After earning my degrees in genetics and business, I was about to crush it in medical school.

• Good grades, check.
• Published in medical journals, check.
• Above-average MCAT scores, check.
• Experience working with the public... shoot.

​I was working for a physician in a molecular biology research lab who would not stop insisting that I find a job where I could gain experience interacting with people. OK, that makes sense. Nothing’s worse than a stuffy doctor.

But there was no way I could predict that what started as a part-time job would change the trajectory of my life forever.

I started working at a store that sold yogurt and coffee, and we also rented videos (now you’re trying to guess my age).

I quickly moved up to manager and had to tackle the challenge of increasing sales. Well, if people wouldn’t come to the store, I would bring the store to them. That entrepreneurial discovery sparked my love for business. I loved it so much that I traded my white doctor’s jacket for my own barista apron.

​Goodbye medical school. Hello, frothy milk, and I own my own business.

​Again, I was crushing it! I had three vans, multiple carts, and was cranking out espressos and smoothies at weddings and corporate events.

But then, my wife’s health began severely deteriorating while pregnant with our second daughter.

​My wife and I had no trouble getting pregnant the first time, but the second time? After years of trying, we were prepared to start fertility treatments when our miracle happened.

​But during the second trimester, I was looking at my wife, who had withered down to 85 pounds, unable to swallow her own saliva. Even after Hayden was born, my wife never fully recovered.

​Migraines. Fatigue. Joint pain. Insomnia. 

​Doctors said maybe it was chronic fatigue. Maybe fibromyalgia or lupus. Perhaps she was just depressed?

And our little Hayden. If you’re a parent, you know when something just isn’t right with your child. Despite everyone saying she was fine, Tracy and I had our suspicions confirmed by a neurologist…Hayden was on the autism spectrum.

​My wife, despite her pain and suffering, found the Mind Institute and scheduled an appointment for Hayden with a new pediatric geneticist that had just arrived from Johns Hopkins University.

​But instead of running tests on our daughter, the doctor was more interested in Tracy.

​While conducting the parental health background, the doctor noticed my wife's hands. You see…She was born with a few physical defects to her fingers, along with all of her toes.

​Nothing major, or so we thought.

​A blood test finally confirmed why she got sick and never fully recovered. The doctor diagnosed her with a rare genetic disorder called Oculo-Dento-Digital Dyspalsia (ODDD). At the time, this affected less than 700 people within 19 families.

​After years of ER visits, doctors, and specialists, this doctor finally diagnosed my wife. It then hit me.

​The true key to living a healthy and happy life is being able to truly unlock your body’s DNA and find a path that is made just for you.

​While there is no cure for my wife or daughter, finally being properly diagnosed has helped us manage and live more fulfilling lives.

 It’s funny how the twists and turns in our lives eventually get us where we are supposed to be. If it weren’t for my education in genetics, my physician mentor telling me to get some people skills, my experience launching and running a business, my daughter’s diagnosis... Refined Genetix wouldn’t be changing lives.

​So whatever the twists and turns that led you here, there’s probably a reason. Unlocking my family’s DNA has transformed our lives. and we can help you do the same.

Jeff Costa 

Chief Wellness Officer 

​More about Jeff:

Jeff Costa earned a bachelor’s degree in genetics and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of California, Davis. He has been published in multiple medical journals for his ground-breaking research at the University of California, Davis’ Hematology and Oncology Research Center.