March is Women’s History Month, a time to recognize the extraordinary achievements, courage, persistence, and contributions of women worldwide. This is the second profile of some of the women at 23andMe who inspire us each day. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/©PITER2017Shirley-Wu2254-copy-218x300.jpeg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-26925" width="300" height="412" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/©PITER2017Shirley-Wu2254-copy-218x300.jpeg 218w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/©PITER2017Shirley-Wu2254-copy-768x1056.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/©PITER2017Shirley-Wu2254-copy-745x1024.jpeg 745w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/©PITER2017Shirley-Wu2254-copy-640x880.jpeg 640w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/©PITER2017Shirley-Wu2254-copy-858x1180.jpeg 858w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/©PITER2017Shirley-Wu2254-copy-scaled.jpeg 1862w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Shirley Wu, PhD, 23andMe Director of Health Product Science, has always been driven by curiosity. 
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Shirley’s parents were both scientists, and she credits them with her choice in study. But she says her fascination with science was also fueled by her early passion for nature. As a child, Shirley’s idea of a good time was exploring mice tunnels behind her house, or pretending she was a forager in the woods. 
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That interest propelled her through her Ph.D studies in biomedical informatics from Stanford University, where she focused on computational methods for predicting protein function. While she loved science there was a moment in her academic career when she nearly quit grad school to pursue design, because she felt she wanted a career with an expressive element to it. That’s where 23andMe came in.
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It was here where she first had the  opportunity to write about science in a way that helped people understand and share in her fascination with DNA and the world around us. It has been incredibly motivating and rewarding for her. 
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Shirley’s first role at 23andMe was doing <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/talking-23andmes-director-of-science-content-and-curation/">scientific content curation</a>, essentially reviewing the latest science in the field to interpret new genetic results for customers. It’s a fundamental part of what we do — communicating clearly about relevant science to our customers. 
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When she joined the company, we had just a few dozen employees. Shirley was responsible for keeping track of papers recently published in scientific journals, reviewing them for any promising findings, and then vetting to see if they pass our stringent scientific standards. But her role quickly grew to encompass scientific and health content overall. It was her strong technical background, eye for detail, and relentless commitment to creating an accessible and engaging experience for customers without sacrificing scientific rigor that would propel her to be the Director of Health Product Science today. She now leads the team responsible for our Health product and helps make our science exciting, relevant and accessible to everyone. Most recently Shirley was instrumental in ushering 23andMe&#8217;s new <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/type-2-diabetes/">Type 2 Diabetes Health Predisposition report</a> from its initial conception through its launch for customers. 
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But she is still driven by curiosity and a fascination with  genetics. Shirley once said, “DNA is a history of all the life on the planet that led us to this point” &#8212; which, when you think about it, is an incredible thing.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Be Fascinated for Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month — and March 8th is International Women&#8217;s Day — marking a time to recognize the extraordinary achievements, courage, persistence, and contributions of women worldwide. Here at 23andMe, Women’s History Month offers us an opportunity to reflect on the outsized impact women have had on our company’s journey — from our founding to the science behind what we do. That inspiration all starts with our CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki. But we see it at all levels of the company. This month we want to highlight three of the many women at 23andMe who inspire each of us. 
Joyce Tung, 23andMe’s Vice President of Research, often says her career would have been much different if a small flyer hadn’t caught her eye more than a decade ago at Stanford. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Joyce-Tung-approved-BW-copy-200x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26914" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Joyce-Tung-approved-BW-copy-200x300.jpg 200w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Joyce-Tung-approved-BW-copy-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Joyce-Tung-approved-BW-copy-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Joyce-Tung-approved-BW-copy-587x880.jpg 587w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Joyce-Tung-approved-BW-copy-787x1180.jpg 787w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Joyce-Tung-approved-BW-copy-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />
After getting her PhD in genetics studying human fertility at the University of California San Francisco, Joyce did post doctoral work at Stanford studying the genetics of skin pigmentation. 
It was there that fate intervened. She happened to see a flyer advertising jobs at this new company called 23andMe. 
It wasn’t just a lucky break for Joyce, but for 23andMe as well. When she decided to leap into this new opportunity, it didn’t just change the trajectory of her career. Joyce coming so early to 23andMe also helped our team establish a strong foundation for our groundbreaking research. 
 Throughout her career, Joyce has always embodied <a href="https://mediacenter.23andme.com/">our core values</a> at 23andMe — lead with science and put the consumer at the heart of everything we do. And she does all of that with the same kind of vigor, humor, and humanity that has defined our company culture. Along with her intelligence and careful council, Joyce’s is known around 23andMe for her distinctive laugh which usually can be heard echoing around the office.
Now Joyce leads a team of over <a href="https://research.23andme.com/research/">80 scientists</a> responsible for our company’s <a href="https://research.23andme.com/projects/">research initiatives</a>. That work touches on everything from supporting our therapeutic development program with drug target identification, to collaborations with academic and industry partners, to research and development of new consumer products. 
But she’s driven by the same passions that have <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/science-endless-frontier/">always motivated her</a>.
“I love science, and I love scientists in all their glorious nerdiness,” she says.
So do we.
And we draw inspiration from women like Joyce, and as part of Women&#8217;s History Month, we&#8217;ll introduce you to another woman who inspires us here at 23andMe.

