23andMe and Udacity Launch Introductory Human Genetics Course

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

23andMe, the leading personal genetics company, is working with Udacity, a Silicon Valley-based education start-up, to create a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on human genetics. Tales from the Genome will provide an accessible introduction to genetic concepts and technology for just about anyone. The course is designed to be particularly helpful for high school, college and medical students, as well as health care professionals and life-long learners. Course participants can choose to complete the entire course or just the individual lessons on the topics they find most interesting. Tales from the Genome also incorporates personal and engaging perspectives from people living with a variety of genetic traits, from color blindness to lactose intolerance.

Tales from the Genome covers the fundamental principles of inheritance, gene structure and expression, mutation and variation, development of simple and complex biological traits, human ancestry and evolution, and the acquisition and interpretation of personal genetic information. By the end of the course, students will have an enhanced understanding of both the science of genetics and the various ways genetics informs their personal health.

Genetics is so much more than what many students experience in a traditional classroom setting, said Dr. Matthew Cook, the main instructor for the course. It should really be about the stories our genomes can tell, all the biological secrets wound up and packaged into efficient information storage units called chromosomes.

Dr. Cook earned his Ph.D. at Duke University and completed training as a post-doctoral scholar at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Cook then joined the content development team at Udacity to share his passion for genetics with the world.

As individuals are becoming more actively involved in their health care and more physicians incorporate personalized medicine into their practice, genetic information is becoming a fundamental element of basic health care, said Dr. Uta Francke, senior medical director at 23andMe and co-instructor of Tales from the Genome. As a result, genetics education has never been more important, particularly for individuals seeking the best possible care for themselves and their families.

Dr. Francke is an emeritus professor of genetics and pediatrics at Stanford University, where she taught molecular and clinical genetics. Tales from the Genome is also co-instructed by 23andMe Senior Director of Research, Dr. Joanna Mountain. Dr. Mountain previously served as a faculty member at Stanford University in the anthropological sciences and genetics departments.

Tales from the Genome will be available to the public as of September 30, 2013 on Udacity.

About 23andMe

23andMe, Inc. is the leading personal genetics company dedicated to helping individuals understand their own genetic information through DNA analysis technologies and web-based interactive tools. The company's Personal Genome Service enables individuals to gain deeper insights into their ancestry and inherited traits. The vision for 23andMe is to personalize healthcare by making and supporting meaningful discoveries through genetic research. 23andMe, Inc., was founded in 2006, and the company is advised by a group of renowned experts in the fields of human genetics, bioinformatics and computer science. More information is available at http://www.23andMe.com.

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23andMe and Udacity Launch Introductory Human Genetics Course