{"id":55533,"date":"2025-07-24T12:45:44","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T16:45:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=55533"},"modified":"2025-08-06T16:55:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T20:55:14","slug":"embark-boyko","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/","title":{"rendered":"With a Woof and a Swab, Vet Prof\u2019s Company Decodes Doggie DNA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Founded a decade ago, Embark gives owners detailed info on their canine companion\u2019s breed, health risks, and more<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Melissa Newcomb<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many dog owners speculate about what combination of breeds make up their furry friend\u2019s DNA. But what about whether their canine companion has genetic risks for certain diseases, what their ideal weight is, or even if they have a relative nearby?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adam Boyko<\/a>, an associate professor of biomedical sciences in the Veterinary College, cofounded Embark<\/a> to give pet parents the answers to those questions, and many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Three
provided<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour dog is a member of the family\u2014but it\u2019s a member that doesn\u2019t have a family history, so you don\u2019t know its medical history or who its relatives are, and in some cases you don\u2019t know where your dog came from,\u201d says Boyko, who teaches medical genetics to first-year students. \u201cThis is a way of getting to know your dog better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embark\u2019s Breed and Health Dog DNA Test, the company\u2019s most comprehensive, screens for more than 270 health risks and 55 traits across over 350 breeds, as well as potential allergy risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Your dog is a member of the family\u2014but it\u2019s a member that doesn\u2019t have a family history.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Other tests assess age, gut health, or breed; prices range from $129\u2013199, but they can often be found on sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Says Boyko: \u201cIt\u2019s really rewarding to see people get such joy out of learning so much about their dog.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As in many human DNA tests, the kits require users to take a mouth swab and send it back to the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two
Jason Koski \/ Cornell University<\/figcaption>
Boyko demonstrates how to take a sample from a furry volunteer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Boyko says the results can help owners give their pets a higher quality of life\u2014for example, by taking preventive measures if a dog is found to be prone to a particular health condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He recalls one dramatic case, which a customer described in a thank-you letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

It\u2019s really rewarding to see people get such joy out of learning so much about their dog.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTheir dog was at risk for a bleeding disorder,\u201d Boyko says. \u201cAnd because they knew that, when their dog got into an accident a few months later, they took him to a vet that had transfusion supplies, because they knew there may be an issue with surgery. It saved the dog\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Embark is now based in Boston\u2014and the lab where the DNA extraction and genotyping are done is in California\u2014the company has its roots on the Hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
provided<\/figcaption>
The breed results for Nina, our canine model seen above.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\n

After earning a doctorate in biology from Purdue, Boyko did a postdoc in a Cornell genetics lab, and eventually joined the Vet faculty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He and his brother co-founded Embark in 2015 at Cornell\u2019s Center for Life Sciences Ventures<\/a>, an incubator that helps start-ups with research and development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company maintains a research facility in Ithaca and continues to partner with the Vet College on its studies of canine genetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The work is powered by Embark\u2019s database of more than 2.5 million test samples. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