Be Inspired for Women’s History Month

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

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

Elizabeth Owuor

African Americans Who Contributed to Science

It’s February, which means the largest family discovery conference of the year is almost upon us. This year, 23andMe will be returning to Salt <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-02-20-e1550710822368-283x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-26896 size-medium" width="283" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-02-20-e1550710822368-283x300.jpg 283w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-02-20-e1550710822368-768x814.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-02-20-e1550710822368-830x880.jpg 830w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-02-20-e1550710822368.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 283px) 100vw, 283px" />Lake City, Utah for <a href="https://www.rootstech.org/">RootsTech 2019. The visit offers</a> us a chance to showcase some of the new improvements to our ancestry service, as well as highlight 23andMe’s privacy protections, and the science around the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and their impact on risks for certain types of cancer
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The event will host keynote speakers daily and hundreds of classes centered on discovering family connections through the latest technology, DNA, people, and sources. 23andMe will be hosting several speaking sessions on topics ranging from genetic data privacy, an introduction to our BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) report, to a deep dive on our Ancestry Composition report. 
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We’ll be joining 15,000 in-person attendees from all over the world, thousands of online viewers, and 300 vendors in the Expo Hall to celebrate family discovery, consumer empowerment and genetics. Come see us at Booth 1105 to speak with 23andMe product experts, purchase 23andMe kits, check out our new Ancestry book, or to just hang out! 
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For those who can’t make it to the conference, our session at 1:30pm MT on Saturday, March 2, “Leading with Science at 23andMe” presented by Sarah Laskey, Health R&amp;D Scientist, will be livestreamed <a href="https://www.rootstech.org/salt-lake">here</a>. During this session, Sarah will walk through how research works at 23andMe and how you can contribute to scientific discoveries. 
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Hope to see the rest of you in Salt Lake City. 
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<h6>23andMe Agenda</h6>
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Speak-BRCA-262x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-26897 size-medium" width="262" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Speak-BRCA-262x300.jpg 262w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Speak-BRCA.jpg 376w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 262px) 100vw, 262px" />Wednesday, February 27 </h6>
Time: 3:00pm  
Room: 355 F
Title: Do You Speak BRCA?
Speaker: Ruth Tennen
Description: BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that can impact a person&#8217;s chances of developing certain cancers, including breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer. In this session, we&#8217;ll discuss the science behind these genes, how they&#8217;re passed down through families, and 23andMe&#8217;s Personal Genetic Service.
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<h6>Thursday, February 28 </h6>
Time: 4:30pm 
Room: 355 C
Title: Protecting Your Privacy at 23andMe<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/privacy-300x300.png" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25170" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/privacy-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/privacy-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/privacy-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/privacy-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/privacy-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/privacy.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Speaker: Adriana Beach  
Description: 23andMe gives you control over your genetic information. We want you to decide how your information is used and with whom it is shared, and we take great care to design our product with privacy in mind. In this session, we&#8217;ll discuss how you can control your information and how we protect your privacy.
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<h6>Friday, March 1 </h6>
Details: (3) 15-min talks followed by 15-min Q&amp;A
Time: 8am 
Room: Ballroom G
Title: Power Hour on New Reports and Updates from 23andMe!
