AncestryDNA Regions by the Numbers

Posted by Julie Granka on March 25, 2014 in DNA Tech, Science

Since May of 2012, when we first released AncestryDNA, we’ve returned results to over a quarter of a million customers. Based on feedback that we have received, those 300,000 customers have learned a great deal about their family history – their deep ancestral origins and their genetic relatives. As it turns out, AncestryDNA has also Read More

DNA and the Masses: The Science and Technology Behind Discovering Who You Really Are

Posted by Ancestry Team on March 12, 2014 in Analytics, Big Data, DNA Tech, Science

Originally published on Wired Innovation Insights, 3-12-14. There is a growing interest among mainstream consumers to learn more about who they are and where they came from. The good news is that DNA tests are no longer reserved for large medical research teams or plot lines in CSI. Now, the popularity of direct-to-consumer (DTC) DNA tests Read More

Imagine Future Technology for Family History Simulations

Posted by on November 19, 2013 in Development, Machine Learning, Science

Ancestry.com is a technology company that knows family history – not just a family history company, and not even a family history company that just happens to use technology. Technology, and particularly computing, is essential to our mission to help everyone discover, preserve and share family history. Without it, we could still tell family stories Read More

Unraveling the Science Behind Ethnicity Estimation

Posted by Julie Granka on October 24, 2013 in DNA Tech, Science

A small tube of your saliva can reveal a lot about your family history hundreds and even thousands of years ago.  At AncestryDNA, we study the DNA in that saliva – using sophisticated science – to reveal your ethnic origins.  We recently announced an update to our ethnicity results which provides customers with a more Read More

AncestryDNA: part of the scientific community

Posted by Julie Granka on October 16, 2013 in DNA Tech, Science

Next week, the AncestryDNA science team will be flying across the country with a tube full of posters. Scientific posters, that is.  We’ll be presenting them at the annual American Society of Human Genetics conference (ASHG) in Boston.  This will mark AncestryDNA’s second year presenting our latest research at the largest worldwide conference in human Read More

Ancestry.com Employee Honored with Women Tech Award

Posted by Ancestry Team on October 3, 2013 in Inside our Offices, Science

Recently, Catherine Ball, VP of Genomics and Bioinformatics for AncestryDNA was announced as a winner for the Women Tech Awards, presented by the Women Tech Council, under the Trailblazer category. The award recognizes technology-focused women who are driving innovation, influencing technology companies, and are passionate about the community.  Other award winners came from companies such Read More

AncestryDNA Makes Scientific Breakthrough in West African Ethnicity

Posted by Julie Granka on September 12, 2013 in DNA Tech, Science

The AncestryDNA science team presented the results of their latest research today at the Smithsonian Institute’s symposium on The African Diaspora in Washington D.C. Using unique proprietary DNA samples and a variety of statistical approaches, our science team has been able to separate West Africa into six separate population groups based on genetic data.  This Read More

2013 WITI Summit – Where Tech Is Going Video

Posted by Ancestry Team on August 17, 2013 in DNA Tech, Science, Technology Conferences

Recently, Ancestry.com Vice President of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Cathy Ball, participated in a panel discussion at WITI’s Women Powering Technology Summit where executives from leading tech companies shared thoughts on the future of where technology is going.  The session was moderated by Liz Gannes of AllThingsD and included executives from Qualcomm, CA Technologies, EMC, and Read More

The Science Team at AncestryDNA

Posted by Julie Granka on August 2, 2013 in Science

If we already had all the answers, there wouldn’t be any more science to do. Pie charts and percentages tell AncestryDNA customers the story of where their ancestors probably lived, and lists of DNA matches help them to find living relatives and expand their family trees.  Behind those results are terabytes of data, years of Read More