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Scientists from our Research and Therapeutics teams are excited to attend the American Society of Human Genetics annual meeting in Los Angeles this week! In addition to sharing our research, we’ll also have a booth (#1248) where you can talk to our team and learn more about our Research Innovation Collaboration Program. We’ll also have a career fair table (#1239) where you can learn more about open scientific positions, including our new Postdoc Program. We hope you’ll swing by and say hello! More information about our poster presentations can be found on our blog.
In light of #ResearchDiversity Day, we want to make known and advocate for the importance of diversity in research and highlight some of our initiatives and programs that have helped increase representation in genetic research for underrepresented communities. First and foremost, if underrepresented populations, including people of all genders, ages, incomes and sexual orientations, continue to be excluded, discoveries from research will not be helpful or relevant to all populations, further exacerbating existing disparities. To help increase representation in genetic research, we’ve conducted several programs and studies over the years. One example is our Black Representation in Genetic Research effort, a study enrolling ~1,000 Black research participants who consented to have their DNA and RNA sequenced for the Black community.
It’s a scientific fact that we are all 99.5% genetically alike, with our similarities so much greater than any differences. And yet, far too many people disproportionately experience injustices and prejudice that can put their lives on completely different trajectories – impacting their health and wellbeing. Health equity for every individual is something we are firmly committed to, and by shedding light on this during #NationalHealthEducationWeek, we hope to educate and spark change. Because everyone deserves the right to a safe, healthy and productive life, free from the obstacles of discrimination. Our mission has always been to help people access, understand and benefit from the human genome. Historically, large-scale genetic research studies have focused on people of European descent. But we are working to change that so underrepresented populations can experience more equitable, inclusive and genetic-based healthcare. #NHEW
In the latest update to 23andMe’s Ancestry Reports and features, we’ve added finer detail for customers with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, allowing them to trace their family connections back to seven genetic groups corresponding to regions within Eastern and Central Europe. We hope this provides customers with deeper knowledge and connection to the historical regions from their family history.
We’re looking for an Executive Assistant to support our Chief Product Officer! You’ll play a key role in creating team connectedness and culture in addition to working with a team of other executive assistants.
How can your spit provide insights to help optimize your well-being – including diet, weight, and sleep quality? Check out this episode of Spit, an iHeartRadio podcast with 23andMe, featuring co-host of 2 Pros and a Cup of Joe podcast and All-American football star Lavar Arrington and his producer Lee DeLapp.
In honor of #NationalComingOutDay on October 11th, we asked employees to share their coming out stories. One story we would like to highlight is Maya Lowe’s. Maya has been at 23andMe for 5+ years working on multiple teams from Customer Care to Research, and most recently, our DEI team. In addition, Maya is involved in various employee resource groups (ERGs) such as LGBTQ+, Neurodiversity, 23andShe, and Military@, which she co-leads. In her coming out story, Maya shared, “I reached a breaking point where I realized that if I didn’t come out, I would only be more miserable. I worked up the courage to come out to my manager, which led to me coming out to others in the company, and when I did, there was nothing but support and encouragement. I came out at 23andMe long before I came out to anyone in my family, or to most of my friends, and I’ve never regretted that decision once.”
As part of our 23andMe Speaker Series, employees got to hear from Dennis Liu, a screenwriter, music video director and VFX artist. The event was sponsored by our Asian and/or Pacific Islander Community ERG and hosted by Chi Paler, Senior Consumer Insights Manager. During the interactive event, Dennis discussed his story and background, the creation of his show Raising Dion and the state of diversity in Film and TV.
We just released a new report on asthma as part of our 23andMe+ Membership. Asthma is a chronic lung condition that occurs when the immune system overreacts to an environmental trigger, causing symptoms that include shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, coughing, or wheezing. Members can access the report powered by 23andMe research to learn more about their genetic likelihood of developing this condition.
Nathan Speed manages the engineering team that builds our customer-facing genetic health reports and also our development environment team. Nathan noted that his role has evolved as he has gained more management experience. “When I first started as a manager, I was really acting more as a lead engineer. These days I am more on the people and project management side. I listen a lot, I give feedback, I ask people to do things, and I coach. I try to set engineers up with opportunities that help them grow their careers and impact, while also pushing forward our business objectives.” Nathan also enjoys participating in the GENtE ERG, our employee resource group serving the latinx/latine community. “The ERG has been a way for me to start to connect with [issues of representation] and the community at 23andMe. The group has been very welcoming!”
