Bernie Williams (myDNAhealth - UK)

Bernie Williams is one of the founders of myDNAhealth and is passionate about the power of DNA and how it is interacting with a person’s environment including what they choose to eat, physical activity, exposure to toxins, stress levels and sleep. As a keen sportsperson, Bernie has always had an interest in nutrition, health and science and the positive impact in health, longevity and disease prevention. She spent many years in various highly stressed corporate environments where her own health and wellbeing was not a priority, so she decided to do something about it. After two decades as a corporate and marketing executive in London as well as numerous placements in Europe, Bernie decided to pursue her passion for wellness and nutrition. In 2012 together with the other founders of myDNAhealth, a team comprising researchers, nutritionists, medical and functional medicine practitioners, she created the first award winning DNA testing product which was launched to health and nutritional practitioners in 2015.

 

Utilisation of personal features to predict risk for certain chronic conditions and the personalised nutrition approach to prevent disease progression

myDNAhealth, a nutrition-focused DNA testing company that offers science-backed reports based on genetic variants coupled with environmental, lifestyle, food diary and bloods, will discuss their health risk analysis framework and approach to personalised nutrition. This unique approach is based on four pillars:

  1. Food is medicine:  Nutrition is one of the most important factors influencing our health and lifespan. What we eat influences our genes which in turn influences the way we feel, the way we look, deal with stress and fight off preventable chronic conditions. Research shows there are gene-nutrient and gene-environment interactions that can provide science backed insights into an individual’s response to certain foods.
  2. Thinking differently about healthcare:myDNAhealth is creating a platform that brings this all together -  science, human behaviour and technology - to facilitate a shift from "one-size-fits-all" diets to a personalised nutrition approach aimed at preventing health problems and improving lifespan.
  3. Information for better lifestyle choices: It is known that lifestyle and diet contribute 40% and genetics 30% to early mortality. By analysing an individual’s personal features including genetic variations, microbiome, blood biomarkers, questionnaires and food diary, this more upstream assessment model can predict risk for certain conditions and provide a personalised dietary intervention matched to the individuals unique profile.
  4. Data-driven:A data-driven personalised nutrition platform can provide valuable insights to the healthcare and food industry.

Bernie Williams, co-founder and CEO of start-up myDNAhealth will share their unique approach in applying multivariate data sources to recommend personalised nutrition interventions to prevent the onset of certain NCDs and discuss:

  1. Role of nutritional genomics, consultation questionnaires and blood biomarkers
  2. How myDNAhealth applies these data sources to recommend personalised nutrition interventions and meal plans.
  3. How myDNAhealth is approaching the challenges of client compliance and reporting outcomes

 

 

 

BIO

Berenice Williams MA, DIPM, MCIM

myDNAhealth, Co-founder CEO

 

[email protected]

Bernie Williams is one of the founders of myDNAhealth and is passionate about the power of DNA and how it is interacting with a person’s environment including what they choose to eat, physical activity, exposure to toxins, stress levels and sleep.

 

As a keen sportsperson, Bernie has always had an interest in nutrition, health and science and the positive impact in health, longevity and disease prevention. She spent many years in various highly stressed corporate environments where her own health and wellbeing was not a priority, so she decided to do something about it. After two decades as a corporate and marketing executive in London as well as numerous placements in Europe, Bernie decided to pursue her passion for wellness and nutrition. In 2012 together with the other founders of myDNAhealth, a team comprising researchers, nutritionists, medical and functional medicine practitioners, she created the first award winning DNA testing product which was launched to health and nutritional practitioners in 2015.