Speakers: Hilary Vance, Alison Kung, and Danielle Hayes
Description: Discover what you can learn about your health through 23andMe. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-300x297.png" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26832" width="300" height="297" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-300x297.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-768x759.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-1024x1012.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-880x870.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square-1180x1166.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ancestry-Overview-Square.png 1212w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
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<h6>Saturday, March 2 </h6>
Time: 11am (3-5 mins presentation time)
Room: Main stage
Speaker(s): Shirley Wu
Description: At 23andMe, we believe that DNA can change lives. Our mission is to help people access, understand, and benefit from the human genome. One way we tackle this mission is by providing information on health risks, health risks that could affect your family, and wellness information directly to consumers. During this session, 23andMe&#8217;s Director of Health Product Shirley Wu will discuss how genetics can impact one&#8217;s health, and how consumer participation in research has fueled hundreds of genetic discoveries. 
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Time: 12pm (45 mins, followed by Q&amp;A) 
Room: Lunch 2  
Title: 23 Reasons to Connect with Friends and Relatives at 23andMe
Speaker: Samantha Esselmann
Description: From learning more about what ancestry your inherited from your parents, to comparing your Neanderthal-ness with friends, 23andMe offers a variety of ways for customers to connect, share, and compare their results. In this lunch session we&#8217;ll explore the various reports and tools 23andMe offers and show examples of how they can be used to to answer a variety of questions. 
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Time: 1:30pm (45-50 min preso followed by 10-15 min Q+A)
Room: Ballroom G
Title: Leading with Science at 23andMe<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Microscope-Icon-192x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-24284" width="192" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Microscope-Icon-192x300.jpg 192w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Microscope-Icon.jpg 456w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 192px) 100vw, 192px" />
Speak: Sarah Laskey 
Description: 23andMe customers who participate in research are helping to advance scientific knowledge in revolutionary new ways. Each discovery helps pave the way for advances in medicine. Since 2010, 23andMe has published over 110 papers in peer reviewed journals. In this session, we&#8217;ll walk through how research works at 23andMe and how you can contribute to scientific discoveries. 
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<h6>Family Discovery Day </h6>
Details: This is a day when portions of the conference will be free to the public, and families with children aged 8 and older are welcome to join. There will be a special Family Discovery Day (FDD) general session, specific class sessions geared towards children and families, and fun activities in the Expo Hall and around the convention center.
Type of activity: Craft and build your own DNA souvenir to take home! 
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23andMe Returns to Salt Lake City for RootsTech 2019

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

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted 23andMe authorization to offer reports to customers on <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/pharmacogenetics/">pharmacogenetics</a>, indicating how customers’ genetics may influence the way they metabolize certain medications.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-26661 size-medium" title="pharmacogenetics" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/New-PGT-logo-300x157.png" alt="" width="300" height="157" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/New-PGT-logo-300x157.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/New-PGT-logo-768x402.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/New-PGT-logo-1024x536.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/New-PGT-logo-880x461.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/New-PGT-logo-1180x618.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/New-PGT-logo.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
The decision marks the first time the FDA has <a href="https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm624753.htm">authorized</a> a direct-to-consumer genetic test for pharmacogenetics.