While owners can opt out of having their pet\u2019s DNA included in studies, Boyko says, a large majority choose to participate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Findings have included ways to reduce the health dangers of inbreeding, and the development of a test that can help eliminate congenital deafness in Rhodesian Ridgebacks through selective breeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embark has also landed some creative partnerships and national media coverage over the years\u2014including appearing on the \u201cToday\u201d show, making Oprah\u2019s \u201cFavorite Things\u201d list, and partnering with both Animal Planet\u2019s Puppy Bowl and the Westminster Kennel Club show. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Adam
provided<\/figcaption>
Boyko (at left) with his brother and co-founder at the 2017 Puppy Bowl.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is one of the best ways to demonstrate the value of research to the public,\u201d Boyko says of Embark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe give something back with this product that people enjoy; we teach them a bit about genetics; and their dog becomes part of the data set that contributes to research. It goes full circle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top: Boyko with Nina, a past Embark client, in the Vet College atrium. (Jason Koski \/ Cornell University) <\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Published July 24, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Founded a decade ago, Embark gives owners detailed info on their canine companion\u2019s breed, health risks, and more<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":55530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"alumni_hub_syml_posts":[21491,20725,51225],"footnotes":""},"categories":[227],"tags":[],"cornell_year_post":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-55533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-beyond"],"yoast_head":"\nWith a Woof and a Swab, Vet Prof\u2019s Company Decodes Doggie DNA - Cornellians | Cornell University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Founded a decade ago, Embark gives owners detailed info on their canine companion\u2019s breed, health risks, and more\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"With a Woof and a Swab, Vet Prof\u2019s Company Decodes Doggie DNA - Cornellians | Cornell University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Founded a decade ago, Embark gives owners detailed info on their canine companion\u2019s breed, health risks, and more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cornellians | Cornell University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Cornellians\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-24T16:45:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-06T20:55:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/2025_1254_JK_010-C.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Beth Saulnier\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@WeCornellians\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@WeCornellians\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Beth Saulnier\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Beth Saulnier\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#\/schema\/person\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100\"},\"headline\":\"With a Woof and a Swab, Vet Prof\u2019s Company Decodes Doggie DNA\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-24T16:45:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-06T20:55:14+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/\"},\"wordCount\":699,\"commentCount\":1,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/2025_1254_JK_010-C.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Campus & Beyond\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/\",\"name\":\"With a Woof and a Swab, Vet Prof\u2019s Company Decodes Doggie DNA - Cornellians | Cornell University\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/2025_1254_JK_010-C.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-24T16:45:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-06T20:55:14+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#\/schema\/person\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100\"},\"description\":\"Founded a decade ago, Embark gives owners detailed info on their canine companion\u2019s breed, health risks, and more\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/2025_1254_JK_010-C.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/2025_1254_JK_010-C.jpg\",\"width\":1600,\"height\":900,\"caption\":\"Boyko with Nina, a past Embark client, in the Vet College atrium. (Jason Koski \/ Cornell University)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"With a Woof and a Swab, Vet Prof\u2019s Company Decodes Doggie DNA\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/\",\"name\":\"Cornellians | Cornell University\",\"description\":\"Cornell's alumni publication\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#\/schema\/person\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100\",\"name\":\"Beth Saulnier\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Beth Saulnier\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/author\/ess8\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"With a Woof and a Swab, Vet Prof\u2019s Company Decodes Doggie DNA - Cornellians | Cornell University","description":"Founded a decade ago, Embark gives owners detailed info on their canine companion\u2019s breed, health risks, and more","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"With a Woof and a Swab, Vet Prof\u2019s Company Decodes Doggie DNA - Cornellians | Cornell University","og_description":"Founded a decade ago, Embark gives owners detailed info on their canine companion\u2019s breed, health risks, and more","og_url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/","og_site_name":"Cornellians | Cornell University","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Cornellians","article_published_time":"2025-07-24T16:45:44+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-06T20:55:14+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1600,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/2025_1254_JK_010-C.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Beth Saulnier","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@WeCornellians","twitter_site":"@WeCornellians","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Beth Saulnier","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/"},"author":{"name":"Beth Saulnier","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#\/schema\/person\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100"},"headline":"With a Woof and a Swab, Vet Prof\u2019s Company Decodes Doggie DNA","datePublished":"2025-07-24T16:45:44+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-06T20:55:14+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/"},"wordCount":699,"commentCount":1,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/2025_1254_JK_010-C.jpg","articleSection":["Campus & Beyond"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/","url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/","name":"With a Woof and a Swab, Vet Prof\u2019s Company Decodes Doggie DNA - Cornellians | Cornell University","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/2025_1254_JK_010-C.jpg","datePublished":"2025-07-24T16:45:44+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-06T20:55:14+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#\/schema\/person\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100"},"description":"Founded a decade ago, Embark gives owners detailed info on their canine companion\u2019s breed, health risks, and more","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/2025_1254_JK_010-C.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/2025_1254_JK_010-C.jpg","width":1600,"height":900,"caption":"Boyko with Nina, a past Embark client, in the Vet College atrium. (Jason Koski \/ Cornell University)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/embark-boyko\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"With a Woof and a Swab, Vet Prof\u2019s Company Decodes Doggie DNA"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#website","url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/","name":"Cornellians | Cornell University","description":"Cornell's alumni publication","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#\/schema\/person\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100","name":"Beth Saulnier","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Beth Saulnier"},"url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/author\/ess8\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55533","targetHints":{"allow":["GET","POST","PUT","PATCH","DELETE"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55533"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55533\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56142,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55533\/revisions\/56142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55533"},{"taxonomy":"cornell_year_post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cornell_year_post?post=55533"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=55533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}