understanding of our societal issues,” said Anne Wojcicki, CEO, and Co-Founder of 23andMe. “This is the first step in a long journey to continually hold ourselves accountable and be part of changing the future.”  
 
In<a href="https://www.23andme.com/black-lives-matter"> an open letter</a> in early June, Anne said that as a leader she felt a deeper responsibility to make meaningful changes to improve inclusion and equity not just within the company and its product, but within society. Adding that she was holding both herself and the company accountable to make impactful changes. This is just one of many endeavors the company is becoming involved with to follow through with that commitment.
 
Under the leadership of Tony Coles, BIN will leverage the resources, assets, and financial support of iHeartMedia with the goal of filling a void in coverage by and for the Black community. Coles has more than 35 years’ experience in the radio industry, from on-air to programming and management, with a strong record of success and team-building. Coles currently serves as Executive Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia’s West Region. 
 
“BIN: Black Information Network will fill a void by providing continual news and objective information with full focus on the Black community,” said Coles. “We began developing our 24/7 Black news source last year, and events of the last few weeks, especially the senseless and tragic death of George Floyd, highlighted the need for this network. Now is the time for our voice to be heard, and I could not be more proud of our work and the team we are assembling at BIN.”
 
A recent study by iHeartMedia of Black listeners found that 86 percent believe a service like BIN is necessary and are likely to use it as an important news source, and 83 percent think BIN could offer a key service and important information they can’t get on radio or TV today. 
 
“As a brand, we are in a unique time and position to make sure our marketing is doing more than just selling our product, but that it’s focused on values,” said Tracy Keim, Vice President of Consumer Marketing &amp; Brand at 23andMe. “We have the opportunity to create content that can better humanity. iHeart’s Black Information Network is the first of its kind to take a stand on creating a trusted news source to address the importance of building toward lasting change.”
&nbsp;
The business will be enabled and supported by the full resources of iHeartMedia. In addition, Clear Channel Outdoor Americas (CCOA) will also be a local marketing partner.
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To find out more about BIN programming, visit <a href="https://www.binnews.com/">BINNews.com</a>.

23andMe Becomes a Founding Partner For First and Only 24/7 All-News Audio Service Dedicated To The Black Community

By Caroline Wallis, 23andMe Content Strategist
As a 23andMe employee, I know <a href="https://www.23andme.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">genetic testing</a> sometimes uncovers family secrets. Having learned of one myself, I also know some of the many emotions that can ensue with these kinds of surprises. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/InheritanceHiRes.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-28302 size-medium" width="195" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/InheritanceHiRes.jpg 1556w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/InheritanceHiRes-195x300.jpg 195w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/InheritanceHiRes-664x1024.jpg 664w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/InheritanceHiRes-768x1185.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/InheritanceHiRes-571x880.jpg 571w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/InheritanceHiRes-765x1180.jpg 765w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px" />
But <a href="https://danishapiro.com/contact-bio/">Dani Shapiro</a>’s poignant memoir <a href="https://danishapiro.com/books/inheritance/">Inheritance </a>goes beyond just emotion and follows the slow unraveling of a family secret that challenges everything the author knew about herself. 
An only child from an Orthodox Jewish household, Shapiro is an accomplished memoirist, who was already fascinated with identity when she decided to take a DNA test as an adult. After receiving her results suggesting the dad she grew up with wasn’t actually her biological father, Shapiro embarks on a quest to find her “real” relatives. 
This journey takes her all over the US to consult medical experts, spiritual leaders, and relatives both genetic and otherwise. Along the way, she learns about the untold early history of fertility clinics like the one she was conceived in. The experience imparts new perspectives on paternity, the meaning of family, and identity.  
One of the biggest lessons I took away from this book is that there is no script for these kinds of reunion stories. Although my story is slightly different, (e.g. My parents are in fact my biological parents) the waves of shock, anguish, and new-found determination that Dani Shapiro described were all emotions that resonated with my own experience. 
Inheritance is a heartfelt personal story told with an honesty that has validated and helped me navigate my own journey. 
&nbsp;

Caroline Wallis

Reflecting on my own journey

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we here at 23andMe — researchers, engineers, scientists, and content creators — continue to work, albeit from home. Like a lot of you, we also get a little overwhelmed with the news but are trying to stay positive and support each other. It helps to have a mission that gives us purpose and a CEO who inspires.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-28274 size-larger" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Silver_Linings-880x298.png" alt="" width="880" height="298" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Silver_Linings-880x298.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Silver_Linings-300x102.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Silver_Linings-1024x347.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Silver_Linings-768x260.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Silver_Linings-1180x400.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px" />
But we also have each other. One of the things we recently did was to invite employees to share with us their “silver linings,” the bright spots of their days spent working from home and sheltering in place with their families or on their own.