<h6> Pharmacogentics Test</h6>
“We&#8217;ve continued to <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/a-note-to-our-customers-regarding-the-fda">innovate through the FDA</a> and pioneer safe, effective pathways for consumers to directly access genetic health information,” said 23andMe co-founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki. “Pharmacogenetic reports are an important category of information.  I believe this authorization opens the door for consumers to work with their health providers to better manage their medications.”
The authorization allows for the reporting of <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf18/DEN180028.pdf">variants in multiple genes</a> that impact how well an individual metabolizes certain medications.  For example how well they metabolize clopidogrel. Clopidogrel is commonly prescribed to prevent heart attacks and strokes. These genes are associated with response to more than 50 other commonly used medications.
<h6>Genetics Test for Medications</h6>
The authorization allows us to provide customers with information on whether they are fast or slow metabolizers. And we can report on whether they may experience reduced efficacy, or have an increased chance of side effects from certain medications.
It has long been established that genetics influence how people respond to different medications. Certain medications have for many years included labeling with pharmacogenetics information. The FDA started listing these in 2009. However, people often only learn that they process a medication differently after they begin taking it.
<h6>FDA and Pharmacogenetics</h6>
This latest <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/pharmacogenetics-report">FDA authorization</a> follows several years of work by 23andMe. This work led to four separate FDA de novo authorizations for direct-to-consumer genetic tests. Those authorizations are for carrier status, genetic health risk reports, select BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants, and now <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pharmacogenetic reports</a>.
Each has included an extensive FDA review process. The process required 23andMe to submit studies demonstrating that our reports are scientifically valid and understandable for consumers. 23andMe also had to show that the results are analytically reliable.
<h6>Comprehension and Accuracy</h6>
In order to demonstrate this, 23andMe showed its tests have greater than 99 percent accuracy. Further, 23andMe had to demonstrate at least 90 percent user comprehension of the key concepts communicated in the reports.
User comprehension was an important part of the FDA’s evaluation of the pharmacogenetics reports. In this case it was not just looking to ensure that consumers understand the reports but also that they wouldn&#8217;t impact “treatment adherence.” That refers to whether or not a customer would stick to their prescribed treatment of a medication or whether a report would lead them to change or stop treatment. Our study showed that more than 97 percent of users understood that they should not use the report to make any changes to treatment without consulting their doctor.
Finally, the decision <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/fda-clearance">continues the commitment</a> made by 23andMe to return all the types of genetic health information to customers that it offered before received an FDA warning letter in 2013.

