Episode 123: Your DNA Guide –Diahan Southard and Jayne Ekins

Diahan Southard is a pioneer in the world of DNA testing and family history. She founded Your DNA Guide as a way to teach anyone with DNA how to use it to find out more about themselves and their family. She is the author of Your DNA Guide - the Book, and creator of Your DNA Guide - the Academy, an online learning platform. She spends all her spare time with her three kids and especially looks forward to date night with her handsome husband. Jayne has 23 years of experience in the field of genetic genealogy. She had the extraordinary experience of being mentored by Dr. Scott Woodward and his visionary team that took shape in the earliest days of this burgeoning field. She has been a part of nearly every stage of driving the discovery process forward: field specimen collection, marker selection and assay design, data management and computational processes, analysis, and algorithms, and investigating population-level research questions. She has lectured throughout the United States and international venues on the applications of molecular biology to elucidating ancient and recent genealogical connections. She has authored and co-authored many peer-reviewed scientific publications, as well as general articles on genetic genealogy. It is a pleasure for her to see the accelerating developments in genetic genealogy, and the wide accessibility and application it has for the average human curious about their origins. Listen to Jayne and Diahan, as they discuss with Ellen and Jen: • How the two started out as college friends embarking on a research project together. • How DNA is analyzed and what the results really mean. • Ethnicity results and the clues of family history and groups or communities. • Medical genealogy with DNA testing, possibilities and current challenges. • Issues of anonymity with DNA testing. • Differences between DNA testing companies: values, terms and conditions, and what the companies do with your information. • How does knowledge of your genetic connections affect and/or define your relationships. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/ Get your IWTPABIY merch here! https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/merch Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Recommended links: Book Link: https://www.yourdnaguide.com/your-dna-guide-the-book First article in in-depth series about ethnicity results: https://www.yourdnaguide.com/ydgblog/2019/4/15/dna-ethnicity-changes-thats-not-what-it-said-before free download about finding birth parents: https://www.yourdnaguide.com/dna-birth-family