Ashley Van Zeeland

In addition to co-founding Cypher Genomics, Van Zeeland is also a published author on subjects of both anorexia and autism.^[1][2][7] As mentioned in the abstract, Van Zeeland's work with autism showed that there are genetic variants linked in different communication pathways.^[1] The study was published in Science Translational Medicine in her 2010 article, "Altered functional connectivity in frontal lobe circuits is associated with variation in the autism risk gene CNTNAP2."^[1] The study used a combination of genetics and imaging phenotypes to determine that a lack of connectivity between the frontal lobe may be connected to the genetic variation at CNTNAP2 that predisposes subjects to autism.^[1] Van Zeeland was the primary author on a 2013 Anorexia Nervosa study that was completed at The Scripps Translational Science Institute. The study was entitled "Evidence for the role of EPHX2 gene variants in anorexia nervosa" and was published in Molecular Psychiatry.^[2] This study looked at 150 different candidate genes in over 1200 Anorexia Nervosa subjects and over 1900 control subjects in order to try to find a genetic difference in subjects with the disease.^[2] Through sequencing and genotyping of the candidate genes of the subjects, it was determined that there was evidence that showed a variance in the EPHX2 gene to be linked to Anorexia Nervosa as well as elevated cholesterol levels.^[2]

In 2013, Van Zeeland was named a San Diego Young Influential.^[14] The San Diego Young Influential's Award "highlights young entrepreneurs and successful business leaders who are the next generation of Top Influentials, San Diego County's young movers and shakers."^[15] In 2012, she was named a PitchFest Finalist by the San Diego Venture Group, meaning that Cypher Genomic's business pitch beat out hundreds of other contestants from around the country.^[16] In 2011, Van Zeeland was a part of the mystartupXX Program when the program received a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Association.^[17] The mission of the mystartupXX Program is "to nurture the next generation of female founder and female-led technology startups through mentorship, education and funding."^[17] In 2010, Van Zeeland won the International Society for Autism Research Neurobiological Dissertation Award for her work discovering genetic variants are linked to different communication pathways within the brain.^[1] Van Zeeland also received the honor of being named a Dickinson Fellow in 2009. In 2007, she was the recipient of the Pre-doctoral Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award which is an award given out by the National Institutes of Health.^[18]