23andMe Pharmacogenetics Report Authorization

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

In his regular<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/column/matter"> column</a> for The New York Times, Carl Zimmer writes with compelling clarity about genetics and human evolution explaining why the science matters, skills he deftly unleashes in his massive new book<a href="https://carlzimmer.com/books/she-has-her-mothers-laugh/"> “She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity.”</a><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Zimmer-Book-Cover.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-26399 size-full" width="298" height="450" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Zimmer-Book-Cover.jpg 298w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Zimmer-Book-Cover-199x300.jpg 199w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 298px) 100vw, 298px" />
In this book, Zimmer looks at more than just the science, delving into the history, characters, and breakthroughs that have changed what we know about heredity. While this book focuses a lot on genetics, Zimmer also conveys that heredity is more than just biology, it’s also the cultural, social and environmental heritage we pass on to future generations. And it is here that the book draws its power.
<h6>Heredity</h6>
Zimmer appropriately brings our attention to the science and the potency of this information, but he also brings us context. Your DNA is important but it is never the whole picture of who or what you are. It’s surprising that even today, this is still not well understood.
And Zimmer illustrates how this persistent failure to understand the nuance and complexity of science leads to folly or much worse, as his book so ably outlines with the disturbing history of eugenics in the United States. As Zimmer writes “we cannot understand the natural world with a simplistic notion of genetic heredity.” There is not a “gene for intelligence” or a “gene for height.” 
It’s much more complicated, and much more interesting than all that.
<h6>Genetic Inheritance</h6>
But more than these somber warnings Zimmer’s book is also a personal story — a reflection on what he and his wife passed onto their daughters, and the genetics he shares with his brother, his parents and his distant ancestors. How many of us have looked at our own children or our parents and wondered about what in us we share with them?
Zimmer explores all this by delving into the history of the science as well as his own genome, which he had sequenced. He also writes about the trepidation around learning something he can’t unlearn about risks he may pass onto his children. And he spends time in the book mulling over why so many of us are so enthralled with searching for our ancestors. 
What draws us to be so fascinated about those who came before us?
<h6>Some Science History</h6>
Ultimately with his own story and the history of the science he writes about, Zimmer creates a sort of compendium of tales that capture critical concepts in genetics. Like all his best work, Zimmer digs into what is so fascinating and vital about the science, and he sprinkles surprising and sometimes shocking tidbits that draw us deeper. 
For example, it really was only in the 19th century that scientists started to understand that there was some biological essence that parents passed onto their children. Traits had more to do with external factors like the weather, it was thought. It wasn&#8217;t about who your parents were. For example, Aristotle believed tall people came from cold climates. Heredity was mostly about property and bloodlines, not biology.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Carl-Zimmer-Photo-by-Mistina-Hanscom-284x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26398" width="284" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Carl-Zimmer-Photo-by-Mistina-Hanscom-284x300.jpg 284w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Carl-Zimmer-Photo-by-Mistina-Hanscom.jpg 426w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 284px) 100vw, 284px" />
<h5>The Habsburgs</h5>
The book is actually steeped in fascinating history, which Zimmer uses to remind us how new the science is. 
He details the intricate tales like that of the<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry/the-end-of-a-dynasty-how-inbreeding-doomed-the-house-of-habsburg/"> Habsburgs health</a> issues. And he writes about the fate of the famous writer Pearl S. Buck’s daughter in the early 20th century. He covers the story of <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/luther-burbank-what-comes-after-heirloom-seeds">Luther Burbank</a> and his seeds and<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemartin"> Freemartin cows</a>. And Zimmer explains the surprising fact that mothers don’t just pass on genes to their children, but remnants of their baby’s DNA remain in their bloodstream after birth.
<h6>Zimmer</h6>
All this history is fascinating but Zimmer is best at keeping the science current. Almost every week we see new breakthroughs in genetic science, and Zimmer’s writing is fresh with insight. He dedicates a chapter on the promise and peril of gene editing faced by scientists using the CRISPR. Zimmer includes the fascinating science of epigenetics, and he writes about the studies that use genetics for social science research like<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/massive-study-on-the-genetics-of-educational-attainment/"> educational attainment. </a> All of that has been in the news this summer. His book is attuned to what is happening now in genetics.
But “She Has Her Mother’s Laugh” isn’t just about genetics. Nor is it just about the importance of understanding the science. Zimmer argues that we need to think beyond genes to capture the full scope of heredity. Genes are not the only thing that are passed from one generation to another.
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Book Review: She Has Her Mother’s Laugh

23andMe joined forces with non-profit organization <a href="https://fpf.org/about/">Future of Privacy Forum</a> along with Ancestry, Helix, and other leading personal genetic testing companies to issue a new Privacy Best Practices for Consumer Genetic Testing Services.
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The document offers a policy framework for protecting consumer information, as well as guidelines for the collection, protection, sharing and use of genetic data generated from consumer genetic testing.
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“Everyone who participates in a genetic testing service deserves to have their information protected, no matter which service or product they use,” said Kate Black, 23andMe’s Global Privacy Officer. “It&#8217;s imperative that all consumer genetic testing companies adhere to comprehensive privacy protections, and clearly communicate their policies to consumers in a transparent manner.”
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Much of the fundamental tenets of the policy are already core to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/privacy/">23andMe’s privacy protections for consumers</a>.
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&#8220;With over a decade of experience as a leader in consumer genetic testing, we&#8217;ve built incredibly strong privacy practices,” Kate said. “We are happy to now work with the industry and an organization like the FPF to solidify best practices, and help ensure proper protection of consumers&#8217; genetic information more broadly.&#8221;
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Find out more <a href="https://fpf.org/2018/07/31/future-of-privacy-forum-and-leading-genetic-testing-companies-announce-best-practices-to-protect-privacy-of-consumer-genetic-data/">here</a>.
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<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/FPF-Genetics-Infographic-FINAL.jpg" alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-26396" width="792" height="612" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/FPF-Genetics-Infographic-FINAL.jpg 792w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/FPF-Genetics-Infographic-FINAL-300x232.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/FPF-Genetics-Infographic-FINAL-768x593.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 792px) 100vw, 792px" />

News — Page 12