Below are a few we collected to share. It’s a reminder that even in our darkest hours there’s always room for a little light.
<ul>
<li>“I&#8217;m much more aware of the seasonal awakening of the flowers and trees around my yard, and all the birds that fly through,” said Crystal, who works with on 23andMe’s security team.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>For Patty, one of our engineers, her silver lining was just a simple kindness from a neighbor who noticed she was suffering from allergies: “My neighbor asked me if I wanted some allergy medicine … She went into her house and brought out a bottle of Zyrtec about three-quarters full. As I went to open the bottle to take a single pill out, she said I could keep the whole thing!”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Ted, another engineer, said he’s had more time to tidy up and hang with his kids: “The house is incredibly clean and in its best state of repair since I don’t have the excuse of “too busy” to fix stuff. Biking with the kids more often. Gaming with the kids: Playing Minecraft, Star Wars Battlefront (the originals from the 2000s, not the EA pay-as-you-go ones), and… Oregon Trail! Eating together as a family.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>For Lindsay, who works in with the communications team, working from home has given her more time to connect with loved ones far away: “This week I played virtual trivia with my loved ones who are currently spread out all around the country and world!”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Chalise, who is on the engineering team, also talked about how this time has brought her closer to her family:  “I’ve been texting and calling with my sisters on the east coast a lot more because it&#8217;s easier to chat with them in the morning now. Plus they have been finding entertaining ways to stay connected, like a letter, my sister wrote to me (with the tea-stained paper, burnt edges.)”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Joanna, part of our research team, has reaped the bounty of her son’s baking. He had been working in Washington DC but decided to come back to California and work from here: “My son is baking sourdough bread (to order) on a regular basis.  I just had a slice of very whole wheat with butter and “summer blackberry and lemon” jam we got in Pacific Grove in December…  My favorite so far is whole wheat with toasted walnuts and sunflower seeds.  The process is fascinating.  He started by making the starter over a month ago and has been baking for 3 weeks now…  I love having him home and the bread is a big bonus.”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Katie, on the communications team, has a new ritual with her two sons and her husband each afternoon: “I&#8217;m forced to play soccer with my boys daily, so my soccer skills have definitely improved!”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Sarah, who works on our product science team, is making sure to get time outside: “It’s so wonderful to go for long walks/runs/bike rides just as spring is springing! I love spending more time with my SO during the day. I feel so tremendously grateful that (a) I still have a job and, (b) it’s a job I can totally do from home.”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>For Teresa, on the research team, the time at home is a bonus for her cats. “Among many other things, getting sucked into some middle of the day quick cuddles with [my cats]. Reminds me of grad school days when we first got them.”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Steve, on the engineering team, only magnified what he has always felt about his family. “The totality of the COVID-19 situation is amplifying the love and pride I feel for my family back in Ohio, including my brother and sister who are both MDs powering through the challenges to deliver the necessary care to folks, and my 83-year-old mom making and delivering hundreds of masks each week. Another silver lining &#8211; Locally, SIP has inspired a daily routine to end each day of zoom meeting madness with a proper glass of wine with my wife on our front porch enjoying the incredible neighborhood spirit and the many friendly folks walking the sidewalks.”</li>
</ul>
These were some of our silver linings. What are yours?

A logo for 23andMe's COVID-19 Research Study

Working from Home Silver Lining Stories from 23andMe

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rats, CRISPR, and Twins

To be honest, we&#8217;re still reading a lot about the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-27/u-s-identifies-first-coronavirus-case-without-ties-to-outbreak">coronavirus</a>. We&#8217;re nervous. But we didn&#8217;t want to risk repeating ourselves, so here are a few stories that caught our eye this week. 


<h6>Sweat, Tears &amp; Saliva<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-22305" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/teardrop-300x234.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="234" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/teardrop-300x234.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/teardrop-768x600.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/teardrop-1024x800.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/teardrop-880x687.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/teardrop-1180x921.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></h6>
Meaningful pieces of information and possibly very private information can be gathered from not only your DNA but also samples of your sweat, tears, saliva, and dental plaque. Genes &#8220;are blind to what you eat, how you exercise, how safe the place you live in is, how you unwind at the end of the day and which god you worship,&#8221; writes The Economist in a recent article.
Research is growing in the field of metabolites, or collections of molecules that you come into contact with as you go about your day. These molecules have a lot to say about your private life and behaviors. There are concerns about the lack of legal restrictions around the interpretation of metabolite patterns. These patterns could tell an employer, insurers, or the police specific details of your life, such as whether you go to church because of traces of incense on your clothes.
<h6>No Insurance, No Problem (Probably)</h6>
No health insurance means many people in the U.S. go without care. Some go south of the border to Mexico for medical treatment. Reading this guy&#8217;s <a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="https://gen.medium.com/my-journey-through-tijuana-for-the-best-surgery-2-000-can-buy-be51f1bfcffd" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$2,000 surgery experience</a> offers a visceral testament that maybe the U.S. healthcare system still needs some fixing.
<h6>Glass Slippers</h6>
An analogy dictionary for technological terms called the <a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="https://sidewaysdictionary.com/#/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sideways Dictionary</a> is our new obsession. Using Cinderella as a way to explain, <a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="https://sidewaysdictionary.com/#/term/2-factor-authentication" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Two-Factor Authentication</a> answers the questions you might be embarrassed to ask your tech-savvy co-workers.

News — Page 10