Jamboree 2017 Speaker Spotlight: Robin Smith, Ph.D.

Robin Smith joined 23andMe in 2013 as a scientist on the Product team and is currently the Ancestry Product Manager. He's made multiple contributions to product research and development - notably in the areas of Wellness, Traits, and Ancestry. Prior to 23andMe, Robin completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UCSF where he studied the 98 percent of the genome that doesn’t code for genes, so-called DNA “dark matter”. Robin earned his Ph.D. from The University of Miami.

TH014 Tackling Genetic Genealogy With 23andMe

48th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree

Genetic Genealogy 2017

www.genealogyjamboree.com

jamboree@scgsgenealogy.com

#SCGS2017 @scgsgenealogy.com

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Afton Vechery

Afton joined 23andMe in 2014 as product manager. In this role, she leads the company's efforts to create tools that use genetic data to empower customers.

Prior to 23andMe, Afton was head of product development and operations at Acumen where she worked on clinical operations, product and business development. Before Acumen, she led the personalized medicine initiative at Great Point Partners. Afton also founded Kera10, a cosmecutical company utilizing licensed technology from KeraNetics, a regenerative medicine biomaterials company.

She received a bachelor of science degree in business management from Wake Forest where she was recognized as the Presidential Scholar for Entrepreneurship - awarded for the water quality testing company she started in high school - and won the KPMG Global Case Competition, a distinguished honor for which she competed against 19 other countries.

TH025 Thursday June 4, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Learn About the World's Biggest Genealogy Company
23andMe has the leading DNA ancestry service in the world and the company's genetic genealogy tools can help people make many discoveries about themselves and their family history. Learn more about the technology behind DNA analysis, what 23andMe reports and tools that can inform how people have connected based on what they've learned. Afton will discuss the types of information contained in a 23andMe report including geographic and cultural ancestry, how to connect with genetic cousins (DNA relatives) and how to use the family tree tool.

Jamboree - Meet the Speakers: Joanna L. Mountain, PhD.

Joanna Mountain PhD, is a geneticist with a passion for ancestry genetics and genetic genealogy. She was born in England and traces her ancestry back to England, Ireland, and Scotland. She received her PhD in Genetics from Stanford University and subsequently served on the faculty of the Anthropological Sciences department. Joanna has used genetics to study human prehistory in Africa, southern and eastern Asia, and Europe.

She currently represents 23andMe, a personal genomics company that provides genetic data and tools for exploring ancestry, genealogy, and health. She is interested in finding ways to extract as much genealogical information as possible from a person’s, or family’s, genetic data. She is particularly excited about the future of genetic databases that allow distant relatives to find one another and to extend each others' family trees.

TH009 Thursday June 5, 12:30-2:00 p.m. - Luncheon
Panel Discussion:  Peering into the Future of Genetic Genealogy 
Panelists: AncestryDNA, Joanna Mountain PhD, Bennett Greenspan, and Diahan Southard PhD. Moderator: Blaine Bettinger, JD

TH020 Thursday June 5, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Putting All the Genetic Pieces Together to Solve Family Mysteries
DNA provides multiple pieces of our ancestral story, and putting together those pieces can be a challenge.  THis presentation will cover the different types of evidence from DNA, as well as some examples of how people have put together the pieces to successfully solve family mysteries or make family discoveries. The focus will be on the interpretive features provided by 23andMe’s Personal Genome Service.

Bargain Alert: DNA Testing. Have You Been Tested?

NOTE: This is not an endorsement of any DNA testing company. We encourage you to do your own research and choose the one(s) that best fit your needs.

All three of the following will be present at the Family History and DNA conference that is being held on June 6, 2013, in Burbank, California, in conjunction with the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree (June 7-9, 2013).

The DNA conference is limited to 350 attendees, and we are approaching 75 percent full. Register today - the Early Bird Registration deadline is April 30! And remember that SCGS members enjoy an even greater discount.

If you are interested in being tested, we wanted to let you know : 

Family Tree DNA has a sale that ends April 30. Sale prices start at:
$119.00    Y-DNA testing (paternal line)
$169.00    Family Finder testing – across all lines, both male and female
$189.00    Full mtDNA testing (maternal line)
For full information, see www.familytreedna.com

23andMe recently announced that their standard price is $99.00. Their information is available at www.23andme.com. Click on the “Ancestry” tab to see the specifics about their genealogy services.

