# Adyn Combines Genetics and Endocrinology to Target Contraceptive Side Effects

**Author:** Zero G Talent
**Published:** 2026-11-08
**Category:** business-finance
**Tags:** yc-hiring, precision medicine, bioinformatics, genomics, software engineering, diagnostics

[Read on Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com/blog/adyn-combines-genetics-and-endocrinology-to-target-contraceptive-side-effects)

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Prescription contraception in the United States spans nearly 200 options, yet prescribing routinely relies on trial and error. Data cited by [adyn](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-companies/adyn) indicates that 80% of women try three or more contraceptive methods and 63% switch due to adverse side effects, which range from acne and weight changes to clinical depression and venous thromboembolism. Adyn was founded to replace this trial-and-error approach with precision medicine, analyzing genetic variants and endocrine biomarkers to forecast tolerability before an individual starts a prescription.

Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the seven-person seed startup emerged from Y Combinator's S20 cohort and has raised $2.6 million from venture firms including Lux Capital, M13, Madrona, Pioneer Fund, and angel investor Anne Wojcicki. To scale its testing pipeline and clinical platform, the company is hiring across five remote roles in bioinformatics, engineering, product, and growth marketing.

## The Science Behind the Birth Control Test

Adyn's commercial product, The Birth Control Test, retails for $369 and is eligible for Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account funds. Customers complete a structured medical intake outlining reproductive history, contraindications, and administration preferences, followed by an at-home biological sample collection.

The test pairs two biological readouts:

1. **Genetics:** Extracted from a saliva sample and analyzed once in CLIA-certified laboratories. The screening evaluates known risk loci, such as the Factor V Leiden mutation associated with up to a 30-fold increased risk of blood clots, alongside polygenic risk scores for depression.
2. **Endocrinology:** Collected via a finger-prick serum separating card on day three of the menstrual cycle. The laboratory measures six baseline reproductive hormones: estrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and androgen markers.

A proprietary bioinformatics pipeline integrates the genetic variants, hormone concentrations, and patient preferences against findings from more than 60 peer-reviewed medical publications. The system issues one of thousands of possible personalized diagnostic reports. To prevent patients from navigating complex genomic risk data without clinical guidance, adyn vertically integrated telehealth services, providing 25-minute consultations with licensed clinicians who can write prescriptions fulfilled discreetly by a partner pharmacy within 48 hours.

Beyond individual diagnostic reports, adyn runs the Close the Gap research initiative. Because female biology and non-European populations have historically been underrepresented in scientific literature, adyn uses de-identified cohort data to identify novel pharmacogenomic markers and expand reference ranges for broader endocrine and reproductive health conditions.

## Scientific Founder Roots

Adyn was established in 2019 by [Elizabeth Ruzzo](https://zerogtalent.com/people/elizabeth-ruzzo), who serves as founder and CEO. Ruzzo holds a Ph.D. in genetics and genomics from Duke University, where her laboratory work utilized next-generation sequencing to isolate genetic causes of inherited epilepsy and undiagnosed pediatric disorders. She later completed postdoctoral research at UCLA with Daniel Geschwind, applying whole-genome sequencing and machine learning across family datasets to uncover 25 new autism risk genes.

The inspiration for adyn came from Ruzzo's personal medical experience. As an undergraduate, she experienced severe depression and suicidal ideation triggered by oral contraceptives—an adverse reaction initially dismissed by her healthcare provider. Years later, after recognizing that biological literature lacked systematic data on contraceptive drug reactions, she entered Y Combinator as a solo technical founder to build precision diagnostics for female health.

In an interview with [The Bioinformatics CRO](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI7u6exQb9E), Ruzzo highlighted that clinical reference ranges frequently ignore the interplay of age, weight, and ancestry on endogenous hormones. As reported by [Pharma Voice](https://www.pharmavoice.com/news/The-Birth-Control-Test-Adyn-Elizabeth-Ruzzo-access/626144/), adyn plans to use its data assets to build companion diagnostics for additional understudied conditions, including endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

## Five Remote Openings Across Engineering and Growth

Adyn is expanding its technical infrastructure and market presence across five full-time, remote US roles.

On the research side, the company is seeking a [Bioinformatician](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/adyn/bioinformatician-38826). The position entails identifying and prioritizing R&D opportunities, mentoring incoming team members, and establishing cloud data pipelines using Python, R, AWS, GitHub, and machine learning models to analyze genomic associations.

To support product infrastructure and user data management, adyn is hiring a [Full stack engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/adyn/full-stack-engineer-39107). This engineer will design the core software stack, build frontend interfaces in collaboration with design partners, scale backend systems, and maintain HIPAA-compliant audit trails using AWS, Aptible, Heroku, Python, React, and SQL.

Product and customer discovery are directed through an opening for [Product Experience](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/adyn/product-experience-42210). This role collaborates with engineering, bioinformatics, and marketing to oversee product discovery and delivery, execute user research, define performance KPIs, and evaluate clinical health partnerships.

Commercial adoption is supported by two go-to-market roles. The [Performance Marketer](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/adyn/performance-marketer-42209) manages paid customer acquisition channels, runs A/B testing frameworks, and analyzes customer retention using SQL. The [Content Marketer](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/adyn/content-marketer-42208) produces educational materials, presentations, videos, and campaigns across channels, requiring at least three years of experience translating technical health information in regulated industries.

| Role | Location | Work Mode | Salary |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Bioinformatician](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/adyn/bioinformatician-38826) | Remote (US) | Remote | Not listed |
| [Full stack engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/adyn/full-stack-engineer-39107) | Remote (US) | Remote | Not listed |
| [Product Experience](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/adyn/product-experience-42210) | Remote (US) | Remote | Not listed |
| [Performance Marketer](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/adyn/performance-marketer-42209) | Remote (US) | Remote | Not listed |
| [Content Marketer](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/adyn/content-marketer-42208) | Remote (US) | Remote | Not listed |

[See all open roles at adyn](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-companies/adyn)

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*Source: [Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com), the job board for space, defense, AI, robotics and frontier-tech companies.*