AncestryDNA information can be found at www.dna.ancestry.com. Their standard pricing is also $99.00 for a full test.

Spencer Wells, PhD and Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., PhD to Speak at Conference in Burbank, CA

It’s rare that a new type of event is introduced to the genealogical community. The Southern California Genealogical Society and the International Society of Genetic Genealogy are proud to announce such an event.

“Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2013” is a one-day conference designed to fully explore the application of genetic genealogy in researching family history. It will be held Thursday, June 6, 2013, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport, Burbank, California. Registrations are open now and an early-bird registration discount is in place through April 30.

“We are so excited that this new conference will break new ground in genetic genealogy gatherings,” said SCGS president Alice Fairhurst, who helped to found the society’s DNA interest group and has been actively applying DNA in her own genealogy research. “Family History and DNA” differs from other DNA events in several ways.

First, speakers are among the most highly respected and knowledgeable professionals in the DNA and genetic genealogy universe.

The opening session will be conducted by Spencer Wells, PhD, an Explorer-in-Residence with the National Geographic Society. He leads The Genographic Project, which is collecting and analyzing hundreds of thousands of DNA samples from people around the world. Dr. Wells’ presentation is “The Genographic Project and the Rise of Citizen Science.”

Genetics has revolutionized our understanding of human history. Advances in genetic technology have allowed ever deeper insights into the human story. Now whole-genome sequences and large-scale arrays of genetic markers are providing a richer view of our shared past, revealing details that remained hidden using other genetic tools. Since 2005, the Genographic Project has used the latest genetic technology to expand our knowledge of the human story, and its pioneering use of DNA testing to engage and involve the public in the research effort has helped to create a new breed of "citizen scientist." Geno 2.0 expands the scope for citizen science, harnessing the power of the crowd to discover new details of human population history.
 

The luncheon speaker will be Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., PhD, director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Dr. Gates is an American literary critic, educator, scholar, writer and film maker. His programs for PBS, including Finding Your Roots, African American Lives, Faces of America and Oprah’s Roots, explored family histories of a number of individuals through the use of DNA. (Please note that the luncheon requires an additional fee of $20 for paid registrants of the Thursday DNA conference, and $60 for spouses or guests of those registrants.)

Other speakers include Judy G. Russell, JD, CG; Richard Hill; Emily D. Aulicino; Katherine Hope Borges; CeCe Moore; Tim Janzen, MD; Blaine Bettinger, JD; and Debbie Parker Wayne, CG. We are grateful for the enthusiastic support show by all our speakers, especially Dr. Well and Dr. Gates, through their participation in this conference.

Second, “Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2013” is produced by independent groups, not for-profit DNA organizations. The Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS) and the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) have joined forces to offer this inaugural DNA event. While it is independent of financial support by any of the commercial DNA companies, the event will provide equal access to Family Tree DNA, 23andMe, and AncestryDNA. 

CeCe Moore, speaker, conference co-chair and Southern California Regional Coordinator for ISOGG explained, “I've dreamed of a genetic genealogy conference sponsored by ISOGG for a long time, and I am thrilled to be working in cooperation with SCGS on this inaugural event. Holding the conference in conjunction with the Genealogy Jamboree helps us reach many family historians who would otherwise not be able to attend.”

Finally, the event’s three session tracks are organized by the level of experience using genetic genealogy, and not based on the attendee’s knowledge of family history. Sessions include beginner basics, use of DNA in finding adoptee families, famous DNA, autosomal DNA, mitochondrial DNA, analyzing results and other topics. The final hour of the day will be a resource hour, with small-group discussions and supplier assistance.

Complete information about “Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2013” and the Southern California Genealogical Society’s 44th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree can be found on the Jamboree website, http://www.genealogyjamboree.com.

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The Southern California Genealogical Society is located in Burbank, California. It sponsors the annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, which will be held June 7 through 9, 2013, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank, Burbank, California. The pre-event is the inaugural “Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2013” conference.